The Ayurvedic Industry and its Implications on NTFP Sustainability

T Samraj

Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFPs) play a prominent role in the lives of indigenous communities and forest dwellers. They are dependent on NTFPs for at least 3 to 4 months in a year for their livelihoods. In India, almost 80% of the Ayurvedic Industry is situated in the state of Kerala alone. The Ayurvedic Industry is fully dependant on the supply of NTFPs from various regions in India and abroad. Ayurvedic Oushadhashalas (hospitals) use many ingredients collected from the forests, classified as whole plant, root, stem, bark, leaf, flower, fruit and seed. According to the branch of ayurveda practiced, the ingredients are used to prepare medicines ranging from powder, extracts, concoctions, syrups, tonics, chyavanprash/lehyam etc. Nowadays, capsules and cosmetics are also prepared from NTFPs. The rate at which the industry is growing has created ahuge demand for the NTFPs and medicinal plants which is met through imports and cultivation.

Visits to ayurvedic units threw some light on the procurement practices of the industry and the price trends of NTFPs. Dried amla (Emblica officinalis) is one of the main ingredients of all preparations; used in large quantities; it is usually priced between Rs.12.00 to Rs.40.00 depending on the season and availability. During the start of the season, the prices are usually low and towards the end of the season it rises sharply to reach the maximum. The trade in amla spans the Eastern Ghats and Central India, especially Odisha and Chattisgarh, which is considered a cheap source for most of the Ayurvedic raw materials. Interestingly, fresh amla from Assam is available at Rs.6.00 per kg in cold storages at Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu. This shows the kind of prices that are being realized by the primary collectors and the control that traders have on the supply and speculation. Though, traders are primary suppliers of most Ayurvedic ingredients, there are societies and other groups who have organized themselves as small time suppliers.

The Ayurvedic Industry also has an association named AMMOI in Trissur which procures important ingredients collectively from various agencies in the country and abroad (dates, cashew, raisins, saffron among others) and supplies these to the industry at rates which are stable and manageable. Oushadhi, a Government of Kerala enterprise specializing in supplies of raw drugs to the Ayurvedic industry also plays a vital role in NTFP trade. Kalmeg or Bhui Neem (Andrographis paniculta) is a major ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine and is in high demand throughout the year. It is usually procured from Odisha in huge quantities through traders.

Another unique feature about the Ayurvedic ingredients is the substitution of materials whenever one ingredient is not available or has become rare and endangered. Apparently, Dasamoola which is an extract of ten roots has substitutes for almost all the ingredients except Terminalia arjuna. The pith and tuber of the critically endangered Cycas circinalis are actually a substitute for Vidaarikand (Pueraria tuberosa) which is no longer available.

Any dialogue with the Ayurvedic industry has proved to be an uphill task. The industry is not willing to listen to the issues of NTFP harvest, pricing mechanism, status of origin and traceability questions. As long as supplies are available it is business as usual for the industries. The efforts of Keystone Foundation to bring about sustainability in harvest and supplies of NTFPs, through Eco Certification, is facing obstacles due to the limited or no participation from the Ayurvedic industry. A workshop on Eco Certification at Kotagiri was a failure as only 3 of the 21 invitees attended. Also, a workshop during the weeklong celebration of Arogya 2009, conducted jointly by Arya Vaidya Pharmacy and Department of Ayush, Govt. of India, had only three or four participants from the industry. The interest was more in the stall with information on sustainable harvesting of NTFPs promising future directions to this effort.

Unregulated and informal markets make NTFP trade a monopoly of the traders who have valuable knowledge concerning of areas of availability, seasons, quality and rates of plant materials. As the primary collectors of raw materials depend completely on the agents employed by the traders the markets remains completely grey and there is no clear assessment of size and turnover of raw materials.

The NTFP-EP India network has the potential to bring about a sea change in the way supplies are being met for the Ayurvedic industry. The network could introduce protocols for sustainable harvest of wild plant species; it could request informationon the source of the raw materials and ensure that the status of the wild population is not threatened. The rapid growth of the Ayurvedic industry (at an estimated rate of 30% per annum) poses a threat as well as an opportunity for sustainable NTFP collection in South India, especially Kerala.

The study and practice of traditional medical systems, which is varied and specific to each indigenous community, is an area where the NTFP EP- network can establish the efficacy and strength of traditional medicine. It would also be of interest to study the traditional practices which have been mainstreamed by the Ayurvedic Industry to address the issues of Indigenous Knowledge and the protection of the rights thereof.

It is our sincere hope that the NTFP market will be within the purview of the primary harvesters of raw materials. Only then can we bring about a meaningful and sustainable livelihood option for them through necessary self regulations and eco marking (for traceability) and status of species (sustainability and appropriate replenishment and value based pricing), all achieved through intensive investigation and best practices in collection and trade.