2011, an increase of 5871 km
2 recorded within 2 years. A study also reported
approximately 23% of GHG is emitted through agriculture activities in India
(MOEFCC 2015).
Food production, processing, marketing, consumption, and disposal have an
impact on the environment because these activities consume energy and natural
resources, emitting GHGs (Parashar et al. 2018). The contribution of wetlands,
landfill, and other agriculture waste to GHGs during microbial decomposition is
also noticeable (Parashar et al. 2019a, b). The global volume of food wastage is
estimated at approximately 1.6 gigatonnes (Gt) of ‘primary product equivalents,’
whereas the total wastage for the edible part of food is about 1.3 Gt (MOEFCC
2015). The global carbon footprint of food wastage, excluding land use change, has
been estimated as about 3.3 Gt CO 2 equivalent (FAO 2013). Upstream wastage
volumes, including production, post-harvest handling, and storage, represent
approximately 54% of total wastage, and downstream wastage volumes, including
processing, distribution, and consumption, are approximately 46% (MOEFCC
2015).
The forest in India occupies approximately 24.01% of the total land area resource.
Forest resources contribute significantly to fulfill the basic needs of rural and urban
people throughout the country in the form of food, fuel, wood, and fodder. The
forests help in regulating the water cycle, nutrient biogeochemical cycle, and oxygen
supply, as well as conserving the soil by reducing soil erosion, and also provide
natural habitat for wild animals, insects, birds, reptiles, and other species. The
medicinal value for forest resources has been recognized in India from ancient
times. A list of medical products worldwide utilizes forest resources. Conservation
of biodiversity also helped to reduce atmospheric carbon. Forest resources neutralized approximately 12% of total GHG emitted in India through various anthropogenic activities (MOEFCC 2015).
In India, agricultural activity is mostly dependent on rainfall during the monsoon
period. Overdependence of farmers on the monsoon poses uncertainties in crop
production and the income of farmers, and sometimes excess floods, as well as
drought, affect agriculture activity (Srivastava 2019; Srivastava and Ramanathan
2018b). A published report indicated declines (~18.9% in 2011–2012 to ~17.6% in
2014–2015) in the contribution of agriculture to the national gross domestic product
(GDP) may be caused by changes in job prospects or the mobilization of formers to
the city from the villages. Climatic uncertainties affect specific crops in different
years. India ranks first in the world in total livestock population. The waste released
by livestock emits a significant amount of methane to the atmosphere. Hence, a large
quantity of waste can be used as raw material for biomass energy. First, animal waste
can be used as clean energy, the sludge can be used as biofertilizer, and further
release of methane to the atmosphere can be minimized. Second, biomass energy is a
renewable source of energy; it reduces the stress on fossil fuels and further reduces
the emission of GHG to the atmosphere (Srivastava 2020).
6
S. K. Srivastava
2 recorded within 2 years. A study also reported
approximately 23% of GHG is emitted through agriculture activities in India
(MOEFCC 2015).
Food production, processing, marketing, consumption, and disposal have an
impact on the environment because these activities consume energy and natural
resources, emitting GHGs (Parashar et al. 2018). The contribution of wetlands,
landfill, and other agriculture waste to GHGs during microbial decomposition is
also noticeable (Parashar et al. 2019a, b). The global volume of food wastage is
estimated at approximately 1.6 gigatonnes (Gt) of ‘primary product equivalents,’
whereas the total wastage for the edible part of food is about 1.3 Gt (MOEFCC
2015). The global carbon footprint of food wastage, excluding land use change, has
been estimated as about 3.3 Gt CO 2 equivalent (FAO 2013). Upstream wastage
volumes, including production, post-harvest handling, and storage, represent
approximately 54% of total wastage, and downstream wastage volumes, including
processing, distribution, and consumption, are approximately 46% (MOEFCC
2015).
The forest in India occupies approximately 24.01% of the total land area resource.
Forest resources contribute significantly to fulfill the basic needs of rural and urban
people throughout the country in the form of food, fuel, wood, and fodder. The
forests help in regulating the water cycle, nutrient biogeochemical cycle, and oxygen
supply, as well as conserving the soil by reducing soil erosion, and also provide
natural habitat for wild animals, insects, birds, reptiles, and other species. The
medicinal value for forest resources has been recognized in India from ancient
times. A list of medical products worldwide utilizes forest resources. Conservation
of biodiversity also helped to reduce atmospheric carbon. Forest resources neutralized approximately 12% of total GHG emitted in India through various anthropogenic activities (MOEFCC 2015).
In India, agricultural activity is mostly dependent on rainfall during the monsoon
period. Overdependence of farmers on the monsoon poses uncertainties in crop
production and the income of farmers, and sometimes excess floods, as well as
drought, affect agriculture activity (Srivastava 2019; Srivastava and Ramanathan
2018b). A published report indicated declines (~18.9% in 2011–2012 to ~17.6% in
2014–2015) in the contribution of agriculture to the national gross domestic product
(GDP) may be caused by changes in job prospects or the mobilization of formers to
the city from the villages. Climatic uncertainties affect specific crops in different
years. India ranks first in the world in total livestock population. The waste released
by livestock emits a significant amount of methane to the atmosphere. Hence, a large
quantity of waste can be used as raw material for biomass energy. First, animal waste
can be used as clean energy, the sludge can be used as biofertilizer, and further
release of methane to the atmosphere can be minimized. Second, biomass energy is a
renewable source of energy; it reduces the stress on fossil fuels and further reduces
the emission of GHG to the atmosphere (Srivastava 2020).
6
S. K. Srivastava