The trade and cultural relations between Kerala and the West had a long history and it continues even today in various forms. Kerala spices have always played an integral part in cementing these relations. But with the changing of times and taste, newer products have started coming to the marketplace. Now, the organic spices have taken over the space of traditional varieties in the European markets. And they rule the roost.
The organic spices, especially pepper, cultivated in the Vanchivayal tribal region near the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Idukki district is so special in quality that it carries a premium in the German market. In 2003, with the support of the World Bank, the tribal communities started pepper cultivation and it received organic certification in the same year. The peculiarity of Vanchivayal organic farming is that it focuses on the right blend of technology with the indigenous knowledge. This combination enhanced the crop output. In 2022 so far, they exported 12,000 kg of organic pepper to a German company called Richabell.
When the unity of the tribal community joined hands with the professionalism of the supporting groups, the Vanchivayal ecosystem started yielding results. Now, agriculture is the main source of the tribal communities’ income. It is also the best example of how the tribal communities should be persuaded and converted to the cultivation of cash crops in place of food crops. In 2018, the Vanchivayal hamlet received the award for the second-best organic farming tribal belt in Kerala.
The tribal activities are now coordinated by Vanasree, a venture established by the Kerala Forest department. It acts as an umbrella organisation for the activities of the Forest Development agencies. They promote the sale of Non-Timber Forest Produce collected by the forest-dependent communities. Now, there are 66 Vanasree units in Kerala. Through this, the forest-dwellers will get an opportunity to sell their produce, avoiding middlemen.
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