CYSD is committed to advancing sustainable livelihoods for the remote tribal and rural poor of Odisha, focusing on women, smallholder farmers, and migrants in both farm and non-farm sectors. This strategy helps reduce poverty and ensures household food and nutrition security.

Operating primarily in rain-fed regions, where agriculture, livestock, and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) are main livelihoods, CYSD optimizes employment in agriculture, horticulture and allied sectors and aids landless households, agricultural labourers, and small landowners through various practices:

Climate-resilient agriculture: organic farming, Non-Pesticide Management (NPM), bio-inputs, indigenous seed preservation, cost-effective agronomy, farm mechanization, and renewable energy.
Sustainable agro-enterprises, integrated livestock development, and climate-smart agriculture.
Formation and strengthening of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), farmers' groups, primary producers' groups, and federations with capacity building.
Facilitating access to microfinance, government schemes, market linkages, and collective marketing.
Promotion of millet production and consumption, emphasizing Minimum Support Prices (MSP).
Skill-building support for off-farm and non-farm micro and social enterprises.
Ensuring wage employment through MGNREGA and connecting individuals with social security entitlements.

CYSD has been working to transition from a productivity-centric approach to ‘Community Food Systems’ focusing on diverse and multi-cropping systems for food security. This shift encompasses various elements including production, processing, distribution and consumption, with an increasing focus on climate-smart agriculture. All along, evidence-based research guides the formulation of for pro-poor policies, and convergence with government programs, private entities, and knowledge centres ensures sustainability. Overall, CYSD’s strategy addresses immediate needs and long-term sustainability for the rural poor, especially in underdeveloped tribal areas of Odisha.

Strategic Interventions

Formation and Capacity Building of Community-Based Institutions

Community-based institutions are the foundation for livelihood interventions, including Self Help Groups, producer groups, and Village Development Committees at the micro watershed level. Additional organizations like Vana Sanrakshana Samiti, Common Interest Groups, User Groups, and SHG federations are also promoted, focusing on empowering women to lead livelihood activities and assert their rights over productive assets. CYSD builds the capacity of these community-based organizations (CBOs) through training on gender sensitization, leadership, infrastructure maintenance, PRI, tribal rights, communications, self-evaluation, group dynamics, grassroots organization management, funds management, and accounts. Training also covers participatory planning, land and water management, agriculture and horticulture development, off-farm activities (poultry, goatery, dairy, pisciculture, duck farming), and vocational skills for unemployed youths, empowering CBOs to implement programs effectively. CYSD’s support also focuses on value addition processes, product collectivization, enterprise promotion, climate-resilient farm practices, production enhancement, technology adoption, and governance structure improvement through better entitlement access.

Enhancing Access to and Sustainable Benefits from Community Resources

CYSD empowers communities on forest, land, and water rights through the Forest Rights Act (FRA), Vasundhara, and Mo Jami Mo Diha initiatives. Care is taken to strengthen community institutions like Forest Rights Committees, Water User Associations, and Van Samrakhyan Samitis, raise awareness of development programs, and build institutional structures at the community and panchayat levels. Additionally, CYSD strives to ensure effective policy implementation to enhance tribal livelihoods and advocates for policies addressing poverty and vulnerability.

Family Based Livelihood Development

In Odisha, 22.13% of the population comprises the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, whose livelihood is mainly reliant on forest resources, agriculture, and animal husbandry. However, their livelihoods face risks due to traditional implementation strategies, inadequate sustainable local institutions, lack of infrastructure linkages, and incomplete value chain solutions.

The Family-based Livelihoods Development program seeks to enhance the socio-economic status of targeted tribal families, empower them to access benefits from various programs, and implement sustainable livelihood development practices. It also aims to build capacities among tribal youth and promote enterprises at the village level to foster economic growth and resilience within the ST communities.

Optimizing the Value Chain for Rural Products to Benefit the Rural Poor

The organization improves the lower value chain by introducing simple technology, enhancing marketing capacity, and providing business development services. Care is taken to empower local youth and women as value chain actors and entrepreneurs, create market information systems, establish market information boards, set procurement prices, and register traders for non-timber forest products (NTFPs). A great deal of attention is paid to strengthening marketing institutions and infrastructure and creating a multi-actor platform for livelihood planning, boosting household returns, especially in tribal regions.

