When I read the Union Budget this year, one thing stood out clearly. The conversation regarding agriculture is slowly changing.
For decades, success was measured by how much food was produced. Yield became the hero metric. This made sense at a time when India needed to fill its stomach. Today the problem is different. The country produces ample food, yet a large portion of the population remains undernourished in a way that is not always visible on the plate.
Anemia, low iron, zinc deficiency and low calcium intake are no longer just rural issues. They are present in urban homes, in working professionals and in children who eat “proper home food” every day.
The budget accepts this change. There is greater emphasis on outcomes related to value-added agriculture, seed innovation and nutrition. This is encouraging. However, policy intent alone cannot fix what is broken. The real question is how nutrition actually reaches people through the food they already eat.
Where does the problem really start?
India’s nutrition problem does not start in the kitchen. It starts very early, in the soil and in the seeds.
Over time, agricultural systems became optimized for yield and speed. Soil nutrition lagged behind. Micronutrients were gradually depleted, and crops adapted to grow faster rather than better. The results are subtle but serious. Staples look the same, cook the same, but offer less nutrition.
To compensate, an entire ecosystem of improvements has emerged, including supplements, fortified additives, powders, and gummies. Some are useful, especially in clinical settings. However, for most people, they are difficult to retain, easy to forget, and often poorly absorbed.
On the other hand, food is eaten every day.
If nutrition can be built into the grain itself, quietly and naturally, the dependence on continuous improvements is reduced. No change in behaviour. No extra pills. No extra steps.
Why does biofortification matter on land?
Biofortification is often misunderstood because it sounds technical. In practice, it is very simple.
If there are enough minerals in the soil and the seeds have the ability to absorb and retain them, the grains contain more nutrition.
For farmers, this doesn’t mean changing what they grow. This means growing better performing varieties with improved agricultural practices. In many cases, yields remain stable while nutritional quality improves. When there is a market willing to pay for that quality, the farmer’s economy also improves.
What matters here is execution. Seed selection, soil practice, and measurement.
Technology is useful, but the basics matter more
There is growing excitement about AI in agriculture, and some of it is justified. Better forecasting, advice and planning will help.
At the grassroots level, especially for small farmers, the biggest impact still comes from getting the basics right. Good seeds, healthy soil and clear incentives. Digital tools only work when these fundamentals are strong.
Missing Link: Consumer Awareness
India already has biofortified varieties released through public research systems. The science exists. Seeds are present.
Consumer demand has not increased yet.
The Year of Millet demonstrated what happens when awareness, policy and market access come together. Millets moved from a niche to the mainstream as consumers were told why they mattered and where to find them.
Biofortified foods now need the same encouragement.
When consumers actively seek improved nutrition in everyday foods like flour and rice, farmers respond faster than any subsidy.
From farm to plate: making nutrition real
Over the past few years, it has become clear that this model can work in real supply chains.
Biofortified staples are no longer an idea waiting for adoption. They are already on the shelves and in the apps. The flour and rice are grown using improved seeds and soil methods, tested for nutritional density, and made for daily consumption without compromising on taste.
Consumers do not need to eat separately. They just need to eat better-quality versions of the things they already rely on.
This is the change the country needs to bring.
The Budget has opened the door by recognizing nutrition as part of the future of agriculture. The next step is to make nutrition visible, accessible and normalized in everyday food.
Biofortified foods are not a far-fetched solution. They are already here, available on top retail platforms like Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, Amazon and others.
Now is the opportunity to move from acceptance to adoption, so that nutrition is not an afterthought or artificially added, but is built naturally into the grain itself and becomes the default option in every Indian plate.
The author is co-founder and CEO of Better Nutrition
Published on February 7, 2026
