India’s food system is undergoing a transition. Urban menus now routinely feature millets, indigenous rice varieties, artisanal pulses and region-specific oils. Quinoa sits alongside jowar; avocado accompanies ragi bread; millets appear in salads, sourdoughs and desserts. This can reshape Indian agriculture and rural economies.AdvertisementIn a country where nearly 97 per cent of food consumed is domestically produced and locally sourced, and where agriculture remains the primary livelihood for over 45 per cent of the workforce, consumption patterns are economic instructions. NSSO and Consumer Expenditure Surveys show a steady decline in per-capita cereal consumption since the early 1990s, accompanied by rising expenditure on fruits, vegetables, dairy, eggs, meat, fish and processed foods.Urban households today allocate less than 35 per cent of food expenditure to cereals, compared to over 60 per cent three decades ago. Rural India is following the same trajectory with a lag. Spending on processed and value-added foods in rural households has more than tripled over the last two decades. India’s health and packaged food segment is growing at over 20 per cent annually.Food markets are changing faster than food production. India’s cropping patterns remain deeply entrenched in two commodities: Rice and wheat. They occupy close to 40 per cent of India’s cropped area. In contrast, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables account for less than 30 per cent, while all millets combined occupy roughly 13 per cent. Subsidies, procurement, MSPs, irrigation infrastructure, research funding and extension services continue to favour rice and wheat — even as demand shifts towards more diverse and nutrient-rich foods.AdvertisementThe economic costs of this mismatch are substantial. Imports supply 60 per cent of the edible oil demand. With pulses, shortages push prices up and trigger imports, followed by production surges that cause sharp price crashes and discourage diversificationFarmers continue to produce for a food system that urban India is moving away from. When millets consistently appear on menus and retail shelves, acreage follows. When chefs champion indigenous grains or forgotten varieties, seed systems revive, markets respond, farmers benefit. Global experience underscores this. The rise of quinoa as a staple between 2000 and 2015 transformed production patterns in Peru. Exports rose nearly tenfold. India possesses all the ingredients to leverage dietary change for agricultural diversification. Dietary diversity and farm diversity are economic, ecological and nutritional imperatives.Nutritionally, India faces a triple burden: Undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity. Improved access to pulses, millets, fruits, vegetables, eggs and animal-source foods is essential. Diversification helps manage climate risk. Millets use up to 60 per cent less water than rice and wheat. Pulses fix nitrogen, improving soil health. Horticulture offers higher value per hectare with a smaller ecological footprint.most readFor farmers, diversification means more income sources and market-risk mitigation. High-value crops can significantly improve profits, especially of smallholders. The government remains India’s largest food buyer. Programmes such as PM-POSHAN, which feeds 10-12 crore children daily, send strong demand signals. Diversification will remain marginal unless MSPs are complemented by assured procurement pilots, price-deficiency payments, expanded crop insurance and demand-linked research investments.Historically, Indian cuisine evolved in close conversation with climate, soil and season. Today, as India’s palate becomes more diverse and health-conscious, there is an opportunity to restore that link. The future of Indian agriculture will be determined as much by what India chooses to eat as by what it chooses to grow.Kapoor is a chef. Mehta is an agri-food systems technology specialist