1 Energy Water Food Nexus between 26th to 28th March 2015 at FAMU.USA The Indian perspective Climate Change, Food Security and Climate Smart Agriculture Dr. Kirit N Shelat Executive Chairman, National Council for Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Public Leadership (NCCSD) Post Box No. 4146, Navrangpura Post Office, Ahmedabad – 380 009. Gujarat, INDIA. Phone: 079-26421580 (Off) 09904404393(M) Dr. Bharat C Patel Director, BP Energy & Environmental Consultants, USA & Council Member of National Council for Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Public Leadership (NCCSD)
Transcript
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International Summit on the Energy Water Food Nexus between 26th to 28th March
2015 at FAMU.USA
The Indian perspective
Climate Change, Food Security and Climate Smart Agriculture
Dr. Kirit N ShelatExecutive Chairman,
National Council for Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Public Leadership (NCCSD)
Post Box No. 4146, Navrangpura Post Office, Ahmedabad – 380 009. Gujarat, INDIA.
Council Member of National Council for Climate Change, Sustainable
Development and Public Leadership (NCCSD)Email: [email protected] , Phone: (609) 721- 3552
Food Security and Climate Change: Three intertwined Challenges
The Global Situation Ensuring Food Security• Enough food but in 2010-12 almost 870 million people were estimated to
be undernourished (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations et al…2012). In addition, another billion people are malnourished.
• The paradox is that concomitantly a large number of people mainly in richer countries are over eating, resulting in long-term health issues.
• For poor farmers, food is not only a basic need but it is the single, and often fragile, support for maintaining livelihood.
• What is true at the household level is also true at the macroeconomic level. There are 32 countries, 20 of them in Africa, facing food crisis and in need of international emergency support. In most of these countries, agriculture is an important source of employment.
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Food Security and Climate Change: Three intertwined Challenges
• Objective is to ensure food and nutrition security, worldwide. Need to make sure that enough food is accessible to everyone, everywhere, physically and economically.
• Between now and 2050, the world’s population will increase by one-third. Most of the additional 2 billion people will live in developing countries and more people will be living in cities.
• FAO estimates that production will have to increase by 60 percent by 2050 to satisfy the expected demands for food and feed.
• Objective is achievable provided the entire Agriculture sector is moved to adapt climate smart agriculture practices.
There are three kinds of impact of change in climate at Local Level-Village Level
A concurrent impact which is taking place over the decades. This has already affected productivity and reduction in water resources, while cost of energy is growing higher
At local level action plan is needed to provide by taking stock of what has happened to soil and its productivity and same about livestock due to changes in weather – increase in temperature etc
Unexpected change in weather pattern during monsoon season like delayed rain, long intervals for rain or heavy rain – flood has already affecting Horticulture crops.
A contingency plan to modify cropping pattern. This has to be part of local level (Taluka Level) action plan and Comprehensive District Agriculture Plan (CDAP). This is already prepared by Agri. Universities but need to be made available to farmers
Major calamity like floods, cyclone/tornado , cloud burst etc
Need restoration strategy because such disasters some time wipe out entire soil strata and sweet water sources including livestock and shelter
CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER CYCLE
Understanding impact of Climate Change on Water Cycle for Agriculture
• Underground water resources are reducing due to high discharge by tube wells –for agriculture and more for washrooms in new urban enclaves.
• Increased competition for water resources by expanding industries, urban areas -drives away water even from irrigation dams.
• Increase in temperature results in higher evaporation rate and reduced water availability. Further reducing “Soil Moisture” directly impacting on crop productivity and its sustainability. This causes drinking water scarcity for cattle and human beings and require migration plan.
• Rise in sea – level is already being experienced in villages of Dandi – Navsari, Cambay – Anand resulting in direct loss of agri. land. This may need planned shifting of village site and/or protection walls, and planting Bamboos, Mangroves and Casuarinas.
• Inundation from flood – reduces arable land or wipe out surface soil. • Role of Agri. Scientist is to identify vulnerability of local area – Taluka
wise and give Agro Advisory – how to preserve and use water.
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Some Important leads
• Anand Agricultural University for Gujarat
• 3°C increase could reduce– CERES-Peanut
(Groundnut) yield by 31.2% / yr.
– CERES-Wheat by about 44% / yr.
Across India as a whole • Drought in 2002 reduced 15 million hectares of
the rainy-season crops - loss of > 10% in food grain production.
• 2013 delayed monsoon rains caused a fall in rice cultivation.
• Terminal heat stress is lowering yields of late-sown wheat yields and cold waves during December 2002-January 2003 significantly affected mustard, mango, guava, papaya, brinjal, tomato and potato in northern India.
• Cold wave in 2006 damaged 50-60 % of young and 20-50 % old mango trees.
• Heat waves – Nearly 20 lakh birds perished in June
2003. – Can reduce milk yield by 10-30% in first
lactation and 5-20% in second and third lactation periods in cattle and buffaloes.
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Small farmers stared at big lossesthe last monsoon season
• Monsoon delay has pushed 20 of the 75 districts in UP to the brink of drought.
• Worst-hit are in Meerut, Kanpur and Varansi, where dry spell has damaged paddy.
• Unusual rain has harmed crops in parts of Bankura, Purulia and East Midnapore in Bengal.
• Large-scale flooding, after heavy rains affected 23 districts in Odisha and entire regions of Kashmir.
• Source: Economic Times, 7 September, 2014
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Soil & Climate Change
• Soil Moisture content affected
• Soil erosion including washing away
• Soil productivity reduced capacity to grow and sustain same crop
every year not certain, resulting in low yield or crop failure
• Winter and severe coldo Milch cattle: milk yield goes
down in increased heat or cold wave
o Poultry: egg yield goes downo Fisheries: fish catch goes away
Indian Situation
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Indian Situation
• India’s success over six decades: – 2 % to 3% sustainable agriculture growth– Brought many out of poverty– Tackled many adverse climate and geographic challenges – Validated research into rise in productivity– Several states and individual farmers with average productivity, higher than,
or equal to international level – But there is unequal growth between agriculture and other sectors like
services and manufacturing. Latter have average growth of 8% - 10%. This is increasing rural and urban divide
– Further there is unequal growth between farmers at local level in same village with similar land and water resources, one makes profit and other fails – commits suicide
• Adverse impacts of climate change pushes even successful farmers back to poverty
• Farmers suicide / large scale exodus to urban centers • There are still about 30% farmers below poverty line
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Why is Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) need of time?
What CSA means:• Helps achieve sustainable development goals. • Integrates and coordinates– social, economical and environmental
development to meet the challenge of providing sustainable (a) livelihood to farmers (b) food security to hungry millions, and (c) eradication of poverty.
It is composed of four pillars: • Increase agriculture productivity and income. • Adapt and build resilience to climate change. • Reduce GHG emissions without harming farmer’s interest.• Use agriculture as a major tool for the mitigation of CO2- absorb CO2 and
release Oxygen through photosynthesis process. It envisages to achieve this through (a) increased cropping by reducing rain fed areas through integrated water and river basin management (b) expansion of agriculture on wasteland, wetland, degraded fallow areas and urban agriculture.
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Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)
• It prepares farmers to be agriculture smart on a regular permanent basis rather than ad hoc or transitory to survive the onslaught impact of climate change.
• The challenge before Agriculture Administration: - the Agriculture Scientists, Extension Teams and Agricultural Organizations both Public and Private, and of course Public leadership is to make this happen.
• It is an approach for addressing the development efforts towards the technical policy and investment condition by mainstreaming agriculture in overall development strategy at local level - village level.
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Climate Smart and Sustainable Agriculture
Despite adverse climate impact on crops/animals, income to farmers should not decrease. It needs to provide opportunities to farmers to have multiple sources of income from agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, milch cattle and poultry. So when one fails, other supports.
It provides opportunity to young members of family to acquire multiple skills,
support for setting up microenterprise locally, based on demand and supply situation or set up protected agriculture, farmers with use of green house technology.
It provides safety net at the time of natural calamities – by way of crop
insurance – for crops and animal husbandry. It provides employment in community projects during lean season or at times
of drought or whenever needed.
Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)
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Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT • Sustainable development is a pattern of natural resource use that aims to meet
human needs while protecting the environment simultaneously. • This ensures that the need for resources can be met not only in the present, but also
in the infinite future. • The word “Sustainable Development” has well-known implications. • It is a long-term activity. It involves the use of natural resources. It implies economic
growth with socio economic and environmental content to provide sustainable livelihood.
Sustainable livelihood means.....
• Provide enough to all to live or exist.• It should not become less and that, • There is gradual increase in income for better quality of life.• This should happen at local level – village level
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Climate smart agriculture involves :
• Crop pattern based on soil health and moisture analysis of individual pieces of land to support crops that can be sustained by its soil.
• Local Weather Advisory – not national or state level - long term, medium term and short term with inputs to take precautionary actions directly to farmers.
• Immediate Agro – advisory after unexpected weather changes have occurred for timely corrective action to prevent crop loss.
• Nutritional and preventive vaccination to cattle and poultry.
• All these by direct communication to the farmers at their doorsteps.
• And use all available scientific technology to make agriculture more productive, less costly and linked with value added market mechanism.
Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)
Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)
It further involves use of :
Biodiversity
Integrated Soil Fertility Management System (ISFM)
Conservation of agriculture system
Organic and inorganic inputs
Agroforestry , Perennial crops
Crop selection, crops which can be sustained in such conditions
Resource Conserving Technologies (RCTS)
Soil health and moisture analysis card for each farmer with
details of (a) that can be sustained (b) nutrient that are needed.
This in context of change in demand for food products and increased
demand for poultry products, meat, dairy products and fruits & vegetables.
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RIVERBASIN MANAGEMENT
River is an important physical agent that plays a vital role in distribution of water and maintaining equilibrium of water in hydrological cycle. The area from where river collects water is termed as watershed or catchment area. The whole unit can be defined as a basin where set of physical processes are interlinked with each other and maintain relationships between biological and non biological components.
Major civilizations have developed around rivers or within balanced watershed regions due to healthiness of natural resources. Management of such basins is key to maintaining balanced water cycle. Shri K. C. Shroff, Veteran NGO, initiated this through Shree Vivekanand Research & Training Institute (VRTI) in Rukmavati River basin in Mandvi and Kutch which is in an arid area in State of Gujarat, India.
Climate ChangeMajor culprit: CO2
Emerging Approach• Low external input system• Land management
Issues to tackle• Food & Water Insecurity• Deteriorating Soil Health• Depleting Water Resources
Integrated River Basin
Management
Promoting Photosynthesis to consume CO2
Food & Water Security through better Natural Resources Management
Environmental Issues• Increasing Temperature • Change in Rainfall Pattern• Change in Season Cycle
Tackling the Climate Change – water Cycle
Integrated River Basin Management Means…….
The Integrated River Basin Management can be defined as a “process of coordinating conservation, management and development of water, land and related resources across sectors within a given river basin.”
An integrated approach, using the whole River Basin as a basis for holistic and sustainable planning, can provide a good solution to ensure Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability and ensure Food and Water Security.
Our Test Ground – Rukmavati River Basin of Kutch - An Semi Arid RegionUnder Implementation
Rukmavati Basin
Dahinsara
Kurbai
Don
Maska
Bheraiya
Asambiya Mota
Samatra
Punadi
Koday
Bhadai Moti
Mandvi
DrainageRiver BedWaterbody
Rukamavati Wshed
Stdudy Villages
4 0 4 8 Kilometers
N
No of Villages 46
Total population 108033
Total Area 59075 Hac.
Total Agricultural Land 33477 Hac.
Irrigates Land 10268 Hac.
Cultivable Wasteland 5649 Hac.
Forest Area 4282 Hac.
Other Land 15671 Hac.
Energy and Climate Change Saving Practices
CSA OBJECTIVES EnergySmartFoodobjectives
Increased EnergyEfficiency
Sustainable increases in productivity and income
Strengthened resilience to climate
change and variability
Agriculture’s reduced impact on
climate change General:Savings in energy costs (after upfront costs for technology have been paid) will result in increased profit if productivity is not excessively decreased Specific:Practices such as replacement of synthetic fertilizers with application of agricultural residues or manure, which require fewer external inputsand increase yields, can contribute to both increased energy efficiency and sustainable increases in productivity and income.
General:Savings in energy costs will result in increased income available to enhance adaptive capacity Decreased dependence on energy inputs (especially fossil fuels) will tend to reduce vulnerability to shocks in energy prices Some “climate-proof” agricultural production and energy systems mayresult in lower energy efficiency
General:Improvements in energy efficiency, whether due to lower embedded energy in inputs or on-farm fuel combustion, will reduce GHG emissions in the production chain
Contingency Plan is developed based on past experiences and local
vulnerability. It includes agro advisory to farmers based on natural weather
event, alternative crops and water management practices, selection of
alternative crops, reseeding and early or delayed harvest.
