A dimension within Forest Herbal Medicine
This theme highlights the traditional food, wild edibles, and natural resources central to indigenous and tribal life in forests.
150 voices speak to this
Each dimension splits this theme further — keep drilling to see how it breaks down.
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Overall Community Sentiment
AI-synthesised pieces woven from many community voices on this theme. They may contain errors or interpretation — they're a reflection of the stories, not a record of fact.
We tribals cut down forests to build our homes and live in the forest itself. From the forest, we get roots, flowers, and delicious fruits, and we sustain our lives from them, and we also do farming.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We are all tribal people, we live in forests. We collect our food from the forests. With that, we sustain ourselves. This is indeed our life's goal.
— KusaPradhani · Anakabadi, Rayagada, Odisha
We get various types of fruits and roots from the forest.
— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha
Before, we used to eat saag roti, kurthi dal, urad dal, and mahua saag. Sometimes we would find amla and bael from the forest, and that's how we used to sustain our lives.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
My name is Rashmita Pradhan. Just as our ancestors remained healthy by eating fruits and roots found in the forest, prepared without chemicals, we also wish to eat the same food now. We are from tribal-dominated areas. Our forest is our lifeline. Therefore, our ancient traditions should be restored, and our forest should not be destroyed. Thank you. Raika Kandhamal.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
Ans - In ancient times, people used to bring tubers, leafy vegetables, fruits, and roots from the forest and eat them. They also ate boiled leafy vegetables. Village - Kutiguda Name - Devendra Madkami
— Champa Gatan · Pujariguda, Malkangiri, Odisha
We used to gather forest products like mahua, cook them, make cakes, and eat them in the forest. Even now, we will learn from our ancestors.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Karamdihi, Sundargarh, Odisha
The Makadia tribe's life and livelihood depend on the forest. They live by gathering and selling fruits, flowers, roots, medicinal herbs, and mushrooms from the forest as food. They respect whatever their elders say. When food in one forest runs out, they move to another forest.
— Anirudha Marai
We Adivasi communities are communities that depend on nature, collect roots and tubers from the forests, and use them as food, which is very nutritious and also serves as medicine.
— Ram Kumari
My name is Rina Kuonro. We are the tribal indigenous people. We produce food and collect from the forest, and we express our desire to live with the forest or with nature. This is a humble request to the government for us, and please pay attention to the forest-derived food that we can obtain.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
Ans -In ancient times, people used to go to the forest, collect forest products, and sell them. Name -Bhaga Madkami Village -Pramilapadar
— Champa Gatan · Pujariguda, Malkangiri, Odisha
My name is Isaac Sabar, village Zero Number, Panchayat Mandi Mandi, District Kandhamal. I feel that in the current situation, people used to use traditional forest products, which are forest-derived goods, in large quantities to sustain their livelihoods, but due to the lack of forests, they have disappeared. We want to restore the forests so that we can enjoy those forest products just like our ancestors used to.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
We indigenous people used to eat roots and tubers from the forests and sustained ourselves with them. These also served as medicine, keeping our bodies healthy. Even today, we should use roots and tubers.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Traditionally, we used to use various types of medicinal properties from the forest.
— Suna majhi
We get various greens and various fruits from the forest.
— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha
Living in the forest and enduring hardships, whether it is building a home to use herbs for treating illnesses, or making a living by eating fruits and flowers, or for this.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Even now, fruits, flowers, healthy herbs, and medicines from the forest are being used by us, including the tribal community.
— ishwarsabar · Chelema, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand
In ancient times, various types of forest products were available. And many rare fruits, that was very difficult, but now we also try.
— Padmalochan Majhi
In ancient times, in previous eras, people collected nutritious foods like ragi, millet, etc., from the forest, ate them to stay healthy and strong, and lived for a long time. If farmers or tribal community people cultivate those essential crops of those ancient times again, it will guide them towards the development of their life's values in the future.
