Making agriculture less damaging is a critical imperative in our quest for sustainable and resilient food systems. The agricultural sector plays a central role in global environmental degradation, from soil erosion and water pollution to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. To address these issues, a comprehensive approach is needed that combines innovative agricultural practices, technology adoption, and policy support. By reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture, we can safeguard our ecosystems, enhance food security, and mitigate the sector’s contribution to climate change. This transformation is not only essential for the well-being of our planet but also for the long-term viability of agriculture itself.
Tag: GS Paper-2: Government policies and interventions; Bilateral groupings and agreements.
GS Paper-3: Growth and development.
Exam View:
Agriculture Working Group (AWG) of G20; India’s role in Global South.
Context:
India with its G20 presidency can benefit the masses in the Global South for whom food and nutritional security is still a challenge, one made worse by climate change.
Decoding the editorial: Agriculture Working Group (AWG) of G20
- The AWG of G20 highlighted priority areas in agriculture.
- Encourage diversification in agriculture.
- Promoting sustainable agriculture.
- Channelling financial resources towards environmentally conscious and climate-resilient farming.
- Climate-smart farming practices and precision technologies for agricultural production to withstand climate fluctuations.
- Food and nutritional security via higher investment in agri-R&D, especially bio-fortification.
- Strengthening a rules-based, open, predictable, transparent, non-discriminatory, inclusive, equitable and sustainable multilateral trading system.
- Strengthening local, regional, and international agri-food value chains.
- A sustainable multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, can increase market predictability and boost business confidence.
- The Deccan High-Level Principles as outlined in the ‘Outcome Document and Chair’s Summary’ of the AWG of G20 nations at Hyderabad are:
- Facilitate humanitarian assistance to countries and populations in vulnerable situations;
- Enhance availability and access to nutritious food and strengthen food safety nets;
- Strengthen policies and collaborative actions for climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems;
- Strengthen resilience and inclusivity in agriculture and food value chains;
- Promote the one health approach;
- Accelerate innovation and the use of digital technology, and
- Scale-up responsible public and private investments in agriculture.
India’s role in Global South
- India can develop technologies to help farmers of the Global South overcome challenges of extreme weather events.
- It could be on the same lines as the application of precision technologies in space that India used in Chandrayaan-3, while spending a fraction of the cost that the US would incur for the same feat.
- The ultimate goal is to enhance the efficiency and resilience of agri-value chains and promote digitisation as a catalyst for agricultural transformation.
- This includes the establishment of standardised agricultural data platforms as digital public goods and harnessing novel digital technologies to revolutionise the agri-food sector.
- Sensor-equipped drips, drones and LEOs (Low Earth Orbits), for instance, can be used in agriculture to get “more from less”, saving the planet’s scarce resources.
- India can disseminate its research in bio-fortification to farmers in the Global South to achieve nutritional security.
- ICAR scientists have already demonstrated that even basic staple crops such as wheat, rice, maize, and millet can be bio-fortified with enhanced iron, zinc, and even anti-oxidants.
- ICAR has created 87 varieties of climate-resistant and nutritious crops.
- These crops were developed as a result of collaboration between national and international organisations.
- India released zinc-rich rice and wheat, which can be shared with countries of the Global South.
- Bio-fortification is much more cost-effective compared to supplementing rice with nutrients, say iron, in our public distribution system.
- But India spends only 0.48 percent of agri-GDP on agri-R&D. This needs to be doubled, if the country has to play the role of a leader.
- India could bring millets to the fore, even on the dining tables of G20 members.
- But much more product innovation and dissemination is needed to make it a part of global cuisine, akin to say quinoa.
- India needs to re-purpose its agri-policies.
- Current policies of open-ended and assured procurement with Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy and wheat, coupled with massive subsidies on fertilisers, power, and irrigation, have caused damage to our natural resources, especially soil, water, air, and biodiversity.
Time is running out and the G20 needs to work closer, faster, and smarter with demonstrable results by 2030 to feed this world and also save the planet, by making it green and clean.
Source: Indian Express
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Why is it important to make agriculture less damaging?
Answer: Agriculture’s environmental impact includes deforestation, pollution, and emissions. By reducing this damage, we can protect ecosystems, ensure food security, and mitigate climate change.
Q: What innovative practices can help make agriculture less damaging?
Answer: Innovative practices include precision farming, crop rotation, and agroforestry, which reduce resource usage and environmental harm while increasing yields and resilience.
Q: How can technology contribute to sustainable agriculture?
Answer: Technology like IoT sensors and AI-driven farming systems can optimize resource use, minimize waste, and enable precision agriculture, all of which contribute to making agriculture less damaging.
Q: What role do policies play in making agriculture more sustainable?
Answer: Policies can incentivize sustainable practices, such as subsidies for eco-friendly farming methods and regulations to limit harmful inputs, thus guiding the sector towards a more environmentally friendly path.
Q: What are the benefits of making agriculture less damaging for farmers?
Answer: Sustainable practices can lead to improved soil health, reduced input costs, and long-term resilience, ensuring better livelihoods for farmers while protecting the environment for future generations.
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