Stocktaking Workshop Reviews GEF-Funded FAO Projects in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: A comprehensive stocktaking workshop was conducted today at Krushi Bhawan, chaired by Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmer’s Empowerment, Government of Odisha. The primary objective of the workshop was to assess the progress of projects funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Odisha.

Dr. Padhee emphasized the need for enhanced inter-departmental collaboration among officers to ensure the effective implementation and successful attainment of project objectives. The workshop provided a platform to evaluate the current status of two GEF-funded projects: the Green-Ag Project and the Sustainable Rice and Wheat Systems projects.

Key stakeholders, including the Director of Agriculture & FP, Horticulture, Soil Conservation and WD, Chief Conservator of Forest, Wild life, and Scheme Officers from relevant government departments in Odisha, participated in the workshop. The FAO delegation, led by Takayuki Hagiwara, the FAO Representative for India, actively engaged in discussions surrounding project delivery strategies and ways to enhance outcomes.

The Green-Ag (GEF-6) project is currently implemented across 1650 villages in the Similipal Biosphere of Mayurbhanj district, while the Future of Livelihoods in Upstream Regions (FOLUR) project (GEF-7) is set to be implemented in Ganjam and Kalahandi districts (3 blocks in each district).