Odisha Moves to Strengthen Climate-Resilient Farming with Climate-Smart Agriculture Alliance

In a major initiative to enhance climate resilience in the agricultural sector, the Government of Odisha, through the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (DAFE), on Tuesday convened a high-level inception workshop to formalize the Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Alliance for Odisha. The initiative is being developed in collaboration with the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) and Catalyst Management Services (CMS).

The Alliance aims to bring together senior government officials, research institutions, private sector partners, civil society organizations, development agencies, and policy experts to collectively scale climate-smart agriculture practices across the state.

Government Leadership and Vision

Principal Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, emphasized that climate change cannot be addressed in isolation and requires coordinated efforts for mitigation and adaptation.

He stated that the Odisha Climate-Smart Agriculture Alliance (OCSAA) will act as a platform to showcase and implement climate-smart technologies prioritized by CSTEP across the state through partner organizations. The Alliance will focus on integrating climate resilience into agricultural planning, strengthening soil and water conservation, promoting climate-resilient crops, diversified farming systems and horticulture, and leveraging science, digital tools and data-driven decision-making. It will also work towards mobilizing public, private and blended finance to scale climate-smart agriculture solutions.

Academic and Research Institutions Stress Urgency

Vice Chancellor of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Prof. Pravat Kumar Roul, highlighted that the impacts of climate change are already being felt across agricultural landscapes.

He underlined the need to make farming systems smarter to mitigate climate risks and ensure food and nutrition security for both the state and the growing global population.

Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Necessity, Not an Option

Director of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development, Shri Subrat Kumar Panda, stressed that climate-smart agriculture is no longer optional but essential for safeguarding farmer livelihoods, ensuring food security, and achieving long-term sustainability in agriculture.

Farmers at the Centre of Climate Action

Dr. Indu K. Murthy, Sector Head at CSTEP, stated that the CSA Alliance places farmers at the heart of climate action. As the anchor of the Alliance and part of the Climate Resilience Cell, CSTEP aims to co-create solutions that are locally relevant, economically viable and scalable, ensuring improved livelihoods while protecting natural resources.

Collaborative Approach for Statewide Impact

Shri Shiv Kumar, Co-founder and Director of Catalyst Management Services (CMS), said the strength of the Alliance lies in its diverse partners. He noted that collaboration reduces risk, accelerates learning, unlocks finance and enables climate-smart solutions to move beyond pilot projects to sustained adoption across Odisha, bringing resilience, dignity and hope to farmers.

Roadmap and Way Forward

The insights generated during the workshop will directly inform the Alliance’s roadmap, flagship programmes and governance structure. The Climate-Smart Agriculture Alliance reflects Odisha’s commitment to collaborative, science-based and farmer-centric climate action, with the state aiming to position itself as a national leader in climate-resilient agriculture.

The workshop was attended by senior departmental officials, representatives from research institutions including CRRI, IIWM, CIWA and CIFA, agriculture scientists, private sector partners, civil society organizations, development agencies and policymakers. Additional Secretary Shri Shubhranshu Mishra delivered the vote of thanks at the conclusion of the programme.