Carbon-Negative Agriculture

Dr. Ram Swaroop Meena is a Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (FNAAS), a Fellow National Academy of Biological Sciences (FNABS) and others. Dr. Meena works as an Associate Professor in the Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, India. He was also a visiting scientist at IRRI under an INSA fellowship and as a PDF in the USA. He is working on soil sustainability, carbon management, and resource use efficiency in the current climatic era. Dr. Meena has published more than 120 international research and review papers in peer-reviewed, reputed journals with an H-index of 73 and 16,000 citations. Dr. Meena is a member of 9 well-reputed national and international societies.

Dr. Sandeep Kumar is serving as a Scientist specializing in agronomy at the ICAR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Regional Station in Karnal, India. He is working to optimize resource utilization within diverse cropping systems to advance sustainable crop production. Dr. Sandeep has published over 60 research or review articles in leading national and international peer-reviewed journals and contributed to more than 60 book chapters with publishers like Elsevier and Springer. He was also honoured with the Best Young Scientist Award (Regional Station) for 2024–25 by ICAR–IARI, New Delhi.

Dr. Gourisankar Pradhan is currently working as an Assistant Agriculture Officer at the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment (DAFE), Government of Odisha, India. He is working on enhancing nutrient use efficiencies, carbon credit, and carbon sequestration in various cropping systems for sustainable crop production. He has published two books in national publishers as editor and author. Dr. Pradhan has published more than 11 articles in leading national and international peer-reviewed journals with high impact factors. He is an active life member of five national societies.

Dr. Manoj Kumar Jhariya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Farm Forestry at Sant Gahira Guru Vishwavidyalaya, Chhattisgarh, India, and has published 70+ research papers in peer-reviewed journal. Dr. Jhariya acquired bachelors in agriculture and master's and doctorate degree in agroforestry from Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Chhattisgarh, India. He is a life member of The Indian Science Congress Association, Applied and Natural Science Foundation, Society for Advancement of Human and Nature, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Association of India, and ISDS Society and International Journal of Development and Sustainability.

Dr. Cherukumalli Srinivasa Rao acquired his PhD in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry from IARI, New Delhi and post-doctorate from Tel-Aviv University, Israel. Dr. Rao worked in ICAR system in different capacities from scientist to Director. Currently, he is serving as the Director of ICAR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, since December 26, 2024. He also served ICAR - National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), and the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad. Dr. Rao is a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and a member of various national and international committees globally. Dr. Rao is specialized in soil carbon sequestration, carbon balance, dryland production systems and climate policy. Dr. Rao is credited with 361 research papers, 56 books, 109 national and international book chapters, 69 bulletins, 18 copyrights and 37 policy/strategy/status papers.