Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and its Sustainable Solutions : Daily Current Affairs

Date: 22/10/2022

Relevance: GS-3:Climate Change, Agriculture Cropping Pattern and issues related to it.

Key Phrases: Climate Change, Rabi and Kharif crops, Heatwave, Price Inflation, Hailstorm, Drought, Lumpy Skin Virus, Climate Adaptation, ICAR, PM Crop Insurance Scheme, Patent-free Climate Resilient Seeds, Multi-cropping and Inter-cropping.

Context:

  • According to the Climate Transparency Report 2022, Between 2016–2021, extreme events such as cyclones, flash floods, and landslides caused damage to crops in over 36 million hectares, a $3.75 billion loss for farmers in India.

Key Highlights:

  • Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) assessment showed that the decade spanning 2010–2019 was the most turbulent for disasters.
  • The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2022 highlights the intensification of the major drivers of food insecurity:
    • conflict, climate extremes, and economic shocks, combined with growing inequalities
  • Heat exposure in the country led to the loss of 167 billion potential labor hours.
  • In India, local precipitation is projected to increase by 6 percent from the reference period of 1986-2006 at 1.5°C of warming.

Cropping Season of India

  • India has three cropping seasons-
    • Kharif:
      • These crops are also called “Monsoon Crops''.
      • These crops are grown at the onset of monsoon in July and harvested in sep-oct.
      • Requires more water.
      • Major crops: paddy, maize, jawar, bajra, moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut, and soya bean, etc.
    • Rabi:
      • These are also known as “Winter Crops”.
      • Sowing of these crops occurs in winter(Oct-Nov) and harvesting in summer (Feb-April).
      • Rabi crops need cold weather for growth and less water than Kharif crops.
      • Major crops: wheat, gram, mustard, barley, and peas.
      • Availability of precipitation during winter months due to the western temperate cyclones helps in the success of these crops.
    • Zaid:
      • Short season during the summer months which, comes between the rabi and the Kharif seasons.
      • It requires warm and dry weather for growth.
      • Major Crops: watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, etc.

Major Climatic Events:

  • Heat Wave:
    • The abnormal increase in maximum and minimum temperatures during 2022 impacted crops, fruits, vegetables, and animals.
    • For example, North India was hit with heatwaves, hitting wheat harvest across Punjab, Haryana, and UP.
  • Excessive Rain:
    • Heavy rainfall in India has damaged key summer-sown crops such as rice, soybean, cotton, pulses, and vegetables just before harvesting.
    • For example, farmers in Meghalaya have been hit by untimely and excessive rains damaging ginger to forest edibles.
  • Drought:
    • India was identified as one of the most severely drought-affected countries in the assessment.
    • Drought affected nearly two-thirds of the country from 2020 to 2022.
    • As per sources, India's drought-prone area has increased by 57% since 1997.
  • Cyclone:
    • Heavy rains, brought by a cyclone, damage crops, and vegetables just before harvesting in key growing regions.
    • For example, Cyclone Tauktae was the strongest storm to hit the west coast of India in over 20 years which damaged the crops before harvesting.

FAO

  • The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, founded in 1945 and headquartered in Rome, Italy.
  • It leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security.
  • The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report is published jointly by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO.

Lumpy Skin Disease

  • Lumpy skin disease is a viral disease of cattle caused by a Lumpy skin disease virus.
  • The World Organization for Animal Health categorizes LSD as a notifiable disease.
  • It is characterized by fever, reduced milk production, and skin nodules.

Effects of Climate Change:

  • Changing weather patterns are creating significant challenges for farmers across the country. Some of them are given below-
    • Loss of crop Production:
      • Crop production is projected to decrease in many areas during the 21st century because of climatic changes.
      • Higher temperatures tend to reduce crop yields and favor weed and pest proliferation.
      • Climate change can have negative effects on irrigated crop yields across agroecological regions both due to temperature rise and changes in water availability.
    • Price Inflation:
      • Climate change is altering weather patterns, directly impacting 55 percent of the country’s inflation basket.
      • For example, a heatwave in March played havoc with the wheat crop.
        • Despite a ban on exports, wheat prices have risen 19 percent.

Way Forward:

  • Short Term Measures:
    • Expand PM Kisan Insurance Scheme to include climate damage.
    • Insurance companies should compensate for crop value.
    • Steadfast mechanism to report directly to insurance companies.
    • Third-party audit to verify farmer’s claims.
  • Long-Term Measures:
    • Abandon the green revolution paradigm
      • It will ensure climate adaptation and nutrition security.
    • Research and Development on climate resilient agriculture.
      • More funds need to be allocated for R&D purposes.
    • Increase Private sector participation.
      • Govt must encourage private sector participation in seed division.
      • Indian companies should be invited to expedite R&D on climate resilience.
    • Development and identification of climate-resilient seeds.
      • It should be used for vulnerable areas and emergency situations.
    • Encourage multi-culture and inter-cropping.
      • Monoculture practices should be discouraged.
    • Promotion of Organic farming.
      • It will cut down the bills of subsidy and ensure nutrition security.
      • More funds should be given to improve organic farming and organic produce markets.
    • Natural methods to mitigate climate change should be promoted.
    • Govt should incentive the growing of agro-climatic zone-specific crops.
    • Development of Patent-free climate seeds & technologies.

Conclusion:

  • Ecologically sound agriculture policy towards climate adaptation is the need of the hour to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on agriculture.

Source: The Hindu BL

Mains Question:

Q. What are the issues faced by agriculture due to bad weather? Suggest the measures that can be taken to reorient the ecologically unsound agriculture policy. (200 Words).