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Ecology & Environment
Mahesh

25/11/23 06:28 AM IST

Need for climate-smart agriculture in India

In News
  • Climate-smart agriculture has the potential to assure food security, empower farmers, and protect our delicate ecosystems.
Challenges faced by Human Being
  • The two most important issues facing humanity in the 21st century are climate change and food insecurity.
  • Some of the ongoing effects of climate change, such as heat waves, flash floods, droughts, and cyclones, are negatively influencing lives and livelihoods.
  • The world’s southern continents are reportedly experiencing severe drought due to climate change, which negatively impacts agricultural production and farmers’ livelihoods.
  • Both population expansion and dietary changes are contributing to an increase in the demand for food.
  • The effects of the environment on farm output only add to the difficulty. As a result of climate change, traditional farming practices are becoming less productive.
  • Climate change is increasing the dangers faced by farmers, prompting them to re-evaluate their practices.
  • Farmers are taking a variety of adaptation measures to reduce the negative effects of climate change.
  • The need for a holistic strategy is driven by climate change’s dual challenges of adaptation and mitigation, and the pressing need for agricultural production to rise by 60% by 2050 in order to fulfill food demand.
Solution
  • Climate-smart agriculture is an approach for transforming food and agriculture systems to support sustainable development and safeguard food security under climate change.
  • CSA comprises three pillars or objectives:
  • (1) sustainably increase agricultural productivity and incomes;
  • (2) adapt and build resilience to climate change; and
  • (3) reduce/remove GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions, where possible.”
  • Dimensions of climate-smart practices include water-smart, weather-smart, energy-smart, and carbon-smart practices.
  • They improve productivity, deal with land degradation, and improve soil health.
  • The future impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity could be substantial.
  • In India, crop yield decline owing to climate change (between 2010 and 2039) could be as high as 9%.
  • In order to combat climate change and sustainably boost agricultural output and revenue, a radical reform of the agriculture industry is required.
  • The National Action Plan on Climate Change emphasises the role of climate-resilient agriculture in India’s adaptation measures.
  • Programmes such as the Soil Health Card Scheme use precision nutrient management to optimise agricultural methods.
  • The concept of precision farming is still somewhat novel in India. While certain private companies offer services, the scope of these initiatives is extremely limited.
Community efforts
  • Improvements in agroforestry, sustainable water management, and precision agriculture are all concrete examples of CSA ideas in action, and they are not limited by any one country.
  • CSA promotes crop diversification, increases water efficiency, and integrates drought-resistant crop types, all of which help lessen the disruptive effects of climate change.
  • The importance of CSA lies in its ability to increase agricultural output while maintaining ecological stability.
  • This correlation is not only a desired consequence but rather essential for long-term food security and sustainable resource usage in a warming planet.
  • By reducing exposure to climate-related dangers and shocks, CSA increases resilience in the face of longer-term stressors like shorter seasons and erratic weather patterns.
  • In addition to these benefits, a significant outcome of CSA implementation is the increasing economic autonomy of farmers.
  • CSA causes a dramatic change in farming communities’ economic and social structure by distributing information about and providing access to climate-resilient methods.
  • As the climate changes, farmers, significantly those already disadvantaged, can gain enormously from adopting climate-smart techniques.
  • The increasing popularity of CSA is a promising indicator for the future of biodiversity conservation.
  • CSA’s ecosystem-based approach and different crop varieties help cropland and wild regions coexist together.
  • This collaborative effort helps to safeguard native plant species, keep pollinator populations stable, and mitigate the effects of habitat degradation.
  • The agricultural sector also produces a large amount of GHGs. The sector’s share in GHG’s emissions in 2018 was 17%. Therefore, CSA implementation is crucial for lowering GHG emissions and protecting biodiversity.
Paris Agreement goal
  • The Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming by reducing GHG emissions is tied directly to the success of the CSA.
  • Agroforestry and carbon sequestration are two examples of CSA measures that could help India meet its international obligations and contribute to the global fight against climate change.
  • Rather than being a rigid set of rules, CSA is more of a flexible concept with a wide range of potential applications.
  • However, the most challenging aspect of dealing with global warming is to create localised responses. Therefore, investing in capacity-building programmes and providing practical CSA tools and knowledge is essential.
  • CSA substantially contributes to climate adaptation, mitigation, and food security.
  • Studies from different climate-smart techniques used in India show that they improve agricultural production, make agriculture sustainable and reliable, and reduce GHG emissions.
  • One study from the northwest Indo-Gangetic Plain for wheat production shows that site-specific no-tillage is advantageous for fertilizer management and can boost yield, nutrient usage efficiency, and profitability while lowering GHG emissions.
Measures by Govt.
  • The majority of Indian farmers are small or marginal. Therefore, CSA can play a significant role in helping them increase their profits.
  • The intersection of climate vulnerability and agricultural importance places India at a unique juncture where CSA adoption is not merely desirable but essential.
  • The National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change, National Innovation on Climate Resilient Agriculture, Soil Health Mission, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Biotech-KISAN, and Climate Smart Village are a few examples of government initiatives in India focusing on CSA.
  • Various public and private sector entities such as farmer-producer organisations and NGOs are also working towards the adoption of CSA.
  • CSA has the potential to assure food security, empower farmers, and protect our delicate ecosystems by merging innovation, resilience, and sustainability.
  • In the face of a changing climate, the path of CSA stands out as a source of inspiration and transformation for a world working to ensure a sustainable future.
Source- The Hindu

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