Forest Post

Forest-dependent communities in India harvest a range of wild resources. While some of it is for subsistence, a large part of Minor Forest Products (MFP) collections contributes to their income. Forest Post helps assert value to forest produce through engaging with MFP gatherers and bringing together women’s groups trained in value-addition. Our indigenous women’s enterprises are scattered in eight villages in the Chalakudy, Periyar and Karuvannur River Basins in central Kerala’s Western Ghats. They are into production of beeswax skin care, bamboo craft, macrame craft and value-addition of wild foods. The raw materials come from seasonal harvests from central Kerala’s forests as well as other parts of India. Forest people almost always know where to find the resources and what time of the year. They also know how much to harvest without exploiting. It is as if “sustainability”, a much used word today, is embedded in their native wisdom.