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INDIA

Multistakeholder Workshop on Policy Comprehension to Mainstream Climate-Resilient Agro Farming Practices in the Indian

 

A multi-stakeholder workshop titled ‘Policy Comprehension to Mainstream Climate Resilient Agro-farming Practices in the Indian Sundarban’ was held on July 19th, 2024, in Kolkata. Supported by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) and organized by the South Asian Forum for Environment (SAFE) in association with the Progyan Foundation for Research and Innovation (PFRI), the workshop explored how existing agricultural policies relate to on-ground climate-resilient practices in the fragile Sundarban region.
The event brought together a wide spectrum of participants, including senior government officials, scientists, field researchers, Panchayat leaders, journalists, and grassroots practitioners to discuss locally rooted, scalable strategies for agro-ecological transition in climate-stressed coastal systems.

 

The Indian Sundarban faces acute challenges from land fragmentation, salinity intrusion, groundwater depletion, and increasing monocropping pressure, despite 80% of its population depending on agriculture.

Integrated farming systems such as duck-fish-paddy and vermicompost-based vegetable cultivation have demonstrated promise for both climate resilience and income diversification.

Conservation and promotion of indigenous landraces, salt-tolerant crop varieties, and climate-resilient livestock breeds are essential to restoring ecological balance.

Women’s cooperatives and social enterprises like Sundarini Naturals are playing a vital role in building sustainable alternative livelihoods.

Current policy frameworks remain heavily focused on post-disaster relief rather than proactively supporting climate-resilient agro-farming.

Institutional overlaps, lack of access to biological databases (e.g., microbe status in soil health cards), and unscientific interventions, such as imposed monocultures, hamper sustainable progress.

Greater community awareness, improved market linkages, value addition, and participatory policy formulation are key to building long-term agricultural resilience in the Indian Sundarban.

Despite the ecological wealth and diverse livelihood potential of the region, significant gaps persist in the translation of policy into practice. Strengthening collaboration between government bodies and civil society is essential to bridge these divides and mainstream climate-resilient agro-farming.