Bhubaneswar, Dec 20: In a step towards strengthening climate resilience in agriculture, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (DAFE) today convened a high-level inception workshop for formalizing the Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Alliance for Odisha in collaboration with The Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) and Catalyst Management Services (CMS).
The alliance brings together senior government officials, research institutions, private sector partners, civil society organizations, development agencies, and policy experts to collaboratively scale climate-smart agriculture practices across the state.
Agriculture Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee said that climate change cannot be addressed in isolation.
“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 prioritized by CSTEP across the state through different partner organizations,” said Padhee.
The Alliance aims to integrate climate resilience into agricultural planning and programs, strengthen 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 mobilize public, private, & blended finance for scalable CSA solutions, Padhee said.
The Vice Chancellor of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Prof Pravat Kumar Roul said that the impacts of climate change are real and well felt.
“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,” he said.
The Director of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development, Subrat Kumar Panda put their views in the workshop that climate-smart agriculture is no longer optional, but central to safeguarding farmer livelihoods, food security, and long-term agricultural sustainability.
Dr. Indu K. Murthy, sector head, from CSTEP said, the CSA Alliance places farmers at the centre of climate action. CSTEP as part of the Climate Resilience Cell and anchor of the alliance aims to co-create solutions that are locally relevant, economically viable, and scalable, ensuring that climate resilience directly improves livelihoods while safeguarding natural resources.
Shiv Kumar, Co-founder & Director of Catalyst Management Services (CMS) informed this Alliance draws its strength from its partners—each bringing distinct capabilities, experience, and commitment, and together forming a collective that can deliver climate-smart agriculture at a scale no single institution can achieve alone, By standing together, partners reduce risk, accelerate learning, and unlock statewide impact and finance —ensuring climate-smart solutions move beyond pilots into sustained adoption across Odisha, innovation finds scale, and farmers find resilience, dignity, and hope.
The insights generated will directly inform the Alliance’s roadmap, flagship programs, and governance structure. The Climate-Smart Agriculture Alliance represents Odisha’s commitment to collaborative, science-based, and farmer-centric climate action. By bringing government, research, private sector, and civil society together, the state aims to position itself as a national leader in climate-resilient agriculture.
The workshop was attended by senior officers of the department, research institutions like CRRI, IIWM, CIWA, CIFA, agriculture scientists, private sector partners, civil society organizations, development agencies, and policy makers. Additional Secretary Shubhranshu Mishra delivered a vote of thanks at the end of the program.
