The Current Policies and Practices Behind Scaling Up Climate-Smart Agriculture in India

Abstract

Rainfed farming systems in India are severely wedged by climate change, variability, and extremities. A developing country like India faces multitudes of challenges in addressing current and future climate risks. Projections made up by the latest IPCC AR5 reports also reiterate that frequency and length of dry spells may likely be increased in future due to global warming, the consequences of which include increased heat and water stress for agriculture ecosystems. This may adversely impact the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers of this country. As the changing weather patterns pose serious threats to the traditional agriculture systems, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is recognized as the future of farming in our country. With this backdrop of understanding, initiatives to scale up climatesmart agriculture (CSA) are underway. Moreover, India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) and National Action Plan on Climate Change pay particular attention to the inclusion of sustainable agriculture action plans and also enhance resilience among smallholders. CSA practices require local specific dialogue with key stakeholders. As an initial step forward, climate change communication can play a critical role in enabling this dialogue. This chapter proposes to discuss about the current practices and model frameworks present in the implementations and scaling up of CSA in India as a part of strengthening the resilience of Indian agriculture sector and advancement in applied research. Regional variations are apparent in our country as far as cropping patterns are considered. Geo-climatic parameters like altitude, rainfall pattern, evaporation, soil type, and topography together evolve distinct agronomic environments wherein a distinct cropping pattern flourishes in a village, block, district, or state. This chapter would also like to discuss how science, policy, and community interface at every level from local to regional in India for the effective implementation and maintaining its sustainability. Participatory and action research play a major role in its implementations and way forward. In order to create a win-win situation for CSA activities, India may necessitate a rigorous determination to capitalize on any synergies within spatial units and sectors, overnment departments, NGOs, research organizations, farmers, and all other stakeholders.