Make in India: Commercialization of Minor Forest Products in Tribal Areas of Madhya Pradesh Maravi Parmeshwar Singh1, Dr. Modi Satish2 1Research Scholar, Department of Commerce, IGNTU, Amarkantak, M.P, India 2Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce, IGNTU, Amarkantak, M.P, India Online published on 31 October, 2017. Abstract The commercialization of Minor Forest Products (MFPs) in Tribal Areas of Madhya Pradesh are being promoted as a potential solution to the current high rates of malnutrition, the poor health of the rural population and the spread and intensification of poverty. Accomplishing these goals requires an understanding of how MFPs are extracted, processed and marketed in rural tribal areas. It is an important means for economic growth and sustainable forest management in local communities. Despite the potential of MFPs in poverty reduction and livelihoods improvement in rural tribal areas in Madhya Pradesh, little is known about their collection, procession, packaging and labelling. This paper examines the supply chain and commercialization of MFPs in rural tribal settings in Madhya Pradesh and their potential to contribute to poverty reduction, food security and livelihoods improvement. The results of the study indicated that MFPs contribute significantly to the food security, poverty reduction and livelihoods development in Tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh. The marketing of these products, however, faces a number of critical processing, labelling and marketing challenges. The MFPs marketing often occurs in an informal way, resulting in uncertainty about prices and yields. Marketing is basically done individually; it is unorganized, dispersed and farmers lack the necessary marketing skills and information required for optimal performance. Promoting the development and commercialization of these products on a permanent basis will enormously help to create more sustainable employment and income generation opportunities, enhance food security and improve the livelihoods of tribal people, their families and communities. The paper also identifies and analyse a number of critical factors that obstruct the commercialization of MFPs in Tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh and recommends strategies for redressing them. Top Keywords Commercialization, Livelihood Improvement, Packaging, Poverty. Top |