Centre again revisits minimum support prices of key minor forest produce  

Latest guidelines have fixed MSPs that favour traders rather than the forest gatherers

Scheme for tribalfolk

Chocolate's sal connection

Richard Mahapatra reveals how a chocolate supports people in forests

Over 500 died in human-elephant conflict in Odisha in last 5 years

Around a quarter of these deaths occurred during summer season between April and June  

70% of ministry’s budget released, claims tribal affairs minister

Jual Oram claimed that about 16.78 lakh individual titles have been granted over an area of 55.43 lakh acres of forest land

How development loses meaning

The abstract noun 'development' is firmly a part of the public relations language governments use today. But after a recent ordinance passed by …

Inadequate compensation of villagers for ecosystem services weakens conservation efforts

Situation of villagers in Palampur village, Himachal Pradesh is a good case study 

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Similipal fire: Lives and livelihoods of Mankidia tribals in distress

The Mankidia tribe earn by collecting and selling siali fibre from Similipal forests; the fire has badly impacted their livelihood 

Similipal forest fires put Odisha’s Lodha tribe in jeopardy

Already affected by the COVID-19 lockdown, the wildfires threaten to make collection of minor forest produce even more difficult

Odisha planning to scrap minimum support price for minor forest produce

Lack of profitability is one of the reasons cited for the proposal to do away with the scheme

Bamboo will soon be declassified as a tree to encourage use and supply

Currently, bamboo is considered a tree under the Indian Forest Act and a non-timber forest produce under the Forest Rights Act 

Honey, they shrunk our livelihoods!

Honey collectors gamble with their lives to eke out a livelihood in the Sundarbans, but are forced to sell it to the forest department for a pittance

Stop trade

Soligas harvested forest produce. For them, it was a sustainable business. Then, irrationally, government moved to

Individual forest rights: How residents of this Sundargarh tribal village fight to protect their natural resources

Despite living on their land for years, some of the villagers were denied land titles 

More work, less pay

Some MFP items were nationalised to get people fair deal; it was of no help

How a creeper plant helps tribals in Odisha eke out a living

The tribal populations turn Siali creeper, found abundantly in the forests, into craft items that are sold in cities

Mahua flower comes under minimum support price scheme

Tribal ministry adds 17 new minor forest produce to the government’s minimum support price scheme, increases MSP of some already under the …

Odisha forest department overrides FRA to make its own rules

Forest department is coercing villagers into following some measures without which their rights over collecting bamboo will be cancelled

1.5 million tribals in Odisha hit by 18% GST on Sal leaf

Forest-dwelling communities have been granted rights to trade Sal leaf and other minor forest produce without any taxation under the forest rights act

Forests could help eliminate global hunger, says report

Tree foods are often rich in vitamins, proteins and other vital nutrients. They can provide a diverse diet to people worldwide

UNITED NATIONS

Climate crisis in forests: Wild fruits, sacred groves in Sharavathi valley bear the brunt

Fruiting cycle, intensity disturbed due to weather changes but improvement noticed in patches untouched by human interventions

Odisha tribals to sell kendu leaves and exercise their forest rights

The state’s forest department has not allowed sale of the leaves to anyone other than the goverment 

Odisha villagers, forest department at loggerheads over rights to sell kendu leaves

Can Odisha government deregulate kendu leaf trade with support mechanisms to facilitate private trade beneficial to communities?