By Raviteja Seelam and Bala Subramanyam Sivarathri et.al
Scientific research is the cornerstone of how modern societies confront intertwined agricultural and environmental crises (Nellemann, 2009). Over the past 50 years, agricultural innovation has driven remarkable gains in productivity, yet it has also surfaced urgent questions about sustainability, biodiversity, human health, and animal welfare (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019). As pressures on food systems intensify, the role of science is to both sustain productivity and correct course by guiding practices that protect ecosystems while supporting the people and economies that depend on them (Garnett & Godfray, 2012).
Farmers now face a dual imperative: produce more food for a growing population while using land, water, and energy far more sustainably and doing so under a rapidly changing climate marked by recurrent droughts, floods, and heat waves. Because agriculture is both a source of environmental impacts and a potential solution, research must illuminate the links among weather, climate, and farming to inform mitigation and adaptation (Altieri & Nicholls, 2017; Garnett & Godfray, 2012; Jarvis et al., 2011). The scope of this agenda is broad, spanning improved resource efficiency, risk management, and climate-smart practices that reduce emissions and strengthen resilience.
As a systemic science, agriculture continually reshapes its own subject real farms, real ecosystems, and real communities so research must match that complexity (Darnhofer et al., 2012). Expectations are high that it stays relevant and forward-looking as societal goals evolve. Fields such as agricultural meteorology, once focused on profitability, now prioritize food security and sustainability (Pandey & Pandey, 2023). Meeting today’s challenges requires an interdisciplinary approach that brings together meteorologists, climatologists, agronomists, plant pathologists, ecologists, and breeders. When effectively implemented, this wholeness-oriented research provides critical knowledge for improving soil and crop management, selecting climate-ready cultivars and livestock, and strengthening resilient agro-ecosystems, ultimately equipping society with the tools to mitigate climate risks and secure global food systems.
In the following sections, we will discuss the requirements, roles, and importance of research in greater detail, examining how science progresses from laboratories to farmers’ fields and why continuous research remains indispensable.
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