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With research staff from more than 70 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

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David Spielman

David Spielman is the director of IFPRI’s Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit and has been with the institute since 2004. His research agenda covers a range of topics including agriculture and rural development policy; agricultural science, technology, and innovation; plant genetic resources and seed systems; agricultural extension and advisory services; and community-driven rural development.

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Development Strategies and Governance

Amit Burman

Project Coordinator

Bio

Amit Kumar Burman is a Project Coordinator in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit, based in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. Amit contributes to the formulation of indicators for inclusive agricultural transformation in collaboration with the government of Odisha, including identifying gaps in existing programs and devising strategies to enhance their effectiveness. In addition, he assists in drafting policy papers and briefs that provide guidance for various initiatives undertaken by the unit.

Amit has 20 years of experience in areas such as livelihood promotion, agribusiness, farmers’ producer organization (FPO) promotion, entrepreneurship, value chain development, and project management. Before joining IFPRI, he held leadership roles in both NGOs and government organizations and was instrumental in developing an ecosystem for agribusiness within the state of Jharkhand. He holds postgraduate degrees in rural management, including an MBA in human resources.

Languages: English, Hindi

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Publications

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Brief

Building resilient farmer producer organizations: Driving inclusive and sustainable rural transformation through collective strength

2026Kumar Burman, Amit; Bahera, Biswajit
Details

Building resilient farmer producer organizations: Driving inclusive and sustainable rural transformation through collective strength

Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) are increasingly recognized as engines of inclusive agricultural growth. By enabling small and marginal farmers to aggregate produce, access inputs, and improve bargaining power, FPOs hold the promise of transforming rural economies. Yet, many continue to struggle with weak governance structures, limited managerial capacity, and challenges in accessing markets and finance. To unlock their true potential, FPOs need systematic capacity-building. Recognizing this, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment (DA&FE), Government of Odisha, in collaboration with IFPRI, organized state-level trainings to strengthen FPOs across the state. Over three days, 130 representatives, including board members, chief executive officers (CEOs), and staff from 38 FPOs covering all districts, participated in three batches. The training was designed not only to impart technical knowledge but also to create a platform for peer learning, reflection, and problem-solving. The overarching goal was clear: move FPOs from scheme-driven entities to self-sustaining, market-ready businesses.

Year published

2026

Authors

Kumar Burman, Amit; Bahera, Biswajit

Citation

Kumar Burman, Amit; and Bahera, Biswajit. 2026. Building resilient farmer producer organizations: Driving inclusive and sustainable rural transformation through collective strength. IFPRI Project Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/181985

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Capacity Building; Resilience; Farmers Associations; Farmers; Rural Areas

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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Report

Report on capacity strengthening training on best practices in outcome assessment, data interpretation and agricultural policy analysis

2025Saroj, Sunil; Vidhani, Vandana Shankar; Kumar Burman, Amit
Details

Report on capacity strengthening training on best practices in outcome assessment, data interpretation and agricultural policy analysis

The Capacity Strengthening Workshop on Best Practices in Impact Evaluation, Data Interpretation, and Agricultural Policy Analysis (Phase 1) was conducted on April 22-23, 2025, aiming to build the foundational skills of fieldbased government officials in using agricultural data for informed decision-making. To strengthen its initiative on developing the Inclusive Agriculture Transformation (IAT) indicator, IFPRI has proposed a three-phased capacity-building program for key departmental staff. The objective is to enhance their understanding of the importance of data and its systematic maintenance. This initial phase focused on enhancing participants’ understanding of various agricultural datasets and equipping them with basic skills in data interpretation and visualization. The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary to Government, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha. The workshop was designed as part of a comprehensive capacity-building initiative to support the Inclusive Agriculture Transformation (IAT) framework, promoting evidence-based policy formulation and implementation.

Year published

2025

Authors

Saroj, Sunil; Vidhani, Vandana Shankar; Kumar Burman, Amit

Citation

Saroj, Sunil; Vidhani, Vandana Shankar; and Kumar Burman, Amit. 2025. Report on capacity strengthening training on best practices in outcome assessment, data interpretation and agricultural policy analysis. April 22-23, 2025 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. New Delhi: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176135

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agriculture; Capacity Development; Decision Making; Impact Assessment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Report

Resource thumbnail

Report

Report on capacity strengthening training on data interpretation and economic outcome analysis

2025Vidhani, Vandana; Kumar Burman, Amit
Details

Report on capacity strengthening training on data interpretation and economic outcome analysis

The Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (DAFE), Government of Odisha (GoO), in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), organized the second phase of the Capacity Strengthening Training on Data Interpretation and Economic Outcome Analysis on May 29–30, 2025, in Bhubaneswar. The training was inaugurated by Sri Subhranshu Mishra (OAS), Additional Secretary to Government, DAFE, GoO who emphasized the Department’s commitment to building a data-driven culture among its field officers. Building on the successful completion of Phase-I, which focused on foundational skills in data analysis, visualization, and policy evaluation, the second phase aimed to deepen participants’ capacity to apply advanced techniques in real-world contexts. In Phase-I, participants gained hands-on experience with national datasets such as NSSO, PLFS, and the Agricultural Census, while working with tools like Excel, STATA, R, and Python. Phase-II was designed to reinforce these skills while introducing more practical and applied elements of data use in agricultural planning.

Year published

2025

Authors

Vidhani, Vandana; Kumar Burman, Amit

Citation

Vidhani, Vandana Kumar; and Burman, Amit. 2026. Report on capacity strengthening training on data interpretation and economic outcome analysis. New Delhi, India: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/181298

Keywords

Capacity Building; Training; Data Analysis; Economic Situation

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Report

Blogs

Navigating growth challenges: Strengthening farmer producer organizations in Odisha, India
Event Post
 | 
April 02, 2025

Navigating growth challenges: Strengthening farmer producer organizations in Odisha, India

By Amit Burman, Shubhranshu Mishra, Sangram Keshari Pattanaik, and Vandana Vidhani

Research and training for better management.