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Impact of disaster and Action Needed
• Permanent increase in sea level and submergence of agriculture land
• Washing away of soil strata and spreading of salinity due to cyclone, both underground and over-ground
• Receding of sea level in certain areas opening of barren saline land
• Farmers have to be given alternative land
• If feasible protection wall has to be constructed along with plantation of bamboo, mangroves etc outside of the wall
• Soil replacement• New cropping pattern based
on fresh Soil Health & Moisture Analysis along with Analysis of Water.
a. sub soil water stratab. water availability for irrigation
from wells/tube wells• Making available certified
seeds and other inputs for cropping pattern suggested and agro advisory on new crop management – Kutch case studies
• Growing of Mangroves, Bamboos in such areas to prevent salinity ingress.
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Impact of disaster and Action Needed
Wastage of fields due to floods in overflow river/ check dam bursting
Reconstruction of check dams on adoption of River Basin Management
Cropping pattern based on Soil Health & Moisture Analysis along with making available seeds and other inputs.
• Loss of tractors, storage bins and agriculture implements.
• Death of livestock and poultry due to floods
• Replacement by special scheme
There is a need to develop a specific agriculture restoration policy by expanding current Relief Scheme.
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Multiple Source of Income
MULTIPLE SOURCE OF INCOME• Objective - make farmers and their income resilient to
climate change. If one fails other sustains. This initiative has to be guided by local public governance system and civil society.
Poultry / Cattle with Crop• Crop system and livestock when they are together, waste of
one is resource for other. Milch cattle cows – weekly cash flow to family when incomes from crops are at the end of season. Animals like cows provide gobar and urine which is manure to crops. While most crop residue is feed to animals. Both reduces cost and enhance efficiency. Further livestock constitute a capital which can be converted into cash and in case even if one fails, other supports thus offer a way to escape poverty and provide coping mechanism in vulnerable and variable environment.
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Multiple Source of Income
Rice – Fish: This can be concurrent production system and is prevalent in some parts of our country. Can be useful to propagate rice growing areas of Navsari and Anand. It can add to income and also provide balanced diet.
Agro Forestry: Use of trees and shrubs as a part of agriculture system. • It prevents soil erosion• Facilitates water infiltration • Diminishes impact of extreme weather • Trees also provide fodder to livestock – improves soil fertility due to
enhanced nitrogen and carbon sinks• More of all, sale provides alternative income. • This already exists, but needs to be expanded. Agriculture and Handicraft: Handicraft including tailoring provides alternative
source of income and sustains farmers in time of drought when both livestock and crops provides low or no income.
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CASE STUDIES FROM KUTCHMultiple Source of income
Sr. No
Name Of
Village
Name Of
Block
Name of Member
Occupation
Best Year
Income
Week Year
IncomeLivelihood Project Joined After
Income from
alternate source
1 Charopadi Nani Abdasa
Sodha Ladhubha
AamrjiFarming 30000 8000
Animal
RLF
Farming Inputs
Sewing machine 40000
2 Charopadi Moti Abdasa
Mandhara Mariyambai Sidhik
Farming 50000 12000Farm
er loan
Sewing machine
Ration shop 30000
3 Charoapdi Moti Abdasa
Maheswari Tejbai
VachiyaFarming 45000 15000 Floor
millAsset(Tra
ctor ) 54000
4 Jethamalpar Abdasa
Bhatt Bhupatram Mohbatra
m
Farming 55000 30000Anim
al RLF
Land levelling 40000
5 Bhoa AbdasaChuahan Khetubha Bhojubha
Farming 30000 12000Anim
al RLF
Land levelling
Sewing machine
Kitchen Garden 55000
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Soil Health Card
Soil Health Card is a key to climate resilient crops. Since it is a written guidance given to the farmers, they invariably follow and as a result benefit.
It is a comprehensive new extension approach to provide individual farmer a written guidance for his individual piece of land in contrast to current system which provides contacted farmers oral guidance.
Due to changing weather parameters, soil content get affected and hence, this is required to be done every year. With modern Information and Communications Technology (ICT) network - this is feasible.
