There is a natural complexity in India’s agricultural environments, a set of existing incentives that drive farmer behaviour toward ecosystem degradation, and bureaucratic hurdles that result in data silos. These complexities have created a lack of information and led to improper pest management practices, a lack of appropriate crop planning based on soil, water and agro- climatic contexts, and a lack of adequate understanding of the concept of ecosystems. Further, the importance of ecosystems and their inter-relationships with human welfare and well-being is not well recognized by the Indian public, and there is a lack of awareness of latest innovations in farm and ecosystem-based practices.
To address these issues, we need to establish an ecosystems-based and agroecology-focused data system that provides accurate weather forecasting & modelling, efficient delivery of crop advisories technology, implementation protocols & impact assessments for use by farmers, community organizations, and governments for climate-smart crop productivity and protection.