Collecting Ophiocordyceps Sinensis: an Emerging Livelihood Strategy in the Garhwal, Indian Himalaya

J. Mt. Sci. (2017) 14(2): 390-402 e-mail: [email protected] http://jms.imde.ac.cn DOI: 10.1007/s11629-016-3892-8 Collecting Ophiocordyceps sinensis: an emerging livelihood strategy in the Garhwal, Indian Himalaya Laura CAPLINS 1* http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1481-5190; e-mail: [email protected] Sarah J. HALVORSON 2 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7431-9730; e-mail: [email protected] * Corresponding author 1 Department of Society and Conservation, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA 2 Department of Geography, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA Citation: Caplins L, Halvorson SJ (2017) Collecting Ophiocordyceps sinensis: an emerging livelihood strategy in the Garhwal, Indian Himalaya. Journal of Mountain Science 14(2). DOI: 10.1007/s11629-016-3892-8 © Science Press and Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, CAS and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2017 Abstract: In the Garhwal of Uttarakhand, India, the Garhwal. Our study investigates the socio-spatial Bhotiya, an ethnically and culturally distinct tribal dimensions of Cordyceps collection in the high alpine group, were historically engaged in seasonal meadows. We document how a fusion of local migration (i.e. transhumance) to take advantage of knowledge and practice with alpine mountain systems scarce mountain resources and trade relations with has served to reinvigorate the economic integrity of Tibet. This livelihood practice has all but disappeared. mountain communities at a time of rapid socio- Households are adapting to these changing economic change and to reimagine a new relationship circumstances by engaging in the collection and sale between alpine resources and community well-being. of the valuable alpine medicinal fungus The article offers suggestions to address the Ophiocordyceps sinensis, widely known as sustainability of both Cordyceps collection and Cordyceps. The collection of this fungus has livelihood activities which hinge on this fungus exploded, emerging as a lucrative yet high-risk population. We find a need for (1) community-based livelihood strategy for many Bhotiya communities. conservation measures that are rooted in (2) secure The Bhotiyas’ historic herding and trade-based resource access rights for local communities to interactions and knowledge of these alpine continue sustainable collection and sale of Cordyceps environments where Cordyceps are found uniquely and (3) participatory-and science-based processes for positions them to access this valuable biological determining appropriate local collection numbers. resource. Elsewhere in the Himalayan region, some households are earning as much as two-thirds of their Keywords: Cordyceps (Ophiocordyceps sinensis); income from the collection of Cordyceps; in China Garhwal; Himalaya; Livelihood; Alpine meadows; Cordyceps is now listed as an endangered species due Bhotiya; Sustainability to intense over-exploitation in the Tibetan Plateau. This paper seeks to fill the void in the scientific literature on the social, ecological and economic Introduction aspects of the emerging Cordyceps trade in the Received: 18 February 2016 In the Himalaya, mountain livelihood systems Revised: 7 May 2016 often rely on natural resources located in high Accepted: 8 July 2016 390 J. Mt. Sci. (2017) 14(2): 390-402 elevation alpine meadows (Bergmann et al. 2008; “webs of explanation” that help to explain why this Olsen and Larsen 2003). Across this region an biological resource is being collected in the way increasing number of people are spending summer that it is. This article seeks to unravel these months in alpine meadows above treeline to collect explanations through an investigation of the a rare and valuable alpine medicinal fungus (AMF) localized experience of extraction and exploitation called Ophiocordyceps sinensis and widely known of Cordyceps in the high alpine meadows of the as simply Cordyceps among the research Chamoli District of the Garhwal. In order to community. We will be using the term Cordyceps contextualize the collection of cordyceps, the throughout the paper to reflect this common intention here is to situate cordyceps-related vernacular. Cordyceps is spatially distributed activities within a broader historical and economic across the Himalayan mountains of India, Nepal, framework of livelihood change and Bhutan, and China (Sharma 2004; Cannon transformation (Gururani 2014). Today, nearly et al. 2009; Thapa et al. 2014). In the Chamoli entire village populations partially relocate to their District of the Garhwal region of North India the high alpine meadows to spend days, weeks and collection of this fungus has exploded, emerging as sometimes