Mar 24, 2017- The farm sector must
pursue sustainable agricultural production practices instead of high-input or
resource-intensive systems to conserve natural resources and mitigate the
impacts of climate change, experts said Thursday.
Speaking at a workshop
entitled ‘Strengthening the Role of Saarc in the Sustainable Intensification of
Agriculture in South Asia’, they said that today’s agriculture should
adapt itself not only to achieving food security but also managing resources in
the face of global challenges such as climate change.
“It has now become
evident that we are unable to produce enough food by using more resources.
Hence, we should think of boosting agricultural productivity in a sustainable
way,” said agro expert Hari Dahal. “Greater emphasis should be placed on the
social and environmental dimensions of sustainability.”
He said that land and soil degradation, shrinking water sources, impacts of
pesticide use, intensity of fertilizer consumption, loss of crops and low
investment in agriculture are the key challenges that need urgent
attention.
Hence, sustainable
‘intensification of agriculture’ would be the proper answer to these
challenges, he said, adding that intensification means increasing the
efficiency of input use—more crops per kilogram of nutrient and per drop of
water.
South Asia is home to
the largest number of hungry people who live below the poverty line, and the
region is projected to be the worst affected by climate change, Dahal said.
There is a need to double food production by 2050 without harming the
environment and natural resources.
According to reports,
25 percent of the crop and pasture areas have been degraded by water erosion in
South Asia. The soil has suffered from nutrient loss. The per capita
availability of water has been rapidly decreasing worldwide. South Asia has
only about 4.5 percent of the world’s renewable water.
Likewise, pesticide
use in South Asia has been rising and increasing environment pollution. The
chemical fertilizer consumption intensity is another glaring problem in
the region. According to Dahal, South Asia is the second largest fertilizer
consuming region in the world.
“All these indicators
suggest that South Asian agriculture has achieved major improvements in
productivity in the past several years, but progress has been uneven regarding
the social and environmental dimensions of sustainability.”
Tayan Gurung, senior
programme specialist at the Saarc Agriculture Centre, Dhaka, underscored the
need for scientific innovation in agriculture along with policy reform. He
urged the governments of South Asian countries to play their part by supporting
innovation and increasing investment.
“When it comes to
forest, no chapters in the world open without the example of the successful
modality of community forestry adopted by Nepal,” he said. “It’s an idea and
innovation that we need to think for the sustainable future of farming.”
The two-day workshop
has been organized by South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment
(SAWTEE) together with IFAD Asia and the Pacific Region and the Saarc
Secretariat.
Published: 24-03-2017
10:54
The kathmandupost
