Report was released by the Forum of Enterprises for Equitable Development (FEED) which is dedicated to advocating for marginal farmers.
Key highlights
- Vulnerability due to extreme weather: Over 1/3rd of marginal farmers had to cope with extreme weather events at least twice in five years.
- Reduction in agriculture income: Climate change may reduce annual agricultural income by 15-18% and by 20-25% in unirrigated areas (Economic Survey of 2017- 18).
- Livelihood Diversification: Over 86% of farmers altered their occupations due to climate impacts. Alternative livelihood includes temporal migration, seeking work under MGNREGA, etc.
- Hurdles in adoption of CRA practices: High up-front cost, limited knowledge about options, small land holdings and lack of physical resources are the major hurdles in adoption of Climate Resilient Agricultural (CRA) practices.
Key Recommendations
- Strengthening existing platforms like the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA) developed by the FAO.
- Shift focus from land productivity (grains produced per hectare) to water productivity (grains produced per cubic meter of irrigation water).
- Mission mode approach on Education, Training, Orientation, and Extension Support to farmers.
Categories of Farmers based on Landholding
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