SAARC Agriculture Centre hosts virtual regional training exploring carbon trading opportunities to build climate resilience, protect farmers and promote sustainable agriculture across South Asia through research, policy, cooperation and innovation.
A three-day regional training on the prospects and challenges of carbon trading in South Asia’s agriculture sector began on Monday (December 29) in virtual mode, bringing together policymakers, researchers, development practitioners and private sector representatives from across the SAARC region and beyond.
Organised by the SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC), the program aims to explore how carbon trading mechanisms can support sustainable agriculture, strengthen climate resilience and contribute to climate action in one of the world’s most vulnerable regions.
Opening the training, Dr Md Harunur Rashid, Director of the SAARC Agriculture Centre, highlighted the increasing exposure of South Asian agriculture to climate risks and stressed the need for innovative financial tools to support farmers. He said carbon trading, if designed carefully, could promote climate-smart agricultural practices while improving rural livelihoods. Dr Rashid also emphasised the importance of regional cooperation under the SAARC framework to ensure fair access, shared learning and collective progress.
The Chief Guest, Dr Md Abdus Salam, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, underlined the need for strong research support to generate reliable data for carbon accounting in agriculture. He cautioned that farmers’ interests must be protected and stressed that carbon trading initiatives should complement food security rather than compete with it. He called for evidence-based policies and closer regional cooperation to make such mechanisms practical, equitable and effective.
Speaking as Special Guest Tanvir Ahmad Torophder Director ARD and SDF at the SAARC Secretariat, stressed the importance of policy alignment at the regional level. He said harmonised standards, knowledge sharing and capacity building are essential to make carbon trading accessible to farmers across SAARC member states. He also highlighted SAARC’s role in facilitating dialogue between governments and the private sector.
The keynote address was delivered by Kaushal Bisht Lead Partnership and Strategic Alliance at Varaha India, who outlined the present and future scenario of carbon trading in South Asian agriculture. He discussed global trends in voluntary and compliance carbon markets and their relevance for smallholder farming systems. Mr Bisht noted that improved soil management, agroforestry and reduced methane emissions from agriculture offer strong potential for generating carbon credits in the region.
Dr Raza Ullah Khan, Senior Program Specialist, Natural Resource Management and Training Coordinator at SAC, presented the objectives and overall overview of the training. He said the program seeks to build technical understanding of carbon markets, explore opportunities for agriculture-based carbon credits and examine institutional and policy challenges specific to South Asia.
Dr Khan emphasised that agriculture is a cornerstone for addressing climate change in South Asia if properly managed. He said the sector can function as a carbon sink and help reduce emissions while strengthening climate resilience. He added that agriculture should be viewed not only as a victim of climate change but also as a critical part of the solution.
