What problem or need did the project aim to address?
Orissa is the poorest state in India, with about 46% of its 36 million people living in poverty. It also has a large tribal population. Many tribal and other communities depend on forests and the collection of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for their livelihoods. However, despite their hard work to collect and process NTFPs, they receive very little income in return. Their capacity to engage with buyers and policy makers needs to be built so they can assert their interests and make their voices heard. It is also important that forests and NTFPs are managed in a sustainable way to ensure they continue to support the livelihoods of local communities in the long term.
What did the project do?
The project supported poor collectors of NTFPs, especially tribal groups, to better control, influence, manage and benefit from the NTFP trade. Led by our Indian partner RCDC, Traidcraft Exchange’s role in the project was to undertake international market research and to train key staff on supply chain management (i.e. the planning and management of all activities involved in turning raw materials into a finished product and taking that product to market).
Working with 3,000 households across four districts of Orissa, the project:
- Promoted the formation / strengthening of over 200 self-help groups, eight cooperatives and two apex cooperatives s
o that NTFP collectors could work together and develop a collective voice, making them better able to negotiate with buyers and policy makers and demand their rights to a fair price and vital social services. - Provided training in sustainable harvesting practices, like leaving seeds, small saplings and roots intact, and not cutting branches when harvesting fruits.
- Promoted / strengthened village forest protection committees and area- and district-level forest protection organisations to improve forest management practices.
- Supported NTFP collectors to undertake value addition of forest products so they could command a higher price, such as cleaning, grading, drying, processing, packing and branding.
- Provided training in business skills and fair trade.
What impact has the project had?
An independent evaluation found the project had had the following impact:
- Value addition of NTFPs through the use of simple technologies has meant the cooperatives can sell processed NTFPs at higher prices than in their raw state. This in turn has meant increased incomes for the NTFP collectors. As a result of the project - in particular the value addition activities - family incomes have increased by 30-50%.
- The cooperatives promoted under the project are able to facilitate the aggregation of NTFPs gathered by primary collectors. This aggregation means they can sell to higher level markets, achieving better prices.
- The two apex cooperatives were buying NTFP products from the cooperatives and selling them at exhibitions and through their own retail outlets at district level.
- Target communities have increased understanding about the opportunities and challenges related to the marketing of NTFPs.
- Cooperatives have been able to access working capital and markets through links with the District Supply and Marketing Society, enhancing their long term sustainability.
- There has been increase in protection and conservation of forest through the promotion and revival of village forest protection groups.
Our local partner
We implemented this project in partnership with RCDC (Regional Centre for Development Cooperation - Forestry and Governance). RCDC is leading this project and has vital experience of working with rural communities in the forest and tribal regions of Orissa.
How was this project funded?
The project was funded by the European Commission, grant-making trusts, and donations from generous individuals.
