Context

• With climate change on the rise, there is a growing discussion on the need to re-engineer the current model of agriculture.

Agriculture in a warming world

• Agriculture today contributes to greenhouse gas emissions in a variety of ways, such as through methane emissions from rice cultivation and livestock and nitrous oxide emissions from the use of synthetic fertilizers and manure on fields. 
• The large-scale clearing of forests, including rainforests, to produce beef cattle and even palm oil adds to the crisis of our climate-risked world. 
• The multi-continent transport for food processing and sale has led to over-exploitation of resources, pollution, and fossil fuel consumption.
• Further, farmers are increasingly using expensive inputs such as fertilizers, seeds and pesticides. This adds to their debt burden, making them even more vulnerable to crop losses and extreme weather impacts.

Impact of climate change on Food Security

• Rising temperatures can lead to heat stress, affecting crop yields. Extreme heat events during critical growth stages can reduce the productivity of major crops like wheat, rice, and maize.
• Agriculture is highly dependent on water, and reduced water availability can hinder crop production.
• Climate change can influence the distribution and prevalence of pests and diseases. Warmer temperatures and altered humidity levels may create more favorable conditions for certain pathogens and pests, affecting crop health.
• Rising sea levels can lead to saltwater intrusion into coastal areas, compromising soil fertility and making it challenging to grow crops.
• Climate change often exacerbates existing vulnerabilities, disproportionately affecting communities that are already marginalized or dependent on subsistence farming

Principles of Agricultural model for livelihood, nutrition, and nature security

• Low input-based agricultural model

• • This model focuses on minimizing the use of external inputs, such as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and energy, to achieve sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices. 
  • For example, Climate change will bring new pests, here a low input model, does not mean increasing the use of pesticides, but rather emphasis on bringing in  changes in the practices of agriculture as well as the use of non-chemical alternatives.

• Principle of risk minimization. 

• • This refers to promoting multiple cropping systems. 
  • This will also promote biodiversity as farmers would grow more than one crop on the field. 
  • Here it is also important to integrate the livestock economy so that additional income from different sources is made available to the farmers.

• Choice of crops

• • • It is important to cultivate crops that are both nutritive and compatible with the local environment. 
    • It is also essential that Governments enable policies to grow water-prudent crops like millets in regions that face water shortages. 
    • For instance, more biodiverse and climate-appropriate millets will be grown by farmers where governments have included them in schemes such as mid-day meals.

• Role of the consumer

• • The choice of food that farmers grow is in the hands of consumers.
  • When we change our diets, it provides signals to the farmer to grow different crops based on market demand.
  • Changes in the patterns of food consumption can in turn affect the livelihood of farmers.

Conclusion

• Addressing the impacts of climate change on food security requires a multifaceted approach, including sustainable agricultural practices, improved water management, resilient crop varieties, and international cooperation to mitigate and adapt to the changing climate.