Promotion of climate smart farm stressed

JAGATSINGHPUR:  Experts on Saturday emphasised on the need of nutrition-sensitive and climate-smart agriculture to ensure food security in the present climate change scenario. “Millets, that are more nutritious compared to cereals and pulses, should be cultivated aggressively along with nutrition garden and bio-fortification to ensure food and nutrition security,” said agriculture expert and consultant to World Bank and Asian Development Bank Bidyadhar Maharana at a seminar on ‘Food and Nutrition Security in a Climate Change Scenario’ here.

The nutrition-sensitive agriculture, which is being practiced in Kalahandi and Kandhamal in Odisha and some parts in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on pilot basis, needs to be extended to other places. With the demand for food is expected to increase by 70 per cent by 2050, climate-smart agriculture needs to be encouraged to boost production, he said. Former vice-chancellor of OUAT Surendranath Pasupalak said climate change being a reality, it changes the landscape, including farmlands.

“There should be an integrated approach in all actions to mitigate this crisis and save agriculture from its impacts,” he said. Income Tax Principal Commissioner DN Kar said, “Protecting environment is one of our fundamental duties that every citizen should needs to follow to address the issue of climate change. Climate change has emerged major issue and is affecting everyone on this planet.

The seminar is an attempt to bring scientific community, political leadership and civil society together on one platform to share their views on the issue and draw ideas towards solution, said environmental journalist and convenor of the seminar Basudev Mahapatra.