— Dillip pujari · Phiringia, Kandhamal, Odisha
Our community lives by building homes in the forests, hunting wild animals, and sustaining themselves by eating tamarind, mango, guava, and other produce found in the forest. Thus, they belong to a different way of life.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our ancestors used to live, grow and maintain trees, and collect fruits and roots. Now, with all the trees gone, many conveniences are being lost. Let us all plant trees again.
— Bisendra Naik · Kasipur, Rayagada, Odisha
We tribals are completely different from other castes; our ancestors used to live in forests and sustained themselves by eating fruits, flowers, etc., from the forest.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Forest food collection
— Suna majhi · Kulusingi, Rayagada, Odisha
We tribal people bring herbs from the forest to treat many diseases, for the well-being of people.
— Ram Maravi · Dindori, Madhya Pradesh
We are tribals, we are nature worshippers. We always depend on trees and plants to live. We sustain our livelihood by eating its tubers, fruits, and roots.
— PRADEEP KUMAR KANHAR · Boudh, Odisha
Residents in the forest bushes have a business of various medicinal plants, and they benefit from it for food.
— Devisingh Solanki · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
In earlier times, we used to get medicine from the forest.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
In ancient times, we easily survived on the fruits and medicinal properties found in the forests. However, if we look at today's situation, humans need financial support...
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
Forest-derived food includes fresh bamboo shoots, bamboo sago, and Kendu fruit, among others. We obtain our food from the forest.
— S Guruteli · Upperpur, Malkangiri, Odisha
I want to bring back the medicinal items, food items, and root vegetables found in our forest, so that they do not disappear.
— Laxmi Bagh · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
In ancient times, our Aamli, Kuri, Vati, and Mal, the wood visible in this forest used to be cut, and then crops were sown, and that was...
— Mohan AHARI · Dabaycha, Udaipur, Rajasthan
Currently, we are seeing that people are gradually obtaining the fruits, medicinal plants, greens, and nutritious food that were available in the forest.
— Ramadas Badanayak · Udulibeda, Malkangiri, Odisha
My name is Maneni Pradhan, from Raikakonda Malu. We, the indigenous original inhabitants, produce food from the forest and want to live with nature. We are expressing this desire. We are humbly requesting the government that all these efforts be made for us.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
We will live in small villages in the jungle, making a living by cutting and selling wood, and by selling all kinds of herbs that humans use.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
My name is Susmita Pradhan. We are the indigenous, original inhabitants. We wish to live in harmony with nature, producing our own food. We are demanding the government to conserve the things that are disappearing from the market. We are requesting the government to restore the forest products like roots and various forest items that are disappearing.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
From the forest, we also get many things as vegetables, such as
— Kekti Tekam
I am Juno Chhatria. We are tribal people. We used to live by cultivating the forest and land. We used to eat fruits and roots from the forest, and we used to eat food without fertilizers, and we were not victims of any disease. Currently, we are eating food with fertilizers and are facing various diseases. That's why we request the government to return our previous world to us. Raykia Kandhamal.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
My tribal people, living in the forest far from the city and making food from forest produce.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We tribal people bring herbs from the forest and treat ailments, which is very important for health.
— Ram Maravi · Dindori, Madhya Pradesh
We used to eat greens from the forest, including Madhuranga greens, Nautia greens, Marisa greens, and all those other types of greens.
— Sanjukta Arukh · Tamando, Khordha, Odisha
The voices in this theme were gathered by these organisations through their community reports.
“What are the key determinants that define your tribe, talk about how your tribe is different from others?” · “What are the most nutritive locally available forest foods which should be included in the PDS and Mid Day Meal and promoted by the Government?” · +7 more
“What are the Just Transitions pathways, considering Livelihoods, and Inclusive Economies?”
“If you had a Magic wand that could change, add or remove anything from Thiruvanmiyur Mada Veedhi, what would it be?” · “What do you like the most about Thiruvanmiyur Mada Veedhi?”