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Soil Health Card
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WEATHER FORECASTING
It is important to realize that erratic weather changes have already brought huge adverse impacts on the entire Agriculture Sector, Crops – Horticulture, Livestock and Poultry – Birds and Fisheries. But this can be mitigated by (a) advance information and warnings by meteorological departments though FM Radio & TV (b) Agro-Advisory on information regarding impending weather forecast and unusual pattern provided by Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) interlinked with India Meteorological Department (IMD) on internet.
In the Farmers Interaction Meet with Experts during National Conference organized by NCCSD at Anand Agricultural University (AAU) – March, 2013, it was revealed that only 10% of farmers have access to weather forecasting.
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WEATHER FORECASTING
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CASE STUDY : Transforming Dahod –Dahod District – Gujarat – India
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Before After
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Prior to 1974 Poorest district in the state &
country too Roughly 90 % people in tribal
villages facing acute poverty Migration rate in non-irrigated
villages between 50-70 % The irrigation coverage 10 % in
records, in reality around 5 % Agriculture yields poorest in the
state Milk production lowest in the
state Literacy rate - lowest in the state
– women literacy in single digit Landscape almost barren with
hardly any tree cover Most forest land - without tree
cover No horticulture activity No vegetable cultivation No floriculture
In 2010 Achieved food security Housing conditions improved School enrollment and
attendance increased manifolds Ground water improved - CGWB Irrigation coverage is around 30
% 450 community water resources
developed & managed by community
2,500 village institutions - users groups managing their affairs & assets
65 rivers and rivulets made perennial through series of structures
migration rate 10-15 % six crore trees planted with 50 %
survival at long run About 25,000 farmers opted for
horticulture
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GUJARAT – INDIA - EXPERIENCE NEW EXTENSION APPROACH
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GUJARAT – INDIA - EXPERIENCE NEW EXTENSION APPROACH
REACH OUT TO FARMERS AT DOORSTEP : ‘KRISHI MAHOTSAV APPROACH’ –THE GUJART EXPERIENCE OF SUSTAINABLE CLIMATE RESILIENT
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
• Gujarat is a state situated on the western coast of India. Diverse in its topography, it has 1600 km coast line and is home to the largest desert in the country known as Rann of Kutch.
• The state has all possible handicaps faced by agriculture such as 70% of agriculture being rain-fed, recurrent droughts, untimely/irregular rainfall and some areas receiving rain only three to four days in a year.
• Gujarat’s agriculture suffered heavily whenever there were droughts. The growth rate of agriculture used to be negative during such years. In a normal year, the agricultural growth rate used to be 2 to 3%.
• Agriculture was not sustainable in many parts of the state due to recurrent crop failures. However, this is a story of the last millennium.
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NEW EXTENSION APPROACH
• In the new millennium, Gujarat, with determination and persistent efforts, changed the agriculture scenario. From 2004 onwards, agriculture witnessed a major turnaround with a growth of 11% per year. The state became a front-runner in agricultural production in the country. This turnaround became possible under an initiative in all 18,000 villages in the state, known as “Krishi Mahotsav”.
• This was led from top by Chief Minister himself - for action at bottom - the village level and at individual farmer level with focus on selection of crops which soil can sustain and free input assistance to poor farmers. He started first with direct dialogue with farmers and field functionaries followed by interaction with experts and departmental secretaries.
• Entire model was developed based on the needs of farmers and to provide knowledge and technology to them at their door steps. It is top to bottom approach.
• The editor of book was responsible for developing policy and the detailed implementation framework and to develop module to monitor its implementation on a day to day basis for a period of one month prior to monsoon – when actual field level action is taking place. 39
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NEW EXTENSION APPROACH - 1FARMERS AS CENTRE POINT
NEW EXTENSION APPROACH
• The key to this success was direct involvement of public leadership both elected and non-elected members of Public Governance System. Effective soil and water management and proper land use by using mass communication approach-based, micro level management model was introduced. On the water front, more than 1,00,000 check dams got constructed compared to 6000 in the last decade.
• It interlinked rivers such as the Mahi and the Sabarmati. These rivers, in turn, were linked with Narmada and Mahi canals. In its rain starved areas, such as North Gujarat and Kutch, a special scheme for irrigation known as “Sujalam-Sufalam” was introduced.
