Bhubaneswar: The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), organized a one-day Odisha state inception workshop for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) 7-cycle project titled “Promotion of Sustainable Food Systems in India through Transforming Rice-Wheat Systems in Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.” The event took place at Krushi Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha and Chief Guest for the event, highlighted the strong alignment between the GEF-funded project and Odisha’s priority to promote sustainable agriculture. He noted that the project’s objectives closely align with the state’s vision for a more sustainable, resilient, and food- and nutrition-secure future.
Takayuki Hagiwara, FAO Representative in India, emphasized the project’s innovative approach, which focuses on embedding sustainable farming practices in collaboratively managed landscapes to preserve ecosystem services and global environmental values. He assured participants of FAO’s close coordination with the Government of Odisha to achieve the project outcomes successfully.
Sanjay Sethi, National Project Coordinator for the “Promotion of Sustainable Food Systems through Transforming Rice-Wheat Systems,” provided an overview of the project’s objectives and scope.
The project, part of the ‘Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) Impact India’ program, reflects a significant commitment to enhancing sustainable food systems. It represents a collaborative effort between government bodies and international organizations to improve agricultural practices in India. In Odisha, the project aims to promote sustainable rice farming, conserve soil and water resources, improve farmers’ resilience to climate challenges, and enhance their access to markets and technology. It will be implemented in the Ganjam and Kalahandi districts.
The inception workshop convened nearly 100 officials from various state government departments, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), FAO regional and country office staff, and other public and private stakeholders. The primary goal of the workshop was to foster a shared understanding of the project’s goals and objectives in the state.
Other notable attendees included Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Handloom, Textiles & Handicrafts, and Nikhil Pavan Kalyan, Director of the Directorate of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development.
The five-year (2023-2028) GEF 7 FOLUR Impact Program seeks to accelerate India’s transition toward a new model of sustainable agriculture, promote healthy landscapes and ecosystems, and deliver multiple global environmental benefits. The project adopts an innovative “whole food system” approach, empowering farmers to manage their farming and livelihood systems sustainably, resiliently, and agro ecologically.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India, serves as the nodal operational focal point, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, acts as the implementing ministry. FAO serves as the implementing agency, with the four state governments of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and Punjab as operational partners in executing the project.
