Sustainable agriculture is not only an environmental agenda; It is ultimately, an agenda of national security”
Minister launches climate intelligence tool CLIMAQ
Agri Minister sets five priorities for industry: need for taking technology to farmers; recognizing farmers as important stakeholders of the food value chain; investin green agricultural infrastructure; build rural entrepreneurship and shift CSR from charity to capacity building
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Government of India
New Delhi, 27 August 2026: “Sustainable agriculture is not only an environmental agenda. It is also an economic agenda, a social agenda, an agenda of food security and farmer welfare, and ultimately, an agenda of national security,” said Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Government of India, speaking at the Special Plenary, ‘Rural Prosperity for Viksit Bharat: Advancing Sustainable Agriculture and Inclusive Growth’, at the 21st Global Sustainability Summit.
Talking about the recent tragedy in Nepal and irresponsible resource use, the Minister said that in our pursuit of material progress, we have interfered with nature to such an extent that one crisis after another is emerging. Cautioning all, he noted, “this land is not justfor us. Future generations also have a right to it.”
Complimenting CII on its 131 years journey, the Minister said, “CII is not merely an organisation. It represents collaboration, commitment and a collectiveidentity. CII is doing remarkable work in connecting industrial innovation with inclusion, and inclusion with impact. For this, I express my gratitude to all its members.”
He further added, “CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development has made sustainability a meaningful area of discussion. It has not allowed it to remain merely a subject of conversation but has also worked to translate it into action on the ground.”
“As we work towards inclusive agriculture and rural development, I have five key expectations from CII and industry,” he said, highlighting the immediate priorities:
1. Take technology to the farm through demand-driven research and use the farmers’ wisdom and knowledge to build new research to solve their problems
2. Make farmers partners in the value chain by helping them avoid distress sales, access finance against stored produce, earn fairer returns and reduce the gap between farm-gate and consumer prices.
3. Invest in green agricultural infrastructure, including cold chains, renewable energy-powered irrigation, solar-powered storage, efficient logistics and low-carbon processing.
4. Build rural entrepreneurship by supporting rural youth and women, strengthening women-led enterprises and expanding the economic role of self-help groups.
5. Shift CSR from charity to capacity building, with greater focus on soil labs, water conservation, farmer training, digital agriculture, climate-resilient villages, women-led enterprises and rural skilling.
Giving example about Madhya Pradesh’s thriving agriculture and food processing sector, he said, “agriculture alone has the potential to change a country’s economic landscape.” He further added that if the government, farmers and industry move ahead together, it will benefit the country, the farmer and industry alike. “In the coming years, we can make India the food basket of the world,” he remarked.
“Climate change is a challenge across the world, while food requirements are increasing and food security concerns are growing. By addressing these challenges and creating opportunities for vertical growth, India has a significant opportunity to grow its agriculture sector, said Mr Sanjiv Puri, Past President, CII, Chair, CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development and Chairman & Managing Director, ITC Limited. He added that industry will continue to work further, aligned with the government’s policy that sustainable agriculture should also improve farmer incomes and farmer economics.
In his concluding remarks, Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII thanked the Minister and committed that CII will take the five action agenda points outlined by the Hon’ble Minister and build animplementation roadmap with CII Members across the country.
Launch of CII SAARTH CLiMAQ
During the special plenary session, the Hon’ble Minister also launched CLiMAQ, a climate risk intelligence digital tool developed under SAARTH – Sustainable Action Alliance for Resilient Tomorrow. CLiMAQ is a climate risk intelligence tool that helps organizations assess, forecast, quantify, and manage physical climate risks across assets and supply chains. It enables leadership teams to anticipate climate-related exposure, prioritize resilience investments, and reduce potential losses.