Climate stress puts India’s food system under pressure as El Niño threat grows

Food & Nutrition

New Delhi: Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and drought conditions are putting increasing pressure on India's agricultural and food systems, with consequences extending from farm production to food prices and household budgets. A new white paper by Climate Trends warns that the growing climate risks could further threaten farmers' livelihoods, food security and the country's food supply chains. Titled From Risk to Resilience: Climate Change, Ecology and the Future of Indian Agriculture, the report highlights how extreme weather events are disrupting agricultural production, increasing post-harvest losses and affecting the availability and affordability of food. The paper warns that heatwaves, unpredictable rainfall and the prospect of what it describes as the worst El Niño since 1950 could intensify the challenges facing Indian agriculture. India is already experiencing a difficult post-monsoon season, with drought conditions reported in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan. The report also refers to six states having declared drought conditions. Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was recently quoted as saying that extreme rainfall and floods had affected around 6.11 lakh hectares of cropland. Gujarat has also announced crop-loss compensation, subsidised fodder and employment support for farmers in four drought-affected districts. The report highlights that climate-related losses...