Transforming agriculture

Transforming agriculture

Article:

1.Konda Reddy, has talked about the importance of Biodiversity for inclusive development.

Important Analysis:

2.Climate change and development without consideration for biodiversity are leading causes of biodiversity loss.

3.India’s National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) recognizes the importance of inclusive development.

4.Green Agriculture Project implemented by GOI with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provide support to NBAP and ensure sustainable development in five landscape adjoining protected area of MP, Mizoram, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.

5.Focus area of the projects are

• Addressing land degradation
• Climate change mitigation
• Sustainable forest management
• Biodiversity conservation.

6.Man-Animal conflicts in the protected area, unsustainable procurement of non-timber forest products (NTFP) are major issues concerning biodiversity.

7. Approach which can ensure sustainable conservation:

• Participatory and landscape approach (relates to conservation, agriculture and other land uses seeks to address the increasingly complex and widespread environmental challenges)
• Focus on NTFP harvest
• Eradication of invasive alien species
• Mitigation of wildlife conflicts.
• Encouraging traditional farming systems such as jhum encouraged crop diversity
• Participatory learning tools for farmers for soil conservation

8.Participatory and landscape approach will restore traditional knowledge system such as conservation of common property resources i.e. Orans (Sacred Woodland) in Rajasthan and Village safety and supply reserves in Mizoram.

9.Special focus is required towards Indigenous traditional crops (Odisha Rice) rather than market demand driven crops for sustainable development.