Bhubaneswar: Odisha will celebrate the fifth edition of Mandia Divas on November 10 and 11 with a two-day conference on strengthening traditional seed systems, conserving agricultural biodiversity and promoting climate-resilient food systems.
Organised by the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department, the event will be held at Mayfair Convention in Bhubaneswar under the theme “Community-based Seed Systems and Agricultural Biodiversity for Resilient Food Systems”.
Governor Braj Mohan Ram will attend the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest. Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, former WHO Chief Scientist and MSSRF Chairperson Dr Soumya Swaminathan, ICAR Director General Dr Mangi Lal Jat and OUAT Vice-Chancellor Professor Prabhat Kumar Roul will also grace the occasion.
The conference, titled “Strengthening Sri Anna and Landrace Seed Systems”, will feature five technical sessions over two days, bringing together scientists, policymakers, traditional seed conservators and women entrepreneurs to deliberate on agricultural biodiversity, sustainable farming and market opportunities for nutri-cereals.
Mandia Divas was instituted in 2022 under the State Government’s Sri Anna Abhiyan, with November 10 designated as the annual occasion to recognise the contribution of tribal and rural farmers in conserving traditional crops, strengthening food security and improving rural livelihoods.
The annual observance has progressively expanded into a platform for policy discussions and international collaboration. The 2023 edition saw the announcement of the 10-year Bhubaneswar Declaration on Nutri-Cereals, followed by conferences on International Sri Anna and Forgotten Foods in 2024 and International Sri Anna and Women Farmers in 2025. The latter also witnessed the release of the Bhubaneswar Declaration on Women Farmers and Conservation of Agricultural Heritage.
On the first day, the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation will lead a session on conserving agricultural biodiversity and strengthening landrace seed systems, while the Food and Agriculture Organization will deliberate on traditional knowledge, climate-resilient agriculture and healthy food systems.
The second day will feature a session by ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets (Sri Anna) Research on enterprise development and market linkages for Odisha’s nutri-cereal economy. The State Agriculture Department will organise two further sessions focusing on natural farming and traditional knowledge, besides showcasing grassroots innovations and success stories of farmers and agri-entrepreneurs.
An exhibition showcasing community seed conservation, traditional food practices and agri-enterprises will also be organised. MSSRF will display agricultural biodiversity initiatives and women-managed community seed banks, while the project on revival of forgotten foods and neglected crops will feature traditional food displays, tasting and sales.
Siddhi Organics of Kataka will showcase millet-based products, while the International Rice Research Institute will offer tasting of low-glycaemic-index rice products. The Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Odisha will display regional millet delicacies and Koraput coffee. Agri-tech startups Munico and Junkfree will also present their products and practical demonstrations.
The conference is expected to deliberate on strategies for strengthening community-led seed systems, promoting climate resilience, preserving indigenous agricultural heritage and expanding market opportunities for nutri-cereals.
