NITI Aayog, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and FAO launch Investment Forum for Advancing Climate Resilient Agrifood Systems in IndiaThe forum aims to develop an investment and partnership strategy to advance climate resilient agrifood systems among the government, private sectors, and farmers’ organisations, and financial institutions in India.
India is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change, especially in the agriculture sector. Agriculture contributes to about 13% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the country and is also affected by changing weather patterns, water scarcity, pest infestations, and soil degradation. To address these challenges, NITI Aayog, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations jointly launched the ‘Investment Forum for Advancing Climate Resilient Agrifood Systems in India’ in New Delhi on January 24, 2024 .
The forum is a joint initiative of the three organisations to develop an investment and partnership strategy to advance climate resilient agrifood systems among the government, private sectors, and farmers’ organisations, and financial institutions in India. The forum was launched during a two-day Multi-stakeholder Meeting held on January 18-19, 2024, at the India International Centre, New Delhi .
The objective of the forum is to identify priority areas for investment and partnership that can enhance the resilience of agrifood systems to climate change, while also contributing to mitigation, food security, nutrition, livelihoods, and sustainable development goals. The forum will also facilitate dialogue and collaboration among various stakeholders to mobilise resources and scale up best practices for climate action in agriculture .
Keynote address by NITI Aayog Member
Delivering the keynote address at the inauguration of the forum, Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog emphasised on the need for awareness on how agriculture contributes to climate change, citing a contribution of a little more than 13% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the country. He observed that agriculture could play a role in carbon sequestration through tree plantation on farmland .
Prof Chand also called for a new direction in economic analysis of agriculture production, considering impact on natural resources, climate change and future generations. He proposed incorporating metrics beyond financial prices to evaluate the economic impact of agricultural activities. Prof Chand also stressed the importance of aligning efforts with the larger UN approach for dealing with contemporary and long-term challenges .
Remarks by Secretary, MoA&FW
Sri Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, MoA&FW, Government of India highlighted the significance of a multi-stakeholder approach in addressing climate challenges in India. He stressed the importance of considering the perspective of small and marginal farmers, who constitute 85% of the farming population in India. He also discussed the spatial and temporal distribution of climate patterns affecting farming activities and called upon the need for localised responses .
Sri Ahuja also highlighted the need to focus on investment structures to increase incentives for farmers in the country. He mentioned some of the initiatives taken by the government to promote climate resilience in agriculture, such as Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Soil Health Card Scheme (SHC), National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), National Horticulture Mission (NHM), etc .
Support from UN Resident Coordinator and FAO Representative
Mr Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India emphasised that without an answer to financial crisis there can be no answer to the food crisis. He observed that with food demand predicted to grow by at least 50% by 2050, we urgently need to scale up investments in climate resilience in agriculture to ensure future generations have the resources needed to grow enough food .
He reiterated UN’s support for climate initiatives in India, such as the Year of Millets and expressed the commitment to being a partner of choice for India. He also appreciated the leadership of NITI Aayog, MoA&FW and FAO in launching the forum and hoped that it would lead to concrete outcomes and actions .
The FAO Representative in India, Mr Takayuki Hagiwara, applauded Indian Government’s strong leadership in building climate resilient agrifood systems through prioritised actions in mitigation and adaptation domains. He also highlighted the importance of de-risking the agriculture sector from climate shocks and stresses through innovative financing mechanisms and partnerships .
He mentioned some of the ongoing FAO projects in India that support climate resilience in agriculture, such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF) funded project on enhancing climate resilience of India’s smallholder farmers, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project on mainstreaming biodiversity conservation and sustainable use for improved human nutrition and well-being, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) funded project on promoting climate resilient agriculture among tribal farmers in Meghalaya, etc .
He also expressed FAO’s readiness to provide technical assistance and knowledge sharing to the forum and its stakeholders .
Expected outcomes of the forum
The forum is expected to produce the following outcomes:
- A comprehensive assessment of the current status and future scenarios of climate change impacts on agrifood systems in India
- A prioritised list of investment opportunities and partnership modalities for advancing climate resilient agrifood systems in India
- A roadmap for implementing the identified investment opportunities and partnership modalities with clear roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders
- A monitoring and evaluation framework for tracking the progress and impact of the forum’s activities
The forum will also organise periodic consultations, workshops, webinars, field visits, and other events to facilitate knowledge exchange, capacity building, networking, and advocacy among the stakeholders. The forum will also leverage existing platforms and networks, such as the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA), the Climate Smart Agriculture Network (CSAN), etc., to enhance synergies and complementarities .
The forum is expected to run for a period of three years (2024-2026) with a possibility of extension based on the outcomes and feedback from the stakeholders .