Indigenous Knowledge on Selection, Sustainable
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INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE ON SELECTION, SUSTAINABLE UTILIZATION OF LOCAL FLORA AND FAUNA FOR FOOD BY TRIBES (PTG) OF ODISHA: A POTENTIAL RESOURCE FOR FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY Prepared by SCSTRTI, Bhubaneswar, Government of Odisha Research Study on “Indigenous knowledge on selection, sustainable utilization of local flora and fauna for food by tribes I (PTG) of Odisha: A potential resource for food and environmental security” ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Research and Training Institute, Government of Odisha, Bhubaneswar commissioned a study, titled“Indigenous Knowledge on Selection & Sustainable Utilization of Local Flora and Fauna for Food by Tribes (PTGs) of Odisha: A Potential Resource for Food and Environmental Security”,to understand traditional knowledge system on local flora and fauna among the tribal communities of Odisha. This study tries to collect information on the preservation and consumption of different flora and fauna available in their areas during different seasons of the year for different socio-cultural and economic purposes that play important roles in their way of life. During the itinerary of the study, inclusive of other indegenious knowledge system, attempt was also made to understand the calorie intake of different PVTGs of Odisha through anthropometric measurements (height and weight).Including dietary measurement. Resource/Research persons fromCTRAN Consulting, A1-A2, 3rd Floor, Lewis Plaza, Lewis Road, BJB Nagar, Bhubaneswar-14, Odisha extended their technical support for data collection, analysis and report drafting with research inputs and guidance from Internal Research Experts of Directorate of SCSTRTI, Bhubaneswar. CTRAN Consulting and its Resource/Research personsdeserve thanks and complements. Also, thanks are due to all the Internal Experts and Researchers of SCSTRTI, especially Mrs. A. Mall, Dy. Director and Nodal Officer, who coordinate the study, and its Administrative and Library staff for their help support for completion of the study. We are thankful to Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GoI, New Delhi and ST&SC Development Department, GoO, Bhubaneswar for providing financial support for the study. Our special thanks to Mr. Santosh Sarangi, I.A.S, Secretary-cum-Commissioner of STs and SCs Development Department, Govt. of Odisha for his valuable input and continuous support in the study. Our sincere thanks goes to the concerned district and filed level Officials, who have been kind enough in providing logistic supports and information pertaining to the study. Last but not least, we are indebted to the tribal people and villagers, who spared their valuable time to provide data and relevant opinion as respondents, without whom this study would not have seen the day of light. SCSTRTI acknowledges their active support and participation in the form of discussing issues with the study teams time and again during field visit. Prof. (Dr.) A.B. Ota, IAS, Director, SCSTRTI I Research Study on “Indigenous knowledge on selection, sustainable utilization of local flora and fauna for food by tribes II (PTG) of Odisha: A potential resource for food and environmental security” Executive Summary: The study on Indigenous Knowledge systemwas commissioned by the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Research and Training Institute, Government of Odisha to understand traditional knowledge system on local flora and fauna among the tribal communities of thestate. The study also looked into collection, preservation and consumption of different flora and fauna available during different seasons of the year for different socio-cultural and economic purposes that play important rolesin their way of life. As a part of the study, attempt has been made to understand the calorie intake of different PVTGs of Odisha through anthropometric measurements (height and weight) which includes also the dietary measurement. Methodology of the study: This study has primarily adopted qualitative research methods to understand dependency syndromeof tribals on different flora and fauna available in their area. It tried to document their uses for different purposes. Primary level data were collected from the households of four sample PVTGs (Hill Kharia & Mankirdia PVTGs are taken as one PVTG during study) using structured interview schedule. For gap fillings and better clarity, focus group discussions were conducted at the community level with the PVTG elders.The presumption was that the elders are the retainers of traditional knowledge and the youngers are already influenced by the modernisation.Apart from Government supports for essential goods and services through public distribution system, it was