Creating sustainable value from standing forests in India
Work with us to build value chains that restore natural ecosystems, empower communities, and deliver premium, certified sustainable products for your business.
Partners & Supporters
Empowering Regeneration, Every Step of the Way.
We integrate ecosystem restoration into the very foundation of commerce. By blending traditional knowledge with modern techniques, we create value chains that serve the planet and its people. Our certified products embody this harmony, offering businesses ethical choices and quality assurance.
Building the Future of Healthy Forests.
Our Process: Integrating Restoration Into Every Step of the Value Chain
Our Process: Integrating Restoration Into Every Step of the Value Chain
At Nature Connect, we take a comprehensive approach to rebuilding natural capital by embedding restoration practices into every stage of the value chain. Here’s how we do it:
Conduct Resource Assessments
We analyze resources, ecosystems, and local potential to ensure every project maximizes sustainability.
Conduct Resource Assessments
We analyze resources, ecosystems, and local potential to ensure every project maximizes sustainability.
Conduct Resource Assessments
We analyze resources, ecosystems, and local potential to ensure every project maximizes sustainability.
Engage Communities
Through fair and transparent partnerships, we work with local communities to build regenerative practices and economic opportunities.
Engage Communities
Through fair and transparent partnerships, we work with local communities to build regenerative practices and economic opportunities.
Engage Communities
Through fair and transparent partnerships, we work with local communities to build regenerative practices and economic opportunities.
Develop Transparent Agreements
Our agreements prioritize equity and clarity, guaranteeing benefits for all stakeholders and ensuring a strong foundation for long-term partnerships
Develop Transparent Agreements
Our agreements prioritize equity and clarity, guaranteeing benefits for all stakeholders and ensuring a strong foundation for long-term partnerships
Develop Transparent Agreements
Our agreements prioritize equity and clarity, guaranteeing benefits for all stakeholders and ensuring a strong foundation for long-term partnerships
Obtain Certifications
We secure nationally and internationally recognized certifications to validate sustainability, ethical sourcing, and product quality—ensuring trust and global market access.
Obtain Certifications
We secure nationally and internationally recognized certifications to validate sustainability, ethical sourcing, and product quality—ensuring trust and global market access.
Obtain Certifications
We secure nationally and internationally recognized certifications to validate sustainability, ethical sourcing, and product quality—ensuring trust and global market access.
Deliver Premium Products
From sustainably sourced raw materials to certified finished products, we provide traceable, high-quality solutions tailored to your business needs.
Deliver Premium Products
From sustainably sourced raw materials to certified finished products, we provide traceable, high-quality solutions tailored to your business needs.
Deliver Premium Products
From sustainably sourced raw materials to certified finished products, we provide traceable, high-quality solutions tailored to your business needs.
Work with us to build value chains that keep forests standing
Our work with local communities supports the sustainable use of natural forests and the production of premium products.
Work with us to build value chains that keep forests standing
Our work with local communities supports the sustainable use of natural forests and the production of premium products.
Work with us to build value chains that keep forests standing
Our work with local communities supports the sustainable use of natural forests and the production of premium products.
Sustainably Sourced products, Ready for Your Business.
Every product is certified, ensuring quality and sustainability for your brand.
Sustainably Sourced products, Ready for Your Business.
Every product is certified, ensuring quality and sustainability for your brand.
Sustainably Sourced products, Ready for Your Business.
Every product is certified, ensuring quality and sustainability for your brand.
Impact Model
Our Conservation Model brings measurable benefits across environmental, social, and economic dimensions, supporting sustainable growth, local communities, and biodiversity.
3500 ha
Under Fairwild & Organic certification
Conservation Impact
Our value chains bring symbiosis between communities and forests and provide economic incentives for forest stewardship, promote sustainable harvesting and management practices and preserve biodiversity
5000
Families & Over 60 Communities
Social Impact
Our value chains provide significant social benefits by improving livelihoods, and empowering communities to access global markets. These benefits help forest-dependent communities become more resilient to both economic and environmental challenges.
200%
Increase in incomes across value chains
Economic Impact
Our value chains create significant impact on communities’ livelihoods through equal benefit-sharing and fair, transparent pricing mechanisms. Further linking of local communities to national and global markets drives economic growth while promoting environmental sustainability.
The Team Behind Nature Connect
Founded in 2012, Nature Connect India (NCI) is the private arm of the Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF), a conservation nonprofit with over 20 years of experience bringing together extensive expertise in hands-on conservation across India.
