Lok Sabha Question No. 418 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-01
Subject: Sustainable Forest Development
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: VIRENDRA  KUMAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 418 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.12.2015

## Sustainable Forest Development

## 418. DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the promotion of non-timber forest produce based local livelihood is key to sustainable forest development in most parts of the country;
- (b) if  so,  whether  the  pooling  of  available  resources  in  Ministries  and  integrated scheme is necessary for such kind of promotion; and
- (c) if so, the details of the initiatives taken by the Ministry in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a) to (c) Various  non  timber  forest  produces  (NTFPs),  also  known  as  Minor  Forest Produce (MFP) are important for livelihoods and sustenance of forest dwelling communities. National Forest Policy, 1988 emphasizes that such produce should be  protected,  improved  and  their  production  be  enhanced  with  a  view  to  the generation of employment and income of local people. The existing forests are managed  scientifically  as  per  the  prescriptions  of  Working  Plans,  prepared according to  the  Working  Plan  Codes,  the  latest  being  National  Working  Plan Code, 2014. This Code among other prescriptions provides for adequate survey, assessment, and sustainable harvesting of various NTFPs. Afforestation programmes  in  the  country  are  being  implemented  on  the  principles  of  Joint Forest Management involving local communities and inter-alia include enrichment  of  NTFPs.  The  usufructs  including  NTFPs  are  shared  with  local communities and forest departments.

As  of  now,  there  is  no  integrated  Scheme,  however,  different  Ministries  are involved  in  enhancement  of  resource  base,  harvesting,  processing  and  value addition, marketing of NTFPs, such as the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched a scheme  'Mechanism  for  marketing  of  Minor  Forest  Produce  (MFP)  through Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP)  and  development  of  value  Chain  for  MFP' during  2013-14.  The  scheme  is  initially  being  implemented  in  States  having areas  under  Fifth  Schedule  of  the  Indian  Constitution  for  non-nationalized  and abundantly  available  12  MFPs.  In  order  to  ensure  fair  returns  to  the  MFP collectors  on  a  long  term  basis,  the  scheme  envisages  fixation  of  Minimum Support Price for the selected MFPs. Similarly Department of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani,  Siddha  and  Homoeopathy  (AYUSH),  Ministry  of  AYUSH  supports cultivation of medicinal plants.  In addition, the Ministry of Rural Development is  implementing  the  National  Rural  Livelihoods  Mission  (NRLM)  all  over  the country with an aim to reduce poverty by enabling the poor households. This is in  order  to  provide  gainful  self-employment  and  skilled  wage  employment opportunities,  resulting  in  appreciable  improvement  in  their  livelihoods  on  a sustainable basis.

Currently, Minor Forest Produce Federations, Forest Development Corporations, Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED), and other Tribal Welfare Cooperatives in various States are involved in enrichment and sustainable harvesting/ collection of MFPs  including providing training/ skills to local communities for non destructive collection and processing to enable them obtaining fair prices for such products.