ISLAMABAD - Adopting climate-smart and regenerative agricultural practices can help revive soil fertility, enhance biodiversity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Such practices can also reverse productivity decline, ensure food security and protect the environment, making the agri-food system more sustainable and resilient, reported WealthPK. Dr. Aamer Irshad, Assistant Representative and Head of Program Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), told WealthPK that Pakistan’s agricultural productivity has declined over the last six decades. While the agriculture growth rate was on average 4 percent between 1960 and 2000, it dropped to 3 percent between 2000 and 2010, and further to 2 percent between 2010 and 2020, he added. Dr. Aamer emphasized that climate change has had a significant impact on agricultural productivity, particularly on water availability, which in turn has affected the sector’s performance. He highlighted the role of irrigation infrastructure and green revolution technology in the growth of Pakistan’s agriculture sector from 1960 to 2000. However, he pointed out that the country’s technology stream in the agriculture sector was not up to mark, and new technologies were patented, restricting their availability to Pakistani farmers. Moreover, Dr. Aamer expressed concerns about the melting of glaciers, which provide over 60 percent of Pakistan’s water supply. He was of the view that the temperature rise due to climate change has led to the melting of glaciers, and over 7,000 glaciers located in Pakistan may be unable to provide water after 70 years. Imran asks global community to protect country's democratic values
This, in turn, will transform the agriculture sector, he added. Dr. Aamer emphasized that the agriculture sector must prioritize adaptation, mitigation, profitability, and biodiversity protection. “Adaptation refers to the agriculture sector’s capacity to adjust and cope with the changing environmental conditions such as climate change, natural disasters, and pests. Mitigation, on the other hand, involves reducing the impact of agriculture on the environment, especially in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, he added. This can be achieved through the adoption of sustainable practices such as conservation agriculture, agroforestry, and organic farming, he added. According to the FAO official, profitability is essential for the long-term sustainability of the agriculture sector. The farmers need to generate sufficient income to invest in their farms and adopt new technologies and practices that promote adaptation and mitigation, he said. Weather forecast predicts more rain in the coming days
He further said that biodiversity protection was critical for maintaining the ecological balance of agricultural landscapes. According to a recent report by the World Bank, Pakistan’s agrifood system is crucial to the nation’s economy, but it has been facing low productivity and new risks from climate change. The report highlighted that agriculture accounted for 23 percent of the country’s GDP and was the largest source of export earnings. Additionally, over 63 percent of Pakistan’s population and four out of five poor households reside in rural areas and rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, the report said. However, the sector’s growth has been sluggish, with labor productivity in agriculture remaining stagnant for decades due to low crop and livestock productivity, it added. The report also revealed that major crops’ yield was 1.5 to 4.2 times below their potential and 2.1 to 5.6 times below the international best practices. Missing teenage girl found 'married to kidnapper' in Lahore
The Nation, 04 Apr, 2023