Guwahati, June 6: Marking World Environment Day 2026, Assam-based development organization APRINS brought together leading experts, policymakers, development practitioners, and farmer institutions to deliberate on the future of agroforestry in Northeast India. The high-level Round Table Discussion, titled “Agroforestry Road Map – The Gaps and the Way Ahead for NE India,” was organised under APRINS’ Vasudha Initiative, a programme focused on climate change adaptation and ecological restoration across the region.
Held in Guwahati on Friday, the half-day policy dialogue featured participation from experts representing TERI, GIZ India, NRLM–NIRDPR, and the UNDP–GEF Small Grants Programme. Farmers and management representatives of Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) from across the Northeast joined the discussions virtually, ensuring grassroots voices were part of the conversation.
Welcoming the participants, APRINS Secretary Urmi Mala Mahanta underscored the urgency of developing sustainable and climate-resilient livelihood models for rural communities. The session was moderated by T. E. Rassull, Director of APRINS, while Chandan Borthakur, Managing Director of APRINS, delivered the opening remarks, highlighting the organisation’s long-standing commitment to ecological restoration, farmer empowerment, and sustainable rural development.
The deliberations focused on identifying key challenges limiting the adoption of agroforestry in the Northeast and exploring practical pathways to scale up community-led interventions.
Dr. Naba Kumar Goswami, Associate Director of TERI’s North East and Himalayan Centre, shared insights from years of field-based agroforestry interventions across the Northeast and Himalayan regions. He highlighted the need to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and field-level implementation while strengthening ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation.
Speaking on sustainable production systems, Dr. Jeherul Islam, State Coordinator for Northeast States at GIZ India, discussed innovative approaches linking aquaculture with agroforestry landscapes. Drawing on international experiences, he showcased models that integrate environmental sustainability with income generation for rural communities.
A. Mannan Choudhury, National Resource Person with NRLM–NIRDPR, presented lessons from successful agroforestry initiatives implemented in Bihar, Jharkhand and other states. He emphasized the importance of strong community institutions and farmer collectives in ensuring long-term sustainability and measurable impact.
Adding an international development perspective, Sounika Karmakar, Regional Coordinator for the Northeast Region under the SGP India (TERI) and UNDP–GEF programme, highlighted the success of community-driven environmental projects. She stressed that farmers must remain at the centre of planning and decision-making processes if agroforestry interventions are to achieve meaningful and lasting outcomes.
The round table examined ecosystem linkages unique to Northeast India, barriers to adoption of agroforestry practices, opportunities for convergence with government schemes, and potential collaborations with international development programmes. Participants also explored strategies to enhance farmer incomes while restoring degraded landscapes and strengthening climate resilience.
Complementing the policy discussions, APRINS organised a large-scale plantation drive across its network of Farmer Producer Companies on June 5, World Environment Day. The initiative aimed to translate dialogue into action by promoting ecological restoration and community participation across multiple states in the region.
Building Sustainable Rural Futures
Established in 2009, APRINS has emerged as a key development organisation working across Northeast India and other parts of the country. Through Farmer Producer Companies, fishery cooperatives and allied institutions, the organisation has impacted the lives of more than 50,000 farmers across the Northeast, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan, promoting sustainable livelihoods, climate resilience and community-led development.
The World Environment Day initiative reflects APRINS’ growing focus on creating scalable solutions that combine environmental conservation with economic opportunities for rural communities, particularly in ecologically sensitive regions such as Northeast India.