For several years, the Soliga community residing in K Gudi, BR Hills, used to wade deep into the dense forests and return with the best honey. But lack of marketing skills meant that the product was sold at throwaway prices to traders who came all the way from Tamil Nadu’s Salem and hauled away mu
Imagine living deep inside a forest, surrounded by wildlife and trees which are at least a couple of centuries old....
Program Associate
A native of Coonoor, Shiny is a botanist with a special interest in taxonomy. She has been an alumnus of Providence College and Govt College of Arts and Science in Coonoor and received her PhD in Botany from Bharathiar University in 2016.
In her current role as programme coordinator for Conservation, Shiny coordinates activities for conservation education programmes, coordinates habitat restoration activities, documents forest plants, and is also one of the resource persons for educational activities of the Nilgiri Natural History Society activities.
Dr. Anita’s work covers a wide range of conservation issues with indigenous communities. Her interest lies in the linkages between conservation, enterprise and livelihoods. She has been with Keystone Foundation – a group for eco development initiatives- since 2002 and is currently Director Biodiversity Conservation. Additionally, she is the Chair of the Western Ghats Plants Specialist Group of the IUCN/SSC.
Dr. Anita received a doctorate in Botany from the University of Hawaii. She is an alumnus of the Salim Ali School of Ecology, Pondicherry University, where she received her Master’s in Ecology.
Mentor
Dr. Siddappa Setty is an ethnobotanist and project director of SFURTI. He holds a PhD from the University of Mysore. He is a committed researcher-practitioner, who has bridged science, policy and practice to achieve sustainable development in the tribal areas of Western Ghats. He is currently the Centre Convener for Centre for Environment and Development at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bengaluru, India.
Over a 27-year career, he has made tremendous contributions to sustainable resource use through long-term monitoring of forest resources such as honeybees, several non-timber forest products (NTFP), community and conservation, creation of livelihood opportunities, forest restoration, invasive species and management.
The Indian Micro Enterprises Development Foundation (IMEDF) functions as the social enterprise development arm of the esteemed Development Alternatives (DA) Group. The main goal of IMEDF’s operations is to build a strong ecosystem that is supportive of the development of inclusive and environmentally friendly business. It is committed to promoting, supporting, and advancing business models that align with this vision.
With a vision for inclusive growth and environmental sustainability, IMEDF delivers top-notch technical assistance to expedite the establishment of prosperous micro-enterprises in a streamlined and cost-effective manner. It facilitates the adoption of innovative technology- driven business models, while also providing crucial credit, finance, and skill development support to emerging entrepreneurs. By integrating products into local and high-value markets, IMEDF enhances the viability of supported enterprises.
The Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) is an initiative by the Ministry of MSME to promote cluster development. The program’s goal is to cluster traditional businesses and craftspeople to increase their competitiveness, maintain their long-term viability, and provide the long-term employment of traditional business owners and artisans.
Adavi received the grant under the SFURTI program to expand and strengthen its honey collecting and processing. The community has recently started construction on a new, improved, and larger processing facility for honey and other products with the aid of these funds. The community is also regularly trained in sustainable harvesting techniques under SFURTI, and they are provided with safety equipment. The scheme helps them to market their products in new markets.
In SFURTI project, ATREE is an implementing agency, Keystone Foundation is a technical agency, and IMEDF is a nodal agency.
An international non-profit organization called Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) produces interdisciplinary research to guide practice and policy in the direction of sustainability and conservation. Their goal is to produce robust multidisciplinary research for environmental conservation and sustainable development, to enable policymakers and society to utilise this information, and to educate the next generation of environmental leaders.
For around three decades, ATREE has worked in the BRT Tiger Reserve to conserve biodiversity and support Soligas’ way of life. They have played a crucial role in ensuring that the forest communities receive intensive training in sustainable harvesting methods, biodiversity conservation, and monitoring.
Established in 1993, Keystone Foundation is based in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) and collaborates with local communities and indigenous people on eco-development projects in rural mountain areas. Strong relationships across the Western and Eastern Ghats, Central, and Northeast India have contributed to spreading the work to regions outside the NBR through networks like the NTFP EP (Non-Timber Forest Products – Exchange Programme).
Keystone Foundation conducts programs, projects, and research in the areas of non-timber forest products, honey hunting, apiculture, community wellness, culture, capacity building, environmental governance, networks, water & sanitation, biodiversity & restoration, human-wildlife interactions, climate change and communities, organic farming, and businesses. All these endeavours are geared toward enhancing the overall wellbeing of people, their communities, and the environment in which they coexist. They also regularly conduct external training and have been crucial in providing necessary training to the Soligas for sustainable honey harvesting.
