Experts Stress On Sustainable Agriculture At SOA International Conference In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Faced with the challenge of climate change and its impact on the planet,

Small efforts to counter the fallout of climate change can lead to a transformation, according to experts at an international conference on sustainable agricultural development at the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University (SOA) here.

As an example Popatrao Baguji Pawar, sarpanch of Hiware Bazar panchayat of Maharashtra’s drought-prone Ahmednagar district, pointed to the eye-opening case of reverse transformation of migrant workers from cities to their once dismal landscape.

Experts from across the world are participating in the three-day conference on ‘Sustainable Agricultural Development with Climate Smart Systems’ in hybrid mode at the SOA campus.

Organised by SOA’s Centre for Climate Smart Agriculture (CCSA) and faculty of Agricultural Sciences, the conference is being held in collaboration with the local chapter of Indian Meteorological Society.

Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, who was the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony, said agriculture alone can provide engagement to the people and make reverse migration possible.

Singh Deo, the minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and also Energy, said water was becoming scarce and it was time to think about alternative agriculture.

The sarpanch of Hiware Bazar panchayat, a reputed social activist and Padma Shri awardee, said he motivated inhabitants of a cluster of villages in his own panchayat to take up water and soil conservation projects in a big way and farmers are earning Rs 9 lakh per acre today — more than 20 times of their earning earlier.

“Though global warming is impacting different regions with phenomena like cloud burst and drought, my panchayat has been insulated because there is no dearth of water due to proper ground water management,” Pawar said, adding that 10 lakh trees had been planted in the area over the last few years.

He pointed out that there had been no report of any farmer suicide in the area after the transformation took place.

Prof. Chittaranjan Ray, Director of Nebraska Water Centre, USA, and Prof. Pravat Kumar Roul, Vice-Chancellor of OUAT, also addressed the inaugural session which was presided over by SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda.

Ray described agriculture as a double-edged sword which provided food to humanity but at the same time contributed to global warming. He said the need was for a resilient agricultural system.

Prof. Roul said the fallout of climate change was for everybody to see as the five warmest years in the last 122 years (2009, 2010, 2016, 2017 and 2023) since 1901 were experienced in the last 15 years.

Prof. Roul said need of the hour is to develop an effective system which will help farmers cope with the situation.

Prof. Nanda said that SOA had taken up climate change as one of its focused areas for research and CCSA was one of the 20 research centres set up by the university.