Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena expressed concern over the rising number of cases of cancer in the State, including in rural areas, asserting the need to study the phenomenon in relation to nutrition. Mr. Saxena said to combat the impact of climate change on agriculture, the need of the hour was to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, and increase chemical-free natural farming.
“But how do we do it? Scientists and experts have a role to play here and they must work out a plan for the next three years on how Himachal Pradesh takes to this initiative of agroecology. The document on the plan would set the direction on what should be the support system, whether government intervention is needed, and to what extent,” Mr. Saxena said, adding, “Agriculture should remain the mainstay of the economy. In the COVID period, when every sector went down...agriculture was the only sector that sustained the economy.”
Also read: Can blood tests for cancer save more lives? | Explained
He was speaking at a one-day workshop in which policymakers; experts on agriculture, horticulture, forestry and nutrition; and farmers, non-governmental organisations, and entrepreneurs, participated in Shimla. The session was aimed at chalking out a roadmap for agroecological food systems in the State as a part of the ‘Himalayan Agroecology Initiative’. The day-long State-level consultation held on Tuesday was organised by the Alliance of Biodiversity International, and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, New Delhi.
Deliberations were held on the need to analyse challenges in agroecology, and participants provided suggestions for food security, food safety, and the mainstreaming of agroecology in development planning for the State’s agriculture sector. Lal Singh, director, Himalayan Research Group, was among those present.
Prof. Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, Vice-Chancellor of the Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, said Himachal Pradesh had shown the way in natural farming, and the State’s model was also attracting international attention. Prof. Chandel said natural farming had become a big farmer-to-farmer movement, which was a unique phenomenon.
Prof. Chandel said natural farming was not an alternative to conventional agriculture; it was a paradigm shift in agriculture in the present era. He said the seven Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were being mapped through natural farming, which was helping in the regeneration of land, and mitigating climate change by avoiding the use of agro-chemicals.
Published - September 25, 2024 06:50 pm IST
