Investment Forum for Climate Resilient Agrifood Systems

• 27 Jan 2024

NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) collaboratively unveiled the 'Investment Forum for Advancing Climate Resilient Agrifood Systems in India' during a two-day Multi-stakeholder Meeting held on January 18-19, 2024 in New Delhi.

Key Points

• Objective of the Initiative: The forum aims to formulate an investment and partnership strategy to advance climate-resilient agrifood systems, fostering collaboration among the government, private sectors, farmers’ organizations, and financial institutions in India.
• Perspective of MoA&FW Secretary: Secretary, MoA&FW, emphasized the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach in addressing climate challenges, especially considering the perspective of small and marginal farmers.
• Forum's Focus Areas: The two-day meet facilitated discussions on six key areas, including climate-resilient agriculture, digital infrastructure, financing, value chains, production practices, and gender mainstreaming for climate resilience.
• Challenges in Indian Agriculture: Climate change poses significant challenges to India, impacting the economically vulnerable rural population dependent on climate-sensitive agriculture. The sector faces risks from extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, cyclones, and soil salinity.
• Facilitating National Priorities: The forum played a crucial role in identifying national priorities and policy platforms for financing climate-resilient agrifood systems.
• It provided insights into opportunities through regional collaboration and advocated for large-scale climate initiatives.