Experts from US, Kenya deliberate on agri-food systems at Punjab Agricultural University event
Experts from US and Kenya discussed different aspects of climate change and agri-food systems (AFS) during the second day of the international conference on “Transforming agrifood systems in the face of climate changes and energy transitions”, underway at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) here on Wednesday.
Two technical sessions —symposium on “Agriculture, Climate Changes and Energy Transitions: Building Capacity to Maintain Yields of Innovative Agrifoods Systems,” and “Public-Private Partnership Session” — 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, observed that yields could not fail because of the world population’s demand for food intake.
Dr Kathleen Saul, Professor Graduate Programme on Environment, TESC, observed: “The Energy Regulatory and Industrial Complex allowed us to visualise the interconnected elements that comprised the world’s energy systems.”
Dr Patrick Baur from Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Programme, Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, USA, said curing food systems with fossil fuel addiction required re-skilling of farmers, processors, retailers and consumers on operating within limitations on energy consumption.
Dr Kyle Davis, scientist from Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences, University of Delaware, US, said sustainability of food systems meant not only continuing to increase food production but also enhancing nutrition, adapting to climate change, minimising environmental impacts. Dr Kibrom Tadesse Sibhatu from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, explained the “Effects of Sustainable Agricultural Intensification on Socio-Economics and Risk Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
Dr Robyn Roberts, Field Crops Pathologist, Colorado State University, US, expressed concern over climate change threatening human health and the environment. In the session on public-private partnership, United Phosphorus Limited, Corteva Pvt Ltd, Dhanuka Agritech Limited and Bayer Crop Science spoke on water management technologies, reduced risk of pesticides, and the growth of their firms.
Additionally, 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 Agroforestry.
