Odisha Scientist Swati Nayak Wins Norman Borlaug Field Award 2023; Know Her Success Story

Bhubaneswar: In a proud moment for Odisha, a scientist from the state, Dr Swati Nayak, will be receiving the prestigious Norman Borlaug Field Award, 2023, at Des Moines, Iowa, next month.

The World Food Prize Foundation announced her name as the recipient of the award on September 19 at New York Climate Week. The award is given to exceptional scientists under 40 years of age who work in the field of food and nutrition security, hunger eradication and exhibit the character and attributes of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Green Revolution’s Chief Architect Dr Norman Borlaug.

The foundation has described Nayak, who is currently working as Manila-based CGIAR- International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) South Asia Regional Lead for Seed System and Product Management, as a champion of inclusive agricultural extension and technology transfer, critical for equitably bridging the gap between scientific advancements and tangible benefits on farmers’ fields.

“She promotes rural innovation models that emphasize sustainable agricultural technologies and enterprise development. Her adept leadership in validating and scaling participatory field research and extension models has garnered broad acclaim and has been widely replicated by national institutions. She is a pioneer in extension and field research, as well as an inspiration to the many people, especially women, following her lead.”

She will be the third Indian and first from Odisha to receive this prestigious award. It is for the second consecutive year that a scientist from the country has been picked for the award. Dr. Mahalingam Govindaraj, Senior Scientist for Crop Development with HarvestPlus at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, was the 2022 recipient.

Nayak is currently residing in Delhi with her husband Priyadarsi Bal and daughter, Advika Nayak Bal. Her parents Laxmidhar Nayak and Bijayalaxmi Naik stay in Bhubaneswar.

After her Masters from the Institute of Rural Management Anand in 2010, she started working as the only woman administrator at the Integrated Tribal Development Agency in the remote forest region of Andhra Pradesh, India. She was then appointed to head the first-ever dedicated Indian government initiative for women farmers. She joined IRRI in 2013 and spearheaded groundbreaking research initiatives, led multidisciplinary teams, and forged collaborations with local communities, academia, students and stakeholders. She was central to the massive effort toward the successful dissemination and adoption of more than 20 promising climate-resilient and biofortified rice varieties.

Her efforts saw women-led seed enterprises produce, distribute, and sell approximately 8.5 metric tons of quality seeds in 2021. “Resilience to climate change is also a central part of Nayak’s advocacy for sustainable agriculture. Many climate-resilient rice varieties have been successfully deployed in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal through her diligent strategy, partnerships, and unique positioning models. According to projections, by 2022, 1 million hectares would be planted in India with flood-, drought-, and salt-tolerant rice varieties,” the foundation further said.

It added that she played a catalytic role in nurturing regional collaboration through the “Seed Without Borders” policy agreement, which speeds the dissemination of modern rice varieties across South and Southeast Asia. “Her instrumental involvement in introducing promising novel rice varieties from Bangladesh to India and beyond has transcended geographical boundaries, ensuring that research innovations swiftly reach the hands of farmers across nationalities.”

Nayak received a PhD in Competitive Intelligence & Strategic Management for Agricultural Extension Management Strategy at Amity University (2017-2022). She did a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at Acharya NG Ranga Agriculture University (2003-2007) and Masters in Rural Management at the Institute of Rural Management Anand (2008-2010).