Governance Council member:
Deep Jyoti Sonu Brahma : Co founder and Chair
Deep Jyoti Sonu Brahma is dedicated to promoting sustainable agricultural entrepreneurship as a desirable livelihood option for vulnerable youth in Assam. Through his leadership at the Farm2Food Foundation, he strives to bring mainstream recognition to this field. With over 25 years of experience, he has consistently worked with young individuals from minority and vulnerable communities, empowering them to pursue meaningful opportunities.
He plays a significant role in the advisory governance teams of several organisations, including Vartaleap and Catalyst2030 NAISE, as well as other notable social enterprises in the Northeast. Deep Jyoti has co-led both the Assam State Collective and the North East Collective of social entrepreneurs, championing collaborative efforts in the region. He was instrumental in establishing Youth for Agroecology, a coalition uniting young leaders from South Asia who are at the forefront of the agroecology movement. Additionally, he mentors Youth for Ecological Sustainability, a national network that encourages ecological awareness and action among young people. His expertise is further recognised through his membership on the investment committee of the Rebuild India Fund, an initiative by Dasra, and his role as a jury member for the Martha Farrell Award.
Deep Jyoti holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Delhi University and a Master’s degree in Education from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. He cleared his National Eligibility Test by UGC on Education. His career include impactful engagements with organisations such as Pravah, America India Foundation, and several other civil society organisations. In 2011, he co-founded the Farm2Food Foundation and led it for 14 years, driving its mission forward with dedication. His contributions to the sector have been acknowledged through his selection as an Ashoka Fellow.
His primary interests encompass working with young people, advancing agroecology, and developing networks among civil society organisations.
Deep Jyoti’s endeavours are supported by the partnership and encouragement of his wife, daughter, and their dog, Ginger.
Gaurav Dasgupta: Secretary
Gaurav is a lawyer currently practising at the Delhi and Gauhati High Court. His primary focus areas are taxation and commercial disputes. In the past, he has led Youth Forum on Foreign Policy, a initiative to promote substantive dialogue on foreign policy among India’s youth and has worked as Officer on Special Duty to Shri Gaurav Gogoi, Member of Parliament from Kaliabor, Assam. For a brief period, Dasgupta worked as a research aide to a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. He holds BLS.LLB from the Government Law College, Mumbai.
Neha Naqvi
Neha cares deeply about issues connected with gender justice, conflict transformation, conservation, human rights and the arts for development. She has worked as a practitioner in the broad realm of social transformation from a rights based perspective for over a decade, having received her B.A. L.L.B from NALSAR University, India, and her Masters in Law from Columbia Law School, U.S.A.
Learning from and engaging with organisations such as IALANA, PNND, ICRC, UNHCR, Pravah, Bond Street Theater, the Human Rights Campaign, TARSHI, Welthungerhilfe and Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung – Neha has found that hope, imagination and empathy continue to flourishwhen working with young minds. She retains a soft corner for Alison Bechdel, ‘trust falls’, nature trails, puppies and has served as Board Member for Farm2Food Foundation since 2011.
Arman Ali
Arman Ali is a disability rights activist for over two decades. Before NCPEDP, he worked as the HR Specialist, Equal Opportunity Initiative, Infosys. Following Infosys, he served as the Executive Director for Shishu Sarothi wherein he was instrumental in forging ties beneficial for people with disabilities and the organization, taking it forward in the areas of early intervention, rehabilitation, education, employment, advocacy, awareness as well as legal aid for both children and people with disabilities. He has also held several Honorary Positions in various important Committees of Government at the state and national levels. He was part of UNESCO’s Editorial Board on State of the Education Report for India 2019 -Children with Disabilities. Arman is an alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Program of the United State’s Department of State and has also undergone a Leadership in Public Policy Training conducted by Oxford University. Arman is a recipient of various awards namely including the IBN7 Super Idol Award 2011, Infosys Excellence Award for Inclusivity and Diversity and the National Award in Public Recognition for Outstanding Performance as the Most Efficient Disabled Employee for the Year 1998 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India from the then Prime Minister, Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Arman’s pragmatic outlook and quick wit sets him apart.
Hamsa Vijayaraghavan
Hamsa completed her law degree from Symbiosis Law School and her Masters from the University of Rouen, France. Hamsa is an impact-driven professional with 12+ years of leadership experience in SRHR, humanitarian law, gender, and development. She has work experience with the UNHCR field office in India. Hamsa has previously worked with Bail for Immigration Detainees and with Refugee and Migrant Justice, both in London. Hamsa has also worked as a consultant with the Ministry of Women and Child Development of the Government of India and UNICEF, where she worked on child protection laws. At Migration & Asylum Project, Hamsa manages all the programmes, supervises the legal team and undertakes fundraising. She has expertise in dealing with claims involving displaced women and children. Deeply committed to feminist governance, inclusion, and
rights-based programming, with a track record of operational leadership, organisational development, and multistakeholder collaboration across South Asia, she is also experienced in monitoring & evaluation, and in partnership building
Dr Aruna Pandey
Dr. Aruna Pandey is a sustainability and regeneration professional with over two decades of experience in natural resource governance, sustainable livelihoods, climate resilience and adaptation. Holding a PhD in Development Studies from SOAS, University of London, where her dissertation explored contested landscapes of natural resource governance in India, she also earned an MSW from TISS, Mumbai, with a gold medal-winning thesis on bauxite mining conflicts. She has received the Young Analyst Award from EU and DPG, the prestigious M. K. Tata Prize, and the Felix Scholarship Trust award for her PhD at SOAS. Her career began at IIM-Ahmedabad, fostering grassroots innovations in resource management.
