Despite the wide diversity in crops and potential for crops, the average standard of living of the people in the NE region is by and large poor. This is the result of the various constraints in the area. Most of the area is still inaccessible and lacks adequate infrastructure. The low temperatures at higher elevations markedly reduce the growing season. Farmers are not aware of modern technologies, fertilizers, and improved crop varieties.
Farmers still collect large quantities of various wild edible plants from natural habitats.
There is increasing evidence of indigenous forests and other natural areas being affected by grazing, firing, shifting cultivation, and land conversion for agriculture and other purposes. Thus this region of great Genetic Diversity is under serious threat of rapid extinction or depletion of the germplasm. The governments in the region are thoroughly aware of the problem of depleting natural resources, their solution lies in creating national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. There is a need to bring a greater area into such a conservation network. Further, gene pools have to be preserved for future use before they become extinct.