India & Germany Sign Joint Declaration on Agro-Ecology & Sustainable Management of Natural Resources

Initiatives on agro-ecology and sustainable natural resource management have been launched by India and Germany. In this regard, in a virtual meeting that was held on 3 May 2022, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare- Narendra Singh Tomar and Germany's Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze signed the declaration.

Joint research, knowledge sharing, and innovation will be promoted between academic institutions in both countries and practitioners, including farmers, as a result of this.

Encourage exchanges, partnerships, and research collaboration with the private sector to promote the transfer of technology and scientific knowledge.

The Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany intends to provide up to 300 million euros for financial and technical cooperation for projects under this initiative by 2025.

Germany will provide coordinated support for this lighthouse initiative, as well as technical assistance to India's agro-ecological transformation process through the Technical Cooperation Project.

To address the changing agenda of agroecology, the two countries plan to establish a joint research centre supported by financial cooperation to develop and share cutting-edge knowledge with practitioners from India, Germany, and other countries, while also facilitating value-added technology and scientific transfer.

A working group will be formed with the concerned Ministries, namely the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy, and NITI Aayog, to oversee the implementation.

About Agro-Ecology:

Agroecology is more than just a set of agricultural practices; it emphasizes changing social relations, empowering farmers, adding value locally, and emphasizing short value chains. It enables farmers to adapt to climate change, use natural resources sustainably, and conserve biodiversity.