Despite fragmented land ownership and climate insecurities, smallholder farmers have fueled agricultural growth, strengthened rural economies and ensured food security for billions of people. Today, they are not only producers but also innovators, implementing sustainable practices and building resilience for the future. Their performance is truly inspiring.
India has made remarkable progress in agriculture, but climate change continues to pose challenges. Over the past four decades, 30 percent of districts have experienced regular rainfall deficits, while 38 percent have experienced excessive rainfall. These shifts have already reduced rice yields by 8 percent in southern India and 5 percent in eastern India. Climate projections point to further warming and erratic weather, making resilience crucial.
Converting fields into climate solutions
India has identified about thirty recognized Sustainable Agriculture Practices (SAPs). Important issues such as crop rotation, agroforestry, rainwater harvesting, integrated pest management and alternate wetting and drying each cover between 5 and 30 million hectares.
Research from the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) shows that farmers who use SAPs report higher incomes, healthier soils and better nutritional security. GSPs build climate resilience through minimum tillage, crop rotation and multi-cropping. These methods create healthy ecosystems that support root growth, balanced development, and lodging resistance.
Farmers around the world are turning their fields into climate solutions: saving water, revitalizing soil health, protecting biodiversity and reducing emissions. Techniques such as no-till agriculture and agroforestry draw CO₂ from the atmosphere to the soil, creating enormous carbon sinks. In rice cultivation, alternative wetting and drying methods significantly reduce methane emissions while saving water. India grows almost 50 million hectares of rice, about a third of the world’s surface, and produces 145 million tons annually. However, rice fields are also major emitters of greenhouse gases, with an average of about 7,870 kg of CO₂ equivalent per hectare per year, mainly from methane.
Programs aimed at producing low-methane rice are helping farmers transition from the traditional 120-day continuous flooding to drying intervals of 14 to 21 days, achieving approximately a 23% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 40% improvement in water use and a 5% increase in both yield and profitability. These drying events are now being collectively adopted at the community level, increasing impact and scalability while reducing pest incidence.
Biofuels from crops such as sugar cane and corn reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, with the added benefit that farmers can plant these sources within months. Agriculture uses more than 70 percent of the world’s freshwater, but methods such as drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting and soil improvement practices can reduce inefficient water use by as much as 60 percent.
Stories of transformation
In Andhra Pradesh, Bulliraju switched from conventional paddy cultivation to climate-sensitive practices. He learned to use water efficiently, improve crop health and increase yields while reducing the climate impact of his fields through alternative wetting and drying methods.
Satyavati, a farmer, adopted modern agronomy and training that transformed her approach and inspired others in her village. Her experience shows how empowerment extends from individual farms to entire communities.
Recognize farmers as climate heroes
Ahead of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, UPL launched the #AFarmerCan campaign, “The Hero You Don’t Know You Need,” which celebrates farmers as climate heroes and calls on world leaders to recognize their role in building climate resilience. The campaign calls on policymakers to stand with farmers, and for consumers to recognize and celebrate their strength, resilience and innovation. To strengthen farmers’ resilience, a four-pillar incentive framework was proposed that addresses the multifaceted challenges faced by farmers.
Pay: Reward farmers for adopting climate-smart practices.
Protect: Offer subsidies and insurance to prevent risks.
Purchase: Strengthen farmers’ access to public markets for certified sustainable products.
Promote: Scale digital tools, soil health data and knowledge training.
The path forward
Resilient farmers mean healthier people. Healthier people mean stronger nations. When countries invest in inclusive and sustainable agricultural policies, they build resilient agricultural systems in which both people and nature thrive. Empowered farmers are the foundation of a country’s ability to tackle global challenges. Strategic investments in sustainable practices, digital tools and fair financing can build an agricultural ecosystem that is productive, resilient and inclusive.
As we celebrate the 25th Kisan Diwas, let us celebrate our farmers not just for what they produce, but also for what they make possible: a food secure and climate resilient India. Let this celebration also be a commitment: for policies and partnerships that turn small farmers into real climate heroes.
The author is Chairman and Group CEO of UPL Group
Published on December 27, 2025
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