Role of Cooperatives in Climate Smart Agriculture

Abstract

Climate change is an important challenge to secure food to the growing world population through improved agricultural production. Hence, ‘climate action’ is suggested at the global level by formulating Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of taking urgent action to combat the climate change and reduce its adverse impact on agriculture. Primary Agricultural Credit Societies are currently making efforts to improve crop productivity by providing access to short-term credit. They also have the potential to address mitigation strategies. However, cooperatives do not have the mandate to directly participate in the adaptation activity of development and management of natural resources in rural areas. It is in this context that this chapter seeks to explore the role that cooperatives can play in the promotion of climate-smart agriculture. The chapter finds that farmers have been experiencing climate change and are making efforts to adapt to climate change in order to pursue climate-smart agriculture. However, the farmers adopted the strategies without full information on the pros and cons of them. Cooperatives are playing the traditional role of disbursing the loans for only crop production. In order to meet the unmet needs of farmers, cooperatives need to come up with social innovation of developing an interface with different departments and collaborate with local organisations in transferring the new information and bring economic and social transformation.