Climate change is stressing an already struggling farm sector, but there is a way forward. Over the last decade, India?s official position in global climate negotiations has been one of opposition to agricultural mitigation. At Doha (COP18), India joined other developing countries in demanding that any talk about agriculture must be in the realm of adaptation, not mitigation. India considers the farm sector out of bounds with respect to emissions reduction, given its sensitivity and the potential implications for livelihoods. Is the concern valid? Can India achieve agricultural development and adaptation without addressing mitigation concerns? Changing Climate of Indian Agriculture Despite decades of industrial development, India remains an agrarian country. At a time of decline in many countries, the agricultural population in India rose a whopping 50 percent between 1980 and 2011. Although agriculture?s contribution to GDP has been falling, it has a far more important role in the Indian economy than its share of GDP suggests. Farming employs about half of the nation?s workforce and provides a livelihood to about two-thirds of the population. Moreover, almost half of the average Indian household?s expenditure goes towards food, which is an important factor in inflation and thus the nation?s chronic poverty.

Click Here To Read More