Mr. Jayant Sarnaik
Director
Dr. Archana Godbole
Director
Mr. Virendra Upadhye
Director
Mr. Karn Mahadik
Head of Operations
Ms. Suchitra Naidu
Marketing & Packaging
Mr. Rajesh Jadhav
Collection Supervisor
Mr. Pankaj Bhure
Operations Manager
Mr. Abhishek Nangare
Operations Manager
Mr. Omkar Pai
Operations Manager
Partners
Certifiers
FAQs
What is a conservation enterprise?
What is a conservation enterprise?
What is a conservation enterprise?
What is the role of the local community in NCI?
What is the role of the local community in NCI?
What is the role of the local community in NCI?
How does NCI ensure fair and just use of the natural resources?
How does NCI ensure fair and just use of the natural resources?
How does NCI ensure fair and just use of the natural resources?
How do you measure the impact of your conservation work?
How do you measure the impact of your conservation work?
How do you measure the impact of your conservation work?
How do you address climate change through your conservation efforts?
How do you address climate change through your conservation efforts?
How do you address climate change through your conservation efforts?
"Each tea bag of Pukka herbs is backed by our strict sourcing principles and our customers can put their blind trust in the fact that we will bring the best, sustainably harvested certified ingredients to them. This promise of ours makes no sense without solid partners like NCI who understand the collective mission here and share our value systems. Jayant and Archana understand conservation on the ground better than most others since they have been practising it with forest-dependant communities for more than 3 decades now! The experience translates into the philosophy as well as the implementation part at NCI."
Sebastian Pole
Co-founder and Master Herbsmith at Pukka Herbs
"NCIPL’s intervention has brought a sense of satisfaction that we are not destroying the forest to earn money. We are dependent on the forest for our livelihood and always wanted to earn it without harming our ancestral forest. This project has taught us how to harvest NTFPs sustainably, without harming the respective trees and thus the forest. This will truly help us in earning a livelihood and taking care of the forest at the same time"
Jagdev Komra
Registered Collector and Community member, Kanagao village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"We never harvested the bark of the Arjun tree before. NCIPL’s intervention has helped us to earn extra income which will surely compensate a little bit towards the loss of produce of Mahua flowers due to uncertain weather conditions these days."
Sanno Salam
Registered Head Collector and Community member, Mandri village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"NCI has been instrumental in providing top-notch advisory services for the exploitation of India's tree seed oils within the biofuels sector. Their unparalleled expertise has significantly strengthened our business case for cultivating pongamia on degraded land. Through their efforts, wild harvested seeds were meticulously mapped to identify the highest quality tree stands, and they established crucial connections with providers of value-added services such as seed crushing and oil extraction."
Veikko Vikkari
Head Bio-feedstock, VARO Energy, The Netherlands
"I have engaged with Nature Connect over the last 5 years for their innovative work to protect forests and biodiversity in the Western Ghats. By establishing sustainable supply chains for products from native forest species, NCI are providing a value for these species, value and employment for local landowners and promoting the long-term protection of this important landscape and the vital biodiversity that it contains. "
Dr. Richard Cuthbert
Director of Conservation, World Land Trust UK
"Each tea bag of Pukka herbs is backed by our strict sourcing principles and our customers can put their blind trust in the fact that we will bring the best, sustainably harvested certified ingredients to them. This promise of ours makes no sense without solid partners like NCI who understand the collective mission here and share our value systems. Jayant and Archana understand conservation on the ground better than most others since they have been practising it with forest-dependant communities for more than 3 decades now! The experience translates into the philosophy as well as the implementation part at NCI."
Sebastian Pole
Co-founder and Master Herbsmith at Pukka Herbs
"NCIPL’s intervention has brought a sense of satisfaction that we are not destroying the forest to earn money. We are dependent on the forest for our livelihood and always wanted to earn it without harming our ancestral forest. This project has taught us how to harvest NTFPs sustainably, without harming the respective trees and thus the forest. This will truly help us in earning a livelihood and taking care of the forest at the same time"
Jagdev Komra
Registered Collector and Community member, Kanagao village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"We never harvested the bark of the Arjun tree before. NCIPL’s intervention has helped us to earn extra income which will surely compensate a little bit towards the loss of produce of Mahua flowers due to uncertain weather conditions these days."
