GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Use of E-technology in Agriculture
Source: DTE
Context: The adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) faces challenges in South Asia, as sustainable practices and technologies struggle to gain widespread acceptance.
What is CSA?
CSA, or Climate-Smart Agriculture, is an approach that incorporates a set of agricultural practices and technologies. Its goals are to boost productivity (e.g., precision farming, smart crops), enhance resilience (e.g., zero budget natural farming, agroforestry), and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., zero tillage, permaculture, organic farming).
Examples of Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices:
- Cultivating Climate-Resilient Crop Varieties: Growing crops resistant to temperature changes, pests, and diseases. Example: Drought-tolerant maize in sub-Saharan Africa benefits smallholder farmers.
- Conservation Agriculture: No-till and reduced-tillage cultivation for soil coverage,
- Agroforestry: Integrating trees and shrubs with crops and livestock.
- Precision Irrigation:g., Drip and sprinkler irrigation maximize water use efficiency.
Challenges faced in CSA:
| Challenges in CSA | Details |
| Weak Organizational Capacities | Difficulty reaching farmers due to a large rural population with limited integration with CSA-promoting markets. |
| Limited government resources impact the number of field schools, demonstration plots, and training programs in rural areas. | |
| Inadequately staffed and poorly trained government agricultural extension departments for CSA information dissemination. | |
| Inadequate Targeted Incentives | Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and electricity- and diesel-based irrigation are largely subsidized, while CSA practices lack adequate incentives. |
| Conflicting subsidies, such as those for zero tillage as well as for conventional tillage machinery, hinder the adoption of CSA technologies. | |
| Zero tillage is considered a CSA practice that involves minimal disturbance of the soil, promoting conservation and sustainability. On the other hand, conventional tillage involves more intensive soil disturbance | |
| Limited Post-Adoption Follow-up | Emphasis on adoption initiation with less attention to post-adoption follow-up. |
| Monitoring and evaluating CSA adoption over time is crucial for identifying challenges faced by farmers. | |
| Inequities in Information Dissemination | Inequitable dissemination of CSA information, prioritizing wealthier farmers with greater social networks. |
| Gender inequality persists, with little involvement of women in CSA dissemination processes, despite increasing female participation in farming. |
Benefits of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA):
| Benefits | Details |
| 1. Increased Agricultural Productivity | Addresses resource-efficient farming for climate variability. |
| Counters climate-induced crop yield decline in India, contributing to adaptation, mitigation, and food security. | |
| Various climate-smart techniques enhance production, sustainability, and reliability, while reducing GHG emissions. | |
| Site-specific no-tillage in the Indo-Gangetic Plain boosts wheat production, nutrient efficiency, and profitability, and lowers GHG emissions. | |
| 2. GHG Emission Reduction | Crucial for lowering the agricultural sector’s 17% share in GHG emissions (2018) |
| Enhances farmland carbon storage. | |
| 3. Support for Small and Marginal Farmers | Significant role in increasing profits for the majority of Indian small and marginal farmers. |
| 4. Biodiversity Conservation | Ecosystem-based approach and diverse crop varieties promote the coexistence of cropland and wild animals |
| Safeguards native plant species, stabilizes pollinator populations and mitigates habitat degradation effects. | |
| 5. Reduced Impact of Climate Change | Promotes crop diversification, and water efficiency, and integrates drought-resistant crop types. |
| It Lessens the disruptive effects of climate change and increases resilience to longer-term stressors. |
Promoting CSA:
- Capacity Building: Raise awareness and provide training for officials, extension workers, and farmers.
- Incentives to Farmers: Support eco-friendly practices (e.g., mulching, crop rotation) and sustainable indigenous technologies.
- Collaborative Approach: Form international/regional partnerships, such as the Youth for Green and Climate-Resilient Agriculture Programme (YCRA) by the Food and Agriculture Organization.
- Other Measures: Encourage private capital investment, implement micro-level policies, and explore additional avenues for CSA promotion.
Climate-Smart Agriculture Initiatives:
- Government Initiatives in India: National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change, National Innovation on Climate Resilient Agriculture, Soil Health Mission, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Biotech-KISAN, and Climate Smart Village.
- Public and Private Sector Involvement: Farmer-producer organizations, NGOs, and various entities are actively contributing to CSA adoption.
- Research Programs: The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) addresses challenges of food security, poverty, and climate change on a global scale, National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)
- World Bank Group: Provides financial support and technical assistance for CSA projects in developing countries.
- Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA): A voluntary platform fostering collaboration among governments, civil society, farmers, research institutions, and the private sector to promote knowledge sharing, policy dialogue, and investment in CSA.
- Climate-Smart Agriculture Youth Network (CSAYN): Comprises young individuals from various countries dedicated to raising awareness and taking action on CSA among youth and other stakeholders.
- National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) One of the missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
To learn about Climate Resilient Agriculture: Click Here
Insta Links:
Mains Links:
Elaborate on the impact of the National Watershed Project in increasing agricultural production from water-stressed areas. (UPSC 2019)
Prelims Links:
Q1. With reference to the circumstances in Indian agriculture, the concept of “Conservation Agriculture” assumes significance. Which of the following fall under the Conservation Agriculture? (UPSC 2018)
- Avoiding the monoculture practices
- Adopting minimum tillage.
- Avoiding the cultivation of plantation crops
- Using crop residues to cover soil surface
- Adopting spatial and temporal crop sequencing/crop rotations
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 3 and 4
(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5
(c) 2, 4 and 5
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 5
Ans: (c)
Q2. With reference to the ‘Global Alliance for ClimateSmart Agriculture (GACSA)’, which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC 2018)
- GACSA is an outcome of the Climate Summit held in Paris in 2015.
- Membership of GACSA does not create any binding obligations.
- India was instrumental in the creation of GACSA.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: B
Q3. In the context of India’s preparation for Climate-Smart Agriculture, consider the following statements: (UPSC 2021)
- The ‘Climate-Smart Village’ approach in India is a part of a project led by the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), an international research programme.
- The project of CCAFS is carried out under Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) headquartered in France.
- The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India is one of the CGIAR’s research centres.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: D
