This new report by Greenpeace assesses the impact of government policies on soil health across five states of India and warns that indiscriminate chemical fertilizer usage, catalyzed by a lenient subsidy policy is posing a threat to country's soil health.

The chemical and synthetic fertilizers, particularly Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK), are highly subsidized. The amount of subsidy on this has grown exponentially during the last three decades from a mere Rs. 60 crore during 1976-77 to an astronomical Rs. 40,338 crore during 2007-08. In 2008-09, it shot up to Rs 96,606 crores.