Jeypore Tract is being recognised as the "Origin Place of Paddy" in the world. Malkangiri & Kandhamal districts of Odisha state falls on this tract. However, Rice is a stapple crop. More than this it is a cropping system with rich diversity of natural resources. The food gathering Adivasi communities who had more than 50000 varities of paddy have lost majority of it with the advent of Hybrid Rice Varieties and mon cropping practices. Having realised the need to re-invent the process of Rice Systems of farming in their land these small holder farmers have refused the cost intensive agriculture and now practising diverse crop systems. This have forced them to conserve the traditional local varieties of paddy and bring in millets, pulses and tubers on to the paddy fields. Over the last 8 years these farmers have increased the paddy varieties from only 94 to now 213 types.