Strengthening Regenerative Bamboo Livelihoods in Odisha | State-level Workshop

Bamboo continues to emerge as a strong foundation for regenerative rural livelihoods in Odisha under the DAY-NRLM Bamboo Subsector Initiative.

On 23–24 February, Industree Foundation, in partnership with the Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM), convened the 2nd State Level Workshop on Bamboo and Thriving Demand for Regenerative Livelihoods for Lakhpati Didis. The workshop brought together 60 participants from 12 districts, including officials from BMMU, DMMU, and SMMU, reaffirming OLM’s commitment to scaling the bamboo subsector across the state.

Key discussions focused on sustainable plantation models, nursery development, market-linked value chains, Primary Processing Units, and best practices in cultivation and post-plantation care. A dedicated session by MGNREGS highlighted convergence pathways to support expansion at scale.

Over the past year, 5,000 women farmers across multiple districts have taken up bamboo plantation, collectively planting thousands of saplings. Building on this momentum, the state has committed to mobilising 32,750 additional women farmers this year, with a target of planting nearly 20 lakh bamboo saplings across 12 districts.

The roadmap ahead is clear: strengthen local value addition, expand green livelihoods, and enable more women to move towards becoming Lakhpati Didis—driving climate resilience and rural prosperity through bamboo.