Climate-Resilient Agriculture
Context:
A comprehensive global research review, co-authored by University of Minnesota professors and over 20 international experts, has been published in Science, exploring the connections between climate and agriculture.
More on news
- Agricultural greenhouse gas emissions have increased 18-fold since the 1960s, now contributing about 30% to global warming.
- The research revealed that climate change significantly affects agriculture, leading to increased water use and scarcity, higher emissions of nitrous oxide and methane, soil degradation, nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, pest pressure, pesticide pollution, and biodiversity loss.
- Climate-agriculture feedback loops could greatly boost greenhouse gas emissions, making it difficult to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius without changes in agricultural practices.
- However, the widespread adoption of existing sustainable farming methods and technologies can drastically reduce emissions and prevent such feedback loops.
Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA)
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), climate-resilient agriculture is defined as the ability of an agricultural system to anticipate, prepare for, adapt to, absorb, and recover from the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events.
Key initiatives taken by government
- National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA): Launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 2011, it aims to enhance the resilience of Indian agriculture to climatic variability and climate change through the development and application of innovative technologies.
- National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): Part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) it promotes sustainable agriculture through the adoption of eco-friendly technologies, energy efficiency, natural resource conservation, and integrated farming
- National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC): Formed to cover the costs of climate change adaptation for Indian states and union territories vulnerable to climate change effects.
- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (Pतथ MKSY): This scheme aims to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level and focuses on water conservation, rainwater harvesting, and efficient water delivery and application.
- Soil Health Card Scheme: Provides farmers with information about the nutrient status of their soil.
- Climate-Smart Villages (CSV): An initiative to demonstrate site-specific climate-smart agriculture technologies for enhancing resilience and productivity.
Transformative Adaptation: From Climate-Smart to Climate-Resilient Agriculture
This article published in CABI Agriculture and Bioscience critiques the narrow focus of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) on technical solutions, calling for a more comprehensive approach that includes social equity and transformative adaptation. The authors highlight the need to address socio-economic inequalities in farming communities, advocating for interventions that empower marginalised farmers and strengthen resilience across agro-ecological systems.