Climate Change & Agriculture Sector

Climate Change & Agriculture Sector

Human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) including those from the agriculture sector are considered to be the drivers of observed climate change. While annual total GHG emissions from agriculture in 2010 are estimated to be of the order of 10-12% of global anthropogenic emission, the research conducted by the government indicates that agriculture in India contributed to 18% of the total emissions of India in 2010. The gases emitted from this sector are mainly methane (CH4) and Nitrous Oxide (N2O).

As agriculture sector is the main source of food, reducing food loss and waste leads to avoidance of unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and helps in mitigating climate change through better management of food utilisation, distribution & sustainable lifestyle.

National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture launched in 2010 under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) addresses both mitigation and adaptation to climate change through programmes such as System of Rice Intensification (SRI) against conventional rice cultivation and coverage of milch animals under Ration Balancing Programme. National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture has also been launched in 2011 to address both adaptation and mitigation in agriculture sector.

The National Food Security Act, 2013 promulgated by the government is aimed at ensuring, inter alia, timely and efficient procurement and distribution of food grains, building up and maintenance of food stocks, their efficient storage, movement and delivery to the distributing agencies and monitoring of production, stock and price levels of food grains.

This information was given by Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Anil Madhav Dave, in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

***

HK
(Release ID :147735)