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EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES, PROMOTING FAIR TRADE and ENSURING CONSERVATION:

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8 TRAFFIC Bulletin9RO1R  N E W S

A report on the progress of FairWild certification at two sites in which has UHVXOWHGLQWKHÀUVWFRPSDQ\LQWKHFRXQWU\WREHDZDUGHGD)DLU:LOGFHUWLÀFDWH

he operation involved in the collection and processing of the fruit of two species (Terminalia bellirica and T. chebula ZKLFK DUHLQJUHGLHQWVRI7ULSKDOD²RQHRIWKHPRVW LPSRUWDQW $\XUYHGLF SUHSDUDWLRQV²ZDV TUHFHQWO\ DZDUGHG )DLU:LOG FHUWL¿FDWLRQ DW WZR VLWHV LQ ,QGLD7KHVWRU\RIWKLV¿UVW)DLU:LOGFHUWL¿FDWLRQVXFFHVV in India provides an example of how such a marketing tool can act as a key facilitating mechanism in a project designed to precipitate positive conservation outcomes through the improvement of livelihoods.  &HUWL¿FDWLRQ KDV SURYHQ WR EH D YDOXDEOH PHDQV RI securing market access and adding value to resources. It also offers potential for encouraging wider community ownership, building capacity, ensuring a more equitable $0,7.27,<$75$)),& GLVWULEXWLRQRIEHQH¿WVDQGSURYLGLQJDQHGXFDWLRQDOWRRO for developing understandings of the nature, value and ŻŸ Collectors of Terminalia chebula (Haritaki) fruits, SURSHUXVHRIWKHVHUHVRXUFHV)DLU:LOGFHUWL¿FDWLRQLV Dhage Wadi village, Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, PRUH ULJRURXV FRPSDUHG WR RWKHU FHUWL¿FDWLRQ VFKHPHV North Western Ghats with (above) community members. DV LW SURYLGHV VSHFL¿F JXLGDQFH RQ VXVWDLQDELOLW\ RI ZLOGKDUYHVWLQJDQGWUDGH7KH)DLU:LOGFHUWL¿FDWLRQRI T. bellirica and T. chebula has been achieved through a carefully developed programme of training and supply considerable value to be added to the front end of the chain development as part of a project initiated by an supply chain. However, it was in pursuing FairWild Indian NGO, the Applied Environmental Resource FHUWL¿FDWLRQWKDWWKHPRVWLPSRUWDQWDVSHFWVRIWKHSURMHFW )RXQGDWLRQ $(5) ZRUNLQJZLWKUXUDOFRPPXQLWLHVLQ to date have been achieved. Parties engaged in a careful two locations in the Western Ghats, a global biodiversity process of consultation and discussion with collectors and hotspot. It has been designed and implemented in EX\HUVRIWKHSURGXFWVGHVLJQHGORFDODFFHVVDQGEHQH¿W partnership with the Durrell Institute of Conservation sharing agreements and helped set up the organizations and Ecology, in the School of Anthropology and to oversee the implementation of these agreements: e.g. Conservation, at the University of Kent, and Pukka local committees of registered collectors and knowledge Herbs Ltd., UK, through a project supported by the UK’s holders. Partners further formulated and delivered a Darwin Initiative. Additional funding for the project training programme for those engaged in collection and was provided through a joint TRAFFIC-AERF initiative processing. Also, a company, Nature Connect, has been supported by the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund VHWXSVSHFL¿FDOO\WRFRRUGLQDWHWKHWUDGHDQGEXVLQHVV .1&)  relations, promote the products, and develop the business  $(5)LGHQWL¿HGFDQGLGDWHSURMHFWVLWHVLQDQG plans. The long-term purchase agreement has been established good relationships with key members of secured between Nature Connect and Pukka Herbs Ltd, the local communities, including Mahadev Koli tribal which includes the provision of the guaranteed payment people living in the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary of a premium price. Nature Connect in turn has entered in the North Western Ghats, and, 400 km further south, into a long-term purchase contract with collectors from PDUJLQDO IDUPHUV IDUPHUV FXOWLYDWLQJ²DV RZQHUV both sites and carries out business activities on behalf of WHQDQWV RU VKDUHFURSSHUV²DJULFXOWXUDO ODQG XS WR RQH communities. KHFWDUH LQWKH6DQJDPHVKZDUEORFNRI5DWQDJLUL'LVWULFW  7KHRUJDQLFFHUWL¿FDWLRQIRUTerminalia spp. harvesting Both groups were lacking sustainable harvesting sites was achieved in September 2014, followed by skills and market access, hence limiting their range of )DLU:LOG FHUWL¿FDWLRQ LQ )HEUXDU\  DQG WKH ¿UVW economic opportunities. Through the Darwin Initiative FairWild-labelled Triphala products are expected to be and KNCF funding, AERF has since implemented marketed in the UK in 2015. The project in North Western resource assessments of T. bellirica (primarily within Ghats and its links to Pukka Herbs resulted in Pukka VDFUHGJURYHVLQWKHVRXWK DQGRIT. chebula (in large Herbs winning the prestigious 2degrees Sustainability ZLOG JURYHV RI WKLV VSHFLHV LQ WKH QRUWK  SURYLGLQJ D Champions Award in July 2014, allowing the company to sound basis for management of the harvest. Funding communicate more widely the conservation and economic was also used to develop and purchase equipment for impacts of the project and the FairWild Standard. The the drying and processing of fruits, thereby enabling project partners are now further extending the work into

