India, Nov. 26 -- Bina Pani Sahoo, a 60-year-old resident of Koi village in Kankadahad gram panchayat of Odisha's Dhenkanal district, intimately knows the forests in her panchayat. She, along with other rural women in the region have traditionally been dependent on the minor forest produce (MFP), such as mahua, amla, sal, kendu, char seeds, wild mushrooms, tubers and a variety of edible leaves and medicinal plants.

"For years, we villagers watched helplessly as outside traders carried away loads of forest produce to sell at a high profit. We got nothing from it except enough to sustain our lives," reminisced Bina Pani.

She decided to change that and in 2017, along with some women farmers, set up and registered the Saurik FPO (farmer pro...