In the changing rural scenario, the Community Based Organisation (CBO) is emerging as the key player in rural poverty alleviation and ensuring food security through transformation. In India more than 70 percent of the population dwells in villages. According to the 2011 census there are about 6,38,596 villages constituting more than 100 crores population. Even after 70 years of independence, the people in villages are found to be economically backward, socially oppressed, culturally suppressed and in general deprived of facilities like health, education, transportation and communication. Consequently they are prone to poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and other exploitations. So, to work with the people at the rural areas for unleashing the essence of developmental services requires the existence and strengthening of Community Based Organisation (CBO). A community based organization is an organization that provides social services at the local level. It is a non-profit organisation whose activities are based primarily on voluntary efforts. Community based organizations are answer to the capabilities of communities to respond to various risks and adapt to changing conditions. Firstly, strong organizations at the local level help communities to coordinate actions and take joint decisions. Well organized communities are always in a better position to manage their natural resources in a sustainable manner, and take action in response to external shocks, including those related with poverty. In addition, a community based organization is a foundation that enables local communities to voice and enforce their interests to influence the decision making process at higher level and to make the policy makers accountable. Through strong community based organization, communities are more successful in seeking support for adaptation in the form of financial flows, information and capacity building etc.

Community Based Organizations (CBOs) are not for profit; organizations at local and national level facilitating community efforts for community development. CBOs works through people-centred modes of development ensuring availability of micro-finance, quality participation in development leading to improved community health, education and infrastructures over time. The purpose of CBOs is to plan, implement, and monitor social and economic development programs and provide technical and financial help to the communities. CBOs positively affects the process of rural change i.e. increase in income, improvement in health, nutrition and literacy status of the populations through programs on micro-enterprise, health and education, sustainable agriculture, animal husbandry, safe water and sanitation etc.

In such a resilient situation, the CBOs can play a pivotal role as extension service provider related to food, health and education of the rural people for sustainable rural development.

Themes of the Congress

Theme 1: Emerging experiences on CBOs’ intervention

Sub –Theme

1. Global scenario on involvement of CBOs in Extension
2. Technology/input linkages and market integration of CBOs
3. Promotional strategies of CBOs
4. Successful cases for formation and sustenance of CBOs
5. Case studies on CBOs engaged in exports and imports of products and services,
6. Capacity building and networking of CBOs: India and Abroad
7. CBOs as Centres of Farm Advisories through IT Platforms
8. Promoting agriculture based rural enterprises through secondary agriculture
9. Utilization of CBO as tool for rural transformation: Empowerment, strategies and experiences.
10. Effectiveness of CBO as an extension strategy

Theme 2: Recent Trends in CBO led Agriculture and Resource Management

Sub-Theme

1. Land use Planning and Management and, Solar Farming
2. Climate Resilient Agriculture and Abiotic Stress Management 
3. Nutrient and Bio-waste Management 
4. Organic Farming 
5. Participatory Watershed Management 
6. Weed Management
7. Animal Resource Management
8. Solid waste management 
9. Regional and community governance
10. Management of common property by CBOs
11. Management of unused land under Government organization

Theme-3: CBO led Bio-diversity and Resource Conservation, Livelihood and Food Security 

Sub-Theme

1. Conservation Agriculture and Resource Conservation Technologies in Agriculture
2. Crop Diversification 
3. Development of Integrated Farming Systems 
4. Integrated Water Management & Waste Water Utilization 
5. Mainstreaming Rainfed / Dryland Farming and Agricultural Disaster Management 
6. Management of Problematic Soils – Saline, Alkaline, Acid and Waterlogged Soils 
7. Environment Pollution and Disaster monitoring and Management

Theme-4: Advances in Social Management in Agriculture and Allied Sciences through CBOs

Sub-Theme

1. Smart Agriculture and Precision Agriculture
2. Transfer of Technology (ToT) for Resource Management
3. Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture
4. Farmers’ Organisation and Resource Management
5. Women Empowerment, Social Justice and Resource Management
6. Gender, environment and development 
7. Conservation and Sustainability of Environmental Resources 
8. Disaster Management
9. Farm mechanization and post-harvest technologies to enhance farm income
10. Environmental, Social and Business Ethics 
11. Rural innovation
12. Market led Extension
13. Public Private partnership
14. Rural Entrepreneurship
15. Tribal Development

Theme- 5: CBO intervention for Capacity Building to Address Diverse Resource Management Issues

Sub-Theme

1. Advisory and technical support to programme/project design, implementation, monitoring of CBO and its sustainability
2. Policy dialogue, advocacy and awareness-raising on CBOs’ interventions
3. Information-sharing and collaboration among stakeholders
4. Knowledge management for environmental sustainability
5. Regional, National and Global partnerships on diverse Resource Management