A government research indicates that agriculture contributed to 18 per cent of the total emissions of India in 2010, Lok Sabha was informed today.
Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said in a written reply that human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), including those from the agriculture sector, are considered to be the "drivers" of observed climate change.
"While annual total GHG emissions from agriculture in 2010 are estimated to be of the order of 10-12 per cent of global anthropogenic emission, the research conducted by the government indicates that agriculture in India contributed to 18 per cent of the total emissions of India in 2010.
"The gases emitted from this sector are mainly methane (CH4) and Nitrous Oxide (N2O)," Dave said.
Noting that the agriculture sector is the main source of food, he said that reducing food loss and waste lead to avoidance of unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and help in mitigating climate change through better management of food utilisation, distribution and sustainable lifestyle.
He said that National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture launched in 2010 under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) addresses both mitigation and adaptation to climate change through programmes such as System of Rice Intensification (SRI) against conventional rice cultivation and coverage of milch animals under Ration Balancing Programme.
He said that National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture was launched in 2011 to address both adaptation and mitigation in the agriculture sector.
"The National Food Security Act, 2013 promulgated by the government, is aimed at ensuring, inter alia, timely and efficient procurement and distribution of food grains, building up and maintenance of food stocks, their efficient storage, movement and delivery to the distributing agencies and monitoring of production, stock and price levels of food grains," he said.
