Date: 03/10/2022

Relevance: GS-3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Disaster and disaster management.

Key Phrases: Tipping Point Of Global Warming-Induced Natural Disasters, Agri Emissions, Diversification Of Cropping Patterns, Nutritious And Environment-Friendly Crops, Rice Intensification, Alternate Wetting And Drying, Direct Seeded Rice

Why in News?

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has pointed out that human activities post industrial revolution have released large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere changing the earth’s climate.
• Being the second most populous country, India is at the tipping point of global warming-induced natural disasters.

Key Highlights:

• Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased by over 40%, from 280 ppm in the 18th century to 414 ppm in 2020.
• While the Industrial revolution has helped in the reduction of poverty, it has also led to a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases.
• If no proper steps are taken, climate change would take almost 80 million lives in 80 years.

Need for climate smart agriculture:

• As the global population rapidly approaches 8 billion, more pressure than ever is on the agriculture industry to increase production.
• Climate change is threatening India’s food security with frequent dry spells, heat waves and erratic monsoonal rainfall worsening the farmers distress and thus, feeding more people more sustainably has become more important than ever.
• As per the Report ‘Our World in Data’, food production contributes more than a quarter (26%) of global greenhouse gas emissions
• Agriculture is also the primary driver of biodiversity loss, threatening 86% of species at risk of extinction, according to the UN.
• This impact is likely to increase as the world’s population grows.

Agri emissions in India:

• India’s annual GHG emissions from agriculture and livestock stand at 481 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent, of which 42% come from crop production and 58% is emitted from livestock.
• Cattle production is the highest source of emissions, followed by rice which is the highest emitter among the crops with 52% of all crop-related emissions.
• Rice is a water-loving plant and unlike other crops, it requires standing water in the field.
• Such conditions are ideal for methane-producing bacteria to produce methane, a gas with a global warming potential that is 56 times higher than that of carbon dioxide over a period of 20 years.
• It is also released as a by-product of bacterial fermentation in the digestive tract of cattle and buffaloes as well as other ruminants and is belched out by the animals.
• It, thus, becomes important that India try and reduce its carbon footprint as much as possible, more in its farming sector.
• Creating sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural systems has been highlighted as part of India’s plan to meet its ambitious pledge to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change international treaty to reduce the emission's intensity of its GDP by up to 35% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.

How can India reduce its carbon footprint from the agriculture sector?

1. Diversification of cropping patterns:
   • Diversifying from existing cropping systems, predominated by rice and wheat in many unsustainable landscapes, to more nutritious and environment-friendly crops is being suggested to address challenges of climate change and malnutrition.
   • Agroforestry, for example, brings synergies between trees and crops or forages such as trees on field bunds, inline agroforestry and high-density fruit orchards to help diversify existing farming systems and achieve medium to long term sustainability.
   • Diversification to crops like pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and fruits, adapted to specific agro-ecologies, must also be planned, and implemented by the states with suitable incentives to farmers during the changeover.
2. Diversification of diet:
   • Millets have more proteins and fiber content than rice.
   • It is, thus, healthier for India to add more millets to its diet, besides rice and wheat which are more water intensive crops.
3. Agro-ecological approaches:
   • Methane from rice paddies, nitrous-oxide emissions, or nitrogen leaching from inefficient use of chemical fertilizer are a key downside of resource-intensive approaches to production.
   • Agro-ecological approaches, offer a solution to these problems.
   • Conservation agriculture offers solutions to such pernicious problems with good agronomy and soil management such as no-till farming, crop rotation, in-situ crop harvest residue management / mulching, zero-till planters such as the Happy Seeder, among others.
4. Scientific use of Fertilisers:
   • The scientifically prescribed ratio of macro nutrients (N-P-K) is skewed in many states, because of excessive subsidy in favour of urea vis-à-vis the balance approach to plant nutrition considering macro- and micro-nutrients.
   • Since the soil health card scheme of the government has penetrated throughout the country, site-specific, need-based nutrient management would be advisable to sustainably conserve the soil ecosystem.
5. Water-use efficiency:
   • Water used for Indian agriculture accounts for about 80 per cent of total freshwater resources and, therefore, efficiency savings would always be desirable for additional food production for a burgeoning population.
   • Promotion of micro-irrigation practices (sprinkler and drip) through several schemes and programmes by the government has been localised in few states as of now that should proliferate to larger crop areas.
   • System of rice intensification (SRI), alternate wetting and drying (AWD), direct seeded rice (DSR) and furrow irrigation, have often been prescribed for efficient use of irrigation water.
   • Subsidy-based approaches to irrigate farmlands has led to negative environmental consequences in many parts of India.
   • Suitable policies with incentive mechanisms could lead more farmers to adopt technologies that aim to “irrigate the crop and not the land”.
6. Renewable energy usage:
   • India’s ambitious renewable energy target (500 GW by 2030) must include the potential agriculture sector upfront.
   • At present, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme of the government aims to improve irrigation access and raise farmers’ income through solar-powered irrigation.
   • However, with highly subsidised or free electricity to irrigate agricultural lands, farmers have not largely switched over to solar-powered irrigation and harness the potential.
   • Setting up of solar power plants on farmlands, wherever possible, and solarising existing grid-connected pumps, could earn additional income to farmers, besides making them net energy producers.
   • Government policies must reorient to reduce agriculture’s power subsidy bills and divert the money towards sustainable farm sector investments like solar power that could address challenges arising from the “water-energy-food” nexus.
7. Digital agriculture:
   • The new ICT (Information and Communications Technology) and data ecosystems carry the potential to raise farm productivity and income by supporting the delivery of information and services, market integration and management of risks, mainly arising from weather extremes.
   • For example, Meghdoot, a pan-India application for accessing agromet information, has been popular amongst its users.

Conclusion:

• Climate change affects the poor and the smallholders, who earn their livelihoods from agriculture, disproportionately.
• Climate-friendly agriculture offers new income sources and is more sustainable
• India’s carbon emissions could drop by 45-62 million tonnes annually.
• Nature-positive and regenerative agriculture practices mentioned above hold potential to reduce GHG emissions.
• Post-cop26, India’s ambitious commitments should reflect in its tangible and concrete actions.

Source: The Hindu

Mains Question:

Q. Climate change is threatening India’s food security with frequent dry spells, heat waves and erratic monsoonal rainfall worsening the farmers distress and thus, feeding more people more sustainably has become more important than ever. In this context, what can India do to reduce the impact of global warming? (250 words).