observed that the non-tribal interventions are also there. In addition, the younger generations are more affected by the market forces for consumable items. Apart from this, for the requiredset of information, the development personnel were also interacted.The respectiveITDAs and other district level Government establishments were visited for collection of secondary data. The household has been the unit of analysis and the universe has been the four PVTGs whose population does not exceed a few thousands. Thus, to have an effective representation the study covered a total of 379 households to understand the uses of different flora and fauna. For preliminary nutritional assessment, the study covered 254 persons of different age groups across four PVTGs covering four districts. Although the study covered fiveofficially declared PVTGs, namely Dangria Kandha, Lanjia Saora, Hill Kharia, Mankirdia and Juang, they have been broadly categorised into four PVTGs wherein Hill Kharia and Mankirdias have been treated as one due to their large similarity in habitat, food habits and features of micro climatic areas for analytical purposes.Further,the reasons of Mankirdia and the Hill Kharias put under one head has been due to lot of similarities in coping mechanisms to their micro ecological conditions and way of life. Economic Status of PVTGs: From the survey undertaken, it has been ascertained that the number of families below the poverty line, irrespective of PVTG categories, is 93.9 %, i.e., 95.3% in Juang, 84.5 % in Hill KhariaMankirdia, 93.3 % in Dangria Kandha and 97.3 % in Lanjia Saora. Agriculture remains the major source of income (63.50 %) followed by daily wage (19.11 %). The secondary II Research Study on “Indigenous knowledge on selection, sustainable utilization of local flora and fauna for food by tribes III (PTG) of Odisha: A potential resource for food and environmental security” engagement being the daily wage (60.46 %) is the most important source of income which is supplemented by incomer generated from forest produce collection and selling (32.0 %). Some members in the family also have other sources of income, however, for them, forest produce collection and its selling remains pivotal (88.53 %). Overall, the engagement pattern shows that forest produce collection (33.89 %), daily wage labour (31.53 %) and agriculture (29.13 %) are the major sectors of engagement and income generating sources for the target tribes (PVTGs). Thus, earlier it has already stated as to why foranalysis broadly thesePVTGs have been arranged into four categories. Of the total average annual income, major part of the income of the family comes from primary sources of engagement (61.0 %). Secondary and otherengagementscontributeabout 30.0 % and 9.0 % of the total annual income of the households respectively. On an average, the annual household income remains to be Rs.18, 442.51. Perhaps, this is the reason for which about 90 % families among the PVTGs are below the poverty line. Average annual income of Dangria Kandha is lowest among four PVTGs followed by Hill Khariaand Mankirdia. Among the four studied PVTGs,a comparative assessment revealed that Lanjia Saora is having the highest annual average income followed by Juang. Forest Dependency: About 90.8 % households are highly dependent on forest for deriving essentials of their livelihood. Dependency on forest for various purposes seems declined among the Lanjia Saora (78.8 %) whereas it remains high among theJuangs (93.9 %), the Hill Kharia/Mankirdias (98.3 %) and the Dangria Kandhas (98.3 %). Dependency on forest by season varies based on the availability of forest produces and requirement of the PVTGs. In winter, dependency on forest remains low for a substantial number of households (52.0 %). More or less similar trend is observed during rainy season when 48.0 % having low dependency on forest. About 92.0 % families heavily depend on forest during summer season. Among the tribal communities, the children also contribute to the family income directly or indirectly. Direct contribution is seen when they participate in forest collectionand indirect contribution is observed when the elder children take care of the younger ones so that both the parents can go for labour marketto sale their labour or any other engagements. Whenever a scope is available, the children go with friends and kin for forest collection. Therefore, the children are treated as economic assets in tribal economy. Involvement of children in collection of different flora has been observed in all the PVTGs expect Hill-Kharias and Mankirdias. For HillKharias and Mankirdia the forest is no more at aneasy distance from their hamlets and their frequency of moving into forest has reduced for reasons of govt. intervention in rehabilitation and supply of free rice, dal and few other essential goods at their door steps