• Scientific agriculture was introduced by distributing Soil Health Card to every farmer. This helped them make informed choice in the selection of crops. Farmers now sowed crops that gave them higher return and were sustainable in the soil of their farms.
• The poor farmers were focused for assistance. Every year 15 poor farmers of each village were assisted with free Input – consisting of Certified Seeds Packaging, Fertilizer and Pesticides and one tool such as a sprayer.
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NEW EXTENSION APPROACH - 2 FARMERS IN CENTRE
NEW EXTENSION APPROACH
• A direct door-to-door extension programme for guiding the farmers at village level was introduced under a pre-Kharif (pre-monsoon) programme, known as :Kirishi Mahotsav’.
• Every village was visited by a development team comprising of agri-scientists and officers from the veterinary department, co-operative, irrigation department, rural development department and local banks etc. High-yield crops were identified.
• The farmers were guided about using certified seeds and looking at price of APMCs before selling their farm produce. The campaign is by District Magistrate - DM and District Development Officer (DDO),
• Bhaskaracharya Institute For Space Applications and Geo-Informatics, a institute set up in collaboration with Space Application Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, by the Government of Gujarat, prepared a micro-level plan for land use by identifying sites for check dams and village ponds for every village.
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NEW EXTENSION APPROACH
• Information and Communication Technology material was made available to the farmers in their mother tongue for crop management, including use of fertilizers and pesticides. Free phone help lines were introduced to answer the queries of farmers.
• All these initiatives were backed by total involvement of public leadership, both elected and non-elected. And all schemes related to farmers (narrated in chart) here converged at village level for implementation. The Chief Minister to village Sarpanch, the Chief Secretary to village level worker, voluntary agencies, input dealers and co-operatives and bankers – the rank and file of institutions were involved in the mass communication meets at village level.
• The joint initiative brought about sustainability in Gujarat agriculture, bringing about overall growth in all important crops and an increase in the per capita income of the average farmer. The major transformation occurred in the state’s most difficult areas of Saurashtra, Kutch and North Gujarat.
• It is necessary that such experiences are replicated all over the country – in all its villages. The turnaround in Gujarat was due to effective public leadership. 44
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NEW EXTENSION APPROACH – 2
Initiative Needed at International level for Local Problems
• Global warming is an international phenomena but its impact is at local level.
• At local level, the major sufferers are farmers. Others face warm/cold winds or floods, but their sufferings are for temporary period. But farmers tend to lose their livelihood, their crops fail; their assets like cattle or poultry die or suffer low productivity. This is the threat to Food Security.
• But in international negotiations in Conference of Parties “suffering of farmers” has not been an important concern.
• That is why there is a need for climate justice• It is not feasible to directly hold a polluter responsible to compensate
harmed farmer for the harm caused.
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Initiative Needed at International level for Local Problems Enhancing Food Security and Reduce of Poverty
International Community should : • Recognize agriculture as a major mitigation tool and adopt mechanism to
address the loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate in highly vulnerable countries to restore agriculture and immediately prepare farmers for adaptation including mid-season.
• Allocate green fund for - Technology transfer from “those who have it to those who need it” - Bring new areas such as wasteland and wetland under agriculture for creating
livelihood opportunities and to meet the challenges of food security.• Make available special financial support for community bio-gas plants, grassland
development in desert areas. • Identify crops – plants species which survive on saline water soil. • Sensitize national governments to provide safety net to farmers in terms of
insurance and fallback employment in community projects. • Set International Weather Advisory to support countries who do not have local
advisory• Promote international trade for value added agriculture.
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Initiative Needed at International level for Local Problems Enhancing Food Security and Reduce of Poverty
o Set up Knowledge Multiplier Model and provide technology of CSA from
“those who have it to those who need it”.
o Develop an international grievance mechanism to ensure that areas
affected by cyclone and draught are brought into production by
restoration of agriculture .
o Involve local level stake holders in International Deliberations.
