National Women Farmers' Awareness Seminar on Educating Climate Change, Action, Agro-Advisory Services & Sustainability

ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar in association with Mukti Social Service Organization, Nimapara, Puri organized a National Seminar on Educating Climate Change, Action, Agro-Advisory Services & Sustainability at Puintala, Bolangir, Odisha on 18.12.2023 with a special focus on creating awareness among women farmers. The seminar was funded by Ministry of Earth Science, Govt. of India, New Delhi. The seminar began with welcome address by Dr. Arun Kumar Panda, Principal Scientist & Head, Division of GFCS, ICAR-CIWA and Convener of the Seminar. In his Address, Dr. Panda highlighted the role and contribution of women in agriculture. He further emphasized that Rural women are the torch bearers for social, economic and environment transformation. Therefore, preparing them to face the challenges and adapting mitigating strategies to climate change is the need of the hour. There is a need to investigate these challenges from changing weather patterns and extreme events, discussing cultural impacts on gender roles, examining adaptive strategies and addressing gender-specific repercussions within agricultural adaptation efforts. Dr. Satyamaya Sathpathy, Senior Scientist & Head, KVK, Bolngir, Odisha delivered a presentation on Strengthening Rural Women’s Climate Resilience for Sustainable Food Production, Climate Smart Agriculture and Advisory Services: Approaches and Implications for Future. Mr Motilal Mishra, CEO, Pragati Farmer Producer Organization, Puintala, Bolangir, in his speech highlighted the challenges faced by the farm women on climate related issue and urged the scientific fraternity to find site specific solutions for sustainable Agricultural production. The meeting ended with vote of Thanks by Mr. Satish Pandey, Secretary, Mukti Social Service Organization. About 200 participants mostly women farmers besides school children participated in the Seminar.