BRLF envisions sustainable livelihoods as a pathway to holistic prosperity, empowerment, and dignity for vulnerable rural communities, especially women and Adivasis. BRLF’s mission is to transform the lives and livelihoods of these communities by collaborating with governments, civil society organisations (CSOs), and other stakeholders to enhance civil society action in the effective implementation of flagship schemes like MGNREGA.

For the fiscal year 2024-25, INR 86000 crores have been allocated for asset creation under the MGNREGA. This scheme was designed to provide relief during times of distress and promote long-term drought and flood-proofing of Indian agriculture, transforming “Today’s wage into Tomorrow’s livelihood.” The benefits structured by the Act aim to guide the economy towards a more sustainable growth trajectory, making it less vulnerable to climate fluctuations and more effective in reducing poverty.

Furthermore, MGNREGA aims to decrease dependency on state-sponsored work guarantees over time, allowing communities to engage in advanced agriculture and other entrepreneurial activities independently. This model enhances sustainability, ensuring that the funds spent on employment guarantee yield productive outcomes both environmentally and fiscally. To this end, the panel will share strategies adopted by government and NGO collaborative initiatives to promote equity and inclusion in the planning and utilisation of MGNREGA allocations for improved results.

The panel will delve into field intervention experiences that encourage the participation of women and marginalised communities in the planning processes. BRLF will consider ecological, economic, social, and cultural design elements when executing this flagship scheme. We will also use operational insights to enhance process efficiency while ensuring a sustained, long-term shift towards sustainable rural livelihoods for all. We expect the discussions to explore successes and failures, challenges and critical turning points in the strategies shared by the panellists. We aim to identify core design and practice principles that should inform the framework of large-scale sustainable livelihood initiatives, enabling effective on-ground GO-NGO collaborations.

Diversified livelihood strategies can foster a conservation-oriented and regenerative approach to our food systems. Accelerating the adoption of sustainable production methods and technologies is urgently needed to achieve tipping points for systemic change within the agri-food sector.

This panel will focus on emerging prototypes of livelihood interventions that integrate enhanced practices for top-soil regeneration, organic matter restoration, biodiversity enhancement, and increased water retention and groundwater recharge capacity. Integrated farming systems across various agroecological zones represent one such practice with the potential to provide sustainable income to farmers while positively contributing to the ecological cycles in which these production and farm management systems operate. When these practices are combined with social change processes that promote equity and inclusion, they can catalyse complex transformative systems.

Through this panel discussion, we aim to explore the potential of emerging prototypes to address the complex challenges faced by agricultural and sustainable livelihoods in tribal and vulnerable communities. Using a critical line of inquiry, we will identify emerging technologies, prototypes, and models demonstrating exemplary impact while abstracting the core principles for successful livelihood interventions in different agro-ecological zones.

Significant social capital is embedded in community institutions such as Collectives and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). Numerous studies highlight the challenges faced by FPOs in the country today, stemming from the complex policy landscape, the emerging need for diversified mandates, and the necessity for an institutional structure that promotes agency, resilience, and equity with autonomous and effective governance.

The panel will discuss a framework for community institutions that fosters the convergence of resources and expertise while strengthening the structures and systems that embody their members’ equity and agency. This approach aims to create effective, credible, and resilient institutions capable of responding to the challenges posed by climate change and the country’s increasing social inequities. Through the panel discussions, we aim to develop a blueprint for future-ready community organisations.

The conversations will focus on defining the nature and structure of these institutions in India. By sharing existing prototypes and exploring their potential, the deliberations will highlight key design principles, policy considerations, and interventions that cultivate an ecosystem of inclusive and effective community institutions with the power to enable sustainable rural livelihoods for all.

Significant public investments are being made in India to strengthen the rural economy and improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities, particularly tribal populations and women Optimising collaborative advantages through inter-sectoral partnerships is essential to tackle poverty and promote sustainable livelihoods. This approach will facilitate the convergence of resources, infrastructure, and expertise at multiple levels.

Over the past few decades, numerous initiatives have emerged across the country, highlighting the potential of the convergence approach. The panel on “New Ways of Organizing for Collaborative Advantage” aims to deepen our understanding of the processes and key elements involved in designing and developing collaborative impact models. Discussions will focus on what is required to create an institutional bricolage architecture, which allows key stakeholders’ collective wisdom, knowledge, resources, and expertise to come together and enhance development processes.

The BRLF state partnership model has successfully enabled communities, people’s institutions, government entities, civil society organisations, ecosystem enablers, and funding organisations to collaboratively design and implement sustainable livelihood strategies grounded in equity, inclusion, and operational excellence. While the panel will showcase curated experiences of implementing strategies, key principles, and operational designs that inform the blueprint of institutional architecture for such multi-sectoral collaborative initiatives, it will also encourage participants to reflect on vulnerabilities or weaknesses in these initiatives to identify future pathways for solutions.