Harbouring brood lac: envisioning lac clusters

ABSTRACT

This paper brings forth some of the major issues faced on the ground by traditional lac rearers and a particular grassroots initiative – Brood Lac bank, which seeks to address those concerns and facilitate sustainable lac-based livelihoods in Chhattisgarh. The idea of the Brood Lac Bank has been further extended to envision “Lac Clusters” which would not only sustainably produce lac but also add value though local processing, enabling rearers to produce raw industrial lac through local lac-based collectives/networks to directly engage with the market, evading multiple levels of middlemen that currently control the domestic lac economy.

KEYWORDS:

• Partnership
• participation
• agriculture
• poverty reduction
• region: South Asia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 A research centre affiliated with Dr BR Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD).

2 Non-timber forest produce (NTFP).

3 In the form of private individuals, civil society, and government organisations.

4 Twigs and stems of host plants covered with resinous encrustation containing the eggs of the lac insect.

5 Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums, Namkum, Ranchi. Established in September 1924 as Indian Lac Research Institute (ILRI), renamed in September 2007.

6 Concept adapted from the book Small is Beautiful by E.F. Schumacher.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Saurabh Chowdhury

Saurabh Chowdhury I am a researcher and practitioner working at the Centre for Development Practice at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi and am interested in the areas of 'Forests and Livelihoods'. I am interested in exploring human-nature relationships through forests and livelihoods while co-researching with rural communities in co-creating (also reclaiming) sustainable livelihood opportunities. My experiences of working in remote rural areas especially with local Adivasi communities have allowed me to closely observe their relationship with nature. I am keen to further understand this complex relationship through exploring cultures and local knowledge systems.