India: Banking On Biofuels
1 October 2009 Former Agriculture Secretary Radha Singh discussed India’s needs for food security, alternate fuels and jobs during the World Agriculture Forum in the US in May. The biennial meeting explores ways to bring sustainable agriculture to all of the world through improved infrastructure, technology, trade and political will.
Singh said that although global discussions often pit food and fuel against each other, it is imperative for governments to embrace them as synergistic enterprises. India has the second largest area of arable land in the world with 163 million hectares, Singh says, along with 63 million hectares of irrigated land and 16 climate zones, making it the perfect place to grow both food and fuel effectively.
“Countries with high population dependencies on agriculture, green energy solutions will help find new jobs and employment,” she told agricultural leaders from government, non-governmental organizations, businesses and academia.
Her plan for increasing India’s ability to create sustainable energy, integrated food/fuel policy, and jobs includes:
■ Transparent land allocation policy that supports corporate contraction, joint partnerships and other productive business structures.
■ Integrated models for involving multiple stakeholders to build.
■ Second-generation technology using waste mass.
■ Stronger extension services to address knowledge and management gaps
■ Joint production technology, such as sweet sorghum and salt-water algae.
■ Smart subsidies and incentives that include tax exceptions.
■ Creation of a special body to facilitate farmers in carbon trading.
“We have a huge mass of people who must be brought into the fold, and the way we think it is possible is the integration of food production and biodiesel production,” she said. “We need to emphasize that this whole issue must be looked at from the sustainable angle, which is economic, environmental and social.”
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