Bamboo is steadily emerging as a strong foundation for regenerative rural livelihoods in Odisha under the DAY-NRLM Bamboo Subsector Initiative.
On 23–24 February, Industree Foundation and Odisha Livelihoods Mission jointly 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 BMMU, DMMU and SMMU officials, reaffirming OLM’s commitment to implementing and scaling the bamboo subsector across the state.
The discussions focused on sustainable plantation models, nursery development, market-linked value chains, Primary Processing Units, and technical aspects of cultivation and post-plantation care. A key 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 under the subsector initiative.
This year marks a significant scale-up. The state is committed to mobilising 32750 additional women farmers with an ambitious target of planting nearly 20 lakh bamboo saplings across 12 districts.
The direction is clear: strengthen local value addition, expand green livelihoods, and enable more women to move towards becoming Lakhpati Didis.
