This paper presents a mathematical model for all matter-energy processing subsystems at the level of he society, specifically India. It  explores India's choices in the food and energy sectors over the coming decades. Alternative land intnsive, irrigation energy intensive, and fertilizer intensive techniques of food production are identified using a nonlinear programming mdel. The land saved is devoted to  growing firewood. The optimum combination of railway (steam, diesel, and electric traction) and road automobiles, diesel trucks, and  diesel and gasoline buses) transport is determined. For the oil sector, two alternative sources of suply of crude oil and petroleum  products are included, namely, domestic production and imports. 



The optimum choice is determined through a linear programming model. While the model is basically a satic one, designed to determine the optimal choice for the target year of 2000-2001, certain intertemporal detail is incorporated forelectricity generation. The model  minimizes the costs of meeting the needs for food, transport in terms of passenger kilometers and goos per ton per kilometer, energy  needs for domestic cooking and lighting, and the energy needs of the rest of the economy.