International Conference at PAU: Experts from US and Kenya deliberate on Agri-Food systems
Babushahi Bureau
Ludhiana (Punjab), November 13, 2024: Experts from US and Kenya touched on different aspects of climate change and agri-food systems during the second day of international conference on "Transforming Agrifood Systems in the Face of Climate Changes and Energy Transitions," underway at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).
Two technical sessions, titled symposium on “Agriculture, Climate Changes and Energy Transitions: Building Capacity to Maintain Yields of Innovative Agrifoods Systems,” and “Public-Private Partnership Session” were held today, which were chaired by Dr AS Dhatt, Director of Research; and Dr Vijay Kumar, Senior Entomologist, PAU.
Dr John Perkins, Member of Faculty Emeritus, The Evergreen State College (TESC), Washington, USA, while giving a brief introduction to symposium, observed that yields could not fail because of world population’s demand for food intake produced.
Making a call for mitigating climate change, Dr Perkins stressed on promoting global energy transition that replaced fossil fuels with renewable energy used efficiently, completing electrification of rural areas worldwide, developing farm machinery that worked with electricity (proper batteries), developing methods of making steel (without carbon emission) for making machinery, and developing nitrogen fertilizers and other materials that didn’t emit nitrous oxide. He also spoke on “Agrifood Systems are Energy Systems (ERIC-AFS): Using ERIC to Guide Research and Teaching on Agrifood Systems.”
Dr Kathleen Saul, Professor Graduate Programme on Environment, TESC, while delivering a lecture on “The Energy Regulatory and Industrial Complex (ERIC): A New Framework,” observed that ERIC allowed to visualize the interconnected elements that comprised world’s energy systems.
It could help in making informed decisions concerning policies, investment in technology, innovation and education, thus enabling to confront the challenges posed by climate change, he added.
Dwelling upon AFS’ deep dependence on fossil fuels, Dr Patrick Baur from Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Programme Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, USA, said that curing food systems of fossil fuel addiction required re-skilling of farmers, processors, retailers and consumers, learning how to operate within limitations on energy consumption.
Dr Kyle Davis, scientist from Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences, University of Delware, USA, while talking about “Measuring the Sustainability of Food Systems: Exploring the Solution Space,” said that sustainability of food systems meant not only continuing to increase food production but also enhancing nutrition, adapting to climate change, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts.
Dr Kibrom Tadesse Sibhatu from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, explained the “Effects of Sustainable Agricultural Intensification (SAI) on Socio-Economics and Risk Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).”
Dr Robyn Roberts, Field Crops Pathologist, Colorado State University, USA, expressed concern over climate change threatening human health and the environment. Using GPS coordinates, prediction of farm variable through artificial intelligence, and more fine-tuned sensors could help mitigate environmental impacts, he observed.
In the session on public-private partnership, United Phosphorous Limited, Corteva Pvt Ltd, Dhanuka Agritech Limited and Bayer Crop Science shared water management technologies, reduced risk of pesticides, and the growth as well as prosperity of their firms. Besides, poster sessions on regenerative agriculture and UN sustainable development goals, were held.
In addition, two concurrent technical sessions on “Climate Change and Energy Transitions” as well as “Future Forest Management: Towards Climate Resilience” were chaired by Dr PK Khingra, Head, Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology; and Dr Sanjeev Chauhan, Senior Scientist of Agro-forestry.