Enhancing Skills for Improved Youth Employability

CYSD analyses demand and skill gaps in tribal districts to identify in-demand skills and address unemployment through training. They offer vocational training in areas such as nursery raising, medicinal plant cultivation, horticulture, mushroom cultivation, dairy, poultry, pisciculture, beekeeping, NTFP-based livelihoods, food processing, manufacturing building materials, masonry, and carpentry. This training empowers youth to pursue self-employment. CYSD also supports trained youth by helping them prepare business development plans and connect with financial institutions to start their own enterprises.

Strengthening Climate Resilience and Community Initiatives

CYSD promotes climate change adaptation by encouraging the use of indigenous seeds and innovative technologies, such as low water consumption in highland areas and waterlogging resistance in coastal regions. Care is taken to also emphasize the protection and use of forest resources to enhance livelihood resilience for the poor and vulnerable. Additionally, CYSD fosters collective action around natural resources and value chains to reduce transaction costs and share risks at the community level.

Entrepreneurship Development Programme

CYSD promotes entrepreneurship to boost community income, focusing on NTFP and non-farm enterprises like goat farming, duck farming, blacksmithing, vegetable vending, grocery shops, teashops, mushroom farming, incense stick making, and liquid soap preparation. CYSD’s "aggregate marketing model" helps producers realize the commercial value of their products through collective marketing, achieving scale, adding value, and engaging with markets as equal participants.

The organization also promotes collective marketing for NTFP products, sensitizing producer groups on its benefits and regularly sharing market information to help them sell at higher prices. As a result, mango, tamarind, jackfruit, and vegetables are marketed collectively. CYSD is piloting enterprise promotion for medicinal plants like Amla and Tulsi, with linkages to Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) and Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation Ltd. (TDCCOL) for capacity building in NTFP value addition. Care is taken to form tie-ups with private companies for product marketing and facilitating producers' participation in district and state-level events like “PARAB” and “Adivasi Mela” to showcase and sell their products.

Fostering Convergence and Collaboration

CYSD fosters collaborations with government departments to drive integrated livelihood initiatives. Multi-stakeholder consultations at the Gram Panchayat, Block, and District levels explore opportunities with administrations, including ITDAs, ATMA, and departments like Horticulture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Soil Conservation. These collaborations result in input linkages, capacity building, and durable livelihood assets creation, including irrigation facilities.

These efforts also help upscale programs by converging with flagship initiatives such as MGNREGA, SCA to TSS, State Plan, Jalanidhi-II, Odisha Millets Mission, Integrated Farming Promotion, National Food Security Mission, Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Odisha Livelihoods Mission, Mission Shakti, Jeevika Mission, PMKSY, and Social Security Schemes.

Policy Engagement for Improved Livelihoods of the Poor, Especially Tribals

CYSD works to implement government policies on tribal access to land and forest products. To this end, the centre conducts studies to better understand key policy issues and champion the rights of the poor and marginalized, especially women.

Programme Interventions

Promoting Community Based Institutions

Community-based institutions form the base for promoting livelihood interventions. The basic community-level organizations at the village level are the Self Help Groups, producer groups, and the Village Development Committees at the micro watershed level. Besides, community organizations like Vana Sanrakshana Samiti (VSS), Common Interest Groups, User Groups and SHG federation at the cluster level are also promoted. The focus of the activity is to empower women members to take a lead role in livelihood activities, to assert their rights over productive assets, and access inputs and services related to livelihoods from mainstream agencies

Integrated Watershed Development (IWD)

In partnership with the Government of Odisha's ST & SC Development Program, CYSD's Integrated Watershed program empowers tribals, enhances year-round food security, increases family income, reduces stress and migration, and restores ecological balance through natural resource conservation and development. Key objectives include water conservation, soil erosion prevention, improving land productivity, sustainable agriculture, livestock productivity, and creating self-employment opportunities. The program emphasizes participatory processes, community building, self-reliance, and respecting indigenous knowledge, targeting traditionally excluded households, such as the landless, destitute, disabled, and those outside Self Help Groups.