months searching for Cordyceps a lucrative yet high-risk livelihood strategy for (Figure 1). While the sale of Cordyceps has resulted many mountain communities. While Cordyceps in unforeseen cash revenues and the ability to has only been ‘discovered’ in the past ten years in attain new levels of investment in home this part of the Garhwal, long-standing traditions improvement, infrastructure, and community of Cordyceps collection have been documented spaces (Figure 2), there has been little scientific elsewhere such as in the Tibet Autonomous Region investigation of the experience, process, or impacts (TAR) in China (Winkler 2010). Recent increases associated with the collection of Cordyceps. To in market demand for this fungus have actually led date, we have found no study that fully documents to its overexploitation in many of the collection the local-scale experience of collection in this area. areas in China, with Cordyceps now listed as an endangered species by the Chinese government (Wang and Yao 2011). The parallel trends of increasing demand and intensive collection in some areas has pushed Cordyceps buyers to search other Himalayan locales for new Cordyceps markets (Thapa et al. 2014). The Garhwal region has emerged as one of these areas of rapid market expansion and collection. Calls for an investigation of the sustainability of this fungus in alpine Figure 1 Cordyceps camp with fresh snow. meadows in the Garhwal and elsewhere have recently been put forth by researchers (Cannon et al. 2009; Negi et al. 2006) as well as by local communities. Some suggest that bans on extraction are an over-reaction, and that due to the ecology of the fungus and its reproduction via spores, there is not a direct relationship between collection numbers and the population of the fungus (Garbyal et al. 2004). In order to address debates over the sustainability of the collection of Cordyceps in the Garhwal, it is critical to examine this relatively Figure 2 Construction funded by Cordyceps. ‘new’ alpine asset and the practices of collection in relation to broader socio-economic and livelihood Cordyceps has been a topic of inquiry for us contexts. Within mountain livelihood activities are for several years. In 2008 one member of our chains, or what Rocheleau (2008) refers to as author team first observed seasonal depopulation 391 J. Mt. Sci. (2017) 14(2): 390-402 of Garhwali villages that could be linked to the two and five years of experience collecting. The Cordyceps collection underway in mountain purpose of research was elaborated, and consent of pastures. Village leaders indicated a decline in the all study participants was secured before local population that was spending time farming administering the surveys. The interviews were and managing livestock. A major motivation to conducted in either Hindi or Garhwali depending undertake this study was our interest in probing upon the preference of the interviewee. Two these field observations in greater depth. research assistants served as translators and guides. This article begins by outlining the The assistants served as guides within the villages, methodological approach guiding this study, then on mountain trails, and in the alpine meadows. follows with an introduction to the botanical and Both research assistants were from the area; the medicinal properties of Cordyceps and a brief research would not have been possible without history of its collection in the Himalaya. We their help as their presence helped relax contextualize this emerging livelihood strategy with interviewees. Interviews were conducted in the a description of the collection, processing, and villages, either in homes or common areas, storage of Cordyceps. The paper concludes with the depending upon the preferences of the interviewees. implications of this new livelihood strategy for the Our sampling protocol was influenced by the sustainability of collection and community well- secretive nature of the collection and sale of the being. Cordyceps. In our case, due to the secretive nature of this livelihood activity, a probability sample was not possible and quota sampling was adopted. 1 Methodology Quota sampling is appropriate when random selection is not viable owing to culturally sensitivity Owing to a decade of extensive field campaigns or the in-depth nature of the research (Bernard and interactions with Garhwali communities, the 2006; Singleton and Straits 2010). In order to first author was able to build upon collaborative obtain a quota sample, in each village we divided relationships to facilitate three months of focused the households up by caste and/or family groups fieldwork on Cordyceps collection – including and then took an approximate percentage of our collection group surveys, informal interviews and interviews

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