Bhubaneswar, November 10: The Odisha Government has taken a significant step towards making the state's agricultural system more sustainable and climate-resilient while strengthening nutrition security, women's empowerment, biodiversity conservation and livelihoods in rural and tribal communities. In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Odisha Government and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh, secretaries of various departments and senior government officials. MSSRF Chairperson Dr. Soumya Swaminathan and other representatives of the foundation also attended the event.

On behalf of the state government, Additional Secretary of the Planning and Convergence Department Subhashree Nanda signed the agreement, while Dr. Soumya Swaminathan signed on behalf of MSSRF.

Under the five-year partnership, MSSRF will serve as the technical knowledge partner of the Odisha Government, providing support in policy formulation, programme designing, scientific research, capacity building, innovation and expansion of development initiatives.

The collaboration will focus on climate-resilient agriculture, agroecological farming practices, promotion of millets and alternative crops, conservation of traditional seeds and agricultural biodiversity, and development of sustainable food systems. Special emphasis will also be placed on strengthening women's participation in agriculture, financial empowerment, entrepreneurship and market linkages.

In line with the state's 'Subhadra First' approach, the partnership aims to connect women and socio-economically disadvantaged families with sustainable livelihood opportunities.

The agreement also envisages establishing Bio-Happiness Centres in agricultural universities to promote biodiversity management, eco-friendly farming and conservation of natural resources. Special attention will be given to nutrition and healthcare, improvement of local food systems and livelihood generation in tribal-dominated and remote areas.

For coastal communities, the partnership will focus on strengthening the livelihoods and safety of small-scale fishers through the development of the 'Fisher Friend' mobile application, expansion of digital services, preservation of fish products, value addition and promotion of entrepreneurship among women in the fisheries sector.

Joint initiatives will also be undertaken for the conservation and restoration of water bodies, wetlands, mangroves and coastal ecosystems.

In migration-prone areas, the partnership will focus on generating local employment opportunities, promoting agriculture and allied activities, developing skills, strengthening women-led self-help group enterprises and improving market connectivity. These measures are expected to increase local income opportunities and reduce migration-related vulnerabilities.

A steering committee headed by the Development Commissioner will be constituted to monitor the implementation and progress of the MoU. Secretaries of the concerned departments and representatives of MSSRF will be members of the committee, which will regularly review the progress, outcomes and implementation of various initiatives.

Speaking on the occasion, MSSRF Chairperson Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said the partnership would further strengthen the foundation's relationship with Odisha and create opportunities for joint efforts towards sustainable management of natural resources. She said the collaboration would focus on innovation, green technologies, gender equality, women's empowerment, promotion of millets and development of agricultural processing technologies to address various developmental challenges.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg described the MoU with the reputed institution as a matter of pride for Odisha. She said the partnership marked an important step towards science-based, inclusive and sustainable development in the state.

She added that MSSRF, as the technical knowledge partner, would support evidence-based initiatives in agriculture, nutrition, biodiversity conservation and livelihood improvement. Under the 'Subhadra First' approach, women would remain at the centre of agricultural and livelihood transformation, with special emphasis on climate resilience and sustainable livelihood generation.

Expressing optimism, Garg said the five-year partnership would strengthen inter-departmental coordination and pave the way for scalable solutions aimed at the overall development of Odisha and the welfare of its people.