Author Description

The global agriculture industry is currently facing serious threats, which have arisen from the promotion of unsustainable farming practices over an extended period, resulting in significant disruptions to ecological systems and their related functions. The complexity of this problem is further compounded by the unpredictable pace of global warming and climate change. By 2050, India is projected to support a massive population of 1.6 billion people with limited land resources and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. Approximately 68% of India land mass is experiencing severe depletion of organic carbon, which has had a detrimental impact on crop productivity. Water availability for agricultural purposes is also rapidly decreasing. In the 1950s, the per capita availability of water was 500 cubic meters per year, but it has since declined to just 1,700 cubic meters per capita per year. Intensive farming practices are causing the erosion of 10-15 tons of topsoil per hectare of crop land in India. In light of these bleak facts, it is imperative that we adopt conservation agriculture to address these issues from both an ecological and economic perspective. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of the trend of conservation agriculture and its evolving perception among farmers in two distinct agro-climatic zones of Bengal, namely the terai and the new alluvial zones. It has drawn upon well-structured research on conservation agriculture and its implementation and responsibilities as perceived by practicing farmers in these regions. It is my expectation and belief that this book will appeal to a global audience, including scholars, faculty members, and policymakers.