In a significant move towards climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture, the ICAR – Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI), Kolkata, & the Inhana Organic Research Foundation (IORF), Kolkata, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The collaboration aims to develop a farmer-centric approach for carbon footprint evaluation, paving the way towards establishing Net Zero Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
The MoU was formally signed by Dr. Pradip Dey, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Kolkata, and Dr. Phalguni Das Biswas, Director, IORF, on behalf of their respective organisations. As part of this strategic alliance, the organisations will leverage ACFA Version 1.0—India’s first agriculture-specific carbon footprint assessment tool—to conduct pre- and post-intervention evaluations across selected KVKs. The collaboration will also explore the development of intellectual property and joint publications in the domain of agricultural sustainability and Net Zero farming. This focused initiative will engage Subject Matter Specialists (SMS) from KVKs under ICAR-ATARI, who will participate in technical deliberations, hands-on training sessions, & brainstorming workshops to advance understanding and application of agri-carbon computing methods.
Insights gathered from diverse field-level applications will play a vital role in refining the Sustainable Agriculture Carbon Computing Standard. This evolving framework is set to benefit a broad spectrum of stakeholders – including academic institutions, corporate entities, and policy makers – by offering a robust tool for assessing the impact of sustainable agricultural interventions in the context of climate action and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The MoU marks a progressive step in institutional synergy to promote science-led, data-driven agricultural sustainability in Eastern India and beyond.
