This initiative aims to develop an investment and partnership strategy to advance climate resilient agrifood systems.
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. It was launched during a two-day Multi-stakeholder Meeting held on January 18-19, 2024, at the India International Centre, New Delhi. This initiative aims to develop an investment and partnership strategy to advance climate resilient agrifood systems among the government, private sectors, and farmers’ organizations and financial institutions in India.
The two-day meet paved the way for discussions and deliberations among key stakeholders, and their perspectives on national priorities, investment opportunities, partnership, technical support and cooperation. The Forum facilitated discussions and deliberations on six key areas namely, (i) Climate resilient agriculture (experiences and pathways) (ii) Digital infrastructure and solutions (iii) Financing climate resilient agrifood systems (domestic and global) (iv) Climate resilient value chains(v) Production practices and inputs for climate resilience and (vi) Gender mainstreaming and social inclusion for climate resilience.
Delivering the keynote address at the inauguration, Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog emphasized the need for awareness on how agriculture contributes to climate change, citing a contribution of a little more than 13 per cent of 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.
Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, MoA&FW, Government of India highlighted the significance of a multi-stakeholder approach in addressing climate challenges in India. He also discussed the spatial and temporal distribution of climate patterns affecting farming activities and called upon the need for localized responses.
Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India emphasized that without an answer to financial crisis there can be no answer to the food crisis. She observed that with food demand predicted to grow by at least 50 per cent 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.
The FAO Representative in India, Takayuki Hagiwara, highlighted the importance of de-risking. This includes considering the flow of working capital, labor availability, sustainability and impact on the environment, the role of women in agrifood systems, and other factors.
