ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Bhubaneswar: The two-day International Symposium on Shree Anna and Forgotten Foods (ISSFF), organised by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment at Lok Seva Bhawan here, concluded Monday with commendations and valuable suggestions from state, national, and international participants. The discussions at symposium aimed at creating a roadmap for promoting Shree Anna (millets) and other neglected crops in Odisha. Addressing the gathering, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo said, “Over the two days, we have reaffirmed our commitment to reviving resilient, traditional crops.
Let us carry forward the insights gained here to strengthen sustainable agriculture and food security for Odisha and beyond.” Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Women and Child Development, Mission Shakti, and Tourism Pravati Parida, remarked, “Millets, or Shree Anna, are more than a food source—they are our heritage and our future. To see them flourish again, we must bring them back to every family’s plate. Women, especially mothers, are key to this revival. When mothers adopt millets, they lead a generational shift toward health and sustainability. Through initiatives like Millet Shakti Cafes and the Millet Mother campaign, we are empowering communities to reconnect with these climate-smart crops.” “With the support of our partners and the vision of Prime Minister Modi, I am confident Odisha will lead the way in reviving millets and forgotten foods for a resilient future,” she said.
Parida added that there are currently 33 Millet Cafes and 263 Millet Tiffin Centres, while 177 blocks across the state’s 30 districts host millet-based Mission Shakti and Women’s SelfHelp Groups. A total of fi ve sessions were conducted on the second day of the symposium. All the discussions held were around the theme of the event “Celebrating Shree Anna and Agricultural Heritage of Odisha”. During the valedictory function, three publications were released: a recipe book on forgotten foods titled “Forgotten Flavours – Culinary Treasures of Odisha”, a millet-based recipe book titled “Adi Anna”, and a coffee table book titled “Comprehensive Rice Fallow Management.”
Notable representatives from global organisations like the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), Asia-Pacifi c Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI), various ICAR institutes, the National Institute of Nutrition, MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN), and the World Resources Institute attended the event. Other dignitaries included World Food Programme country head (India) Elisabeth Faure, department principal secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee, OUAT vice-chancellor Pravat Kumar Roul, Agriculture and Food Production director Prem Chandra Chaudhary and Horticulture director Nikhil Pavan Kalyan.