Livelihoods India Conference

AGRICULTURE BASED LIVELIHOODS

OPPORTUNITIES AND POTENTIAL

NOVEMBER 17, 2010

0930 to 1100 hrs

Inaugural Session

INTRODUCTION TO THE CONFERENCE and welcome

§   Vipin Sharma, CEO, ACCESS Development Services

ADDRESS

§   Steven Solnick, Representative (New Delhi), Ford Foundation  

RELEASE OF SOIL REPORT

BRIEF PRESENTATION ON THE SOIL REPORT

§   Sankar Datta, Dean, The Livelihood School

Inaugural address by the Guest of Honour

§   Dr. C.P. Joshi, Hon’ble Union Minister, MoRD, GoI

1100 to 1130 hrs

Networking Break

1130 to 1330 hrs

Plenary Session I - Agriculture based Livelihoods: Challenges for small holders

Nearly 80% of the farmers in India come under the category of ‘small and marginal farmers’. Though, policy frameworks have been developed to ensure and strengthen agriculture based livelihoods of poor and also to ensure rights and entitlements of the small and marginal land holders; owing to institutional and implementation challenges either these policies have not reached the small and marginal land holders or they have faced difficulties in accessing these.  Besides, policy issues, small and marginal farmers face several challenges like lack of access to markets, lack of access to resources, inability to maximize returns in the value chain and prone to high risks, to name a few. This session aims to dwell on some of these issues, and brainstorm on some effective solutions which can be implemented

CHAIR

§   Y C Nanda, Chairman, Agriculture Finance Corporation

PANELISTS

§   TS Papola, Honorary Professor, Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID)

§   Suhas Wani, Principal Scientist, ICRISAT

§   M L Mehta, Trustee-Secretary, Indian Institute of Health Management Research

§   Nisha Agrawal, CEO, Oxfam India

§   Soumen Biswas, Executive Director, PRADAN

1330 to 1430 hrs

Lunch

1430 to 1600 hrs

BREAK AWAY SESSIONS

Break Away Session I – Producer Collectives and Value Chains

In recent times, there has been enormous stress on the ability of producer collectives to effectively integrate poor primary producers into the mainstream value chains. This session will focus on various such experiences and examples of producer collectives like producer companies, federations, cooperatives, etc. In particular, it will discuss the key factors needed to establish a successful producer collective, learning from the field, existing arrangements for integration of producer collectives into mainstream markets, etc.

moderator

§   Parmesh Shah, Senior Rural Development Specialist for the South Asia Region, World Bank

PANELISTS

§   D Narendranath, Head, Research and Resource Centre, PRADAN

§   Hemant Gaur, Programme Director, BAIF Agri-business

§   Amar Prasad, Chief Executive Officer, Grameen Vikas Trust

§   Narasimha Reddy Donthi, Advisor, 'OORVI' Agricultural Products India Pvt Ltd

§   Yogesh Ghore, Senior Program Staff, Coady International Institute

Break Away Session II – Women in Agriculture

Women farmers are generally invisible to the public agriculture agenda. Despite the fact that women contribute more labour to Indian agriculture than men, land remains almost solely in male hands, and women also get lower returns for their work due to gender discrimination. They are further subject to discrimination in terms of their active role in decision processes related to agriculture, equity in sharing of income and benefits, rights over resources, social restrictions for their engagement in the markets etc.  This session aims to dwell on how women farmers can be recognized for their contribution, given equitable share of ownership, income as well as decision making, and thus aid their overall empowerment. The session will also explore on key learning on inclusion and how they can be mainstreamed in the sector.

