Arunachal Pradesh villagers earn income from forest spice
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Villagers in the Mandala, Phudung, Khellong Community Conserved Area in Arunachal Pradesh, India, are collectively organizing to harvest and sell khagi, a local spice with a long history as a traditional food and form of payment.
For generations, Monpa communities have valued khagi, the fruit of the Zanthoxylum species, for its aroma and use in cooking. Previously, families sold khagi independently, traveling to markets and handling transport themselves.
With support from WWF-India, villagers formed a collective to gather, sort, package, and sell the spice. Over the last two harvest seasons, this system sold over 10 tonnes of khagi, earning approximately Rs 39 lakh (Indian Rupees) and benefiting more than 200 households. The collective approach eases the burden of finding buyers and storing the spice, while also ensuring a consistent price for all participants.
Around 95% of the money from sales goes directly to families, with the remaining 5% covering the costs of operating the collective. Villagers are also using some earnings to improve community facilities, like constructing a platform and wash basin at the local monastery. Environmentalists note that earning from khagi incentivizes villagers to protect the trees and the forest, which serves as a habitat for animals like red pandas.
Future success depends on securing long-term commitments from buyers and monitoring the sustainability of khagi harvesting.