Sanno Salam
Registered Head Collector and Community member, Mandri village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"NCI has been instrumental in providing top-notch advisory services for the exploitation of India's tree seed oils within the biofuels sector. Their unparalleled expertise has significantly strengthened our business case for cultivating pongamia on degraded land. Through their efforts, wild harvested seeds were meticulously mapped to identify the highest quality tree stands, and they established crucial connections with providers of value-added services such as seed crushing and oil extraction."
Veikko Vikkari
Head Bio-feedstock, VARO Energy, The Netherlands
"I have engaged with Nature Connect over the last 5 years for their innovative work to protect forests and biodiversity in the Western Ghats. By establishing sustainable supply chains for products from native forest species, NCI are providing a value for these species, value and employment for local landowners and promoting the long-term protection of this important landscape and the vital biodiversity that it contains. "
Dr. Richard Cuthbert
Director of Conservation, World Land Trust UK
"Each tea bag of Pukka herbs is backed by our strict sourcing principles and our customers can put their blind trust in the fact that we will bring the best, sustainably harvested certified ingredients to them. This promise of ours makes no sense without solid partners like NCI who understand the collective mission here and share our value systems. Jayant and Archana understand conservation on the ground better than most others since they have been practising it with forest-dependant communities for more than 3 decades now! The experience translates into the philosophy as well as the implementation part at NCI."
Sebastian Pole
Co-founder and Master Herbsmith at Pukka Herbs
"NCIPL’s intervention has brought a sense of satisfaction that we are not destroying the forest to earn money. We are dependent on the forest for our livelihood and always wanted to earn it without harming our ancestral forest. This project has taught us how to harvest NTFPs sustainably, without harming the respective trees and thus the forest. This will truly help us in earning a livelihood and taking care of the forest at the same time"
Jagdev Komra
Registered Collector and Community member, Kanagao village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"We never harvested the bark of the Arjun tree before. NCIPL’s intervention has helped us to earn extra income which will surely compensate a little bit towards the loss of produce of Mahua flowers due to uncertain weather conditions these days."
Sanno Salam
Registered Head Collector and Community member, Mandri village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"NCI has been instrumental in providing top-notch advisory services for the exploitation of India's tree seed oils within the biofuels sector. Their unparalleled expertise has significantly strengthened our business case for cultivating pongamia on degraded land. Through their efforts, wild harvested seeds were meticulously mapped to identify the highest quality tree stands, and they established crucial connections with providers of value-added services such as seed crushing and oil extraction."
Veikko Vikkari
Head Bio-feedstock, VARO Energy, The Netherlands
"I have engaged with Nature Connect over the last 5 years for their innovative work to protect forests and biodiversity in the Western Ghats. By establishing sustainable supply chains for products from native forest species, NCI are providing a value for these species, value and employment for local landowners and promoting the long-term protection of this important landscape and the vital biodiversity that it contains. "
Dr. Richard Cuthbert
Director of Conservation, World Land Trust UK
"Each tea bag of Pukka herbs is backed by our strict sourcing principles and our customers can put their blind trust in the fact that we will bring the best, sustainably harvested certified ingredients to them. This promise of ours makes no sense without solid partners like NCI who understand the collective mission here and share our value systems. Jayant and Archana understand conservation on the ground better than most others since they have been practising it with forest-dependant communities for more than 3 decades now! The experience translates into the philosophy as well as the implementation part at NCI."
Sebastian Pole
Co-founder and Master Herbsmith at Pukka Herbs
"NCIPL’s intervention has brought a sense of satisfaction that we are not destroying the forest to earn money. We are dependent on the forest for our livelihood and always wanted to earn it without harming our ancestral forest. This project has taught us how to harvest NTFPs sustainably, without harming the respective trees and thus the forest. This will truly help us in earning a livelihood and taking care of the forest at the same time"
Jagdev Komra
Registered Collector and Community member, Kanagao village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"We never harvested the bark of the Arjun tree before. NCIPL’s intervention has helped us to earn extra income which will surely compensate a little bit towards the loss of produce of Mahua flowers due to uncertain weather conditions these days."
Sanno Salam
Registered Head Collector and Community member, Mandri village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"NCI has been instrumental in providing top-notch advisory services for the exploitation of India's tree seed oils within the biofuels sector. Their unparalleled expertise has significantly strengthened our business case for cultivating pongamia on degraded land. Through their efforts, wild harvested seeds were meticulously mapped to identify the highest quality tree stands, and they established crucial connections with providers of value-added services such as seed crushing and oil extraction."