MODERATOR

§   Belinda Bennet, Head of South Asia, Christian Aid UK

PANELISTS

§   Prema Gera, Assistant Country Director & Head, Poverty Unit, UNDP

§   Tara S. Nair, Associate Professor, Gujarat Institute of Development Research

§   Anshu Bhartia, CEO, FWWB

§   T S Raji Gian, General Manager, NRMC, NABARD

Break Away Session III – Agri Extension: New generation paradigms

Though there are mandated govt. programs and agencies for agri extension and they have the ability to work at scale, they have limitations in terms of efficiency to reach small and marginal farmers and facilitate adoption. On the other hand, while the private sector and civil society have innovative programs of agri extension, they lack reach and the ability to work at scale. There is a need to integrate these two and also upscale agri extension initiatives on the whole. The session intends to bring in convergence of both the extension methodologies and hence help to initiate a dialogue on integration of best practices and scaling up strategies.

CHAIR

§   Rajiv Mehrishi, Additional Secretary, DARE and Secretary, ICAR

PANELISTS

§   Rikin Gandhi, CEO, Digital Green

§   S L Mehta, Chairman, Research Programme Committee, NAIP

§   Sankar Acharya, Professor and Head, Department of Agriculture Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya

§   Rajeev Dar, CEO, Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals

§   M K Mudgal, General Manager, NABARD, Orissa Regional Office*

1600 to 1615 hrs

Networking Break

1615 to 1745 hrs

Plenary Session II- National Rural Livelihoods Mission: Issues and challenges

The need for a coherent approach towards ensuring sustainable rural livelihoods is very well buttonholed by the NRLM. The mission involves selection of key activities, planning of activity clusters, organization of the poor into SHGs and building their capacities through social mobilization, training and skill development, creation of infrastructure, technological and marketing support, etc. The session aims to dwell upon whether or not NRLM, with its multi faceted approach, be the cornerstone of India’s national poverty reduction strategy.

CHAIR

§   Arvind Mayaram, Additional Secy and Financial Advisor, MoRD

PANELISTS

§   T Vijay Kumar, Joint Secretary, MoRD

§   Biswajit Sen, Rural Development Specialist, Agriculture and Rural Development Unit, South Asia Region, World Bank

§   Rita Teaotia, Principal Secretary, Rural Development Department, Govt. of Gujarat

§   Vipin Sharma, CEO, ACCESS

§   Prakash Bakshi, Executive Director, NABARD*

November 18, 2010

0900 to 1015 hrs

Plenary Session III - Private Sector and Agri Value Chains

The private sector’s role in strengthening and revitalizing the agriculture sector is critical. But how can private sector engagement improve agri production and productivity through better input supply? What is their role in improving markets for agri produce to increase returns to the farmers? These questions need answers, and soon. There have been private sector initiatives and models for integrating marginal producers into mainstream value chains and hence contributing to their improved incomes. This session aims to deliberate on various such models, initiatives, challenges and concerns over the role of the private sector in agriculture.

MODERATOR

§   Malcolm Harper, Professor Emeritus, Cranfield University, UK

PANELISTS

§   Arijit Dutta, MD, IGS, BASIX

§   Ram Swamy, Vice President, Reliance Food Processing Solutions Ltd.

§   Venkatram Vasantavada, Sales Director, Pioneer-Hi-Bred International

§   Shailesh Naik, GM & Head – E Choupal, ITC*

§   Smita Premchander, Secretary, Sampark

1015 to 1030 hrs

Networking Break

1030 to 1200 hrs

Plenary Session IV - NREGP Convergence with Agri Programmes

There have been several recent discussions on how NREGP can help revive agriculture in India, given its success in generating employment opportunities in rural areas. This session aims to identify critical areas, methodologies and ways which can help this convergence and the role that other stakeholders need to play.

CHAIR

§   Deep Joshi, Member, NAC

panelists

§   Suryamani Roul, Senior Vice President, ACCESS

§   K S Gopal, Centre for Environment Concerns

§   Ashwini Kumar, CEO, Development Support Agency of Gujarat and Joint Secretary, Tribal Development Department

§   P C Kishen, Collector, Dungarpur

§   Nilay Ranjan, Rural Development Convergence Expert, NREGA Division,
Ministry of Rural Development, GoI

§   A Murali, Project Director, NREGS, Ministry of Rural Development, Govt of Andhra Pradesh

1200 to 1330 hrs

BREAK AWAY SESSIONS

Break Away Session IV – Agro Processing: An emerging sub-sector

70% of India’s population is engaged in agriculture. However, agriculture alone is no longer able to provide a reliable livelihood for the growing population, and has become an almost stagnant sector. Alternative or additional income generating opportunities are needed to support the millions of poor families engaged in agriculture, and agro-processing has the potential to provide those opportunities. The aim of this session is to discuss how agro-processing can become widespread and integrated into the rural economy to increase rural incomes.  The session also intends to understand and deliberate on successful cases and hence identify caveats and draw learning.

