Practices for Sustainable Environment

Environmental sustainability is the responsibility to conserve natural resources and protect global ecosystems to support health and wellbeing, now and in the future.

It is important because of how much energy, food and human-made resources we use every day. Rapid population growth has resulted in increased farming and manufacturing, leading to more greenhouse gas emissions, unsustainable energy use, and deforestation.

FAMILY FARMING

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) celebrates the UN Decade of Family Farming, calling it an “extraordinary opportunity” that allows steady progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

According to FAO Director-General Graziano da Silva, “Family farming is crucial to sustainable development in many aspects, including the eradication of rural poverty, hunger and all forms of malnutrition, as well as in preserving natural resources and biodiversity,”

Conceptual definition by the International Steering Committee  Family Farming (which includes all family-based agricultural activities) is a means of organizing agricultural, forestry, fisheries, pastoral and aquaculture production which is managed and operated by a family and predominantly reliant on family labor, including both women’s and men’s. The family and the farm are linked, co-evolve and combine economic, environmental, social and cultural functions

The 2014 International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) aims to raise the profile of family farming and smallholder farming by focusing world attention on its significant role in eradicating hunger and poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, managing natural resources, protecting the environment, and achieving sustainable development, in particular in rural areas. The goal of the 2014 IYFF is to reposition family farming at the center of agricultural, environmental and social policies in the national agendas by identifying gaps and opportunities to promote a shift towards a more equal and balanced development. The 2014 IYFF will promote broad discussion and cooperation at the national, regional and global levels to increase awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by smallholders and help identify efficient ways to support family farmers.

1. Understand family farmers’ motivation-Even though family farming may not appear as neat and scientific as commercial farming, there are significant gains to be made by supporting family farming more effectively. One of the main reasons is that as the family and the farm are linked and co-evolve, they combine not only economic functions but also a range of other ‘hidden’ functions, including environmental, reproductive, social and cultural ones, often in lieu of state institutions or the private sector

2. The flipside of the coin-This is undoubtedly a positive development. Yet the rosy picture painted so far of family farming must be tempered with some limitations. Firstly, even though the lower supervision costs make family farming relatively productive in developing countries, the number of economically active family members often limits the scale of production that is possible, unless families have access to mechanization or are organized into producer organizations and co-operatives.

3. Beware of undesirable side effects-Beyond these shortcomings, there are a range of thorny questions that need to be addressed. For instance, would greater support to family farming by agricultural institutions come back as a boomerang in the form of even more child labor, gender disparity, and environmental degradation? Rural survival is about much more than food security.

Family farming represents an opportunity to boost local economies, especially when combined with specific policies aimed at the social protection and well-being of communities.

Significance:

To realize the full potential of family farmers in eradicating hunger and ensuring food security, an enabling policy environment is necessary. This includes greater recognition of their multiple contributions, as well as an acknowledgment and reflection of these in national dialogues and policies. Fundamental first steps are for countries to articulate their national definitions of family farming, and collect data on the agricultural sector that recognizes and organizes farmers’ contributions systematically.

At national level, there are a number of factors that are key for a successful development of family farming, such as: agro-ecological conditions and territorial characteristics; access to markets; access to land and natural resources; access to technology and extension services; access to finance; demographic, economic and sociocultural conditions and availability of specialized education among others.

Targeted agricultural, environmental and social policy interventions in support of family farmers are necessary in order to make tangible changes and sustainable improvements

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINGS

Humans need food and shelter  to survive. Our planet’s ecological resources help fulfill these needs. But how many resources do we consume? This question can be answered using the Ecological Footprint.

It  measures an individual or a population’s demand for plant-based food and fiber products, livestock and fish products, timber and other forest products, space for urban infrastructure, and forest to absorb its carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels.

Footprints are indicators of pressure of human activities on the envi-

ronment. Footprint quantification is based on life cycle thinking along

the whole supply chain (from producer to consumer, and sometimes

to waste management) and aims to give a comprehensive picture of

the quantified pressure. Each footprint focuses on a particular environ-

mental concern, and measures either resource appropriation or pollu-

tion/waste generation, or both.

The carbon footprint (or greenhouse gas footprint (Čuček et al.,2015)) is an emission footprint, which measures the emission of green-house gasses (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) andnitrous oxide (N2O) to the atmosphere. Conceptually the carbon foot-print also includes GHG emissions from land-use change, although in

practice this is not always the case.

In September 2015, heads of United Nations member states from

around the world adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Develop-

ment, consisting of 17 SDGs and 169 targets, monitored by means of

230 individual indicators. These indicators, identified and proposed by

the Inter-Agency Expert Group on SDG indicators (IEAG-SDGs), were

agreed upon by the 47th Session of the UN Statistical Commission in

March 2016. Of the different environmental footprints, the material

footprint is the only one included as an official SDG indicator

Let's understand ecological footprint 🌱

Carbon Credit

Carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas produced by combustion of fuels, has become a cause of global panic as its concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere has been rising alarmingly.

• This devil, however, is now turning into a product that helps people, countries, consultants, traders, corporations and even farmers earn billions of rupees. This was an unimaginable trading opportunity not more than a decade ago.
• Carbon credits are a part of international emission trading norms. They incentives companies or countries that emit less carbon. The total annual emissions are capped and the market allocates a monetary value to any shortfall through trading. Businesses can exchange, buy or sell carbon credits in international markets at the prevailing market price.
• India and China are likely to emerge as the biggest sellers and Europe is going to be the biggest buyers of carbon credits.

• A carbon credit is a kind of permit that represents  1 ton of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere. They can be purchased by an individual or, more commonly, a company to make up for carbon dioxide emissions that come from industrial production, delivery vehicles or travel.
• When you purchase a Carbon Credit, you can offset your emissions not only generated from electricity consumption, but also from any other activities that generate emissions such as air travel, commuting or events.
• They are issued by globally recognized carbon credit registries, the most well-known of which are the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). Carbon Credits can be traded on either mandatory or voluntary markets. 

📚For more info: click this video link 👉 https://youtu.be/lQyrnq4CEEw

🌱FORESTRY🌱

Forestry is defined as the theory and practice of all that constitutes the creation, conservation and scientific management of forests and the utilization of their resources (Anon, 1966).  It includes all thinking and all actions pertaining to creation and management of forests, including harvesting, marketing and utilization of all forest products and services.  It includes not only management of existing forests but also the creation of new forests.

TYPES:

Coniferous Forests grow in the Himalayan mountain region, where the temperatures are low. These forests have tall stately trees with needlelike leaves and downward sloping branches so that the snow can slip off the branches. They have cones instead of seeds and are called Gymnosperms.

Broadleaved Forests have several types, such as evergreen forests, deciduous forests, thorn forests, and mangrove forests. Broadleaved forests have large leaves of various shapes.

Evergreen Forests grow in the high rainfall areas of the Western Ghats, North-Eastern India, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These forests grow in areas where the monsoon lasts for several months.

The trees overlap with each other to form a continuous canopy. Thus very little light penetrates down to the forest floor. Only a few shade-loving plants can grow in the ground layer in areas where some light filters down from the closed canopy.

The forest is rich in orchids and ferns. The barks of the trees are covered in moss. The forest abounds in animal life and is most rich in insect life.

Deciduous Forests are found in regions with a moderate amount of seasonal rainfall that lasts for only a few months. Most of the forests in which Teak trees grow are of this type. The deciduous trees shed their leaves during the winter and hot summer months.

                                                                               

Mangrove Forests grow along the coast, especially in the river deltas. These plants are able to grow in a mix of saline and freshwater. They grow luxuriantly in muddy areas covered with silt that the rivers have brought down. The mangrove trees have breathing roots that emerge from the mud banks.

IMPORTANCE OF FOREST COVER:

• Forests cover one-third of the land surface on Earth and provide various environmental benefits, including their primary role in maintaining the balance of the hydrologic cycle, contributing to climate regulation, and preserving biodiversity

• Apart from the ecological perspective, studies from an economic perspective conclude that forest resources can contribute to a nation’s economic growth and maintaining forest cover is essential for various agricultural and forestry-related activities.

• Everyone on the planet has had some form of contact with forests. This includes communities that directly rely on these ecosystems for their lives and livelihoods or communities which rely on the products obtained from these forests.

• Forests can also provide a natural solution to regulate water flows and protect coastal communities from extreme events and sea level rise. In addition, the roots of trees grow deep into the soil, holding it firmly in place, and help to prevent soil erosion.

• The existence of forests presents enormous possibilities to improve physical and mental human health conditions providing everyone with health benefits, including fresh air, nutritious foods, clean water and space for recreation.