Previous Year Question
With reference to the “Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA)”, which of the following statements is/are correct?
GACSA is an outcome of the climate summit held in Paris in 2015.
Membership of GACSA does not create any binding obligations.
India was instrumental in the creation of GACSA.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1 and 3 only
2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
GACSA stands for the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture.
It is a voluntary multi-stakeholder alliance of governments, farmers’ organisations, research institutions, civil society, international organisations and the private sector.
It aims to promote knowledge, experience and cooperation for adopting climate-smart approaches in agricultural and food systems.
The three principal objectives of climate-smart agriculture are sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes, increasing adaptation and resilience to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions where possible.
Statement 1 is incorrect: GACSA was not an outcome of the Paris Climate Summit of 2015.
It was launched during the United Nations Climate Summit held in New York in September 2014.
Therefore, GACSA had been established before the Paris Agreement and COP21.
Statement 2 is correct: GACSA is a voluntary alliance, and its membership does not create any legally binding obligations.
Each member determines the nature of its contribution and participation according to its circumstances, capacities and priorities.
The Alliance is not an international treaty and does not have the authority to impose binding targets on member countries.
It provides a platform for knowledge sharing, technical cooperation, capacity building, policy dialogue and encouragement of investment.
The collaborative structure of GACSA has also been associated with institutional and technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Statement 3 is incorrect: India was not a country that played an instrumental or decisive role in the creation of GACSA.
It was created through a broad coalition of different governments, international organisations, farmers’ groups, research institutions and private organisations.
Climate-smart agriculture is not one fixed technology but an approach involving agricultural practices and policies selected according to local conditions.
It may include water-efficient irrigation, weather-based agricultural advisories, crop diversification, agroforestry, soil-carbon management and climate-resilient varieties.