Currently heading Research and MEL at Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF) since March 2024, Dr. Pandey embeds applied research in climate and sustainable livelihoods into policy interventions. She continues to contribute to the agro-ecopreneur programs across various non-profit organisations and networks, co-creating strategies for climate action, grassroots entrepreneurship, and collective resilience. Notable contributions include her contributions to the participatory groundwater management action research pilots across central India’s tribal belt (2015-2017 at BRLF), developing curricula on Environment and Development for under-graduate students at SOAS, and leading environmental stewardship programs in multiple institutions. Dr. Pandey served on the CII National Task Force on Rural Development and Migration (2022-2024). She co-authored the National Adaptation Plan chapter on Poverty Alleviation and Livelihood for India (2025-2035) under the guidance of Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India. She has been an invited speaker at many notable convenings like the 2020 Climate Conclave, where she highlighted the importance of institution- building, systems leadership and networked governance for effective sustainability transitions Her strength lies in her ability to straddle the theory-practice space to make a meaningful contribution to change on the ground. She has widely published on solidarity economy, Natural Resource Governance, organisation studies, systems leadership and management.
Dimpy Moni Dutta
Dimpy Moni Dutta is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work Studies at Dibrugarh University, Assam. Her journey in community engagement and sustainable development began during her school days with the Farm2Food Foundation, where she first connected with the ethos of social change. Over the years, Dimpy has built a strong career focused on youth empowerment, agroecology, and gender justice.
In her professional role, Dimpy serves as an Agroecology Youth Consultant with ComMutiny – The Youth Collective, Delhi and as the Secretary of the South Asian Youth for Agroecology Network. She was also a Youth Advisory Board Member at Pravah, contributing to shaping youth-focused initiatives. Her commitment to gender justice is evident through her association with the Akam Foundation, where she works on the Queer Xanjug 2.0 program. Additionally, Dimpy is a member of the Youth Working Group of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), engaging in global discussions on food systems and youth leadership.
Complementing her academic and professional pursuits, Dimpy is also a researcher and writer for “Uncultivated Plants of Northeast India: A Community Handbook”, published by the Farm2Food Foundation and ComMutiny – The Youth Collective, Delhi.
Dimpy’s academic and professional achievements are enriched by her creative passions. She enjoys writing, singing, and debating, all of which strengthen her personal expression and commitment to social change.
Dimpy has actively participated in numerous conferences and workshops that reflect her dedication to youth leadership, agroecology, and sustainable development. Her early leadership journey began in 2018, when she represented the Farm2Food Foundation as a youth leader at the Asia Pacific Democratic Education Conference and the India Democratic Education Conference in Bangalore.
In 2025, she attended the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Youth Policy Training in Sri Lanka, strengthening her global food systems perspective. In September 2025, Dimpy hosted the “Northeast Youth Alliance for Indigenous Food System Transformation” conference in Jorhat, Assam, organized by CoFTI and the Farm2Food Foundation.
She also served as a resource person for the North East Network – 1995 workshop “Towards a Resilient Future: Cultivating Mindful and Regenerative Living” in Guwahati in March 2025. Earlier that year, she was a panelist at the Fifth Northeast Chapter Convening of the Consortium for Agroecological Transformations, representing the South Asian Youth for Agroecology Network and highlighting youth leadership in agroecological transitions.
Dimpy has participated in several International Agroecology Youth Conferences in Jamshedpur (2023), Nepal (2024 as a youth speaker), and Hyderabad (2025, where she led a session on UN youth policy). She was also a guest speaker at Catalysing Social Impact 2024 in New Delhi. Although invited by DKA Austria to the 53rd Plenary Session of the CFS at the FAO in October 2025, the invitation reflects her growing contribution to global food security discussions.
Dimpy hopes to continue contributing meaningfully to youth leadership, agroecology, and social change.
Team Members
Basudev Doley
I have been associated with Farm2Food Foundation since 2013 October. Social work was always my area of interest and I used to work on small individual projects with community of my village prior to joining Farm2Food Foundation. I hail from a family which has been practicing agriculture for generations. I have always felt that quality education is the key to a better future. At Farm2Food Foundation I get opportunity to work in areas of my interest. I have learned a lot about community development. Farm2Food Foundation also gave me opportunity to visit different places in the country and learn different practices and ideas in the field of community development. I also interact with other organizations working in development sector and understand their work.
Farm2Food Foundation gives me ample learning and growth as a social worker.
Parag Mahanta
I got introduced to Farm2Food Foundation in 2013 July, when they organized an agriculture development programme in my village. I have been involved with farming and animal husbandry for many years. I associated with Farm2Food Foundation to learn more about organic farming practices. Later I joined the team and has been working on various projects. Farm2Food Foundation has given me opportunity to visit different places and attend various trainings, meetings and melas. I also handle the accounts of the organization. Farm2Food Foundation gives me opportunity to learn and grow as a development professional as well as an organic farmer.
Partha Pratim Bordoloi
I am a Master’s degree holder in Social Work from Kaziranga University. I have been working with Farm 2 Food Foundation from the last 4 years as a Program Co-ordinator. I also worked as Program Executive Of SNEHPAD on “Micro Skillpreneurship Development Programme” in Bangalore. Farm 2 Food has been a constant platform for me for my growth in the development sector. I have been actively handling the projects with schools and communities of Assam.
Pinky Sawra
I am a motivated, organized, and results-driven individual with a demonstrated history of success in a variety of challenging roles. I have a solid foundation in the fundamentals of social work, excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, and a strong ability to learn quickly. With a graduate degree, I’m involved in serving the society through Farm2Food Foundation.