M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture (MSSSOA) is located in Gajapati district in South Odisha that is among poorest districts of India. The livelihood of the residents of the district is primarily based on subsistence agriculture, forest produce, wage labour and distress migration. 

As identified by the Food Security Atlas of Rural Odisha (2008), the zone of acute food insecurity in the state comprises Kandhmal, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Gajapati districts of Odisha. The Atlas also suggests that for the livelihood development of hill-forest-based population, following strategic interventions will be required. 

Implementation of the Forest Rights Protection Act to provide security of tenure

Investment to enable a shift to production of high value crops

Expansion of irrigation in a manner appropriate to hill and plateau regions

Improvement of rural connectivity, so as reduce transaction and transport costs and increase economic opportunities

Shortening the chain of intermediaries and promoting value-added processing in non-timber forest products (NTFP)