30 June 2023

 MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS

Q1. Given the tight connection between agriculture and climate change, agroforestry might provide a solution to the problem of carbon emissions and the resulting climate catastrophe. Analyse.

Paper & Topic: GS III – Indian Agriculture

Model Answer:

• Agroforestry refers to a broad range of land-use practises in which grazing or crops are integrated with trees and bushes. Agriculture contributes to around 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and accounts for 80% of tropical deforestation. Through agroforestry, an agricultural activity that supports natural ecosystems, these disconcerting trends may be reversed. Agroforestry benefits include increased biodiversity, better soil structure and health, increased yields from staple food crops, and carbon sequestration.

The significance of agroforestry for reducing carbon emissions and tackling the climate crisis:

• Carbon sequestration: Carbon sequestration is an essential ecological service. Agroforestry practises can increase the carbon storage in soil and woody biomass. Like in new forests, trees in agroforestry systems can partially restore the carbon that was lost during the clearing of existing forests.
• Climate change adaptation: Deforestation, tillage, and excessive fertiliser use are just a few examples of unviable agricultural practises’ negative environmental effects. Agroforestry has advantages for adaptation and can significantly lessen the effects of climate change. For instance, a study in Kenya found that small-scale farmers’ adoption of agroforestry boosted livelihoods while also improving carbon storage.
• Improves air quality: The agroforestry system is a sustainable agriculture strategy since it uses zero-burning practises. Air pollution is one of the environmental problems brought on by the construction of monoculture systems through the destruction of forests. Agroforestry systems improve air quality by utilising zero-burning techniques, such as turning plant and animal waste into organic fertilisers.
• maintains soil health by using groundcover plants, such as naturally occurring grasses in agroforestry systems, to stop eroded soil from occurring. Additionally, by limiting soil erosion, nutrient leaching, and surface run-off through the support of tree roots and stems, it helps to reduce these processes.
• Enhanced biodiversity: Compared to traditional agriculture systems, agroforestry systems frequently exhibit higher levels of biodiversity. It provides a more varied ecosystem than a conventional agricultural system, where the tree component creates biological niches for a range of species both above and below ground.
• Deforestation and forest degradation are thought to be responsible for around 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Therefore, expanding the forest cover is crucial. Agroforestry can therefore help increase tree and forest cover while reducing the existing demand on wild forests.
• Their function in the field is to provide a variety of ecosystem services that can support sustainable agriculture practises. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) The State of the World’s Forests 2020 report, adopting agroforestry and sustainable production practises can help restore the productivity of degraded agricultural lands, encourage healthier diets, and reduce food loss and waste.
• In 2014, India became the first country to implement a national agroforestry policy. Additionally, efforts have been made to assist farmers in implementing agroforestry by providing them with education, funding, and capacity building. Agroforestry practises must be used in order to achieve India’s ambitious target of 33% tree cover and deal with the carbon emission problem.

Q2. “It might be more convenient to comprehend the benefits and potential drawbacks of India’s membership in the IPEF organisation by providing a description of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).” Analyse.

Paper & Topic: GS II – International Relations

Model Answer:

• The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) is a modern regional agreement to promote cooperation and economic integration in the Indo-Pacific. Over 40% of the world’s GDP and 28% of trade in goods and services are accounted for by the fourteen IPEF member states who are currently active. It aspires to increase economic linkages between member countries in order to improve resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness in the region.

Based on four main pillars, the IPEF intends to improve collaboration and forge synergies with member countries. the following

• Fair trade: The member countries will embrace high-standard, inclusive, free, and fair trade requirements in order to promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth. They will also investigate cutting-edge trade and technology policy strategies.
• Supply chain resilience: The nations have committed to improve transparency, security, and sustainability in supply chains as well as adopting actions to lessen the effects of interruptions and crises.
• Clean energy and decarbonization: Members will speed up the development of clean energy technology and improve their ability to withstand climate change’s effects. The governments are considering technology sharing and easy access to financing in order to fulfil the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.
• Taxes and corruption: The IPEF member countries want to promote competition by enforcing stringent tax, anti-money laundering, and anti-bribery regimes to lower tax evasion and corruption in the Indo-Pacific.

IPEF’s relevance for India:

• Strategic alliance with the US: India is a key participant in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), which is headed by the US. India claims that the alliance was established as a result of a common desire to make the Indo-Pacific region a major contributor to world economic growth as well as the need for innovative solutions to the region’s economic issues.
• Supply chain resilience: Building strong supply chains is one of the IPEF’s objectives. To meet its needs for raw minerals, India can turn to its fellow members. For instance, Malaysia might increase the supply of semiconductor chips while Australia might provide minerals to the Indian economy.
• Since China is not a member of the IPEF, other nations like India might use this organization’s special geopolitical position to counter the challenges posed by an assertive China.
• IPEF will improve India’s regional economic engagement, which was hurt by its withdrawal from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. With the exception of the USA and India, all IPEF members are also RCEP participants, hence the IPEF will help lessen the damage that the RCEP’s termination will cause.

India faces the following challenges from IPEF:

• The IPEF, which is mostly a US-led project, is driven primarily by US interests. The most important areas of interest for the US are e-commerce and digital trade. The US intends to enforce strict rules for the digital economy under this framework, including localization of data and cross-border data flows. This is at odds with India’s position on matters pertaining to the digital economy. Additionally, India is currently creating its e-commerce regulatory framework.
• Impact on the agriculture industry: The lack of policy flexibility for Big Tech regulation and the introduction of genetically modified foods and seeds could be two major effects of the IPEF on India’s agriculture sector.
• India’s concerns over the commerce pillar: India decided to withdraw from the IPEF’s trade pillar because it was concerned that there would be enforceable requirements linking trade with labour and the environment.
• More unilateral than consensus-based: Early predictions from a number of analysts suggested that the IPEF would lead to complete U.S. control over the economies of the participating countries.
• Given the inherent challenges and opportunities involved with the grouping, the 3Ts of trust, transparency, and timeliness are essential for the project’s success. Trust and openness can only be established if members, especially the US, take into account one another’s interests.