Context- With climate change a reality today, Indian agriculture needs to cope with the increasing unpredictability of the weather, declining soil health, and growing air pollution, for India to continue meeting domestic food demands.
What is Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA)?
Climate-resilient agriculture uses a range of biotechnology and complementary technologies to guide farming practices and reduce dependence on chemical inputs, while maintaining or improving productivity.
Key Components of Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA)
- Use of biofertilizers and biopesticides to reduce chemical dependence.
- Soil microbiome analysis to guide nutrient and crop management.
- Development of genome-edited crops tolerant to drought, heat, salinity, and pests.
- AI-driven analytics that combine climate, soil, and crop data to provide location-specific advisories.
Why Does India Need Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA)?
Ensuring Food Security- India is an agricultural nation with a rapidly growing population. CRA ensures higher and more reliable farm productivity.
Climatic Vulnerability of India’s agricultural land- 51% of India’s net sown area is rainfed, and this land produces nearly 40% of the country’s food. It makes these lands especially vulnerable to climate variability.
Climate resilience constraint of Conventional Farming- Conventional farming methods alone may not withstand the rising stresses of climate change. For ex- Recent modelling suggests that by the end of the century, yields of staple crops like rice could fall by 3-22%, and in worst-case scenarios by more than 30%.
Reduction of Reliance of imports- CRA can reduce India’s reliance on food imports and strengthen the country’s strategic autonomy in the food sector.
Enhanced productivity and Environmental Health- Climate-resilient agriculture offers a suite of technologies that can enhance productivity while protecting environmental health.
What is India’s Status of Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA)?
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National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture | It was launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 2011. It aims to enhance the resilience and adaptive capacity of farmers to climate variability, location-specific climate resilient technologies such as system of rice intensification, aerobic rice, direct seeding of rice, zero till wheat sowing, cultivation of climate resilient varieties tolerant to extreme weather conditions, in-situ incorporation of rice residues. |
| National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture | It has been formulated to enhance agricultural productivity, especially in rainfed areas, focusing on integrated farming, water use efficiency, soil health management, and synergising resource conservation. |
| BioE3 policy | BioE3 policy has positioned CRA as a key thematic area for the development of biotechnology-led solutions. Several technologies relevant to CRA have already been commercialised, especially biofertilizers, biopesticides, and microbial soil enhancers. |
| Expansion of digital agriculture sector | India’s agritech startups are offering AI-enabled advisories, precision irrigation, crop-health monitoring, and yield prediction tools. |
| Institutional Support for CRA | India has a strong scientific capacity for CRA, supported by ICAR, DBT, IARI, and a growing private-sector biotechnology ecosystem. Several technologies relevant to CRA have already commercialised, especially biofertilizers, biopesticides, and microbial soil enhancers. |
What is the progress of other countries in Climate resilient Agriculture (CRA)?
| U.S. | The U.S. has integrated CRA into federal policy through the USDA Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF) initiative, investing billions in climate-smart practices. |
| E.U. | CRA is embedded in the EU Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy, both aiming to reduce chemical inputs and enhance sustainability. |
| China | China’s CRA strategy centres on climate-tolerant crop breeding, large-scale water-saving irrigation, and agricultural digitalisation. |
| Brazil | Brazil leads in tropical climate-resilient crop development, driven by EMBRAPA’s biotechnology research. |
What are the key challenges in the adoption of CRA in India?
Scaling CRA in India faces multiple constraints such as:
- Low adoption among small and marginal farmers due to limited access, awareness, and affordability.
- Quality inconsistencies in biofertilizers and biopesticides reduce farmer trust.
- Slow rollout of climate-resilient and genome-edited seeds.
- Uneven state-wise adoption of advanced technologies.
- Digital divide limits access to AI-based and precision agriculture tools.
- Persistent soil degradation, water scarcity, and accelerating climate volatility.
- Fragmented policy coordination across institutions.
What should be the way forward for the adoption of CRA in India?
India’s CRA transition must be accelerated and scaled by employing the following measures:
- Fast-track development and deployment of climate-tolerant and genome-edited crops.
- Strengthen quality standards, regulation, and supply chains for bio-inputs.
- Expand access to digital tools and climate advisories for smallholders.
- Provide financial incentives, climate insurance, and affordable credit.
- Ensure stronger coordination across ministries, states, and research bodies.
Conclusion
Climate-resilient agriculture is essential for safeguarding India’s food security in an era of climate uncertainty. A coherent national CRA roadmap under the BioE3 framework, aligning biotechnology, climate adaptation, and agricultural policy, is critical to delivering resilience at scale and ensuring sustainable food systems for the future.
Source: The Hindu
