India 2047: Dairying as a Cornerstone of Nutritional Security and Sustainable Development

India 2047: Dairying as a Cornerstone of Nutritional Security and Sustainable Development

Dr. Manjunath¹, M.V.Sc. Scholar, Department of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala

Dr. Hariharan R.², Phd. Scholar, Department of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala

Dr. Vinod V.K.³ Associate Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala

Dr. Asha K.⁴ Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala

Abstract

Dairy farming in India has been important in providing food and nutrition security. Dairy generates income and helps uplift small-scale farmers, rural agricultural community, women empowerment in economics and nutrition. Dairy and its products reduce risk of health issues such as diarrhoea, obesity. Government schemes and programmes in the dairy sector benefit dairy farmers by building the necessary infrastructure for farming and marketing. The increasing population and demand for food is a challenge for the government alone; therefore, a multisectoral approach is needed. This paper entails some good dairy practices such as smart dairy farming using artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), climate-smart dairy practices, and multisectoral coordination that produce safe milk and its products, which help in sustainable food production across the country.

 Keywords: Food security, Dairying, Operation flood, Dairy cooperatives, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Climate Smart Dairy.

Introduction

Food security

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a sustainable food system guarantees food security while efficiently utilizing natural and human resources. It must be culturally appropriate, accessible, environmentally sustainable, economically just and viable, and capable of delivering safe, nutritious, healthy, and affordable food to current and future generations (FAO, 2024).

India is the most populated country in the world. Food insecurity is driven by poverty, overpopulation, gender inequality, and limited maternal knowledge about nutrition and childcare, especially in rural areas with scarce food access, resulting in malnutrition, particularly in rural regions with poor food access. Additionally, many mothers lack proper knowledge about nutrition, breastfeeding, and childcare, which further contributes to the problem. Food insecurity in India’s rural and tribal areas largely stems from low agricultural productivity, driven by limited access to resources and markets. The ongoing agrarian crisis is due to multiple factors, notably the significant reduction in government development spending in rural regions since the 1990s (Upadhyay and Palanivel, 2011).

Ensuring global food security continues to be a pressing issue, particularly amid ongoing population growth and increasing environmental pressures. Providing adequate food for the global population is becoming an increasingly challenging endeavor. As the world’s population is projected to surpass 9.7 billion by 2050, food demand is anticipated to increase by approximately 70% compared to present levels (Tkemaladze, 2025).

Importance of dairy and nutrition in achieving food security

Dairy livestock production is fundamental to food and nutrition security, especially for rural families. It supplies a reliable stream of nutrient-dense foods like milk and other dairy products essential for dietary diversity and the prevention of malnutrition. Dairy is essential for people’s well-being in more ways than one. It provides a steady income, helps build businesses, and makes families more resilient to food insecurity. It also fosters economic stability and improves access to food. Livestock also helps with sustainable agriculture by improving crop yields via manure utilization and nutrient recycling (Sarma et al., 2025).

 

Since ancient times, milk has been revered for its nutritional and therapeutic value, as reflected in Vedic texts and supported by modern science. Today, the creation of functional foods is propelled by combining scientific advancements and traditional knowledge. Fermented dairy products with probiotics are among the most recognized examples of milk’s health-promoting potential (Nagpal, 2012). One of the most ancient and customary foods in human history is milk. The consumption of milk and dairy products has been part of human nutrition since the early stages of evolution (Sanjulián et al., 2025).

The Role of Dairy in India’s Food System

Between 1950–51 and 1973–74, India’s milk production grew slowly, leading to a 15% drop in per capita availability and increased reliance on imports. Operation Flood was launched in 1970 to address this, boosting production significantly. By 1973–74, milk output outpaced population growth, and by 2018–19, per capita availability rose to 387 grams per day, exceeding national dietary recommendations (Upadhyaya, 2024)—recent milk production data in the context of the world and state of India. According to the FAO, total milk production has reached 239.30 million tonnes, making it the leading country in global milk production. Compared to the previous year, milk output has grown by 3.78%. The current per capita availability of milk stands at 471 grams per day. (BAHS, 2024).

