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Smart Farming Dialogue Series Launched in
Punjab
Patiala, 30 April 2009: ‘Smart Farming’, a forum
convened by Greenpeace India launched a dialogue series
titled ‘Smart dialogues’ to discuss smart and sustainable
farming solutions with a vision to ensure food security in
India. The dialogue series kicked off with a Panel
discussion on Soil Health and Agricultural Productivity in
Punjab, organized in collaboration with Punjabi University
Patiala. This was the first in a series of discussions to be
organized across the country by the Smart farming team.
Scientists, farmers, development professionals and students
participated in the discussion and concluded that cutting
the usage of agrochemicals and nourishing soil through
ecological farming1 is the only way to save Agriculture in
Punjab, which is at the verge of a crash down due to
resource degradation. Scientific studies and field
experiences were discussed by the group. All pointed towards
the need to shift to good ecological practices. The experts
also emphasized on the need for Government support and
research investment to catalyze this shift.
“Punjab is heading towards an ecological disaster due to
indiscriminate use of agrochemicals such as fertilizers and
pesticides. The degraded soils in the state pose a big
threat to food security and can cause serious economic
implications not only for the state but also for the
country. Urgent steps are needed to avert a big disaster”,
said Prof. Sucha Singh Gill, Prof. of Economics and Dean
(Research), Punjabi University who moderated the discussion.
“The chemical Nitrogenous fertilizers usage in Punjab has
increased to over 200 kg/acre from a mere 5kg/ acre at the
start of Green Revolution. Application of chemical
fertilizers has made the soil sick. There is hardly any life
in the soil now. There is no microbial activity and the
productivity has gone down drastically”, said Mr Umendra
Dutt, Executive Director, Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM) who
delivered the key note address. “The allocation for chemical
fertilizer subsidies has shown a steady increase and will
soon match the allocation for defense forces in the country.
The Government should realize that this is a
counter-productive investment”, he added
Smart farming brings together scientific wisdom and
on-ground experiences to a common platform through online
discussions and offline events. It has an online presence at
www.smartfarming.org
“International scientific community already realized the
need to shift to ecological farming. IAASTD2, the UN- World
Bank report endorsed by 58 countries including India in
April 2008 talks about a paradigm shift from the present
mode of agriculture. The G-8 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting3
held in Italy from 18 to 20 April 2009 also recognized the
importance of ecological farming. But to bring changes on
the ground a multi-stakeholder approach and broad ended
discussions are needed. Smart farming is an initiative to
facilitate this change”, said Gopikrishna SR, Sustainable
Agriculture Campaigner, Greenpeace India
Prof. Inderjit Singh (Department of Economics, Punjabi
University, Patiala), Prof. Sukhwinder Singh (Department of
Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala), Dr BS Joia (Senior
Entomologist (retd), Department of Entomology, PAU, Ludhiana),
Dr Balwinder Singh Butahri (Former Divisional Soil
Conservation Officer, Punjab), Dr. G.S. Romana (Extension
Specialist, PAU), Mr Subhash Sharma (Ph. D. Student),Mr.
Gurpreet Singh (M. Phil. Student),Mr. Vinod Jyani (Farmer)
and Mr. Jarnail Singh Mazi (Farmer) participated in the
panel discussion.
:::Ends:::
Notes to the Editor:
(1) Ecological Farming ensures healthy farming and
healthy food for today and tomorrow, by protecting soil,
water and climate, promotes biodiversity, and does not
contaminate the environment with chemical inputs or genetic
engineering
(2) The International Assessment of Agricultural Science
and Technology for Development (IAASTD) is a unique
collaboration initiated by the World Bank in partnership
with a multi-stakeholder group of organisations, including
the UN. The IAASTD's key objective is to provide information
for decision makers on how to structure agricultural
research and development so it can help to reduce hunger and
poverty, improve rural livelihood and foster sustainable
development. The report was compiled by over 400 of the
world's leading agricultural scientists, selected by all
participating governments, companies and NGOs. It is the
most comprehensive account of agricultural knowledge,
science and technology. It provides guidance for
governments, UN agencies and funding institutions for their
future priority setting in agriculture and development.
Link to IAASTD report:
http://www.agassessment.org
(4) G-8 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting Declaration:
http://www.g8agricultureministersmeeting.mipaaf.com/en/index.php?pL1=news&newsId=8895ca36c193f25a5c2a63beb291a259
Contacts:
Dr Sukhwinder Singh, Professor of Economics, Punjabi
University, Patiala
Mob: +91 9872220571
Gopikrishna SR – Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner,
Greenpeace India
Mob: +91 9900897341
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