Odisha government and IFPRI launch capacity-building training on data-driven agricultural policy
Bhubaneswar: The Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (DAFE), Government of Odisha and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in a capacity partnership conducted a training program for government officials on April 22-23 on agricultural data interpretation, outcome assessment, and policy analysis.
As agricultural policy decisions increasingly rely on robust data systems and rigorous evaluation methods, this workshop addresses a growing need for evidence-based policymaking. The training is part of IFPRI’s ongoing project Food & Agricultural System Transformation Research (FASTR) which aims to support the objectives of the Government of Odisha for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation (IAT).
Inaugurating the event, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary, DAFE emphasized the need for a shift in policymaking that would inhibit evidence-based policy making. He stated, “Data is the new currency.” Dr. Padhee also noted that in the long term, such capacity-building initiatives will be instrumental as the government continues to scale up data-driven interventions. Shubharanshu Mishra, Additional Secretary, underscored the value of data in governance: “Sourcing accurate information is key to problem-solving. Data is essential to optimize resources, and this training will support more effective, evidence-based decision-making.”
The training covered key topics such as Understanding and visualizing agricultural and geospatial datasets, designing monitoring frameworks for agricultural schemes, evaluating programs using experimental and quasi-experimental methods, applying remote sensing tools and satellite data to inform planning.
Dr. Roy, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI remarked, “As states like Odisha aim to achieve inclusive transformation, strengthening institutional capacity to handle and interpret data is key. This workshop is one step toward embedding a culture of evidence in everyday decision-making.”
A central theme of the workshop is the integration of IAT indicators into routine monitoring systems, enabling the state to track progress on inclusivity, resilience, and sustainability goals. This workshop builds on the strong and continuing collaboration between the Government of Odisha and IFPRI, which began with the signing of an MoU in 2022. The partnership focuses on the development of IAT indicators, policy outreach, and institutional strengthening to ensure that Odisha’s agricultural transformation is inclusive, adaptive, and future-ready.
