Forest Products and Culture

In the tribal area, in earlier times, there were many herbs and their culture. But today, due to deforestation, many birds could not even disperse, and traditional food practices could also not be preserved, leading to their extinction.

— Mohan AHARI · Sarera, Udaipur, Rajasthan

In the past, we used to eat various things from the hills, such as Kangu Jona Ganthia, and lived well because of them. Things that grew without fertilizer used to ripen quickly. Now, nothing is ripening from the hills, and they are not cultivating them anymore.

— Prakash ch Pradhani · Karubai, Rayagada, Odisha

Earlier, a lot of edible items were found in the forests that could be eaten and added to midday meals, but now, due to damage to the forests, many things have become extinct.

— Kekti Tekam · Dindori, Madhya Pradesh

The situation we are in now is that the food we used to get to eat in the past has gradually disappeared.

— swornalata nayak · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

What our ancestors used to obtain, now 90% of the forest has been destroyed. With the destruction of forests, the hills have also been destroyed. Whatever materials we used to find, especially food items, are no longer available.

— jitendra khila · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

Yes, damage has definitely occurred. Previously, people used to obtain two traditional food items by cutting trees from the forest. Now, these are not available. Furthermore, there has been extensive damage to medicinal plants, and those are also not available.

— gobardhan pangi

My name is Isaac Sabar, village Zero Number, Panchayat Mandi Mandi, District Kandhamal. I feel that in the current situation, people used to use traditional forest products, which are forest-derived goods, in large quantities to sustain their livelihoods, but due to the lack of forests, they have disappeared. We want to restore the forests so that we can enjoy those forest products just like our ancestors used to.

— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha

Our ancestors used to eat sunusunia greens, but these greens have become extinct today.

— upendra sunani

In earlier times, medicinal fruits were found in the forest, but now those things are becoming extinct day by day.

— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

Old, traditional foods are not available. As a result, the forest was also destroyed. The food that should be available is not available.

— Keshab Majhi · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

In the olden days, our parents and we used to gather and eat a lot of Barada Saga (a type of leafy green) from the forest. But now, due to deforestation, we no longer find Barada Saga. We hope to eat Barada Saga again.

— swornalata nayak · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

Earlier, everything used to be found in the jungle, but now it's not. For example, banana greens, chakora greens... no, everything is gone now.

— Rupesh Maravi

My name is Jogeshwar Nayak. In our area, Ghuruji farming was common, and people used to eat it. Now that farming has completely disappeared, and its seeds are not even found anymore.

— upendra sunani

In ancient times, people used to depend on the forest for their livelihood. But now, since the forest has become depleted, they are no longer able to get tubers, leaves, fruits, and roots from the forest. Therefore, the forest in greater quantity...

— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha

Earlier, we used to keep seeds in earthen pots with neem leaves, but now those pots are not available. Their traditional profession is slowly coming to an end, and we are also forced to move towards modernity.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

Today, when we talk about forest products, things like root vegetables and fruits such as Kendu, Baheda, and Harida, which also had medicinal properties, are no longer available. They have now become extinct or are found in very small quantities.

— Debendra Suna · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

Yes, earlier, we used to eat various kinds of wild fruits and food from the forests. But now, nothing like that remains. The government some.

— Rakesh kumar Kumar

My name is Dhiren Badhai from Kiyariya village and Bamani Gaon Panchayat, Dharibari block. Our ancestors used to eat roots, leafy greens, fruits, and tubers from the forest, living a nutritious life, but now all of that has decreased.

— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha

Our ancestors used to cultivate without fertilizer, and that was delicious and healthy. But now, that taste is not available.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

Death's auspicious and inauspicious beauty. Previously, we used to sustain our livelihoods by collecting various roots from the forest. Now, roots are not available, and animals...

— Sasmita Mallick · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

Producing through traditional agriculture, farming without fertilizer. Various types of fruits, medicinal plants and creepers etc. found in forests are no longer available.

— KAPAL MARNDI · Bissamcuttack, Rayagada, Odisha

In olden times, many kinds of herbs were available in our village, but in the current situation, due to the cutting of this forest, some conservation efforts could not be made, which means for us in the coming time...

— Mohan AHARI · Sarera, Udaipur, Rajasthan

In our ST community, everything has changed for the people of this district. Before, we used to bring tamarind, mahua, and all kinds of forest products to eat and drink.

— Puspanjali Nag

Today, which part of your food, forest, or agricultural life do you feel has been lost the most? Traditional food has been lost.

— Niranjan Bisi · Bissamcuttack, Rayagada, Odisha

Our ancestors used to live, grow and maintain trees, and collect fruits and roots. Now, with all the trees gone, many conveniences are being lost. Let us all plant trees again.

— Bisendra Naik · Kasipur, Rayagada, Odisha

In the past, various types of forest products, fruits, and roots were available, but now it requires effort.

— Padmalochan Majhi · Ratachua, Rayagada, Odisha

It is certainly remembered. Our people are destroying forests. As a result, when they go to the forest, no forest products, including food items, can be found. It would have been better if forests were not destroyed.

— jitendra khila · Lachery, Malkangiri, Odisha

Nowadays, forests are being cleared. We used to get food from the forest, but now we are not getting it. Instead, we are consuming food grown with chemical fertilizers.

— jitendra khila · kudumulugumma, Malkangiri, Odisha

Oh, there is also a distinct language of our Gonda society. And no one speaks that language anymore, slowly it has also disappeared. And now what we used to get from the forest, we are not getting it from the forest anymore, all the forests are cut down.

— RINA BEHERA · Hemagiri, Sundargarh, Odisha

Our ancestors used to farm with plows and bullocks. But nowadays, all those things are disappearing.

— NAGRIK VIKASH SANGATHAN · Kalahandi, Odisha

The mahul (flower/fruit) found in the forest, in the old days they used to make ladoos from it, fry them, and eat them. That has now disappeared, it is not found, and it is greatly missed.

— Priti Majhi

Forests are disappearing, livelihoods are being destroyed. Forests are also getting depleted, herbs are disappearing. It's not like it used to be.

— Chanda · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

We have been living in our village for 100 years. Nowadays, there are no animals. The forests are also dwindling, and songs and dances are also disappearing.

— sudhir gamanga · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha

The various types of fruits that used to be found in the forest are no longer available.

— KARUKAR MURMU · SKIP NO LOCATION

I really miss the natural farming that used to happen 20 years ago, whether in my forest life or agricultural life.

— AbhiLL Ipsa

Humans used to have very useful things. Now, beneficial things have died out. Therefore, since those things are no longer present, our country has become very polluted. As a result, even birds are not there.

— swornalata nayak · Balangir, Odisha

Fruit trees and vegetable plants have disappeared from our forests.

— Kachala Choudhary

My name is Sabjan Mitra Pradhan. My village is Dibaoala. My Panchayat is Godimunda, and my Block is Tikabali. In the olden days, we used to cultivate and live off queer, died, and mandia (millet). In today's time, we don't get those seeds. That's why we can't even cultivate. If we get seeds from the old times, we can cultivate and live.

— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha

We used to get honey and resin from our forest, but now we don't.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

Nutritious food is not available from farming as before; all food available is cultivated with fertilizers. Various root-based foods are also not available in the forest.

— KAPAL MARNDI · Bissamcuttack, Rayagada, Odisha