Importance of dairy products

Dairy products are nutrient-rich, offering proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Milk, yogurt, cheese, and butter provide key nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and B12, along with bioactive compounds that support health. Fermentation enhances dairy’s nutritional value, shelf life, and digestibility while introducing probiotics that aid digestion, strengthen immunity, and promote gut health. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), commonly used in fermented dairy, improve flavour and texture and are valued for their probiotic potential. Fermented dairy is especially important in many developing countries for its health benefits and accessibility.

Yogurt a fermented product of milk, and its effect on human health

Obesity a global health issue, increases the risk of chronic diseases. Studies show that probiotic fermented milk products, like yogurt, may help lower cholesterol and support weight management due to their probiotics, protein, calcium, and low glycaemic index. Diarrhoea is common and usually short-lived, but taking probiotics before travel can cut traveller’s diarrhoea by up to 15%. A meta-analysis of 63 Randomised Controlled Trials found probiotics shorten diarrhoea by about 25 hours. Probiotic yogurt reduces antibioticassociated diarrhoea in children and speeds recovery in infants, lowering hospital stays and episode frequency. Its benefits arise from restoring gut flora, inhibiting pathogens, enhancing nutrient absorption, and boosting immunity (Saleem, 2024).

Contribution of the Dairy Sector to economic and rural livelihood

Smallholder dairy production is crucial for sustaining rural livelihoods, as it creates revenue and enhances food and nutrition security. Improving household food and nutrition security is linked to increased access to and control of income and women’s participation in household expenditure decision-making at the household level. A household can generate money from milk sales, livestock sales, manure sales, and manure utilization as fertilizer. Dairy farmers purchase various food items, including rice, meat, maize, fish, vegetables, cooking oil, beans, sugar, and salt, as well as non-food items, including hospital expenses, school fees, and other services, with the income they generate from milk. (Banda, 2021).

Challenges Facing the Dairy

Constraints refer to the challenges that hinder the adoption of technology.

Constraints in the management of dairy enterprises

• Insufficient Technical Knowledge to manage the dairy
• Issues in Storage Facility
• High cost of establishment
• Lack of Veterinary Facility
• Lack of Knowledge in preparing a project proposal
• Inadequate Bank Finance to purchase milch animals
• Distant Location of Artificial Insemination center
• High investment for establishing an enterprise

Constraints in scientific management of dairy

1. Breeding Practices

• Maintain Crossbred/Superior Animals
• Follow Artificial Insemination in Dairy Animals
• Pregnancy Diagnosis
• Visit Veterinary hospital for Animal Breeding

1. b) Feeding Practices

• Feed Recommended quantity of Concentrate
• Feed Green Fodder /roughages
• Feed dry Fodder
• Feed Chaffed Fodder
• Use of Mineral Mixture/Common Salt
• Extra Dose of Feed to Pregnant Animals

1. c) Disease Control and health care practices

• Regular Cleaning / Grooming
• Regular Vaccination (FMD/HS/BO)
• Hygienic steps before cleaning
• Cleaning of cattle shed
• Isolation of sick Animals
• Deworming and Deticking of Dairy Animals

Management practices

• Maintenance of Dairy Management record
• Follow Cattle Insurance Practices
• Pucca Cattle shed
• Feed colostrum to newly born calf
• practicing full hand method of milking
• Cleaning of newly born calf just after birth

Constraints related to marketing practices

• Regular selling of milk
• Selling of milk to Dairy Cooperative Society
• Selling of processed Dairy products (Gamit, 2021)

Policy and Programmatic Interventions

• The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying has implemented the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) since February 2014. Restructured in July 2021 for 2021–26, the scheme now has two components:

Component A – Build and upgrade milk testing and chilling infrastructure for cooperatives, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer organizations (FFPOs), and producer companies.

Component B focuses on “Dairying through Cooperatives,” which aims to boost milk sales by improving market access, processing facilities, and marketing infrastructure and strengthening producer-owned institutions (NPDD, 2025).