TRAFFIC Bulletin9RO1R   N E W S

ŻTerminalia chebula fruits, known as Haritaki, drying in the sun. Dhage Wadi village, Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, North Western Ghats.

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the sustainable harvesting and trade in other medicinal FHUWL¿FDWLRQSURFHVVVWUHQJWKHQLQJUHVRXUFHPDQDJHPHQW plant species, including Tinospora cordifolia, which is and additional requirements for social and economic used to treat a range of ailments including Type 2 diabetes, sustainability so that the sustainable harvesting business high cholesterol, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, lymphoma, becomes economically viable over the longer term. allergies and peptic ulcers. The process described here for the sustainable use The approach employed on this project, which has used of natural resources may offer a model for others to WKH )DLU:LOG FHUWL¿FDWLRQ SURFHVV WR EXLOG GLDORJXH DQG follow. The FairWild Standard will hopefully enable collaboration between stakeholders to create a complete other species to be brought into value chains in a manner and reasonably robust supply chain, offers considerable that supports peoples who are amongst some of the promise for the conservation of these tree species, their most vulnerable in the modern world and ensures the habitats, and the associated biological diversity. For sustainability of wild-harvesting. However, it should example, of 33 nests of the Great Buceros bicornis also be noted that little of what has been achieved to date and Malabar Pied Hornbill coronatus ZRXOG KDYH EHHQ SRVVLEOH ZLWKRXW VLJQL¿FDQW SURMHFW recorded in one of the project site areas, 23 are located funding from the KNCF and the Darwin Initiative, in T. bellirica hollows. are well-known as seed and the commitment and contributions by the project dispersers of rare species such as Antiaris partners and the communities themselves. toxicaria, Strychnos nux-vomica further, because the T. bellirica fruits are gathered using passive netting Ian Bride, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology PHWKRGV WKH OLYHOLKRRG EHQH¿WV (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation (SAC), accruing to the local communities do University of Kent, UK. E-mail: [email protected] QRWFRQÀLFWZLWKWKHH[LVWHQFHRIWKHVH Jayant Sarnaik, Applied Environmental Research Foundation. and also respect the traditional (PDLOMD\DQWVDUQDLN#DHU¿QGLDRUJ conservation practices that are Ben Heron, Pukka Herbs Ltd applied in sacred groves. The E-mail: [email protected] felling of these massive trees to provide structural WLPEHU DQG ¿UHZRRG which has been practised widely in recent times, most certainly does. ŻCollector of fruits of Terminalia bellirica (bibhitaki). Over the coming The astringent fruits of this species and of T. chebula years, the project will (above) are the source of some of Ayurveda’s most valued

%(1+(52138..$+(5%6 continue to support the ingredients in medicines to treat stomach disorders.

10 TRAFFIC Bulletin9RO1R