1 Low-carbon development in Indian agriculture: A missed opportunity? Posted On: 12 Apr 2013 Topics: Environment , Agriculture Tags: Climate change , Greenhouse Gases Web Link: http://www.ideasforindia.in/article.aspx?article_id=124 Olivier Charnoz Agence Française de Développement (AFD) charnozo@afd.fr Ashwini Kumar Swain Independent social scientist ashwini@ashwiniswain.net The agricultural sector is the largest contributor of Greenhouse Gases in India. Yet, it has not received due importance in India’s climate change mitigation strategy. This column says that India must prioritise the agriculture sector for domestic climate change mitigation if it is serious about its voluntary commitment to reduce the carbon intensity of its GDP by 20-25% of the 2005 level by 2020. When it comes to global action on climate change mitigation, the agriculture sector is somehow undervalued (Swain and Charnoz 2012). Much of the attention and effort have been placed on industry, electricity and transportation sectors. Yet, agriculture is a major source of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) accounting for between 10 and 12% of global emissions (Smith et al 2007). If we add to this the emissions caused by deforestation for farming, fertiliser and pesticide manufacturing, and agricultural energy use, the sector becomes the single largest contributor to global emissions. This is equally true in the case of India. Agriculture accounts for 17.6% of total emissions in the country (INCCA 2010). Further, by consuming a quarter of electricity, it is indirectly responsible for another 10% GHG. If we combine these figures with emissions caused by fertiliser and pesticide industries catering solely to agriculture, and use of diesel, the sector becomes the largest contributor of GHG in India. Agriculture, in India and globally, has the potential to be an important part of the solution by reducing and/ or removing a significant portion of sectoral emissions. Though there is no precise estimation of technical mitigation potential in the sector, it is being claimed to be as high as 100% of direct emissions from agriculture. On this ground, the sector merits prioritisation for low- carbon development. Has agriculture received due importance in India’s climate change mitigation strategy and action? We do not believe so. Keeping with the global trend, India has been prioritising electricity, industries and transportation for low-carbon development. Whatever little effort has been put in agriculture, it is primarily technology driven, without a clear governance strategy. Will this narrow approach take Indian agriculture onto a low-carbon pathway?