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CURRENT SITUATION
Many countries experience decline in growth rate of agriculture, including India. Agriculture as a profession has proved to be uneconomical to many due to adverse impact of climate change. In India, the annual growth rate in the agriculture sector is about 3%, while that of industrial sector is 10 to 12% and the service sector 30 to 35%. As a result the farming community is switching over to non-agriculture activities. As per NSSO – 2005, in India 60% of the farmers do not like farming. Moreover, it has also resulted in migration of population from rural to urban areas. This has created urban and rural divide. Even in rural segment, progressive and visionary farmers are becoming rich and the traditional farmers are committing either suicide or are embracing Naxalism. It has created food shortage for increasing population and fodder shortage for animals.
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A WIN-WIN SITUATION
• The public governance system – both elected and non-elected need to reach out to farmers and youth and provide them with sustainable development.
• The natural endowment in the form of unutilized wasteland resources and unlimited sunshine in tropical areas of our India can be used smartly.
• There is lack of data on the reduction in absorption of CO2 occurred as a result of declining vegetative cover, de-forestation, decrease of area for agriculture activities, increased industrialization and urbanization and increase of fallow agriculture land due to migration to urban centers. In reality, there is substantial reduction in natural photosynthesis process, which has increased CO2 in the atmosphere. Unfortunately the experts of Global Warming – whether local or international or responsible organizations responsible have failed to take into account this issue.
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A WIN-WIN SITUATION
Bringing vast waste lands under vegetative cover, to absorb CO2
from atmosphere, can provide sustainable livelihood and provide
required capacity to meet the challenges of food security. More
importantly, it can bring back the balance in the interaction and
interdependence of nature’s five forces: the sky, the earth, the sun,
the water and the vegetation – and calm the unpredictable weather.
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LEADERSHIP FOR GREENER AGRICULTURE
Global Warming is a threat, but it can be converted into an opportunity. It is possible to make happen a win-win situation for all, if all efforts are channeled towards sustainable development with Greener Agriculture at its centre.
Countries-Governments-all over the world will have to view the impact of climate with a grave concern. The change which is creeping in rapidly-with dangerous consequences to habitat and its stability. This confrontation is on “Nature’s Front”. Nuclear weapons or armies are no solution. The solution lies in bringing back balance in nature’s forces : the atmosphere, the sun, the earth, the water and the vegetation. The solution lies at local level. Our endeavor should be to overcome this challenge and convert it to an opportunity.
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Signing MOU with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University during International Conference on 8 – 9 November, 2014
at Ahmedabad – Gujarat – India 53
Outcome
About NCCSD
NCCSD is the outcome of the deliberations that took place during an International Conference on “Global Warming, Agriculture, Sustainable Development & Public Leadership” which was organized at the Gujarat Vidyapith – Ahmedabad in March 2010 by the International School for Public Leadership (ISPL) along with other organizations. In a Round Table Meet at New Delhi in April, 2010, presided by Prof. M S Swaminathan and Justice B P Singh, it was felt that a special organization needs to be created to follow up ideas and it was decided to setup "National Council for Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Public Leadership” (NCCSD).
NCCSD is promoting Sustainable and Climate Resilient Agriculture with the involvement of Public Leadership. NCCSD has become leading Environmental NGO under the leadership of our President Justice B. P. Singh, Formerly Judge, Supreme Court of India. NCCSD is a non-profit organization. The NCCSD was registered under Bombay Charitable Trust Act 1950 Rule-29-No. E/19344/Ahmedabad as Public Trust on 17th September 2010. Its mission is to promote sustainable livelihood, climate resilient & sustainable agriculture in arena of global warming.
NCCSD has signed MOU with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) for technology transfer and collaborative. Executive Director of Sustainability Institute Ms. Abena Ojetayo visited India in November, 2014 and participated in International Conference on Climate Justice organized by NCCSD. 56
WHAT WE DO?
• NCCSD is organizing Inter-action Meet and Think-Tank Meet for policy formulation and sensitization on issues related to farmers with their participation.
• NCCSD is organizing Interactive and Capacity Building to Farmers with focus on local level leaders, young farmers and women farmers.
• It is train to young faculty members and students on Leadership and Climate Smart Agriculture.
• NCCSD is conducting action research work for developing communication modules including guidebook, posters and documentary films for farmers.
• NCCSD is sensitizing State and Central Government on important policy issues which concern farmers. It is also taking up similar issues with UNFCCC and UN at international level
• NCCSD is publishing books on important issues related to farmers and agriculture.
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Book on “Climate Smart Agriculture - the way forward: The Indian perspective”- By Dr Kirit N. Shelat
