CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE & INDIAN SCENARIO

WHAT  IS  CLIMATE  SMART  AGRICULTURE ?

Our planet's climate is continuously changing and total world's population is expected to reach  9.7 billion by 2050 .Agriculture and farming activities heavily depends on climate . Biggest concern is  food insecurity and vulnerability of farming community.

 Farming community needs to build their resilience & ability to adapt the changing climate in order to feed the growing population without further depleting the natural resources like soil and water. For that we need climate smart agriculture.

Climate smart agriculture is an approach to identify production systems that can best respond to the impacts of climate change  & to adjust these systems to suit local environmental conditions now & in future. So clearly it doesn't follow one size fits all policy .
                                                                                     

 HOW  TO  PRACTICE  CLIMATE  SMART  AGRICULTURE ?   

•  Identification of vulnerable farming communities & the main environmental distresses in those areas : This would help to categorize , evolve & allot the best suited production system to that particular area.

• Improve policies : Collaboration of people working in different fields like agriculture, food security land use etc. to work together on supportive policies & plans taking an account of entire landscape.

•  Support & Empower local institutions : Capacity building & motivating local population to adopt practices and plan the best way to do climate smart agriculture. 

• Combine financing options in a new way : Bring together the financing sources that target  agriculture and climate change.

OBJECTIVES  OF  CLIMATE  SMART  AGRICULTURE

1. Increase farm income & sustainable productivity
2. Building resilience to climate change
3. Reduce green house emission

  INDIAN  SCENARIO  WITH  RESPECT  TO  CLIMATE  SMART  AGRICULTURE

In  India agriculture supports livelihood of more than 50% of population . Agriculture & allied sector has contributed only 15% to the country's GDP in 2019-20 which is a matter of concern. Every year India faces agricultural distress due various climatic factors like drought , floods , soil acidity etc. & to fight such distresses India has taken several steps :

• INCREASING  FARM  INCOME &  SUSTAINABLE  PRODUCTIVITY  

1. Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme : This initiative was launched in 2015 where soil health card is issued to farmers with status of soil with respect to micro & macro nutrients present in the soil & crop wise recommendations of nutrients and fertilizers required for individual farms . This helps in judicious use of inputs and improves productivity.
2.  PM Kisan Urja Suraksha evum Uttam Mahaabhiyan (KUSUM) : Launched in 2019 and aims at solarizing agriculture with solar capacity of 25.75 GW by 2022. Tube wells and existing pumps used for irrigation are to be run on solar energy now. This will lead to energy efficient farming.
3. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) : To give impetus to organic farming . Organic manure & fertilizers to be used & discard use of chemical fertilizers.
4. Zero Budget Natural Farming : Leaving the crops to grow naturally after sowing without additional inputs. Prevents deterioration of soil . 
5. Neeranchal National Watershed Project : To supplement Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichayi Yojana through watershed management.

    

• BUILDING  RESILIENCE  TO  CLIMATE  CHANGE

1. Encourage millet farming : Millets  are superior in nutritional content , more adaptive to harsh climate and helps in reducing atmospheric CO2 , thus contribute in mitigating climate change.  
2. Rashtriya Gokul Mission : For development and conservation of  indigenous dairy breed to enhance milk production and productivity.
3. National Mission on Bovine Productivity : To make dairying more remunerative for farmers  and reduce their dependency on just crop production . 
4. Promoting sprinkler and drip irrigation: These are water efficient methods of irrigation .

•   FINANCIAL  STEPS 

1. Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund : Special fund for dairy processing & infrastructure.
2. Subsidized solar pumps : 60% subsidy is provided to farmers to buy solar pumps and 30% loan is to be given by banks and only 10% of total cost a farmer needs to bear.
3. Increased MSP for millets: Millets like ragi , jowar , bajra are procured by government at  MSP (Minimum Support Price) which protect farmers from market risk. 
4. Subsidised farm ponds :State governments (mainly peninsular states) are giving subsidy to farmers for construction of farm ponds. 

• STEPS  FOR  REDUCING  GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION

1. In-situ management of crop residues: Subsidised in-situ crop residue management machinery are provided ex. happy seeder , to the farmers to prevent stubble burning .
2. Biomass utilization for power generation: through co-firing pulverised coal fired boilers in thermal power plants.  

Food security depends on how we treat our planet. We need to make sure that our agriculture is productive & sustainable for generations to come.