Upholding Culture, Empowering the Community: Exploring ‘Agroforestry’ as a Development Model for Dongria Kondh

This study explores the potential, as well as the viability of ‘Agroforestry’ as a sustainable livelihood model for the Dongria Kondh tribe, residing in the Niyamgiri hilly region, Odisha. The community faces socio-economic marginalisation, limited access to commercial markets, and external threats to their traditional forest-based livelihood. This research accessed the applicability of ‘Agroforestry’ through secondary data analysis, policy reviews and semi-structured virtual interviews with stakeholders. Key challenges such as Land Rights, Market Accessibility, and Environmental Concerns are addressed, proposing a Structured Development Model integrating Biodiversity Conservation, Commercialisation of Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), and Cooperative based Market Linkage. The study contributes to policy discussions by highlighting gaps in the Forest Rights Act (2006) and the National Agroforestry Policy (2014). Findings suggest that Agroforestry can enhance livelihood resilience, ensuring economic and ecological sustainability for the Dongria Kondh.