Women in Bihar are transitioning from programme participants to co-creators of rural value chains, study shows

Women farmers in Bihar are emerging as leaders in the state’s rural value chains, a new study has found.

The seven-year Personal Transformation Index (PTI) study tracked over 1,200 rural women in northern Bihar.

The PTI is a pioneering tool co-created by international livestock non-profit Heifer International, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and Old Dominion University to measure dimensions of change that go beyond income—such as confidence, leadership, agency, and social capital.

Women are transitioning from programme participants to co-creators of rural value chains, leading enterprises, governance structures, and innovation, the study shows.

That is welcome news for Bihar, whose agrarian economy continues to face structural challenges including small landholdings, low productivity, climate shocks, and weak market access.

The findings of the study were revealed at a meeting of policymakers, development practitioners, researchers, and community leaders convened on December 19 in Patna.

“Herding Hope” was a half-day consultation on Bihar’s agri-food system strategy, alongside the dissemination of findings from the Bihar Sustainable Livelihood Development (BSLD) Project’s Outcome Monitoring Survey.

The consultation aimed to chart a systems-based approach to strengthening smallholder livelihoods in Bihar—particularly for women and marginalised farmers—by integrating agriculture, livestock, markets, nutrition, and institutional capacity.

In her keynote address, N Vijaya Lakshmi, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Dairy, Fisheries & Animal Resources Department, Government of Bihar, highlighted the role of livestock—especially small ruminants—in strengthening household resilience.

“For smallholder farmers, goats function like an ATM—providing regular income, security, and dignity. Integrated farming and strong community institutions are essential to scale such livelihood pathways,” she said, adding that the State Goat Federation of Bihar will soon be registered.

She also acknowledged the contribution of community institutions such as Pashu Sakhis in advancing animal health and productivity at the grassroots.

The consultation generated key recommendations to inform Bihar’s emerging agri-food system strategy—calling for farmer-centric, evidence-based approaches that integrate production, markets, institutions, and social capital.

As speakers noted, when livelihoods are designed as systems rather than schemes, impact becomes durable.