Once the trap is set, the tribal people can only go deeper into the forest to repay their loans and fill the coffers of agents, traders and forest officials

Hand-in-glove with the forest department, traders of medicinal plants and herbs make hay

People who have no idea about forests step in to further trade, while the indigenous herb gatherers get exploited further

The Girijan Cooperative Society in Kerala is responsible for managing over 120 non-timber forest produce that includes a sizeable number of medicinal plants. However, present assessments show that

A severe shortage of medicinal plants and herbs threatens

There is no land to cultivate medicinal plants, neither are there any legal provisions, nor market access. At present, the risks involved are too high for small scale farmers to opt for cultivation of medicinal plants and herbs

The government s vanaspati van scheme is good news, but for it to succeed small scale farmers and local communities have to be brought in its fold

Shailja Chandra, secretary, department of Indian systems of medicine ISM and homeopathy, Union ministry of health and family welfare, talks to Down To Earth on the possibility of cultivating medicinal plants

Rich in natural resources but extremely poor, the three new states are in need of a new strategy for development. But no blueprints have been drawn so far. DOWN TO EARTH reports on the posers thrown up by the birth of Chattisgarh, Uttaranchal and J

The government and people of Madhya Pradesh have joined hands in their fight against drought through various jan sahyog programmes