CHAIR

§  Gokul Patnaik, Chairman, Global Agri System Pvt. Ltd.

PANELISTS

§  Ashok Kumar, Director, Enterprise Promotion & BDS
EDA Rural Systems Private Ltd  

§  Gavin Wall, FAO Representative in India

• Sanjeev Srivastwa, Kautilya Phytoextracts Pvt. Ltd.
• Satyajit Singh, CEO, Shakti Sudha

Break Away Session V - Social Enterprises: An emerging  model

Social enterprises are social mission driven organizations which apply market-based strategies to achieve a social purpose. They try to combine the business acumen of the private sector and the social objective of the development sector. This session will attempt to share experiences on efforts to develop social enterprises and their potential to integrate the poor into the mainstream.

Moderator

§  Vineet Rai, Founder & CEO, Aavishkaar

panelists

§  Paul Basil, Founder & CEO, Villgro

§  Niraj Subrat, Vice President-Marketing, IDEI

§  Reshma Anand, Founder and CEO, Earthy Goods

§  Madhukar Shukla, Professor, XLRI Jamshedpur

§  Lokendra Chauhan, nDimensions Research and training Servics Pvt. Ltd.

Break Away Session VI – Market Development Approach: A shift in paradigm

Market development has evolved as a new approach to livelihood promotion and attempts to create sustainable solutions for the poor through integration with the market. This session aims to share experiences and learning around this concept as well as highlight models and cases around the market development approach for poverty reduction.

Moderator

§  Vanita Viswanath, CEO, Udyogini

panelists

§  Rajiv Pradhan, Country Director – Bangladesh, International Development Enterprises (IDE)

§  Meenakshi Nath, Senior Programme Manager, DFID

§  Bindu Ananth, President, IFMR Trust

§  Somnath Bandyopadhyay, Senior Programme Officer, Aga Khan Foundation

1330 to 1430 hrs

lunch

1430 to 1600 hrs

Plenary session V – Food Security

The sense of comfort over India's food security is somewhat misplaced and both the availability of produce and controlling prices remain challenges needing focused attention on farm productivity. Also, the recent stress on the National Food Security Bill, under which the poor would be eligible for a prescribed quantity of foodgrains at cheap rates, has further highlighted the debate on food security. This session will try to develop a link between agriculture and this issue and dwell on how food security for the poor can be realized in the best possible manner.

Moderator

§   K. Raju, Jt. Secretary, NAC

panelists

§   Mattia Prayer Galletti, Country Programme Manager, IFAD

§   J C Mohanty, Mission Director (NFSM), Commissioner (Agri), Govt. of Rajasthan

§   M C Diwaker, Director, Directorate of Rice Development, Patna

§   Biraj Patnaik, Principal Adviser, Office of the Commissioners to the Supreme Court on the Right to Food

§   P V Satheesh, Director, Deccan Development Society

§   Vanita Suneja, Lead Specialist, Economic Justice, OXFAM India

1600 to 1615 hrs

Networking Break

1615 to 1730 hrs

Valedictory Session

Keynote Address

§   Agatha Sangma, Hon’ble Minister of State for Rural Development, Govt. of India*

Valedictory ADDRESS

§   Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP India Director*

§   Brij Mohan, Chairman, ACCESS Development Services

RELEASE OF SITARAM RAO LIVELIHOODS INDIA CASE STUDY COMPETITION COMPENDIUM AND DISTRIBUTION OF AWARDS

§   Pierre Hedel, Managing Director, Rabobank Foundation