The Odisha government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote inclusive agricultural transformation in the state.
The partnership aims to drive innovation in areas such as AI-enabled use cases, precision agriculture, climate-smart technologies, and enhancing productivity in the dairy and fisheries sectors.
The MoU lays the foundation for a multi-year collaboration focused on technical support, research, and the implementation of climate-smart agriculture practices in Odisha. Anchored by the department of agriculture and farmers’ empowerment (DAFE) and the fisheries and animal resources development department (FARDD), the initiative will focus on science-based, ground-level interventions to strengthen sustainable farming.
“This collaboration reaffirms our government’s commitment to investing in knowledge, innovation, and partnerships that benefit farmers across the state,” said deputy chief minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo.
Alkesh Wadhwani, director of poverty alleviation at the Gates Foundation, said, “We are pleased to collaborate with the Odisha government, especially in the agriculture and allied sectors. This newly launched alliance will serve as a catalyst, bringing together innovation and farmer adoption at scale, positioning Odisha at the forefront of sustainable agricultural growth.”
As part of the agreement, DAFE, FARDD, and the Gates Foundation launched the Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance Odisha. The alliance will serve as a collaborative platform for government agencies, research institutions, start-ups, civil society organisations, NGOs, farmer groups and private sector stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of climate-resilient technologies and strategies.
The event also saw the release of a Scoping Report Series titled “Data-Driven Prioritisation of Districts for Climate-Smart Agriculture in Odisha”, prepared by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP).