ITANAGAR : The Arunachal Pradesh Jaiv Vividhata and Mvm Liid Soonam/Beej Utsav 2026, along with a stakeholder consultation on Biohappiness and Climate Resilience, will be held on May 28 and 29 at Government Higher Secondary School, Yazali in Keyi Panyor district.
The two-day programme is being co-organised by the Office of the 16th Yachuli MLA, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Keyi Panyor, Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ArSRLM) and the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai.
The event will bring together farmers, indigenous community representatives, policymakers, researchers, scientists, civil society organisations, youth groups and development practitioners to deliberate on agrobiodiversity conservation, indigenous seed systems, climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods and traditional ecological knowledge systems in Arunachal Pradesh.
A major highlight of the programme will be the Arunachal Seed Festival and Agrobiodiversity & Sustainable Livelihoods Exhibition, where community seed conservers, particularly from the Nyishi and Apatani communities, along with government departments, farmer groups and grassroots institutions, will showcase indigenous crop varieties, traditional farming practices, biodiversity-based livelihoods and sustainable innovations.
The consultation is centred on the concept of “Biohappiness,” which emphasises the relationship between biodiversity conservation, cultural identity, ecological sustainability and community well-being.
The concept, developed and popularised by noted agricultural scientist Prof M S Swaminathan, founder of MSSRF and regarded as the architect of India’s Green Revolution, seeks to link biodiversity conservation with sustainable livelihoods, nutritional security, cultural continuity and ecological resilience.
The programme will also feature thematic panel discussions on biodiversity conservation, revival of traditional knowledge, youth engagement, climate adaptation strategies, farmer seed systems and sustainable agricultural futures in the Eastern Himalayan region.
Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture and Allied Sectors Minister Gabriel D Wangsu will inaugurate the event.
Representatives from the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Arunachal Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, Rajiv Gandhi University, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutions, experts working in biodiversity conservation and climate resilience, and farmer representatives will participate in the deliberations.
The organisers expressed hope that the consultation would help evolve a stakeholder-driven roadmap for strengthening agrobiodiversity conservation, resilient livelihoods and community-centred development approaches in the state.
