Jhum (Shifting Cultivation) has been seen as environmentally not sustainable and destructive of forest and wildlife. The practice has always been subjected to policies that do not take into consideration the socio-cultural and livelihood implications for the poorest section of the society. Insufficient land availability and inadequate time for land replenishment and recovery (through forest regrowth) in the current situation suggests that options have to be found within the existing constraints for strengthening jhum and evolving ways to ensure forest regeneration.There was the need to inform the national and international research agenda and policy makers of the strengths of the existing practices given appropriate policies and the encouragement of longer-term investment by finding solutions to issues rather than problems. The focal point representatives and lead persons from the Eastern Himalayan Countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and India (North East) had already started the process of documenting farmers’ innovations and policy issues in their respective areas.