Paper Details

Name: Nidhi Mishra
Country: India

Year: 2025
Volume: Volume No: 12, Issue No: 2, Year: 2025
Page Number: 349-353
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20621860

ABSTRACT
Minor Forest Produce, commonly referred to as MFPs, constitutes the economic backbone of forest dependent communities in Chhattisgarh. The state is one of India’s richest regions in terms of forest biodiversity and tribal population, and a large proportion of rural livelihoods depend upon the seasonal harvesting, primary processing, and sale of non-timber forest
products. Despite their economic and nutritional value, most MFPs are still marketed through fragmented and informal channels that yield low returns to collectors. The present study examines the structural issues in the existing marketing system and proposes prospective marketing strategies that can improve value realization, stabilize prices, enhance market reach, and integrate forest gatherers into modern value chains. The paper argues that a
transition from subsistence sale to organized branding, processing, digital marketing, and institutional procurement is necessary for sustainable livelihood enhancement and forest conservation.

Keywords: Minor Forest Produce, Non Timber Forest Products, Tribal Economy, Value Addition, Forest Marketing, Chhattisgarh.