Importance of Minor Forest Produces in Tribal Livelihood: A Study of Koraput District in Odisha

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-255-2_11How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Scheduled Tribes; Minor Forest Produce; Livelihood

Abstract

Forest constitutes a major source of natural capital of the country. Minor Forest Products (MFPs) are a key source of employment in India, both in directly and indirectly, through collection, processing, and sale. The MFPs have had a significant positive impact on the lives of people who reside in and near the forest. MFPs are an important source of nutrition for indigenous people, particularly those living in the most impoverished regions of our country. In certain circumstances, MFPs can serve as a person’s primary source of cash income, enabling them to cover non-subsistence expenses like healthcare and education. The forest serves as both a home and a source of food for the Odisha indigenous people. The beliefs, customs, economy, and social structures of the tribal people are all closely linked to the forest. The MFPs are one of the most important resources for tribal populations’ survival in rural Odisha. MFPs are utilized for domestic use and offer vital nutrients to those residing in forest areas. MFPs are a source of monetary revenue for many indigenous groups who engage in agriculture, particularly in lean seasons. Even though MFPs play a significant role in sustaining tribal economies and ways of life, their potential is still wildly underutilized, and they have not made a significant impact on reducing poverty in rural regions. In light of this, the study critically assessed the importance of MFPs and their role in sustaining the livelihoods of the tribal people in Odisha.

Copyright

© 2024 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Raj Kumar Khosla
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/06/13
TI  - Importance of Minor Forest Produces in Tribal Livelihood: A Study of Koraput District in Odisha
BT  - Proceedings of the NDIEAS-2024 International Symposium on New Dimensions and Ideas in Environmental Anthropology-2024 (NDIEAS 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 117
EP  - 136
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-255-2_11
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-255-2_11
ID  - Khosla2024
ER  -