Veikko Vikkari
Head Bio-feedstock, VARO Energy, The Netherlands
"I have engaged with Nature Connect over the last 5 years for their innovative work to protect forests and biodiversity in the Western Ghats. By establishing sustainable supply chains for products from native forest species, NCI are providing a value for these species, value and employment for local landowners and promoting the long-term protection of this important landscape and the vital biodiversity that it contains. "
Dr. Richard Cuthbert
Director of Conservation, World Land Trust UK
"Each tea bag of Pukka herbs is backed by our strict sourcing principles and our customers can put their blind trust in the fact that we will bring the best, sustainably harvested certified ingredients to them. This promise of ours makes no sense without solid partners like NCI who understand the collective mission here and share our value systems. Jayant and Archana understand conservation on the ground better than most others since they have been practising it with forest-dependant communities for more than 3 decades now! The experience translates into the philosophy as well as the implementation part at NCI."
Sebastian Pole
Co-founder and Master Herbsmith at Pukka Herbs
"NCIPL’s intervention has brought a sense of satisfaction that we are not destroying the forest to earn money. We are dependent on the forest for our livelihood and always wanted to earn it without harming our ancestral forest. This project has taught us how to harvest NTFPs sustainably, without harming the respective trees and thus the forest. This will truly help us in earning a livelihood and taking care of the forest at the same time"
Jagdev Komra
Registered Collector and Community member, Kanagao village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"We never harvested the bark of the Arjun tree before. NCIPL’s intervention has helped us to earn extra income which will surely compensate a little bit towards the loss of produce of Mahua flowers due to uncertain weather conditions these days."
Mrs. Sanno Salam
Registered Head Collector and Community member, Mandri village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"NCI has been instrumental in providing top-notch advisory services for the exploitation of India's tree seed oils within the biofuels sector. Their unparalleled expertise has significantly strengthened our business case for cultivating pongamia on degraded land. Through their efforts, wild harvested seeds were meticulously mapped to identify the highest quality tree stands, and they established crucial connections with providers of value-added services such as seed crushing and oil extraction."
Veikko Vikkari
Head Bio-feedstock, VARO Energy, The Netherlands
"I have engaged with Nature Connect over the last 5 years for their innovative work to protect forests and biodiversity in the Western Ghats. By establishing sustainable supply chains for products from native forest species, NCI are providing a value for these species, value and employment for local landowners and promoting the long-term protection of this important landscape and the vital biodiversity that it contains. "
Dr. Richard Cuthbert
Director of Conservation, World Land Trust UK
"Being from Konkan, I always thought that once I become at adult, I will have to move to some big city like Mumbai or Pune to work and earn money. Associating with NCI has given me the most important gift of staying with my family in my own village. Moreover, while managing the supply chain of Bibhitaki, Beeja, Turmeric, Jackfruit and Virgin Coconut Oil at Devrukh, I have been able to provide the same opportunity to my village-mates. We have all been able to make use of our traditional knowledge and skillset and developed it further through the process of various certifications. "
Rajesh Jadhav
Registered Collector, Collection Supervisor, Village Devrukh, Ratnagiri
"Our tribe (Mahadeo Koli) has been traditionally collecting Haritaki for ages now and every season when the traders meet with the community, we have seen the tension and disagreements over pricing and quality. With NCI, we did not even have to ask for fair pricing, especially with the certifications and acknowledgement of the quality vis-a-vis pricing. Add to it the ‘premium’ that our village receives which can be used to upgrade the processes or can go towards conservation efforts of the resource and biodiversity. Our knowledge, skills and resources feel appreciated and validated at NCI."
Kundalik Kondhawale
Registered Head Collector and community member, Village Kondhwa, Bhimashankar
"Each tea bag of Pukka herbs is backed by our strict sourcing principles and our customers can put their blind trust in the fact that we will bring the best, sustainably harvested certified ingredients to them. This promise of ours makes no sense without solid partners like NCI who understand the collective mission here and share our value systems. Jayant and Archana understand conservation on the ground better than most others since they have been practising it with forest-dependant communities for more than 3 decades now! The experience translates into the philosophy as well as the implementation part at NCI."
Sebastian Pole
Co-founder and Master Herbsmith at Pukka Herbs
"NCIPL’s intervention has brought a sense of satisfaction that we are not destroying the forest to earn money. We are dependent on the forest for our livelihood and always wanted to earn it without harming our ancestral forest. This project has taught us how to harvest NTFPs sustainably, without harming the respective trees and thus the forest. This will truly help us in earning a livelihood and taking care of the forest at the same time"
Jagdev Komra
Registered Collector and Community member, Kanagao village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"We never harvested the bark of the Arjun tree before. NCIPL’s intervention has helped us to earn extra income which will surely compensate a little bit towards the loss of produce of Mahua flowers due to uncertain weather conditions these days."
