Forest Food & Health

Today, do you feel your food is more connected to forest or agricultural life? Firstly, it is necessary to raise awareness in every village to protect the forest and forest-derived foods.

— Niranjan Bisi · Bissamcuttack, Rayagada, Odisha

My name is Lidja Majhi. Village Mandipanka, Panchayat Bamunia, Block Daribadi, District Kandhamal. Today, I feel that forest products contain more nutritious food, which is currently a forest...

— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha

Our diet. We are in a jungle area. The jungle's herbs and some of its air. Now, due to its influence, our diet is different. We remain healthy for this reason because we rely on herbs; when we wake up in the morning, it's the herbs...

— ANIL KUMAR · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

My name is Rashmita Pradhan. Just as our ancestors remained healthy by eating fruits and roots found in the forest, prepared without chemicals, we also wish to eat the same food now. We are from tribal-dominated areas. Our forest is our lifeline. Therefore, our ancient traditions should be restored, and our forest should not be destroyed. Thank you. Raika Kandhamal.

— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha

My name is Rina Kuonro. We are the tribal indigenous people. We produce food and collect from the forest, and we express our desire to live with the forest or with nature. This is a humble request to the government for us, and please pay attention to the forest-derived food that we can obtain.

— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha

We get our nutritious diet from the forest, such as Mahua fruit Doli oil in the form of fat, Kodo, Bhaddi, Kulthia, Mahua flowers, Jamun, Mahua kheer, Bhaji, etc.

— Surajsingh Parmar · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh

We Adivasi communities are communities that depend on nature, collect roots and tubers from the forests, and use them as food, which is very nutritious and also serves as medicine.

— Ram Kumari

My name is Surendra Podra. I am from Gurumundi village, Katinga Gram Panchayat, Dani block, Kandhamal district. I want to highlight the environmental degradation of today. Our ancestors used to live in the forest, depending on roots, greens, and various other things. But... I express my desire to bring back that kind of environment.

— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha

It is true that bringing vegetables and leafy greens from the forest provides nutritious food for a growing body.

— Devisingh Solanki · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh

We get various greens and various fruits from the forest.

— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha

We tribal people bring herbs from the forest and treat ailments, which is very important for health.

— Ram Maravi · Dindori, Madhya Pradesh

Currently, we are seeing that people are gradually obtaining the fruits, medicinal plants, greens, and nutritious food that were available in the forest.

— Ramadas Badanayak · Udulibeda, Malkangiri, Odisha

My name is Dhiren Badhai from Kiyariya village and Bamani Gaon Panchayat, Dharibari block. Our ancestors used to eat roots, leafy greens, fruits, and tubers from the forest, living a nutritious life, but now all of that has decreased.

— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha

My name is Susmita Pradhan. We are the indigenous, original inhabitants. We wish to live in harmony with nature, producing our own food. We are demanding the government to conserve the things that are disappearing from the market. We are requesting the government to restore the forest products like roots and various forest items that are disappearing.

— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha

People in the village bring herbs from the jungle and eat them for their health, which is very beneficial or advantageous.

— Ram Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

From the forest, we collect ruguda mushrooms, mudhi saag, kuiler saag, girel flowers, bhindua kadi, and so on. If all these are nutritious foods for us, they should be included in the midday meal.

— RINA BEHERA · Hemagiri, Sundargarh, Odisha

My name is Isaac Sabar, village Zero Number, Panchayat Mandi Mandi, District Kandhamal. I feel that in the current situation, people used to use traditional forest products, which are forest-derived goods, in large quantities to sustain their livelihoods, but due to the lack of forests, they have disappeared. We want to restore the forests so that we can enjoy those forest products just like our ancestors used to.

— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha

We get various types of fruits and roots from the forest.

— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha

Grains and other food items are included from the forest.

— Sunita Kumari

My name is Malisa Pradhan from Rayakia, Kandhamal. Our ancestors used to cultivate vegetables without fertilizer, and they would eat forest roots to gain good health. Currently, we also wish to live like this.

— RITARANI PRADHAN · Kandhamal, Odisha

My name is Hemant Sa, from village Nilaji. Nutritious local forest foods should be included in PDS and also in mid-day meals. Those are Manjia, Guruji, Pasun.

— RUDRA PRASAD BAG · Jagānpadar, Nuapada, Odisha

Before, we used to eat saag roti, kurthi dal, urad dal, and mahua saag. Sometimes we would find amla and bael from the forest, and that's how we used to sustain our lives.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Residents in the forest bushes have a business of various medicinal plants, and they benefit from it for food.

— Devisingh Solanki · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh

We indigenous people used to eat roots and tubers from the forests and sustained ourselves with them. These also served as medicine, keeping our bodies healthy. Even today, we should use roots and tubers.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

My name is Maneni Pradhan, from Raikakonda Malu. We, the indigenous original inhabitants, produce food from the forest and want to live with nature. We are expressing this desire. We are humbly requesting the government that all these efforts be made for us.

— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha

In the forest, there are many types of food, such as various nutritious tubers (kandha), which can be given during midday meals in schools and also protect against various diseases.

— Deepanjali Nayak

From the forest, we also get many things as vegetables, such as

— Kekti Tekam

Kantola vegetable, which is very nutritious, is found in the forest of our village. It should be included and promoted in nutritional diets.

— Vijay kanesh · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh

Forest products such as Jharakunduru, Pitalu Konda, and various other types of edible forest produce are available. These also serve as food for animals and birds, and consuming them provides nourishment.

— Anirudha Marai

We are tribals, we are nature worshippers. We always depend on trees and plants to live. We sustain our livelihood by eating its tubers, fruits, and roots.

— PRADEEP KUMAR KANHAR · Boudh, Odisha

Grains, food, and foodstuffs are included from the forest.

— Sunita Kumari

I want to bring back the medicinal items, food items, and root vegetables found in our forest, so that they do not disappear.

— Laxmi Bagh · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

We tribals cut down forests to build our homes and live in the forest itself. From the forest, we get roots, flowers, and delicious fruits, and we sustain our lives from them, and we also do farming.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Which forest food available in your region is most prevalent? Look, there are various types of greens, then ours

— Rajesh Mallik · Boudh, Odisha

Due to the cutting of trees and plants in the village, various herbs and food items are becoming extinct. We can protect them.

— Mohan AHARI · Sarera, Udaipur, Rajasthan

Nutritious diet includes forest vegetables like Mocha Kolyar greens.

— Kachala Choudhary

Herbs of the forest

— Vinita Singh Yadav · Dharura, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Which part of your food, forest, or farming life do you miss the most? My name is Baijayanti Dehuri, village Nedrikhol, and Post Khajuripada, and Block Khajuripada, and Panchayat Khajuripada. Earlier, we used to eat good food, but now we eat food grown with fertilizer, so we want to cultivate millet.

— harischandra Dalabehera · Khajuripada, Kandhamal, Odisha

Our community lives by building homes in the forests, hunting wild animals, and sustaining themselves by eating tamarind, mango, guava, and other produce found in the forest. Thus, they belong to a different way of life.

— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

We cultivate some nutritious food from the village itself.

— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh