Agrobiodiversity and indigenous knowledge represents a strategic force to combat poverty and food insecurity. Women's income from shea nut tree products pays for children's school fees, clothing, food and items of daily use, while the oil itself nourishes the family.

Poor management of irrigation water and inadequate drainage system in plains have made vast tracts of agricultural land unproductive due to waterlogging and high moisture content. Integrated development of such waterlogged ecosystem has been taken up under NWDPRA (National Watershed Develpoment Project for Rainfed Areas) with the twin objectives of sustainable production of food, fruit, fuel and bio-mass and restoration of ecological balances with the watershed.