Global agri-food systems are in a crisis today, with an increasing population and diverse economic activities, stresses, and pressures. Depleting aquifers, deteriorating soil health, vanishing agro-biodiversity and increasing vagaries of weather emergencies exacerbate the challenges for the policymakers. In addition to food security, nutrition security is also a challenge for India.
Lot of research has been coming out in the last two decades on how policymakers can plan the transition for better food systems. Key learning from the research is that it is not the technological interventions (early warning systems, digital tools, etc.) or financial instruments (crop insurance, loan packages, etc.) that will transform food systems, it is switching to different crop types leading to larger diversification in crops that will make us more resilient. This is extremely crucial for a state like Odisha, where in 50 years between 1970 and 2020, only three years were completely normal, without a drought, flood, or cyclone.
How to motivate farmers?
Many policymakers tend to believe that if you just incentivise crop diversification, then farmers will adopt it. It is a very superficial view. Farmers’ ability to adopt diversification strategies is often stymied by their aversion to risk, loss of local knowledge, and limited access to agronomic and market information; this is especially the case for small-holders. Enabling environments such as institutions like FPOs and WSHGs are critical to motivating farmers and can help select on-farm diversification options.
Odisha Approach to Crop Diversification
Odisha has evolved a comprehensive behavior change transformation framework for crop diversification which works on an end-to-end value chain framework. Odisha Millets Mission (OMM) is a shining example of this approach. Under OMM, emphasis has been given to promoting engagement with like-minded networks, forums, government departments, and other relevant stakeholders from the community. The mission has taken a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to make millets part of everyday life for every segment of society.
Building on the principles of equity and justice for the vulnerable rainfed farmers, OMM adopts fork to farm approach. It provides incentives for the adoption of good agriculture practices, assured procurement of ragi and inclusion in government schemes, involvement of women SHGs and FPOs at every step of the implementation with support from local CSOs, decentralised value chain through WSHGs/FPOs, and so on. Massive awareness campaigns for self-consumption through engagement with all relevant stakeholders have been taken up. Odisha is the first state to dedicate a day (November 10) for millets.
OMM has developed a system for mainstreaming traditional varieties (landraces) conserved by tribal farmers. It has recently been awarded the Global Model for Promotion of Millets in the International Nutri-Cereal Convention. Odisha organised an International Convention on Millets in November last. This brought different stakeholders such as farmers, WSHGs, FPOs, policymakers, MSMEs, start-ups, research organisations, health institutions, hotel and chef associations, etc. International Convention aimed to revisit the efforts and strategies of different stakeholders to develop a commensurate roadmap of millets for the future.
OMM showed that adopting the principles of justice and equity, with a focus on fork to farm approach in a multistakeholder approach, reducing inputs and supporting biodiversity, can lead to a sustainable food system. We believe this can be a transformative approach towards resilient and inclusive food systems.
Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee
Principal secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment department, Government of Odisha