Climate Smart Agriculture and This Book Provides Useful Insights Into the Various Steps
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BUILDING CLIMATE SMART FARMERS A GUIDEBOOK for Doubling Income of Farmers in Arena of Climate Change EDITED BY Dr. Kirit N. Shelat Dr. Odemari Mbuya JOINTLY PUBLISHED BY Patel Block, Rajdeep Electronic’s Compound, Sahitya Mudranalaya Pvt. Ltd. Near Stadium Six Road, Navrangpura, City Mill Compound, Ahmedabad-380 0014 Kankaria Road, Ahmedabad – 380 022 Phone/Fax: (00 91 79) 26421580 Phone: (079) 2546 9101, 2546 9102 Email: [email protected] Email : [email protected] BUILDING CLIMATE SMART FARMERS A Guidebook for Doubling Income of Farmers in Arena of Climate Change Editor DR. KIRIT N SHELAT DR. ODEMARI MBUYA First Edition : February, 2012 Second Revised Edition : January, 2018 Jointly Published by: • National Council for Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Public Leadership • Sahitya Mudranalaya Pvt. Ltd. Editor would be happy to receive Comments and sharing of Experiences from readers DR. KIRIT N SHELAT, IAS (RTD) Executive Chairman National Council for Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Public Leadership Ahmedabad Email: [email protected] • Phone : +9179 26421580 Concept by Dr. Kirit Shelat All rights reserved Rs. 495/- Printed by: Sahitya Mudranalaya Pvt. Ltd. City Mill Compound, Kankaria Road, Ahmedabad – 380 022 Phone: (079) 2546 9101, 2546 9102 Email : [email protected] FOREWORD Climate Change poses the greatest challenge to sustainable agriculture and food security. I am therefore happy that a comprehensive guidebook for farmers has been prepared by Dr. Kirit N. Shelat and Dr.Odemari Mbuya. As pointed out in this book, there is need for synergy between technology and public policy for overcoming successfully the adverse impact of changes in temperature, precipitation and sea level on crop and animal husbandry, fisheries and forestry. There is a growing knowledge about methods of promoting Climate Smart Agriculture and this book provides useful insights into the various steps. We should take to insulate farming and building climate smart farmers for the impact of climate change which also simultaneously increase their income. Dr. Kirit Shelat has rightly pointed out the need for public leadership in this area. Public participation and public leadership are both vital for imparting climate resilience in our economic activities. I also agree with Dr. Odemari Mbuya of Florida Agriculture & Mechanical University that we need to reduce GHG emission by agriculture sector as a whole. I welcome this global cooperation. The agricultural scientists from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University – Florida U.S.A. have made valuable contribution led by Dr.Mbuya under international cooperation programme led by Dr. Harriett Paul. These efforts always remind us that world is small and there is fraternity which supports one another. The focus on farmer is need of time for achieving food security and food to hungry millions and urbanite. I therefore, like the concept of Building Climate Smart Farmers as climate adversities are on increase – the brunt of its adverse effect is on them. The world community therefore needs a strong iii farmer who can overcome barriers and simultaneously increase his income. In fact that is why our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given a call to Double Income of Farmers in five years. The Non-formal Education Centre at Shri Vivekanand Research & Training Institute – Mandvi – Gujarat, will become a landmark of international cooperation and exchange to pave way for building farmers. I congratulate Shri Ashwinbhai Shroff to take up the lead for the way forward. I congratulate NCCSD for its continuing efforts to develop Climate Smart Farmers and make available the expertise gained to farmers not only of India – but of all developing countries. I am sure this guidebook will be useful not only to Farmers – but also Extension Team, Students and all those who have interest in agriculture. Mandvi, Kuchchh Kantisen Shroff 30 December 2017 iv PREFACE Greetings from National Council for Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Public Leadership (NCCSD). This is an endeavour to bring out a comprehensive guidebook on impact of climate change and how to use about Climate Smart Agriculture by farmers on their own to sustain and increase their income based on our own and international experiences. First of all, we take this opportunity to congratulate the Director General, FAO for bringing focus on Climate Smart Agriculture and producing a comprehensive resource book on that and followed up creating GACSA (Global Alliance on Climate Smart Agriculture) for its global application and which is now doing very good work in this regard. We have adapted parts of this book for Indian conditions. In fact, NCCSD was set up with the objective of promoting sustainable livelihood, with the involvement of leadership, for farmers in the arena of climate change. It is continuously holding seminars, think tank meetings, national and international conferences and series of interactions with farmers and holding capacity building programmes for farmers, local level leaders, extension team, women farmers and rural youth to develop a framework which can be used by farmers. This book is the outcome of these efforts. One major realization has been that Indian farmers have immense capacity to adapt and accept the challenges of climate change. They are open to new ideas – but there is no uniform spread or use by all. India’s development administration, agricultural scientists and civil society members have worked hand in hand with farmers to face adverse situation that existed at the time of independence. The country’s economy has been transformed and has been able to develop sustainable agriculture with increased growth rate. This has enabled India to meet food scarcity problem. We are aware that the country depended on imports of wheat in initial years and we had “Ration Shops” as part of Public v Distribution System and today we are the exporter of wheat and many other commodities. Food systems have evolved over time to support human civilization. Population growth is the single largest challenge to meet the demand of future food needs. The world population is projected to be 9.6 billion people by 2050. To feed all these people majority of which will be increased urbanites by advancing rural development, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and protecting valuable ecosystems is one of the greatest challenges of our time. It is estimated that crop production have to double to meet global food demand. In order to produce sufficient food to feed the ever increasing hungry millions, we will depend more on science and technology than before. While applications of science and technology within the food system have allowed production of foods in adequate quantities to meet the needs of society as it has evolved, national food policy is equally important. India has taken series of initiatives in this regard and has been alert on this front to remove the imbalance of food production and population growth. Government policy is focused on agricultural production and food supply through price subsidies, trade policy, government food procurement and investments in agricultural research, extension and outreach. In fact the Prime Minister Shri Modi has given call to double the income of farmers in arena of climate change and this book is in response to that call for agriculture administration – farmers and all stakeholders. We cannot just produce more food in the same way as today; we must also reduce food’s environmental impact. Agriculture contributes nearly 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions, uses 37% of landmass (excluding Antarctica), and accounts for 70% of all freshwater withdrawn from rivers, lakes, and aquifers (for irrigation). Agriculture production largely depends on climate among other factors. Change in global or regional climate patterns (Climate Change) is a phenomenon that is evident throughout the world. Farmers must adapt to climate change by practicing Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA). CSA is an approach for transforming and reorienting agricultural development under the new realities of climate change. CSA is agriculture that sustainably increases productivity, enhances resilience (adaptation), reduces/removes vi GHGs (mitigation) where possible, and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals. The principal goal of CSA is food security (and development); while productivity, adaptation, and mitigation are identified as the three interlinked pillars necessary for achieving this goal. But more precisely the book recognizes that the agriculture through its photosynthesis process absorbs CO2 and is important nature’s tool for mitigation and therefore its use by its expansion in wasteland and degraded areas will enhance food production and provide livelihood apart from meeting challenge of food security which is outlined in famous Paris Agreement. International community and national government need to prioritize agriculture and mainstream it with focus on small holder. The book especially suggests ways how small holders with little modification of practices can not only sustain crops but also enhance its productivity and get higher value from market. How some of them have achieved this and that the others can not be left behind. The Indian farmer is an integral part of agricultural development and food security at local, national and global level. This book will provide simplified agricultural scientific tools that will help to engage our farmers to increase productivity