NEW DELHI: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Odisha have joined hands to improve the food security of small and marginal farmers in India by strengthening their resilience to climate change.
An agreement was signed by Dr. Muthu Kumar, Director, Agriculture, and Food Production, Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment, and Mr. Bishow Parajuli, Representative and Country Director, WFP in India at a virtual ceremony today.
In a participatory pilot initiative, climate advisories will be tailored to enable smallholder farmers to adapt to the impact of climate change. Smallholder farmers, who constitute 90 percent of farming communities in Odisha, will be able to select the right farming and livelihood options to improve their food security and incomes.
"The impact of climate change disproportionately affects the livelihoods and food security of small and marginal farmers. WFP and the Department of Agriculture will collaborate on strengthening adaptation to climate variability and management of food systems by building capacity from the community to the officials, reducing inequalities in the process," said Parajuli.
"The Government of Odisha is committed to improving the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers. This partnership with WFP will contribute to inclusive growth and resilience in agriculture thus contributing to improved food security," said Dr. Kumar.
WFP and the department will develop toolkits, modules, and guidelines during the project to provide climate services to smallholder farmers. This will help farming communities make informed decisions for a transformation towards a more productive and resilient agricultural system.
