-The Hindustan Times   Chandigarh: The euphoria in the stock markets, after a strong mandate for Narendra Modi, hogs the national headlines. Unfortunately, the loud cries of wailing farm widows have been lost in the noise and clatter that follows. Isn't the continuing agrarian crisis the worst form of policy paralysis? There is a renewed spurt in the number of farm suicides across the country. My colleague Dr GV Ramanjaneyulu of the Centre for...

-The Independent   The impact of climate change could increase the price of breakfast cereal and other household foods, a report by Oxfam has claimed, which found Kellogg and Nestle are among the world's 'Big 10' food and drink companies who emit more greenhouses gases than Nordic countries combined. In their report, Oxfam called on the major food and drink companies to do more to tackle climate change after it found that...

-Down to Earth   Advance estimates by agriculture ministry project 0.8 million tonnes increase in production over earlier estimate despite freak weather event   The unseasonal rains and hail in March this year seem to have had little effect on overall crop production estimation. India is going to witness its highest foodgrain production of 264 milllion tonnes, according to the third advance estimates for 2013-14, released by the Union agriculture ministry on Friday. It...

-Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR)   The position paper "Towards Resilient Agriculture in a Changing Climate Scenario" captures the ground realities of small-holder farmers in rainfed Maharashra, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. It presents Watershed Organisation Trust's (WOTR) approach towards climate-resilient agriculture. The paper suggests recommendations for policy that will help increase the response capacity of farmers. It also draws attention to the need of enhancing the resilience of the ecosystem so as...

-Down to Earth   Britain's weather department has issued a heat wave warning and the US is presently basking in a summer with temperatures higher than normal Freak rains, hailstorms and now an early heat wave, it is all happening here in India. While Odisha and Kolkata were in the grip of heat wave in late April, which claimed 33 lives (30 in Odisha and three in Kolkata), intense heat wave conditions have...