Prelims: Current events of international importance,G7, Doha Agreement, limited liability partnerships (LLPs), Global South etc.
Mains GS Paper II & III: Bilateral, regional and global grouping and agreements involving India or affecting India’s interests etc
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
- At the Hiroshima Summit 2023, the G7 nations stressed that the peak for global GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions should be reached by 2025.
INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE
Context
Group of Seven (G7):
- It is an intergovernmental organization that was formed in 1975.
- The bloc meets annually to discuss issues of common interest like global economic governance, international security and energy policy.
- The G7 countries are the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US.
- All the G7 countries and India are a part of G20.
- The G7 does not have a formal constitution or a fixed headquarters.
- The decisions taken by leaders during annual summits are non-binding.
Major purpose of the G-7:
- It is to discuss and deliberate on international economic issues.
- It sometimes acts in concert to help resolve other global problems, with a special focus on economic issues.
Other commitments:
- Acceleration Agenda” for G7 countries to reach net-zero emissions by around 2040
- It urged emerging economies to do so by around 2050.
- China has committed to net zero by 2060 and India by 2070.
Impacts of climate change:
- Severe costs are likely to be inflicted in terms of human lives and livelihoods, especially for those working in the agriculture sector
- India has the largest workforce (45.6 percent in 2021-22) engaged in agriculture amongst G20 countries.
- It may be disproportionate for India.
- The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has forecast that global near-surface temperatures are likely to increase by 1(one point one)°C to 1.8(one point eight)°C annually from 2023 to 2027.
- It anticipates that temperatures will exceed 5(one point five)°C above pre-industrial levels for at least one year within this period.
- According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), India experienced its fifth hottest year on record in 2022..
- Indian agriculture faces a double whammy:
- It has to feed the largest population (1.42(one point four two)billion in 2023 and likely to be 67(one point six seven)billion by 2050).
What can Indian policymakers do?
- Focusing on agricultural research, development, education and extension (ARDE).
- Research at ICRIER indicates that investing in agri-R&D yields much greater returns (2(eleven point two)compared to every rupee spent on say the fertilizer subsidy, power subsidy, education or roads.
- Increased emphasis on ARDE can help achieve higher agricultural production even in the face of climate change.
- ARDE is critical for improving resource use efficiency, especially for natural resources such as soil, water, and air.
- The development of seeds that are more heat resistant.
- Precision agriculture, such as drip irrigation, can result in large water savings.
- Implementing sensor-based irrigation systems, for example, enables automated control, improving resource use efficiency.
- Fertigation and development of nano-fertilizers can save on the fertilizer subsidy and reduce its carbon footprint.
- Implementing innovative farming practices and/or products will help more efficient use of water and other natural resources, resulting in higher output with fewer inputs, while lowering GHG emissions.
- Mulching(Research-Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA): shows that mulching not only contributes to higher soil organic carbon (SOC) but also saves on water and reduces GHG emissions.
- Scaling up experiments is critical and with larger allocations of funds.
ARDE analysis( since 2005-06)
- It reveals that in absolute terms, the total expenditure has increased from $0.91(zero point nine one)billion in the triennium ending (TE) in 2008 to $2(two point two)billion in the TE 2020.
- The research intensity (RI) (ARDE as a percentage of agri-GDP) has experienced an upswing from 55(zero point five five)percent in 2005-06 to its peak of 0.70(zero point seven zero)percent in 2010-11, before declining to 0.48(zero point four eight)percent in 2019-20.
- Allocation of ARDE by sector: There is a skewed distribution towards the crop husbandry sector
- Relative share has marginally increased from 75 percent to 76 percent between TE 2008 and TE 2020.
- The shares for soil, water conservation, and forestry have declined from 5 percent to 2 percent.
- The shares for animal husbandry, dairy development, and fisheries sectors have decreased from 11 percent to 8 percent
- Despite the value of livestock having substantially increased in the overall value of agri-produce.
ARDE:
- It stands for Agricultural Research, Development, Education, and Extension
- It plays a crucial role in addressing the challenges faced by the agriculture sector, particularly in the context of climate change.
Importance of ARDE:
- Climate Resilience: scientists and experts can identify crops and varieties through research and development efforts
- Resource Efficiency: By focusing on research and innovation, it aims to optimize the use of key resources like water, soil, and energy.
- Enhanced Productivity: Developing high-yielding crop varieties, improving agronomic practices, and disseminating knowledge and best practices through education and extension programs.
- Sustainable Agriculture: ARDE focuses on reducing reliance on chemical inputs, minimizing soil degradation, preserving biodiversity, and promoting organic farming.
Way Forward
- The imbalance needs urgent correction, especially because much (54 per cent) of the GHG emissions within agriculture come from the livestock sector.
- It is crucial to acknowledge that despite the expenditure on ARDE
- The overall RI in agriculture falls short of the target of “1 percent of the agricultural gross value added (AGVA)” recommended by the Government of India’s as well as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
- To accomplish this, India needs to almost double its budgetary allocations for ARDE.
- If the Union government can reduce its fertilizer subsidy, and state governments their power subsidy, and redirect those savings to agri-R&D, ensuring research intensity to be at least 1 percent.
- The results would be much better in terms of food and nutritional security in the face of climate change.
- It requires political courage and innovative policies that ensure farmers incomes go up during this re-alignment phase.
- Realign not just expenditures but also policies (such as fertilizer subsidy, power subsidy, etc) towards meeting the climate change challenge.
- Livestock has been growing at more than double the rate of the cereal sector, as is horticulture.
- But policies and programmes are stuck with the legacy of basic staples like rice and wheat.
- This needs to change to give better nutrition and less GHG emissions.
QUESTION FOR PRACTICE
What is an Integrated Farming System ? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India?(UPSC 2022) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)
