You Can BET YOUR FARM On IT

Technology can aid farmers overcome problems ranging from climatic changes to demand fluctuations. However, the uptake by small farmers is still low, despite the range of affordable solutions available. How can Indian agri-tech startups reach the masses?

- JANANI G. VIKRAM

The world today is faced with a three-pronged problem-increase in population and food insecurity; a decrease in the supply of agricultural produce as an effect of global warming, consequent climatic changes, and natural disasters; and a rise in greenhouse gas emissions by agricultural and food production sector further contributing to global warming. This vicious cycle can only be broken by what global entities have termed as 'climate-smart agriculture.

The World Bank defines Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) as "an integrated approach to managing landscapes-cropland, livestock, forests, and fisheries that address the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change." CSA aims to enable the agricultural sector to produce more and better quality of food; be more resilient to problems like climatic changes, natural disasters, pests, and market eccentricities; and to reduce the carbon footprint per calorie or kilo of food produced, by reducing wastage, improving efficiency, avoiding deforestation, and finding ways to absorb carbon out of the atmosphere.