NTFPs are biological resources other than timber, which are harvested from either natural

or managed forests. Some NTFPs include fruits, nuts, honey, oil seeds, resins, medicinal
plants, spices, animal products and grass varieties. Indigenous groups collect NTFPs for
trade and home consumption, honey being a major product. Other items collected for
trade are mainly medicinal plants, gums; resin, gooseberry, myrobalans, soap nut, broom
grass, bamboo and rattans, wild pepper and nutmeg, etc. This collection is a major source
of livelihood, seasonally, for these communities.

Particularly for those living in forest fringe villages, NFTPs play a major role as an income
supplement. They also play an important role in the local economy of an area – the
different needs of people regarding food supplements, medicine, raw materials for
processing and manufacturing, for making tools and implements and of course, for trade.
These needs are met through collections from the forest. Additionally, in traditional
societies, some of these products have significant social and cultural significance, making
their continued collection both an economic and socio-cultural necessity.

CHALLENGES
Conflicts of interest between different stakeholders restricts access to the
forest • Decreasing knowledge related to NTFPs within communities • Overextraction of
medical plants and other NTFPs due to high demand in the market which can lead to
unsustainable practices • Impacts of climate change and forest diversion is reducing
forest size, which also decreases NTFP availability
INTERVENTIONS
Maintaining traditional harvesting practices and knowledge for younger generations
• Building rules and protocols around sustainable harvesting practices • Building
systems to support sustained livelihoods with NTFPs for community
members • Spreading the idea of local enterprise • Incubating organisations to market
and fairly produce NTFPs
IMPACTS
Increased local employment and income • Better knowledge and skills for value adding
their own NTFP products • Aadhimalai Production Company is a direct outcome of the
idea of social enterprise at Keystone • Decreasing the migration of younger generations
from their forestlands and trying to maintain their traditional harvesting culture while
ensuring equivalent increases in income