A Study on Water, Energy and Food (WEF) Nexus Approach and Communication Needs for Non-Chemical Agriculture

In 2008, the World Economic Forum discussed the Water, Energy and Food (WEF) Nexus. The WEF Nexus approach aims to understand the interconnectedness of the subsystems to provide a solution by combining all three approaches - water, energy, and food - to find solutions for development by ensuring water, energy, and food security. The WEF emphasizes environmentally responsible resource use, which can help the economy by making policy-based decisions. The WEF nexus approach encourages policymakers to find integrated solutions for mutual benefit in various sectors. Initiatives for water, energy, and food would protect the natural capital and economy of the country while creating synergies among sectors for longterm sustainability, considering the environmental impacts considered in the nexus approach. According to a previous study, the WEF nexus necessitates a more localized approach rather than a regional or national one. The 2014 IPCC report states that the major contributors to greenhouse gases are electricity and heat (25%), agriculture (24%), and the industrial sector (21%). The WEF nexus focuses on green economic growth with environmental concerns that could be mitigated with data and policy measures to play an efficient role in society. There is also a requirement for communication within and about the sector of the WEF nexus. This study informs farmers about the WEF nexus and the need for its communication with sectors and about the sector to rethink the scenario. This study employs a survey method to investigate the involvement of the WEF in climate change and the information and communication needs of farmers involved in non-chemical agricultural methods (NCAM) in Tamil Nadu. Farmers are the agents who are under a direct threat of climate change and its effects. The limitation of non-chemical agricultural practitioners is due to farmers’ prerequisite knowledge of the environment and their willingness to work under changing conditions like Covid-19, which led to the focus on this specific target.