Odisha Launches Climate-Smart Agriculture Alliance to Boost Climate Resilience
Recently, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (DAFE) on Saturday, December 20, organised a high-level inception workshop for boosting the Climate-Smart Agriculture Alliance for Odisha in collaboration with the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) and Catalyst Management Services (CMS). Notably, the alliance brings together senior government officials, research institutions, private sector partners, civil society organisations, development agencies, and policy experts to collaboratively scale climate-smart agriculture practices across the state.
Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance serves as a platform to implement various smart technologies
Agriculture Secretary Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee said that climate change cannot be addressed in isolation. He said that: “We need to make concerted efforts to mitigate or adapt to the ill effects of climate change. In this direction, the Odisha Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance (OCSAA) serves as a platform to showcase and implement various climate-smart technologies prioritised by CSTEP across the state through different partner organisations.
The Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance intends to integrate climate resilience into agricultural planning and programs, boost soil and water conservation as foundational resilience measures, promote climate-resilient crops, diversified farming systems, horticulture, leverage science, digital tools, data-driven decision-making, and mobilise public, private, & blended finance for scalable CSA solutions, Padhee said.
Moreover, the Vice Chancellor of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Prof Pravat Kumar Roul, stated that the effects of climate change are real and well felt. He cited: “We have to put our efforts together to make our agricultural fields smart enough to avoid the negative impacts of climate change and to ensure food and nutrition security for the burgeoning population of the globe, as well as for our state,”. Dr. Indu K. Murthy, sector head from Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), mentioned that the Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance marks farmers at the centre of climate action. CSTEP, as part of the Climate Resilience Cell and anchor of the alliance, intends to co-create solutions that are locally relevant, economically viable, and scalable, ensuring that climate resilience directly enhances livelihoods while protecting natural resources. The insights engendered will convey the Alliance’s roadmap, flagship programs, and governance structure. The Climate-Smart Agriculture Alliance indicated Odisha’s commitment to collaborative, science-based, and farmer-centric climate action. By bringing government, research, the private sector, and civil society together, the state intends to position itself as a national leader in climate-resilient agriculture. Senior officers of the department, research institutions such as CRRI, IIWM, CIWA, CIFA, agriculture scientists, private sector partners, civil society organisations, development agencies, and policy makers had participated in the workshop.