Bhubaneswar: Livelihood Alternatives, a social enterprise working with farmer groups, SHGs, and rural youth in Odisha, organized a workshop titled ‘Voice of Farmers: Odisha@2036’ in Bhubaneswar. The event was held in collaboration with SOA University and the Socratus Foundation, who served as knowledge partners.
The workshop witnessed the participation of over 200 farmers from 17 districts, representing more than 45 Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) from diverse agro-climatic zones of the state. The primary objective was to align with the state’s development vision ‘Viksit Odisha @2036’ and to chart a comprehensive roadmap addressing the challenges, aspirations, and opportunities of the agrarian community.
Focused on making agriculture an aspirational enterprise for the next generation, the workshop provided a platform to amplify farmers’ voices, foster inter-FPO dialogue, and integrate grassroots insights into policy-making and agricultural planning. Discussions revolved around key themes such as input and production management, post-harvest challenges, market linkages, and the impact of climate change on farming.
The event was graced by several eminent dignitaries, including Dr. Kamal K. Tripathy, Joint Secretary of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister; Dr. Bibhu P. Nayak, Professor at Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Member, Odisha Finance Commission; Prof. Sukanta Nanda and Prof. Subhakant Pati from IIT; and noted social entrepreneurs Dr. Ramesh Biswal and Surekha Routray.
Deliberations during the workshop highlighted key deficiencies in the agricultural sector while also exploring opportunities for systemic improvements. The initiative was described as a unique experiment in grassroots-level planning. A comprehensive report is expected to be developed, drawing from insights of participants across academia, research, industry, and policy domains.
The workshop was inaugurated by Sharada Satpathy, General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, while Samir Mohanty, Former President of BJP Odisha, addressed the valedictory session as Chief Guest.
