Western Sydney University to Work With ICAR to Increase Research on Climate-Smart Agriculture

The University has signed agreements with 7 state agricultural universities, with the goal to increase research on climate-smart agriculture and improve India's food security.

Thought leaders including Dr. Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General of the Association of Indian Universities, Dr. Sharad K. Jain, Former Director of the National Institute of Hydrology in Roorkee, Anuj Agarwal, Chief Operating Officer of the ICICI Foundation, Srivalli Krishnan, Senior Program Officer - Global Development of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Karlene Maywald, South Australian Water Ambassador, signed the agreement in New Delhi at Western Sydney University’s SDG Forum.

Speaking at the ceremony, Rakesh Chandra Agrawal, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Education), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), said that this collaboration will allow for scaled-up research and capacity-building.

According to a press release from Western Sydney University, the panelists at the SDG forum also spoke about the role of higher education partnerships and collaborations with corporate, government, educational, and non-governmental organizations in addressing the 17 SDGs, which aims to end global poverty, eradicate hunger, promote responsible consumption and production, improve access to health and education, and create strong institutions and partnerships by 2030.

Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices:

Climate-smart agriculture entails farming methods that increase farm productivity and profitability, help farmers adapt to the adverse effects of climate change, and mitigate those effects, such as by reducing greenhouse gas emissions or sequestering carbon in the soil.

From where did the phrase "Climate-Smart Agriculture" originate?

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations published a study in 2010 that served as the first definition of climate-smart agriculture. According to the paper, climate change has a negative influence on agriculture. The report also demonstrated that greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture accelerated climate change. Farmers looked to climate-smart agriculture as a solution to these two issues while preserving yields.

Three primary objectives now serve as guidelines for climate-smart agriculture:

• Rise in productivity - sustainably intensifying agriculture

• Improved resiliency - adapting to climate change

• Lower emissions - mitigating greenhouse gas emissions

It's important to note that Climate-Smart Agriculture does not outline any novel agricultural techniques. In actuality, climate-smart agriculture includes a number of techniques already employed by farmers. Some of those practices are:

• Conservation tillage

• Cover cropping

• Nutrient management

• Agroforestry

• Other practices to reduce GHG emissions