Events of CSEC
The Centre for Studies on Environment and Climate at the Asian Development Research Institute (CSEC-ADRI), Patna, in collaboration with Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) Ithaca, USA, is organizing a technical consultation on 'Zero-Hunger, Zero-Carbon Food Systems (ZHZC') in Bihar.
The discussion at the consultation intends to bring together different perspectives related to GHG emissions from agriculture and allied sectors and discuss potential GHG mitigation solutions and interventions.
The consultation workshop will be held on August 11, 2022 (Thursday) at Hotel Maurya, Patna.
Patna, August 11. A consultation workshop on “Zero-Hunger and Zero-Carbon Food system in Bihar” was co-hosted by the Tata Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Food nutrition (TCI) at Cornell University, and Centre for Studies on Environment and Climate at Asian Development Research Institute (CSEC-ADRI) in Patna. The aim of the workshop was to discuss and develop a Green House Gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategy in the agriculture sector which envisions to address SDG goal-2, i.e. Zero Hunger and Food Security.
This consultation was part of the study that intends to work with key policy stakeholders within the Bihar government and the UNEP to bring food security-focused agricultural emissions reduction strategies and priorities into the revised SAPCC. The study will take stock of the current evidence on hunger and emission challenges in the agricultural sector to identify knowledge gaps by carrying out an integrated field assessment of the productivity-GHG nexus to identify high-payoff opportunities for sustaining productivity growth while reducing GHG emissions.
Dr Prabhu Pingali, an eminent Professor from Cornell University, Ithaca USA presented the need for a state-specific analysis of the food system in charting the pathways for a comprehensive mechanism to reduce carbon and achieving climate mitigation. He also put emphasis on key challenges like technology, farmer’s behaviour towards technology and innovations as well as consumer behaviour towards food demand. Dr Prabhat P Ghosh, Member Secretary, ADRI highlighted key economic and social indicators that are impacting the hunger level in Bihar and hence need serious action towards food production system to achieve the zero carbon food system in the state. He also indicated that even 5% growth in the agricultural sector may lead to revolution in the State that can complement Net Zero target of 2040. This would be a much cheaper way than the agri-revolutions that took place in states like Punjab. The programme featured a talk on ‘Soil Health and Agriculture in Bihar’ by Dr. Harold van Es, Professor at Cornell University, and another on the Crop Diversity in Bihar by Dr. Ranjan Laik, Chief Scientist and Professor, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, PUSA.
Other key speakers and discussants present in the consultation included Seema Paul from Sequoia Climate Fund, Dr Anil Jha and Narendra Mohan from Agriculture Department, Dr Raj Kumar Jat from Borlaug Institute for South Asia, Dr. Jayant Khadse from BAIF, and Dharmendra Srivastava from Amul Dairy. Some other organisations present in the workshop were CIMMYT, PRADAN, BRLPS, Digital Green, EDF, WRI, BSPCB, ICAR-RCER, and IMD.