Vegetable Cultivation

A significant amount of land is dedicated to vegetable cultivation. Our promotion efforts focus on high-yield champion crops such as chili, brinjal, cauliflower, potato, coriander, tomato, beans, ginger, pumpkin, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, capsicum, and onion. In executing these activities, we have maintained a consistent approach by employing an improved package of practices. This includes techniques such as raising local nurseries with advanced technology, obtaining organic certification for select products like onion, brinjal, and finger millet, and enhancing the capacity of beneficiaries through tailored training modules. The cultivation of vegetables not only bolsters self-sufficiency among farming households but also diversifies their food sources, thereby enhancing both their nutritional security and income.

Horticulture Promotion

CYSD actively promotes horticulture through a cluster-based approach, focusing on high-yield vegetable crops and fruit tree plantations, as well as nurturing nutri-gardens. Fruit tree plantation initiatives have covered vast areas of land, benefiting thousands of rural and tribal households. Our plantation activities include mango, cashew, guava, sapota, and lemongrass, among others, providing farmers with a sustained income from even modest plots of land.

Strengthening Forest and Forest based Livelihoods (SFFL)

The Strengthening Forest and Forest-Based Livelihoods program aims to enhance forest quality and increase income for forest-dependent communities by: (1) Establishing robust producer collectives focused on Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and enhancing product value in the supply chain, (2) Introducing alternative livelihoods to boost community income while reducing reliance on forest product harvesting, and (3) Securing resources and forging strategic partnerships with mainstream development programs to ensure program sustainability beyond the project period.

Strengthening Small Holder Agriculture (SSHA)

The Strengthening Small Holder Agriculture program aims to enhance the livelihood capabilities of vulnerable communities, particularly small, marginal, and women farmers, through participatory action, training, capacity building, evidence-based research, and advocacy. Key focus areas include developing climate-resilient models and improving small holder productivity to ensure adequate and nutritious food access through sustainable agricultural practices. Models such as Community Farming, Kitchen Gardens, Farm Ponds, and Horticulture have been introduced.

The program also aims to:

Increase access of small holders, especially women farmers, to mainstream development programs.
Enhance resilience and income of small holders through sustainable production systems.
Improve access to public investments for small holders, particularly women farmers, and promote decentralized planning processes.

Efforts include promoting organic and traditional farming practices for sustainability, enhancing community capacity to participate in village agriculture planning, and ensuring accountability in governance for plan implementation. Improved practices such as line sowing, the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), the use of organic manures and pest management practices, improved seed varieties, mixed cropping, crop rotation, crop diversification are being promoted. We are also working in convergence with mainstream agencies and schemes to secure better quality inputs, farm implements, and extension services. Some of these include RKVY, NHM, OTELP, and the Agriculture and Horticulture Department.

The program emphasizes increasing women farmers' access and control over productive assets, particularly land, under various schemes, and advocates for better targeting of small holders and women farmers in policy initiatives.

Skilling for Employability and Entrepreneurship

A: Training for Agriculture Youth Graduates

CYSD, the nodal training institute in Odisha, collaborates with MANAGE, Hyderabad, for the Agri-Clinic and Agri-Business Centre (ACaBC) scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. This partnership aims to enhance agricultural extension services by promoting agri-entrepreneurs. Agriculture graduates from various districts in Odisha receive 60 days of residential training, along with support for business planning and financial institution linkage. As a result, many trainees have launched ventures such as plant protection and farm equipment units, soil testing labs, tissue culture labs, inland fisheries, mushroom farms, and dairy farms. Hundreds of agri-allied professionals trained by CYSD now support over 30,000 farmers across the state.

B: Empowering Youth: Microfinance and Financial Inclusion Training Initiatives by CYSD

CYSD strives to promote community-managed microfinance systems that enable women aged 18-24 to start micro-enterprises and achieve financial inclusion. Additionally, it supports job-oriented vocational training for vulnerable and excluded young men and women in the same age group, helping them access decent employment opportunities.

