Non-Timber Forest Products Exchange Programme India

23
Mar

Samarthak Samiti

Rajasthan the state having largest area in India has limited forest coverage (9.32%) majority of which is concentrated in the south and southeast parts. These forest offers support to livelihood of poor families through various resources and valmuable products such as Tendupatta, Mahuwa, Ratanjote, Puhar, Sitaphal, Safed Musli, Babool-glue, Nirguri,Ber ,Amla, Baheda and many other medicinal plants, which are called Minor Forest Produce MFPs) or NTFPs.

The significance of these MFPs is high for poor tribal communities in the area as they constitute important part of their livelihoods and potentials are large. In this whole trade of MFPs over-exploitation and even local extirpation in response to intensive harvest is the major threat to forest ecosystem and community economics. The result is that the natural resource base is becoming degraded in certain areas, and an increasing number of species are becoming extinct. In such circumstances, maintaining MFP harvest and trade within sustainable levels presents a major challenge today and the foreseeable future.

The Rajasthan Forest Produce Collectors and Processers Group Support Society noun as (Samarthak Samiti) is a registered organization (under society registration act 1956), which is active in six districts of the state with the broad objective of providing guidance and motivation to smaller organizations, cooperative societies and such other societies, which are engaged with minor forest produce collection and devoted to the cause of biodiversity conservation. It is this activity has been intnsiely supported by Astha.

It promotes the exchange of information about MFPs collection and marketing concerns to increase awareness and to improve co-ordination of marketing efforts through sharing of experiences and lessons learned. Samarthak has started to work on the other Products also other then the Tendupatta in formation of the groups and cooperatives who willing to do the collective work for betterment of the society.

Samarthak presently has reached out to 2000 family through the cooperatives and groups. It further expected to reach out to 5000 families through activities such as organizing and empowering community members and formation of the Minor Forest Produce (MFP) collectors, building team capacity, federating grass root groups, documentation, building knowledge and skills on the production and marketing of MFP, and influencing policy in favor of community rights over MFP.

Ultimate goal
“Providing guidance and motivation to smaller organizations, cooperative societies and other societies, which are engaged with Organic agriculture and minor forest produce collection and devoted to the cause of biodiversity conservation”

We Are
Samarthak Samiti is a Hindi word means “support society” and a short name of Rajasthan Forest Produce Collectors and Processors Group Support Society.

Mission
Strengthening the livelihood of Rural, Poor & Tribal communities and other marginalized sections of the society in Rajasthan, through natural resource management.

Vision
Samarthak Samiti endeavors to strengthen people’s organizations by facilitating appropriate interventions in collection, processing and marketing of forest produces in Rajasthan.

Core values
1.    Work with Transparency,
2.    Honesty,
3.    Dedication and inclusive growth,
4.    Gender Balance within organization and in its target community
5.    Benefits for producers.

Email : rajvanupaj@gmail.com

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