The State of India′s Livelihoods (SOIL) Report is an annual publication that aims to document recent trends and issues in the sphere of livelihoods promotion of the poor. A one-of-its-kind report, it is the only document that aggregates the experiences and challenges of the livelihoods sector, analyzes case studies, and reports the progress of both government and privately run programs with respect to the 4Ps―People, Policy, Promoters, and Potential. This volume of the SOIL report focuses on agriculture. In particular, some of the themes that the report covers include effects of government policies on livelihoods in agriculture, government schemes for agri-based livelihoods (with a focus on MGNREGA), new-generation initiatives in agri-based livelihoods by NGOs and the private sector, the current scenario with respect to agri finance and agri marketing and the impact of climate change on agriculture. The State of India’s livelihood report 2010 looks at various challenges that exist to a sustainable generation of livelihoods in India. The work focuses on various aspects of rural livelihoods including the new challenges that are shrinking livelihoods opportunities and social security safety nets that can protect the living standards of the rural population….The report comprehensively discusses the different aspects of living sustenance in rural areas, though mainly focusing on agriculture. The insights into the several constraints that Indian farmers are presently facing and the plausible solutions that can ease these constraints forms an important contribution both for the academia and for policy-makers in the country. -- South Asia Economic Journal Sankar Datta is the Dean, Livelihood School, Hyderabad and Director, Indian Grameen Services, Hyderabad. Dr Datta has a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry from GB Pant Agriculture University, Pantnagar, a postgraduate diploma in Rural Management from the Institute of Rural Management, Anand and a PhD in Economics from the Sardar Patel University, Gujarat. He worked with MP Oilseeds Cooperative Federation, PRADAN and IIM-Ahmedabad, before joining the faculty of Institute of Rural Management, Anand for five years. Dr Datta has been involved in extending professional services for rural development activities, specially focusing on livelihood promotion, working with micro-enterprises for over two decades. Vipin Sharma is the CEO, ACCESS Development Services. He is responsible for institutionalization and expansion of the organization as a pan-India resource organization to support livelihoods and microfinance outreach. He has earlier worked in CARE-India as Programme Director, Microfinance, heading CASHE (Credit and Savings for Household Enterprises), CARE’s largest microfinance programme worldwide. Prior to that, he was Executive Director, Rural Non-Farm Development Agency (RUDA), Government of Rajasthan. He holds a BA (Hons) in History from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University and an MA in History from University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.