Mrs. Sanno Salam
Registered Head Collector and Community member, Mandri village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"NCI has been instrumental in providing top-notch advisory services for the exploitation of India's tree seed oils within the biofuels sector. Their unparalleled expertise has significantly strengthened our business case for cultivating pongamia on degraded land. Through their efforts, wild harvested seeds were meticulously mapped to identify the highest quality tree stands, and they established crucial connections with providers of value-added services such as seed crushing and oil extraction."
Veikko Vikkari
Head Bio-feedstock, VARO Energy, The Netherlands
"I have engaged with Nature Connect over the last 5 years for their innovative work to protect forests and biodiversity in the Western Ghats. By establishing sustainable supply chains for products from native forest species, NCI are providing a value for these species, value and employment for local landowners and promoting the long-term protection of this important landscape and the vital biodiversity that it contains. "
Dr. Richard Cuthbert
Director of Conservation, World Land Trust UK
"Being from Konkan, I always thought that once I become at adult, I will have to move to some big city like Mumbai or Pune to work and earn money. Associating with NCI has given me the most important gift of staying with my family in my own village. Moreover, while managing the supply chain of Bibhitaki, Beeja, Turmeric, Jackfruit and Virgin Coconut Oil at Devrukh, I have been able to provide the same opportunity to my village-mates. We have all been able to make use of our traditional knowledge and skillset and developed it further through the process of various certifications. "
Rajesh Jadhav
Registered Collector, Collection Supervisor, Village Devrukh, Ratnagiri
"Our tribe (Mahadeo Koli) has been traditionally collecting Haritaki for ages now and every season when the traders meet with the community, we have seen the tension and disagreements over pricing and quality. With NCI, we did not even have to ask for fair pricing, especially with the certifications and acknowledgement of the quality vis-a-vis pricing. Add to it the ‘premium’ that our village receives which can be used to upgrade the processes or can go towards conservation efforts of the resource and biodiversity. Our knowledge, skills and resources feel appreciated and validated at NCI."
Kundalik Kondhawale
Registered Head Collector and community member, Village Kondhwa, Bhimashankar
"Each tea bag of Pukka herbs is backed by our strict sourcing principles and our customers can put their blind trust in the fact that we will bring the best, sustainably harvested certified ingredients to them. This promise of ours makes no sense without solid partners like NCI who understand the collective mission here and share our value systems. Jayant and Archana understand conservation on the ground better than most others since they have been practising it with forest-dependant communities for more than 3 decades now! The experience translates into the philosophy as well as the implementation part at NCI."
Sebastian Pole
Co-founder and Master Herbsmith at Pukka Herbs
"NCIPL’s intervention has brought a sense of satisfaction that we are not destroying the forest to earn money. We are dependent on the forest for our livelihood and always wanted to earn it without harming our ancestral forest. This project has taught us how to harvest NTFPs sustainably, without harming the respective trees and thus the forest. This will truly help us in earning a livelihood and taking care of the forest at the same time"
Jagdev Komra
Registered Collector and Community member, Kanagao village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"We never harvested the bark of the Arjun tree before. NCIPL’s intervention has helped us to earn extra income which will surely compensate a little bit towards the loss of produce of Mahua flowers due to uncertain weather conditions these days."
Mrs. Sanno Salam
Registered Head Collector and Community member, Mandri village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"NCI has been instrumental in providing top-notch advisory services for the exploitation of India's tree seed oils within the biofuels sector. Their unparalleled expertise has significantly strengthened our business case for cultivating pongamia on degraded land. Through their efforts, wild harvested seeds were meticulously mapped to identify the highest quality tree stands, and they established crucial connections with providers of value-added services such as seed crushing and oil extraction."
