The federal government has decided to adopt Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) in order to attain food security and broader development goals in the wake of surging food demand and climate change.
The federal government has decided to adopt Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) in order to attain food security and broader development goals in the wake of surging food demand and climate change. The development comes after the government recognized major threats posed by climate change to the economy and agriculture sector, while the existing climate-financing plan is lagging behind. As per the new CSA approach, investment will be made to enhance seed quality, modernize farming technologies and techniques, and develop water infrastructure in order to counter the growing problems in the agriculture sector, particularly due to the severe monsoon rainfalls. It is pertinent to mention that the northern areas are more susceptible to the effects of climate change. Note here that recent monsoon spells flooded half of the country, damaged the infrastructure, economy, and livelihood, and resulted in over 33 million people directly facing food insecurity.
Climate-Smart Agriculture, It is worth mentioning here that agriculture employs around 25 million people and is the primary source of income for 34 percent and 74 percent of economically active men and women, respectively, in Pakistan. The CSA approach is a way to integrate the management of landscapes including, farmlands, livestock, forests, and fisheries in order to resolve interlinked challenges of food security and rising climate change. An official quoted by the News claimed that investment is needed to stabilize the food supply in this unstable economy confronted by climate change. He said agriculture is the second largest contributor to Pakistan’s economy with about 25 percent share of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and constitutes around 42 percent of the labor that mainly consists of women. He stated that farmers lack access to agriculture loans, and receive insufficient extension support and research information to overcome the dangers of the climate and added that CSA will provide appealing options to boost agriculture in a dynamic climate reality.
Source: This news is originally published by propakistani