The MoU, signed in Kohima, Nagaland, will result in integrating 30,000 smallholder women farmers into the bamboo value chain

In a major step towards advancing regenerative, women-led livelihoods, Industree Foundation, a non-profit working at the intersection of equity, climate, and gender, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSRLM) in Kohima, Nagaland. This is a significant milestone in Industree Foundation’s mission and the government’s strong commitment to fostering environmentally sustainable, women-led enterprises.

Industree Foundation has been working extensively to enable smallholder women farmers to cultivate bamboo on fallow and underutilised land.

Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSRLM), along with Industree Foundation as its technical and knowledge partner, will integrate 30,000 smallholder women farmers into the bamboo value chain and further set up collective enterprises of women using bamboo. This effort is part of the Bamboo Sub-Sector Initiative by the DAY-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) under the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. It aims to empower one million rural women over the next 4-5 years through bamboo cultivation and improved market linkages.

This collaboration marks a convergence of Industree Foundation’s ecosystem-led approach and NSRLM’s institutional reach, reinforcing the government’s commitment to fostering climate-resilient, income-generating livelihood systems for rural women in Nagaland.

The MoU was signed by Shri Moa Sangtam, Joint Secretary, RD & Mission Director, Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission, in the presence of Shri Theose Thongtsar, Additional Mission Director, NSRLM; Shri M Rollan Lotha, COO, NSRLM; Dr. Sokishumo Kithan, SPM Farm, NSRLM; Industree Foundation CEO, Shri Neju George Abraham, and Remya Devan, Senior Manager – Project Operations, Industree Foundation.

Commenting on this partnership, Neju George Abraham, CEO, Industree Foundation, said, “Bamboo is deeply rooted in Nagaland’s everyday life and culture. The state’s remarkable diversity of bamboo species also holds strong commercial potential. Through this partnership, in addition to developing certified plantations and enabling carbon credit accreditation, we look forward to building and strengthening processing capabilities in the state by establishing processing units, developing new products and connecting producers to high-value markets. Nagaland’s unique bamboo resources have the potential to create new opportunities, strengthen the bamboo sector in India and take Indian bamboo to global markets.”

Industree Foundation, over the past few years, has been enabling smallholder farmers, a majority of whom are women, to cultivate bamboo on fallow and unutilized land, improving incomes and long-term livelihoods while addressing climate challenges. Women farmers cultivating bamboo can begin earning steady incomes from the fourth year of harvest, with yields continuing for over forty years, providing sustained, long-term financial security. Industree focuses on building traceable supply chains by taking a seed-to-market approach that caters to national and global demand.

Industree Foundation has previously signed MoUs with State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Telangana, and Tripura, supporting small and marginal women farmers in adopting bamboo-based livelihoods at scale.

In a pioneering achievement, Industree Foundation has secured India’s first FSC Forest Management (FSC-FM) certification for 6,671 women bamboo farmers across Karnataka and Maharashtra. Recognised as the world’s most trusted mark for responsible forestry, the FSC® certification opens global market opportunities for Indian manufacturers by enabling them to source certified raw materials and supply compliant, traceable products to customers worldwide.