Modern agricultural techniques and processes have helped increase yields and increase the availability of food that feeds billions of people around the world. However, the rapid increase in agricultural production over the past half century has resulted in significant environmental costs. Degrading land and groundwater quality, loss of biodiversity, and deteriorating human health are some of the growing concerns due to unsustainable agricultural practices.
India's agricultural sector forms the backbone of the national economy.Agriculture and related matters These sectors employ around 46% of India's total workforce and serve the food security needs of a vast population. However, the sector faces multifaceted challenges, from fragmented land tenure and inadequate irrigation facilities to unpredictable weather patterns and low productivity. The intensification of agriculture to meet growing food demands is taking a toll on land health. Over the years, the Indian government has taken several initiatives to improve the current state of agriculture in the country, including the National Agriculture Policy, the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, and the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. We have introduced such programs and plans. .
IUCN's Agriculture and Land Health Initiative accelerates action towards sustainable agriculture that ensures land health as a nature-based solution to addressing food and water security, climate change and other societal challenges Increase your chances of doing so. This initiative aims to strengthen awareness of sustainable agriculture and develop tools and methodologies to support the application of his NbS in projects and policies. A project supported by the IKEA FoundationAccelerating the global transition to sustainable agriculture” is in line with this initiative. The project has been successfully operated in India and five other countries (Burkina Faso, Guatemala, Rwanda, Tanzania and Vietnam) and the IUCN NbS Agricultural Guidance and Land Health Monitoring Framework is being piloted for further refinement. Masu.
The two-day workshop on March 14-15 aimed to introduce and familiarize participants with the two tools. The workshop also enabled peer-to-peer sharing of experiences on these topics. The workshop featured various sessions including presentation of results from field testing of the tool, presentation of case studies on NbS interventions taken up in agriculture by various institutions in India, and a panel discussion with land health and agriculture experts. It consisted of Have an open discussion with participants. The workshops had an average of approximately 40 participants each day.
The workshop culminated with important recommendations for two tools. Recommendations for NbS agricultural guidance include incorporating farmers' traditional knowledge, encouraging farmers to adopt and scale-up, and establishing a direct and effective link with relevant institutions for better implementation. It included ensuring communication, collaboration and engagement.
Regarding land health monitoring frameworks, recommendations include measuring and communicating the economic benefits of such approaches, ensuring harmonization between different tools, identifying easily monitorable indicators, and improving the effectiveness of existing expanded networks. This includes strategic use, ensuring scalability of initiatives, and disseminating information locally. It's about learning the language and involving women in decision-making.
Recommendations from the workshop will help further refine the guidance and framework. As eminent environmental economist Dr. Madhu Verma pointed out during the workshop, “We need to measure what we manage, and tools and frameworks are important for that.”
