Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Impact of NTFP Sales on Rural Households’ Cash Income in India’s Dry Deciduous Forest

  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In recent years, researchers and policy makers have recognized that nontimber forest products (NTFPs) extracted from forests by rural people can make a significant contribution to their well-being and to the local economy. This study presents and discusses data that describe the contribution of NTFPs to cash income in the dry deciduous forests of Orissa and Jharkhand, India. In its focus on cash income, this study sheds light on how the sale of NTFPs and products that use NTFPs as inputs contribute to the rural economy. From analysis of a unique data set that was collected over the course of a year, the study finds that the contribution of NTFPs to cash income varies across ecological settings, seasons, income level, and caste. Such variation should inform where and when to apply NTFP forest access and management policies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • A. B. Anderson (1990) Alternative to deforestation: steps towards sustainable use of the Amazon Rain forests Columbia University Press New York

    Google Scholar 

  • V. K. Bahuguna (2000) ArticleTitleForests in the economy of the rural poor: an estimation of the dependency level Ambio 29 126–129

    Google Scholar 

  • W. Cavendish (2000) ArticleTitleEmpirical regularities in the poverty-environment relationship of rural households: evidence from Zimbabwe World Development 28 1979–2003 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0305-750X(00)00066-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J. Clay (1990) ArticleTitleA rainforest emporium Garden 14 2–7

    Google Scholar 

  • De Beer, J. H., M. J. McDermott. 1989. Economic value of non-timber forest products in southeast Asia. Netherlands Committee for IUCN, Amsterdam

  • Falconer, J., and J. E. M. Arnold. 1989. Household food security and forestry: an analysis of socio-economic issues. Community forestry note, no. 1, FAO, Rome

  • P. M. Fearnside (1989) ArticleTitleExtractive reserves in Brazilian Amazonia Bioscience 39 387–393

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Ganesan (1993) ArticleTitleExtraction of non-timber forest products including fodder and fuelwood in Mudumulai, India Economic Botany 47 268–274

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Godoy N. Brokaw D. Wilkie (1995) ArticleTitleThe effect of income on the extraction of non-timber forest products: model, hypotheses, and preliminary findings from the Sumu Indians of Nicaragua Human Ecology 23 IssueID1 29–52 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF01190097

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • H. M. Gunatilke M. A. H. P. Senaratne Abeygunawardena (1993) ArticleTitleRole of non timber forest products in the economy of peripheral communities of Knuckles National Wilderness Area of Sri Lanka Economic Botany 47 275–281

    Google Scholar 

  • Malhotra, K. C., M. Dutta, T. S. Vasulu, G. Yadav, and M. Adhikari. 1991. Role of NTFP in village economy: a household survey in Jamboni range, Midnapore district, West Bengal. Mimeo. IIBRAD. Calcutta, India

  • P. H. May (1991) ArticleTitleBuilding institutions and markets for non-wood forest products from the Brazilian Amazon Proceedings of the Tenth World Forestry Congress 15 119–124

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Poulsen (1990) ArticleTitleThe non-wood forest products of African forests Unasylva 34 15–21

    Google Scholar 

  • S. R. C. Reddy S. P. Chakravarty (1999) ArticleTitleForest dependence and income distribution in a subsistence economy: evidence from India World Development 27 1141–1149 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0305-750X(99)00057-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. N. Tewari (1992) Tropical forestry in India International Book Distributors India 387

    Google Scholar 

  • I. M. Townson (1995) Incomes from non timber forest products: patterns of enterprise activity in the forest zone of southern Ghana [Mimeograph] O.F.I., University of Oxford U.K

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all of the people in the field who helped with and participated in the surveys discussed here. We also thank three reviewers and the editor for useful comments. Some of the research presented here was performed while H. J. Albers was a Fellow at Resource for the Future and that support is also gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aranya Bhavan, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India

    Ajay Kumar Mahapatra

  2. Forest ResourcesCollege of ForestryOregon State Univerity, 280 Peavy Hall, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA

    Heidi J. Albers

  3. St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University, Oxford, England

    Elizabeth J. Z. Robinson

Authors
  1. Ajay Kumar Mahapatra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Heidi J. Albers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elizabeth J. Z. Robinson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heidi J. Albers.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mahapatra, A.K., Albers, H.J. & Robinson, E.J.Z. The Impact of NTFP Sales on Rural Households’ Cash Income in India’s Dry Deciduous Forest. Environmental Management 35, 258–265 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-8203-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-8203-9

Key words

Search

Navigation