Hans News Service Bhubaneswar

TheOdisha government and the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) have signed an MoU, aiming to strengthen nutrition security, women’s empowerment and biodiversity conservation, officials said on Wednesday. The agreement was signed on Tuesday in the presence of Chief Secretary Anu Garg and Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of MSSRF.

Through this collaboration, scientific research, traditional knowledge, and government policy will be coordinated in the fields of agriculture, nutrition, health, environment, and livelihoods, Garg said. The MSSRF will act as the knowledge partner, with the State government providing technical support to various departments in areas like policy formulation, programme planning, research, skill development and innovation, she said.

The agreement will prioritise climate-resilient agriculture, agro-environmental farming practices, promotion of millets and other alternative crops, protection of traditional seeds and agricultural biodiversity, and development of sustainable food systems, Garg said.

“To review the effectiveness and progress of the action plan, a steering committee will be formed under the chairmanship of the Development Commissioner. This will include the secretaries of the departments concerned and representatives from MSSRF. The committee will hold regular meetings to review the progress, results, and effectiveness of various programmes,” Garg said.

Swaminathan said the partnership will create opportunities for joint efforts towards sustainable management of natural resources. “The collaboration will focus on innovation in solving various development issues, green technologies, gender equality, women’s empowerment, promotion of millets, and the development of agricultural processing technologies,” she said.