Nauni varsity’s agroecology initiatives highlighted
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Prof. Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, Vice Chancellor of Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, was a distinguished speaker at the launch of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Regional Child Project on Fostering Agrochemical Reduction & Management (FARM) in India. The event was held in Delhi and saw participation from experts representing UNEP, HIL, UNIDO, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, and various other government bodies and academic institutions.
The Global FARM Project, initiated by the governments of Ecuador, India, Kenya, Lao PDR, Philippines, Uruguay, and Vietnam, aims to establish a regulatory and financial framework to detoxify the agriculture sector. Led by the UN Environment Programme, supported by the Global Environment Facility, and implemented by the Asian Development Bank, UNDP, and UNIDO, the project’s execution is carried out by FAO and relevant country institutions. The FARM Programme’s mission is to transform the agriculture sector by reorienting policy and financial resources toward reducing agrochemical use. Its goals include creating less chemically intensive agricultural systems, protecting and restoring ecosystems, phasing out harmful inputs, reducing carbon emissions from agriculture, and fostering sustainable and resilient farming communities for smallholder farmers.
In Asia, the Regional FARM Project will be jointly implemented in India and the Philippines, with a focus on promoting eco-friendly crop protection solutions for persistent organic pollutants (POP) and highly hazardous pesticides. In India, the project will cover several crops across 10 states.
Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, a leader in agroecological practices such as natural farming, is already a part of the European Union-funded ACROPICS consortium. This consortium aims to foster co-innovation in agroecological crop protection, comprising 15 members from 13 countries, including 12 academic organizations and three companies. The goal of ACROPICS is to promote the reduction of chemical pesticide use through systemic innovations in agroecological crop protection. Prof. Chandel shared insights on the university’s work in agroecology and how the goals of the ACROPICS project can be aligned with the FARM project in India. Additionally, Ashish Gupta, an International Consultant in the university’s SUSPNF project, presented his views on transforming agri-food systems sustainably with smallholder Himalayan farmers.
