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Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Strategic Implications on India’s Interests

  • Global events, including wars, economic sanctions, and geopolitical conflicts, have far-reaching consequences on international trade and local environmental conditions. A notable example is the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which disrupted agricultural supply chains and the trade of key commodities like wheat, maize, and fertilisers.
  • This disruption not only impacted global markets but also indirectly worsened local issues such as air quality in regions like Delhi, where stubble burning is a major contributor to pollution.

Read in detail about the Russia-Ukraine War.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict & Impact on Agricultural Trade

Disruption in Agri-Exports

  • Russia and Ukraine together contribute a significant share of global exports of key agricultural products such as wheat, maize, barley, sunflower oil, and safflower oil. The ongoing conflict drastically reduced these exports, resulting in soaring prices.
  • Countries dependent on these exports, like Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, and India, faced shortages, leading to a shift in global agricultural trade flows and amplifying global food insecurity.

Fertiliser Shortages

  • Russia, a major exporter of fertilisers and natural gas (a critical component in fertiliser production), saw sanctions that led to a sharp rise in fertiliser prices worldwide.
  • Countries like India, reliant on affordable fertiliser imports, struggled to secure supplies, forcing farmers to adopt less efficient alternatives, which affected agricultural productivity.

Ripple Effects on Global Rice Trade

  • The reduced availability of wheat pushed global demand for rice as an alternative, leading to increased exports from countries like India. This strain on domestic agricultural resources resulted in India imposing a temporary ban on rice exports.

Linkages to Environmental Challenges

Increased Stubble Burning

  • India’s key rice-exporting regions, such as Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh, rely heavily on intensive paddy cultivation.
  • Rising costs of agricultural inputs due to the conflict have pushed farmers towards the traditional practice of stubble burning, which is seen as a way to replenish nutrients and control pests. This practice releases particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), carbon monoxide, and other greenhouse gases (GHGs), severely worsening air quality in Delhi and surrounding regions.

Fertiliser Mismanagement

  • The scarcity and high prices of fertilisers due to the conflict led to the overuse of cheap substitutes like urea. This improper fertiliser use contributed to soil degradation and elevated emissions of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.

Energy-Intensive Agricultural Practices

  • As the demand for rice surged due to wheat shortages, the increased cultivation of this water- and energy-intensive crop resulted in higher energy consumption and groundwater extraction for irrigation.
  • This increased energy demand contributed to higher carbon emissions, further exacerbating environmental issues in agricultural regions like Punjab and Haryana.

Policy Measures to Address the Challenges

Promoting Sustainable Agriculture

  • Crop Diversification: Encourage farmers, especially in rice-dominant regions, to adopt less water- and residue-intensive crops like pulses, oilseeds, and millets.
  • Alternate Uses for Crop Residue: Develop markets for stubble-based products, such as bioenergy, compost, and industrial raw materials. Public-private partnerships (PPP) can be leveraged to help farmers transition away from stubble burning by providing viable alternatives for residue management.

Strengthening Global and Regional Trade Policies

  • Resilient Trade Agreements: Advocate for resilient international trade agreements that ensure the steady supply of fertilisers and other agricultural inputs during times of conflict or war, reducing vulnerabilities in global supply chains.
  • Regional Cooperation: Enhance collaboration within regional fora like BRICS, BIMSTEC, and IORA to counter the adverse effects of global sanctions on trade, ensuring food security and agricultural resilience across member nations.

Technological Interventions

  • Precision Farming: Promote the widespread adoption of precision farming techniques that improve resource efficiency. This includes the use of residue management equipment like Happy Seeders, which allow farmers to sow and mulch paddy residue simultaneously.
  • Satellite Monitoring & Air Quality Assessment: Invest in satellite technology and real-time air quality monitoring to track stubble-burning incidents, enabling targeted interventions to mitigate air pollution and environmental degradation.

Enhancing Environmental Regulations

  • Stricter Penalties for Stubble Burning: Enforce stricter penalties for stubble burning while providing financial support and incentives for farmers to adopt alternative methods of residue management.
  • Strengthening Emission Norms: Implement more stringent vehicular, industrial, & luxury emission norms to tackle major contributors to Delhi’s air pollution & improve overall air quality in affected regions.

Addressing Fertiliser and Energy Issues

  • Promotion of Organic Farming: Encourage organic farming practices and the use of bio-fertilisers to reduce reliance on chemical fertilisers, building self-reliance in agricultural input production.
  • Expansion of Renewable Energy: Invest in expanding renewable energy infrastructure, particularly in agricultural sectors, to reduce the carbon footprint of farming practices.

Public Awareness and Capacity Building

  • Farmer Education: Launch awareness campaigns to educate farmers on the long-term benefits of sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural practices.
  • Building Capacity: Strengthen capacity-building initiatives for stakeholders to adopt environmentally friendly technologies, methods, & practices, enhancing the overall sustainability of the agriculture sector.

Way Forward

  • Strengthening Global Cooperation: Build resilient multilateral frameworks to stabilise agricultural supply chains and ensure the availability of key inputs during crises, minimising global disruptions like the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
  • Promoting Sustainable Agricultural Practices: Encourage crop diversification and the development of bioenergy solutions to reduce reliance on specific crops, mitigate environmental impacts, and improve food security.
  • Enhancing Local Solutions: Invest in technologies for efficient residue management (E.g., Happy Seeders) and encourage states to adopt sustainable farming methods, thereby addressing both agricultural and environmental concerns.
  • Integrated Policy Approach: Formulate policies that link agriculture, energy, and environmental protection, fostering a comprehensive strategy for sustainable growth while tackling air quality issues.
  • Fostering Public Awareness and Capacity Building: Conduct educational campaigns and build stakeholder capacity for adoption of eco-friendly farming techniques & environmental protection measures.
  • Strengthening Regional Cooperation: Enhance collaboration with neighboring countries, such as Pakistan, to address shared environmental challenges and strengthen regional trade resilience.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict highlights the deep connection between global trade disruptions and local environmental challenges. A coordinated, multi-layered approach is essential to strengthen supply chains, ensure sustainable agricultural practices, and improve air quality for long-term resilience.

Reference: Down To Earth

PMF IAS Pathfinder for Mains – Question 53

Q. How do global events, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, impact agricultural trade and contribute to local environmental challenges? Illustrate with examples and propose effective policy measures to address these issues. (250 Words) (15 Marks)

Approach

  • Introduction: Briefly outline the link between global events, agricultural trade, and environmental challenges, citing the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
  • Body: Discuss the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on agricultural trade, its environmental consequences, and policy measures to address them.
  • Conclusion: Summarize key points, emphasising the need for coordinated international and local efforts to ensure sustainable development and environmental health.

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