• Implementation of the revised Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), as a Central Sector component of the Development Programmes scheme to boost growth in the livestock sector during the 15^th Finance Commission cycle from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The Nationwide Artificial Insemination Programme (NAIP) under the RGM provides free-of-cost Artificial Insemination (AI) at the farmer’s doorstep (Cabinet, 2025).

Innovations and Sustainable Solutions

Emerging technologies like AI and IoT are changing livestock management by enabling real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and automated decision-making. These inventions address biosecurity hazards, resource inefficiency, environmental sustainability, and food safety (Issa, 2024).

 Climate Smart Dairy (CSD) practices enhance sustainability and climate resilience in dairy farming by improving breeds, feed, forage, and manure management. These methods boost productivity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support sustainable economic growth (Feyissa, 2025).

Dairy products are highly perishable and susceptible to spoilage caused by bacterial contamination. So cold chain technology at optimum temperature for storage and transportation of milk and its products essential in the dairy sector ensures

• Freshness and quality
• Prevent spoilage and contamination
• Compliance with regulatory standards
• Reducing waste

Fortifying everyday food such as dairy and its products with bioactives is a widely accepted approach, but integrating them into daily diets remains a key challenge. Encapsulation helps protect these compounds from environmental damage and degradation during processing, storage, and digestion, thereby preserving their effectiveness and enhancing their bioavailability, e.g., Fortification can help address vitamin A deficiency, which may cause blindness, weaken the immune system, and lead to various health complications (Adinepour, 2022).

Future Roadmap

Enhancing collaboration among researchers, extension agents, farmers, and input suppliers (REFILS) is crucial for driving agricultural innovation and sustainability in smallholder systems. It’s important to emphasize the effectiveness of innovation hinges on strong connections between these stakeholders: researchers develop technologies, extension services disseminate them, farmers adopt them, and input suppliers produce the necessary materials. Although the benefits of robust REFILS linkages are well established, persistent gaps in these relationships continue to undermine their potential (Mapiye and Dzama, 2024).

Animal husbandry and dairy farming offer valuable livelihood opportunities and can effectively complement crop farming. Non-government organisations (NGO) and public-private partnerships (PPP) aim to enhance the incomes of farmers and rural communities by introducing an additional or alternative source of earnings; these may require funding support to train and educate them in these practices (KOLI, 2019).

A macro-level analysis of the dairy market reveals a comprehensive view of both the Indian dairy sector and the global dairy industry. India’s integration into global dairy markets is becoming increasingly important, highlighting emerging opportunities and persistent challenges. State and central government schemes must align with World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations to remain competitive and compliant. Additionally, India’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in the dairy sector should aim to enhance export potential through tariff concessions.

Consumer expectations are evolving, with a growing demand for transparency across the food chain. People now want clear insights into sourcing practices, nutritional content, and corporate commitments to issues like human rights. In response, advanced technologies—such as sensors, data analytics, and digital tools- enable businesses to leverage information more effectively. This creates new possibilities for enhancing supply chain traceability, improving logistics, and identifying potential risks, fostering a more efficient and responsible dairy industry. Emerging trends have revealed fascinating findings, such as the growing understanding of the gut microbiome’s impact on overall health. Rapid advancements in this field focus on probiotics and their potential benefits, including weight management, enhancing well-being, and lowering the risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions (Drisoll, 2016).

Conclusion

Operation flood for white revolution increases rural income and livelihood by exponentially enhancing milk production. Government schemes help dairy farmers build proper infrastructure for farming, boost dairy cooperatives, and help dairy industries boost their different dairy products. Multisectoral collaborations involving farmers, veterinarians, and related experts should work together to achieve sustainability in dairy farming. Research, education, and training from the grassroots level are needed. Enhancing collaboration among (REFILS) is crucial for driving agricultural innovation and sustainability in smallholder systems. Dairy and its products have many health benefits. It has positive effect on the gut microbiome. Smart dairy farming practices with the use of AI and IoT surely increase production. CSD practices enhance sustainability and climate resilience in dairy farming. By increasing facilities such as cold chain transportation and storage, India can achieve sustainability in dairy production.

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