Agroforestry for Indigenous Livelihood Uncertainty: a Sustainable Pathway

Abstract

This article addresses the strategies of marginal communities to cope with the livelihood crisis in Jhargram district, West Bengal. Except for the riverine tract, this zone covers infertile land and is highly drought-prone. This article seeks to investigate the factors that lead individuals to relocate for work, strategies to enhance the financial status of daily laborers, and methods to establish more equitable job opportunities that foster fairness, safety, and social justice for ethnic communities. This study examines the interconnections among human communities, resources available locally, and sustainable pathways to provide a resilient economy and environment. The casual, unpaid, and underpaid labor remains critical to the decent employment agenda. We collected the primary data through participatory observation and focused group discussions (FGDs) in a field survey. The analysis section exhibits that the young people enter the informal sector not of their choice but owing to a deficiency of viable job opportunities in the formal economy and other employment avenues. Therefore, it should enable year-round job opportunities and free, lifelong specialized education.