Regional Sustainability ›› 2026, Vol. 7 ›› Issue (4): 100367.doi: 10.1016/j.regsus.2026.100367

• Research article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

From breadbasket to sustainability challenge: A rice-wheat system of Punjab, India

Anindita SARKARa,b,*()   

  1. aCentre for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Bonn, 53113, Germany
    bDepartment of Geography, Miranda House, University of Delhi, New Delhi, 110007, India
  • Received:2025-09-02 Revised:2026-04-09 Accepted:2026-07-15 Published:2026-08-30 Online:2026-08-05
  • Contact: *E-mail address: anindita@uni-bonn.de (Anindita SARKAR).

Abstract:

This study is set against the backdrop of agricultural intensification in the Indian Punjab, which began with the Green Revolution in the late 1960s—an initiative originally launched to secure India’s food supply after independence. Therefore, this paper examined how the policy-driven gains since the 1970s have generated long-term lock-in trade-offs across interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly within the water-energy-food nexus. Drawing on crop area, crop yield, irrigation, and energy indicators (1970-2022), and groundwater extraction data (1984-2021), this study explored how groundwater irrigation, subsidized electricity, and assured procurement policies drove the transition to a rice-wheat system. While these interventions strengthened food security (SDG 2) and contributed to poverty reduction (SDG 1), they also created a water-energy-food nexus that has accelerated groundwater depletion, soil degradation, and environmental stress, undermining SDGs 6, 7, and 12. The result showed that Punjab’s agricultural trajectory is deeply shaped by public policies operating across multiple scales. These policies generated short-term productivity gains but neglected long-term ecological consequences. Therefore, Punjab offers a critical case for understanding how intensive agricultural economies experience trade-offs among SDGs. These findings emphasized the need for integrated governance that moves beyond linear policy interventions to address systemic interconnections across water, energy, and food systems. Transformative policy pathways are essential to sustain farmer livelihoods while restoring ecological balance. Punjab’s experience reflects broader global challenges in regions where early agricultural intensification not only produced rapid food gains, but also deepened ecological vulnerabilities over time. Understanding this trajectory is vital for informing transitions toward more sustainable, climate-resilient farming systems that can meet productivity needs while advancing environmental goals.

Key words: Green Revolution, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Water-energy-food nexus, Groundwater irrigation, Subsidized electricity