Scarcity & Drought

Nutritious forest food items are not found in our area because very few forests are left here.

— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand

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

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

Currently, in our forest, bamboo is not found, other wild produce is not found, mushrooms are not found. Also, our cashews are not doing well; the cashew cultivation that used to happen before is also not doing well.

— jitendra khila · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

Large trees have been cut down, due to which it is becoming difficult to find forest vegetables and herbs.

— Kachala Choudhary

The most nutritious wild food items are not available here because there are very few forests around. And it doesn't seem that all those PDFs and such are here.

— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand

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

In our region, forest food items that are nutritious are not found in such a way, due to which we cannot include them in PDS and mid-day meals.

— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand

In this village, the forest has been damaged a bit more than before this time. Herbs cannot be collected, and because of that, we...

— Padmini Bhoi

Locally available wild food products that are nutritious are very scarce in our area because the forests here are on the verge of extinction.

— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand

Fruit trees and vegetable plants have disappeared from our forests.

— Kachala Choudhary

Due to excessive deforestation, we specifically have a shortage of water. Also, there is a significant shortage of food and fruits.

— Karunakar Uthansing · Maradipanga, Kandhamal, 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

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

The herbs, vegetables, fruits, and trees have been depleted from the forest.

— Kachala Choudhary

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

— KARUKAR MURMU · SKIP NO LOCATION

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

Now, not much food is available in the forest, but our community's traditional grains like Kodo Kutki khichdi, dalia, and Tur, Chana, and Masoor dals should be included in the PDS, and our children should also receive these in their midday meals.

— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

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

Due to forests being destroyed day by day and the lack of proper rainfall, agriculture is not doing well.

— Suna Majhi

In our area, forest produce is not available like in PDS and MDM. It is better to cultivate organic nutrition gardens in every family and school.

— Krishna pada mahato · Purulia, West Bengal

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

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

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

We are not getting food to eat. Brother, the forest is completely depleted. When they destroyed everything by cutting down trees for mining, after that, now we are deprived of things like Charikuli, Barukuli, Kendu, and even bears (Bhalia), including the black bear (Kala Bhalia).

— swornalata nayak · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

Today, there is the most severe shortage of forest food, Kul, and fruits.

— Priti Majhi · Subdega, Sundargarh, Odisha

Today, the forest's food, especially its fruits, is experiencing the greatest scarcity.

— Priti Majhi · Subdega, Sundargarh, Odisha

Due to deforestation, we are unable to cultivate properly. It is not raining.

— Karunakar Uthansing · Dhusarigan, Kandhamal, Odisha

Nutritious wild food items are not found in our area, which we can include in PDS and mid-day meals.

— Sunil oraon · Verno, Gumla, Jharkhand

Now, honey, resin, Aainla (Indian gooseberry), Harada (chebulic myrobalan), and Baahada (beleric myrobalan) are no longer found in our forest.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

Our medicinal herbs, vegetables, fruits, and trees are depleting from the forests.

— Kachala Choudhary

Food, forests, and agricultural systems are all slowly disappearing. Among these three, what we miss the most are the forests. The forests that were there before will not be there anymore. The absence of which...

— Sudarsan Dalei · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

In our area, we don't get edible produce from the forest that is suitable for inclusion in PDS or MDM.

— Krishna pada mahato · Purulia, West Bengal

We do not get forest produce for PDS or MDM here, but it might be possible according to the time.

— Krishna pada mahato · Purulia, West Bengal

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

Herbs are running out, water and forests are getting depleted.

— Vinita Singh Yadav · Mukasim, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

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

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

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

— Padmalochan Majhi · Ratachua, Rayagada, 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

People have been living here in Amangara for many years. The forest has been much more damaged now than before. Because of this, we could not collect any medicinal herbs from the forest.

— Padmini Bhoi