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Under the MoU, UNDP will leverage its expertise in open innovations, data collaboratives, data science approaches and global know-how to support NABARD’s agenda of embedding data-driven decision-making in agriculture investments.  

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to co-create data-driven innovations in agriculture and food systems to support smallholder farmers. Under this MoU, both organisations will work to improve the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers by sharing open-source data for product development, transfer of technology and supporting the framing of agrarian policies.   

The MoU was signed by Chief General Manager of NABARD, Sanjeev Rohilla, and UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Isabelle Tschan. Under the MoU, UNDP will leverage its expertise in open innovations, data collaboratives, data science approaches and global know-how to support NABARD’s agenda of embedding data-driven decision-making in agriculture investments.  

The partnership includes enhancing and disseminating collaborative digital public goods like DiCRA (Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture). DiCRA is a collaborative digital public good which provides open access to key geospatial datasets pertinent to climate-resilient agriculture. DiCRA, which is curated by UNDP and partner organisations to inform public investments in agriculture, already provides intelligence on climate resilience for 50 million hectares of farmland across India. By partnering to enhance and scale its use, NABARD will host and maintain the DiCRA platform and use its key geospatial datasets for policy making, research and development activities, with UNDP’s technical support.   

This five-year technical cooperation is envisaged to foster collective climate action and create innovative platforms and new product offerings to enhance economic empowerment in rural India. Speaking on the occasion, Shaji KV, Chairman of NABARD, said, “NABARD is extremely excited about this collaboration with UNDP. This opens a sea of opportunities for the two organizations to leverage data and present it as a digital public infrastructure for the vast rural Indian community of farmers. We are looking forward to deeper ties with UNDP as we progress, and this MoU is a step towards this direction.” 

Reaffirming UNDP’s commitment, Isabelle Tschan, Deputy Resident Representative said, “Agriculture is the largest source of livelihoods in India employing 80 per cent of rural women who are more vulnerable to climate change. DiCRA uses cutting-edge data science and machine learning to identify farms that are resilient to climate change and those that are highly vulnerable. Such open data innovations can highlight best practices, optimize agriculture investments and shelter populations from risk. The collaboration with NABARD will strengthen our support to build sustainable agricultural practices and secure livelihoods reducing the vulnerability of small farm holders, especially women.”

Under the MoU, UNDP will leverage its

The partnership will promote innovation and digitalisation of PMFBY and strengthen risk financing for a resilient farm sector in India

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Absolute Foods, a leading bioscience company specialising in agri-tech, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the government of India’s flagship Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and enhance the resilience of the farmers.

The partnership between UNDP India and Absolute Foods aims to enhance the implementation of the PMFBY and the Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme by building technical capabilities of the scheme and digitalising service delivery of crop insurance and agricultural credit processes to increase the reach and uptake of the schemes. It will also promote credit profiling of farmers, agri-entrepreneurs, and Farmer Producers Organisations (FPOs), for accurate crop loss assessment and risk evaluation to mobilise agriculture financing.

UNDP and Absolute Foods will also use advanced technology and data-driven solutions to facilitate farmland identification and enhance farm monitoring, R&D, and analytical capabilities to facilitate data-driven policymaking and fraud analytics, ensuring efficient and transparent delivery of government support to vulnerable farmers.

Speaking on the partnership, Agam Khare, Founder & CEO, of Absolute Foods, says, “There are around 150 million farmers in India. We feel privileged to partner with UNDP India to enhance the risk resilience and protection of the farming community in India. With this collaboration, we are moving one step closer to achieving our goal of empowering farmer communities & making agriculture climate resilient in India.”

UNDP has been working with the Ministry of Agriculture & Family Welfare since 2018. In 2022, UNDP’s technical support unit at the Ministry helped reach out to 1.71 crore farmers through various information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns such as Crop

Insurance Week and organised more than 2.39 lakh Fasal Bima Pathshalas or crop insurance classroom sessions.

“Risk is an inherent part of agriculture and is one of the biggest roadblocks in improving the lives of farmer communities in India. This collaboration is an important step towards strengthening the risk and credit ecosystem for agriculture in India. UNDP India is committed to working with the government and partners to help farmers in India rise with resilience”, says Amit Kumar, Head, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, at UNDP India.

The partnership will promote innovation and digitalisation