An expert from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has said agro-biodiversity conservation approach has not received the attention from the stakeholders concerned in the country.

Speaking at the inauguration of the national workshop on ‘Agro-biodiversity conservation for sustainable socio-ecological development’ at Mangalore University on Monday, KG Saxena, Professor, School of Environmental Sciences, JNU, New Delhi, said agriculture has remained the focus area for many.

Long-term approach

Following this, agro-biodiversity conservation has not received much attention. The country requires a long-term approach for agro-biodiversity conservation.

He said some regions in the country have unique agro-biodiversity systems. These regions — identified as ‘Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems’ (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) — are rich in agro-biodiversity and indigenous knowledge and culture.

Kuttanad’s below sea-level farming system in Kerala and Koraput’s traditional agriculture system in Odisha are identified as GIAHS by FAO, he said.

China model

Kuttanad’s system is the only one in India that favours rice cultivation below sea level in the land created by draining delta swamps in brackish waters. This system is an approach to cope with the imminent climate impacts in coastal areas and evolve efficient methods to deal with soil and pest-related issues in agriculture.

The traditional farming system of the local communities in Koraput region has helped conserve the rich biodiversity in the region, he said.

Stressing the need for the Centre to go in for China model in re-forestation activities in the country, Saxena aid China had adopted a model to transform agricultural and barren land to forest land in a vast area. The model helped regenerate forest in that country.

China, which had become a food-surplus country, had taken this decision to transform agricultural land in food surplus areas and barren land to agro-forest land.

India, which lacks such policies, can also think of in that direction, he said.

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