Copious NTFP and Deprived Collectors: Exploring the Trade off Between Private and Collective Domain

Abstract

"In India, 50% of forest revenues and 70 percent of forest based export income come from non-timber forest produces (NTFP). They provide 50% of household income for 20-30 percent rural population particularly the tribal. Despite their importance to the poor households depending on subsistence agriculture and their significant contribution to national economy, until recently NTFP have been largely overlooked in forest management. Of late when NTFP are attracting much economic interest, poor collectors are overlooked. Income generation from NTFP is constrained because of (i) poor infrastructure and under developed marketing information network, (ii) high degree of indebtedness of the tribal families and their consequent inability to store and process NTFP for better price, (iii) failure of state agencies to open purchase centres at remote locations to provide support price for NTFP, (iv) State's reluctance to provide ownership rights to the collectors over all NTFP, and (v) near absence of institutions to provide training and material support for NTFP processing, storage and sale. As a result intermediaries appointed by the state forest department play pivotal role in purchasing NTFP from village centres. Intermediaries pay only 15 to 16 of the market price to collectors. Often time such prices turn out be just 14 to 15 of the prevailing minimum daily wages for the collectors. Low price mechanism and working nexus between forest department and intermediaries nurture a vicious poverty cycle for NTFP collectors.

"Recent evidences from different regions of India have revealed that social and economic empowerment of poor NTFP collectors are possible, if (i) the collectors are given the legitimate ownership over all NTFP in their territory, (ii) the private collectors' or growers' interest and rights are protected and productive capacity is enhanced through a collective mechanisms and (iii) introducing new and improved technology for production and processing of NTFP through collective ownership to make it more cost effective, and (iv) the sale of NTFP is done collectively through open market system. Collective actions are needed to manage the sustainable yield of NTFP, to enhance the storing and processing of NTFP at collectors level and to combat against the exploitation in the hand of intermediaries. Empowerment of the poor NTFP collectors essentially requires strong, self- regulating institutions and community organizations with effective and transparent mechanisms for equitable sharing and conflict resolution. Investment in training and organizational capacity building to create such institutions are often as important as investment in technologies.

"In this backdrop, the paper (i) gives a brief account of present problems of NTFP collection and marketing, (ii) develops a conceptual framework for indicating the trade off between privatized NTFP production and processing system and collective work domain of the producers, (iii) analyzes the type of association required among NTFP collectors, forest department and NTFP purchasers for better incentive mechanism, (iv) explores the type of investment required for training, organizational capacity building and conflict resolution to create such institutions and associations, and (iv) recommends policy amendments required for the community oriented NTFP management in India."