Veikko Vikkari
Head Bio-feedstock, VARO Energy, The Netherlands
"I have engaged with Nature Connect over the last 5 years for their innovative work to protect forests and biodiversity in the Western Ghats. By establishing sustainable supply chains for products from native forest species, NCI are providing a value for these species, value and employment for local landowners and promoting the long-term protection of this important landscape and the vital biodiversity that it contains. "
Dr. Richard Cuthbert
Director of Conservation, World Land Trust UK
"Being from Konkan, I always thought that once I become at adult, I will have to move to some big city like Mumbai or Pune to work and earn money. Associating with NCI has given me the most important gift of staying with my family in my own village. Moreover, while managing the supply chain of Bibhitaki, Beeja, Turmeric, Jackfruit and Virgin Coconut Oil at Devrukh, I have been able to provide the same opportunity to my village-mates. We have all been able to make use of our traditional knowledge and skillset and developed it further through the process of various certifications. "
Rajesh Jadhav
Registered Collector, Collection Supervisor, Village Devrukh, Ratnagiri
"Our tribe (Mahadeo Koli) has been traditionally collecting Haritaki for ages now and every season when the traders meet with the community, we have seen the tension and disagreements over pricing and quality. With NCI, we did not even have to ask for fair pricing, especially with the certifications and acknowledgement of the quality vis-a-vis pricing. Add to it the ‘premium’ that our village receives which can be used to upgrade the processes or can go towards conservation efforts of the resource and biodiversity. Our knowledge, skills and resources feel appreciated and validated at NCI."
Kundalik Kondhawale
Registered Head Collector and community member, Village Kondhwa, Bhimashankar
"Each tea bag of Pukka herbs is backed by our strict sourcing principles and our customers can put their blind trust in the fact that we will bring the best, sustainably harvested certified ingredients to them. This promise of ours makes no sense without solid partners like NCI who understand the collective mission here and share our value systems. Jayant and Archana understand conservation on the ground better than most others since they have been practising it with forest-dependant communities for more than 3 decades now! The experience translates into the philosophy as well as the implementation part at NCI."
Sebastian Pole
Co-founder and Master Herbsmith at Pukka Herbs
"NCIPL’s intervention has brought a sense of satisfaction that we are not destroying the forest to earn money. We are dependent on the forest for our livelihood and always wanted to earn it without harming our ancestral forest. This project has taught us how to harvest NTFPs sustainably, without harming the respective trees and thus the forest. This will truly help us in earning a livelihood and taking care of the forest at the same time"
Jagdev Komra
Registered Collector and Community member, Kanagao village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"We never harvested the bark of the Arjun tree before. NCIPL’s intervention has helped us to earn extra income which will surely compensate a little bit towards the loss of produce of Mahua flowers due to uncertain weather conditions these days."
Mrs. Sanno Salam
Registered Head Collector and Community member, Mandri village, Kanker, Chhatissgarh
"NCI has been instrumental in providing top-notch advisory services for the exploitation of India's tree seed oils within the biofuels sector. Their unparalleled expertise has significantly strengthened our business case for cultivating pongamia on degraded land. Through their efforts, wild harvested seeds were meticulously mapped to identify the highest quality tree stands, and they established crucial connections with providers of value-added services such as seed crushing and oil extraction."
Veikko Vikkari
Head Bio-feedstock, VARO Energy, The Netherlands
"I have engaged with Nature Connect over the last 5 years for their innovative work to protect forests and biodiversity in the Western Ghats. By establishing sustainable supply chains for products from native forest species, NCI are providing a value for these species, value and employment for local landowners and promoting the long-term protection of this important landscape and the vital biodiversity that it contains. "
Dr. Richard Cuthbert
Director of Conservation, World Land Trust UK
"Being from Konkan, I always thought that once I become at adult, I will have to move to some big city like Mumbai or Pune to work and earn money. Associating with NCI has given me the most important gift of staying with my family in my own village. Moreover, while managing the supply chain of Bibhitaki, Beeja, Turmeric, Jackfruit and Virgin Coconut Oil at Devrukh, I have been able to provide the same opportunity to my village-mates. We have all been able to make use of our traditional knowledge and skillset and developed it further through the process of various certifications. "
Rajesh Jadhav
Registered Collector, Collection Supervisor, Village Devrukh, Ratnagiri
"Our tribe (Mahadeo Koli) has been traditionally collecting Haritaki for ages now and every season when the traders meet with the community, we have seen the tension and disagreements over pricing and quality. With NCI, we did not even have to ask for fair pricing, especially with the certifications and acknowledgement of the quality vis-a-vis pricing. Add to it the ‘premium’ that our village receives which can be used to upgrade the processes or can go towards conservation efforts of the resource and biodiversity. Our knowledge, skills and resources feel appreciated and validated at NCI."
Kundalik Kondhawale
Registered Head Collector and community member, Village Kondhwa, Bhimashankar