Context and Rationale:

Land tenure in Northeast India is highly complex and diverse, differing significantly from the rest of the country. It is a mix of traditional, customary systems and modern, state-regulated frameworks. The customary land tenure system, predominantly in hill areas under Article 371 A, C and G in the states of Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, centers on community, clan or village ownership where tribal communities manage land under traditional laws, with households holding use rights allocated by a tribal chief or authority, such as in jhum or shifting cultivation. Individual ownership also exists, primarily for homesteads and permanent agricultural land, often with rights transferable only within the tribal community. The state-regulated system coexists with customary law where the government maintains a system of land records and titles, particularly in urban areas and for non-tribal communities. The Sixth Schedule empowers Autonomous District Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram to govern land, forests, and resources through local customs. In practice, however, these councils often struggle to balance traditional governance with contemporary developmental demands. The governance system which often goes unnoticed in the process is the traditional village institutions which is rooted in customary laws where clan elders, and village chiefs or headmen governs the land, resources, and social matters. Examples include the Dorbar system in Meghalaya and the village councils in Nagaland, serving roles in dispute resolution and resource management. These indigenous institutions, while facing challenges from modernization and market penetration, continue to play a role in local administration and cultural preservation.

Northeast India is a region of immense cultural and ecological diversity but faces significant developmental and livelihood challenges. Food security remains fragile, with small and marginal farmers forming the backbone of agriculture. Practices such as jhum, while often misunderstood, is a deeply embedded cultural practice and a sophisticated form of landscape management that has evolved over centuries. It's a system that has long supported local food systems and contributed to the region's unique agrobiodiversity. However, multiple pressures are reshaping this system:

• Climate vulnerability: Erratic rainfall and extreme weather events caused by climate change are reducing crop yields and threatening farming stability.

• Cash crop dependence: Shift toward cash crops increases economic gains but intensifies vulnerability by making communities reliant on market demands thereby losing native germplasm.

• Land tenure issues: Customary land governance often clashes with formal land titles, creating insecurity and discouraging long-term, resilient agricultural investments.

• Gender inequities in land rights: Women, despite being primary cultivators, often lack ownership or secure tenure rights, limiting their access to credit, cooperatives, and decision-making power.

• Demographic and social shifts: Youth migration to urban centers, and evolving dietary preferences are straining traditional food systems and farmer livelihoods.

Against this backdrop, there is an urgent need to create space for dialogue that bridges indigenous knowledge, governance systems, and modern institutional mechanisms in order to build sustainable, equitable, and resilient food systems for the region.

Objectives of the session:

The session is proposed to initiate discussion around the topics:

• Integrate Traditional and Modern Practices: Explore how native germplasm, indigenous knowledge and traditional farming systems like jhum can be integrated with modern, climate-resilient technologies and practices, including agroforestry, organic farming while conserving the traditional crop varieties.

• Strengthen Land Governance: Examine the complexities of formalizing land tenure in a way that respects community ownership. The discussion will focus on securing land rights to empower marginal, tenant farmers and women, enabling them to access credit, investment, and greater control over their resources.

• Highlight Local Innovations: Showcase successful, community-led initiatives and grassroots enterprises that are revitalizing the agricultural sector through innovative farming practices, value-added products, farm to market linkages and promoting local food production.

• Inform Policy: Discuss the role of government schemes, research institutions, and civil society organizations in creating a supportive ecosystem for marginal, tenant and women farmers.  The discussion will focus on policies that promotes crop diversification, value chain development, and infrastructure improvements for strengthening the food system and farmers livelihood.

These objectives aim to create an inclusive space where diverse participants can share insights, challenge assumptions, and co-create solutions tailored to Northeast India's unique context.