A dimension within Wild Edible Scarcity
Discusses the loss of forest food sources, deforestation, and its impact on biodiversity and medicinal plants.
150 voices speak to this
Neutral
Overall Community Sentiment
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
The herbs, vegetables, fruits, and trees have been depleted from the forest.
— Kachala Choudhary
Our medicinal herbs, vegetables, fruits, and trees are depleting from the forests.
— Kachala Choudhary
Large trees have been cut down, due to which it is becoming difficult to find forest vegetables and herbs.
— Kachala Choudhary
They have been living there for a long time. Now, there have been changes in the forest. Valuable trees are not found. Animals and birds are no longer in the forest. Everything is gone.
— Trinath badanayak · Malakanagiri, Malkangiri, Odisha
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
Fruit trees and vegetable plants have disappeared from our forests.
— Kachala Choudhary
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
We have seen many changes in the forest nowadays, such as trees and plants being cut down, the forest being deforested, herbs disappearing, animals and birds going extinct, and the water level depleting.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
Herbs, vegetable trees, medicinal plants are becoming extinct from our forests.
— Kachala Choudhary
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
Even many large trees in the forest have been depleted, and there are no medicinal herbs left. Animals and birds in the forest are also disappearing. Therefore, we absolutely need the forest.
— Mukunda Majhi · Udulibeda, Malkangiri, Odisha
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
The forests, animals, birds, and springs that used to be in our forest are slowly disappearing.
— Batakrushna Sahoo
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
Forest land has been lost.
— अमर जीत · Kon, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Forest land has been lost.
— अमर जीत · Kon, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
The forest is depleting
— Vinita Singh Yadav · Dharura, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
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
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
In the forest, all the ancient trees are disappearing. And all the medicinal trees are also disappearing.
— Anupama Mahanand
In earlier times, medicinal fruits were found in the forest, but now those things are becoming extinct day by day.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Change or damage is happening, all the forest trees and creepers are getting destroyed, animals and birds have disappeared.
— Niranjan Bisi · Boudh, Odisha
We have been living in this area for many years. What we see in our region is that the forest cover has also decreased. There are no animals now.
— sudhir gamanga · Gadiakhala, Ketalugurha, Rayagada
Now, honey, resin, Aainla (Indian gooseberry), Harada (chebulic myrobalan), and Baahada (beleric myrobalan) are no longer found in our forest.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
Significant changes or losses are occurring in forests, such as trees and plants being cut down excessively, herbs disappearing, animals becoming extinct, and insects migrating from one place to another.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
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
The forest's medicinal plants are depleting.
— Vinita Singh Yadav · Dharura, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
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
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
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
Herbs are running out, water and forests are getting depleted.
— Vinita Singh Yadav · Mukasim, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
In today's era, forests are undergoing many kinds of changes and losses, such as trees being cut, herbs disappearing, animals becoming extinct, people migrating from one place to another, and insects.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
The various types of fruits that used to be found in the forest are no longer available.
— KARUKAR MURMU · SKIP NO LOCATION
The tribal community has been displaced from our forests, and the forests have been destroyed.
— Kachala Choudhary
We used to get honey and resin from our forest, but now we don't.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
Herbs/animals in the forest are undergoing changes or damage.
— AbhiLL Ipsa
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
Currently, we are seeing that trees, animals, and herbs in the forest are being destroyed.
— MUKTA THAKUR · Kalahandi, Odisha
AI-synthesised pieces woven from many community voices on this theme. They may contain errors or interpretation — they're a reflection of the stories, not a record of fact.

Faced with the loss of their natural forest, a community took action to plant a new one specifically for medicinal herbs.

We must actively safeguard our local traditions, medicinal plants, and vital forest trees to ensure our heritage and well-being endure.

In remote mountain forests, a community navigates daily life, preserving ancient crops and adapting cultural traditions amidst evolving times.

In Sonbhadra, an elder reflects on the community's evolving traditions, from festive celebrations and unique tribal customs to environmental shifts and new livelihoods, holding onto the hope of preser