C: Skills for Life: Vocational Training for Urban and Rural Unemployed Youth

CYSD aims to provide skill training to disadvantaged urban youths to make them employable and help them earn their livelihoods. This training helps equip them to take advantage of upcoming job opportunities in the retail sector, addressing the demand-supply gap in this industry. The key objectives include training disadvantaged urban youth as retail associates and ensuring the employment and post-employment retention of at least 70% of candidates.

Additionally, CYSD plans to build strong networks with retail outlets and employers to meet their workforce demand by appropriately skilling youth. The program will offer tailor-made, need-based training in areas such as language and communication, life and positive thinking, personality development, management, and behavioural skills.

CYSD has also been consistently striving to develop vocational skills among rural and tribal youth, both women and men, through training programs in computer education, four-wheeler driving, tailoring, embroidery, and electrical repair.

Agriculture Production Cluster Promotion

CYSD adopts the Agriculture Cluster Approach to enhance productivity, market access, and sustainability among small and marginal farmers. By organizing farmers into clusters based on geographic proximity and common crop patterns, CYSD facilitates collective input procurement, synchronized cultivation, and improved access to extension services. This approach strengthens Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) by fostering economies of scale, promoting climate-resilient practices, and ensuring better price realization through collective marketing. Through initiatives like the Odisha Millet Mission (OMM) and Natural Farming promotion, CYSD integrates sustainable agricultural techniques, supports value addition, and links farmers to institutional buyers. This model not only reduces individual risks but also empowers farmers to negotiate better terms, ensuring long-term agricultural resilience and livelihood security.

Innovations

Capacity Building of Community Based Institutions

CYSD takes up the capacity building of community-based organizations (CBOs) to enable and empower them to take up responsibilities for implementing the programs. Training on different themes such as gender sensitization, leadership, mainten...

Micro Irrigation and Drought Proofing Models

CYSD has been promoting micro-irrigation and drought-proofing models to enhance groundwater recharge, allowing for additional areas to be cultivated and enabling the growth of two crops per year on the same land. 5% Corner Pit Model: This in-situ ra...

Sustainable Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the primary sources of livelihoods of the tribals, the effort is being taken by the organization to improve the agricultural practices resulting in an increase in productivity of crops and thereby ensuring year-round food securi...

Natural Resource Management

In order to enhance the livelihoods of community members in a sustained manner, it is necessary not only to capacitate them on improved agricultural practices but also to focus on the preservation, management, and regeneration of natural resources in...

Livestock Rearing

Livestock rearing, conducted alongside agriculture and horticulture, is considered a highly profitable venture for securing sustainable livelihoods among the landless, small, and marginal farmers in rural Odisha. Over the years, we have engaged thous...

Collective Marketing/ Enterprise Promotion

Entrepreneurship is also one of the core areas being promoted by the organization to enhance the income of the people. NTFP as well as non-farm based enterprise are taken up by the community members. Non-farm based enterprise include goatery, duckery...

Employment Generation

The land development work, which is done in convergence with MGNREGS, not only generates employment for the people but also creates sustainable productive assets for the people like farm pond, cultivable land....

Seeds Bank

CYSD’s Seed Bank initiative plays a crucial role in promoting agricultural resilience and self-sufficiency among small and marginal farmers. By preserving and distributing high-quality indigenous and climate-resilient seeds, the Seed Bank ensur...

Bio-Digester Plant

CYSD's Bio-Digester Model utilizes cow dung to generate biogas, providing a clean cooking fuel alternative and reducing firewood dependence. The process also produces nutrient-rich organic slurry, enhancing soil fertility for sustainable farming. Cur...

Seed Dibbling

CYSD's adoption of seed dibbling innovation is a strategic step towards climate resilience and environmental sustainability. Seed dibbling is a simple and effective method of planting seeds directly into the soil by making small holes at the right de...

Bio Resource Centre

For advancing natural farming practices and strengthening community-based agriculture, Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs) have been set up in each operational areas. BRCs play a key role in producing and supplying natural farming inputs, such as ...