30 September 2024 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis

1. Common Practice Standards must have India outlook

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)

Topic: GS3 – Agriculture

Context

India’s agroforestry sector offers significant potential for carbon finance integration through Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) initiatives. However, existing global carbon standards pose challenges due to their “common practice” criteria, which do not align well with India’s fragmented, small-holder agricultural landscape.

India’s Agroforestry Sector

• India possesses vast potential in the agroforestry sector, which presents a unique opportunity to integrate with carbon finance projects through Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) initiatives.
• The area under agroforestry can be expanded from 28.4 million hectares to 53 million hectares by 2050.
• Agroforestry accounts for 8.65% of India’s total land area and contributes 19.3% of the country’s carbon stocks, making it significant for environmental sustainability and economic development.
• Research suggests that, with proper policies, financial support, and incentives, the agroforestry sector could contribute an additional carbon sink of over 2.5 billion tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030.

What is Agroforestry?

Agroforestry is a land management system that integrates trees with crops and/or livestock to enhance biodiversity, improve productivity, and provide environmental and economic benefits. This approach enhances biodiversity, improves soil health, and promotes ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and water conservation. Agroforestry provides multiple benefits, including increased agricultural productivity, diversified income sources for farmers, and resilience against environmental challenges. It plays a significant role in mitigating climate change while supporting rural livelihoods and contributing to sustainable agriculture.

What is “Common Practice” in Carbon Standards?

In carbon finance, “common practice” refers to the standard activities typically undertaken in a specific region without the influence of carbon credit incentives. For Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) projects, it assesses whether similar activities are conducted routinely. Current definitions often reflect large-scale agricultural areas, such as those in Latin America, Africa, and the United States, which may not accurately represent the practices of smallholder farmers in countries like India.

Ground Reality in India

• India, however, is characterised by small and fragmented landholdings, with 86.1% of farmers being small and marginal, owning less than two hectares.
• These farmers often practise agroforestry in a non-systematic and scattered way, planting trees alongside crops or on small plots of fallow land.
• Though beneficial, such practices may not meet the additional criteria set by global carbon standards, thus excluding many Indian farmers from ARR carbon finance projects and denying them the opportunity to earn additional income from carbon credits.

Need for India-Centric Approaches

• Given the unique agricultural landscape in India, there is an urgent need to redefine the common practice criterion to better reflect the challenges and opportunities of the Indian agroforestry sector.
• An India-centric approach would recognize that even small, incremental changes in land management, such as adopting systematic agroforestry or using carbon finance to maintain tree cover, can be transformative.
• Revising the common practice standards to accommodate India’s fragmented, small-holder model would unlock vast potential for carbon sequestration.
• This revision would allow more farmers to participate in carbon finance projects, providing additional income and contributing to India’s climate goals.
• Acknowledging the fragmented nature of Indian agriculture, carbon credit platforms could create incentives encouraging systematic agroforestry, enhancing both environmental sustainability and rural livelihoods.

Agroforestry as a Viable Solution for Challenges in India’s Agricultural Sector

• Integrating agroforestry with ARR initiatives offers a viable solution to the challenges faced by the Indian agricultural sector.
• By promoting alternative livelihoods and additional income for farmers, these projects can address issues such as low productivity, reliance on monsoons, and environmental degradation.
• For farmers dealing with unpredictable weather and fluctuating crop yields, ARR projects offer a pathway to income diversification.
• By integrating trees into their agricultural landscapes or restoring degraded forest areas, farmers can gain additional revenue through carbon sequestration.
• Beyond economic benefits, ARR projects deliver important environmental advantages, including enhancing soil fertility, improving water retention, and mitigating soil erosion, thus supporting agricultural productivity and long-term sustainability.

Helping Small and Marginal Farmers

• Research institutes like The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) have already demonstrated the potential of ARR projects in India, with 19 projects across seven states benefiting over 56,600 farmers.
• To scale up these initiatives, it is essential for international carbon finance platforms to revise their standards to better align with Indian agriculture’s realities.
• Revising the “Common Practice” guidelines to include Indian agroforestry practices would enable millions of small and marginal farmers to participate in ARR projects.
• This revision would support sustainable development and boost the incomes of millions of rural households, ultimately contributing to India’s economic and environmental resilience.

Conclusion

• It is crucial for carbon credit platforms such as Verra and Gold Standard to recognize the need for India-centric standards.
• Only by doing so can the full potential of agroforestry and ARR initiatives be realised, paving the way for a greener, more sustainable, and economically prosperous future for Indian farmers.

Practice Question:  Discuss the challenges faced by India’s agroforestry sector in accessing carbon finance under current global standards. Suggest measures to make these standards more inclusive for small and marginal farmers.  (150 Words /10 marks)

2. Bridging the chasm of global inequality

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 9)

Topic: GS2 – International Relations

Context

The Summit of the Future highlighted the challenges of global governance, emphasising imbalances in global institutions, limited progress on Sustainable Development Goals, and the need for more equitable global power dynamics. It called for reforms in Security Council membership and the governance of international financial institutions to benefit developing nations.

Fundamental Questions on Global Governance

• The Summit of the Future raised questions about global governance, focusing on great power competition and imbalances in institutions, agenda setting, and global inequality.
• Global goals do not solve challenges directly but support new forms of cooperation.

Key Outcomes of the Summit

• Initiatives such as the Global Digital Impact and a Declaration on Future Generations were announced.
• Concrete actions include the establishment of an International Scientific Panel and a Global Dialogue on AI, reflecting an approach similar to how climate change gained global attention.

Security Council and Financial Reforms

• The Summit failed to agree on a clear pathway for Security Council reform and only called for categories of members.
• Reforms of global financial institutions were limited to pledges to give developing countries a greater say in decision-making.

G-7 and Global Agenda Setting

• The G-7 continues to shape the global agenda, described either as a club of World War II victors or former colonial powers.
• The group’s anti-developing country stance limits the influence of former colonies that became poor nations post-colonialism.

Challenges for Developing Countries

• Only 17% of Sustainable Development Goals are on track, and developing countries are burdened with public debt and interest payments.
• There is still disagreement on whether the UN or the OECD should handle international tax cooperation.

Rise of China, India, and BRICS

• Real change began with the rise of China, India, and their participation in BRICS.
• Despite gaining more global influence, developing countries still struggle to reverse colonial imbalances.

Foundations of Global Power

• Western countries will maintain dominance for a few decades, though global trends favour the Global South.
• Imbalances remain severe in technology and endogenous capacity, with China and India as outliers in global leadership.

Measuring Global Progress

• The Summit accepts global imbalance but shifts focus to how progress is measured, rather than addressing the gaps.
• A broader understanding of prosperity is needed, considering non-monetary factors such as infrastructure, education, and access to clean water.

Role of Developing Countries in Global Governance

• Developing countries have yet to fully exploit opportunities in the UN system.
• Expert bodies need deeper involvement from Asian countries, especially in AI and GDP discussions, to define global governance, priorities, and justice.

The Role of Asia

• As global power shifts back to Asia, China and India must be more involved in shaping the global governance framework.
• Their perspectives differ from those of the West on how societies should change and be influenced.

Conclusion

• Overall, the Summit of the Future underscores the need for inclusive global governance reforms, addressing inequalities and empowering the Global South.
• To achieve equitable progress, developing countries must leverage opportunities within the UN system and shape future international policies.

Practice Question:  Discuss the key challenges of global governance highlighted by the Summit of the Future. How can reforms in global institutions address these challenges and benefit developing countries? (150 Words /10 marks)