Month: March 2015

Madhu Duniya, the largest gathering of Asian Forest Honey producers, scientists, supporters and private sector players in the world, is held every four years. It aims to gather various stakeholders to discuss growing trends, challenges and opportunities and share technical and practical knowledge and expertise on forest honey. It seeks to be the platform to promote forest honey as crucial for rural incomes, key for forest conservation and as important for human health around the world and in Asia.

Madhu Duniya was held in India (2007) and in Indonesia (2011) and has resulted in the formation of forest honey networks in at least 5 Asian countries, forging of government permits for forest honey gatherers, inspiring ongoing research on honey for health and medical benefits, and successfully linking private sector partners and producers.

Asian Forest Honey for Good Health and the Green Economy

Forest honey supports incomes of hundreds of thousands of forest dependents in Asia
• The sector has the potential to protect over 7 million hectares of community forests in South and Southeast Asia through bee habitat conservation
• The sector has the capacity to produce over 2000 tons of forest honey annually from South and Southeast Asia
• The sector has the current and potential capacity to contribute 13 million USD to the Asian economy, not including possible contributions to Europe and other continents

Topic Themes

• Latest global and international market information on forest honey and the potentials for forest honey
• Rare information on Bee Pollination: the key to food and forest production!
• Understanding how forest honey can make you look younger and healthier
• Market instruments to improve community forestry producers viability in Asia

Who will be there?
Over 200 participants from the science sector, private sector, government, forest honey producers, intermediaries, civil society participants engaging in the enhanced learning and promotion of forest honey producers and products

What else will you see and do?

• Product and Knowledge displays of forest honey from at least 7 Asian countries and innovative by-products
• Film festival of at least 10 forest honey films, including award winning films, across Asia
• Honey cycling event in Phnom Penh, energized by honey power sachets

Practical exercises

• Learning about indigenous honey gathering around the Mondulkiri Protected Forest
• Product development- lipbalm making and other health and beauty products
• Beekeeping techniques of a variety of bee species

Madhu Duniya 2015 was made possible through the support of:
NTFP-EP, WWF Cambodia, ICCO, Keystone Foundation, NatureWild, CBHE, MRDC, PFHN, and JMHI

Interested Madhu Duniya 2015 participants may register by downloading the from at: http://tinyurl.com/MD2015RF

Damodar of Bastar is awarded the Paul K. Feyerabend award: A World of Solidarity is Possible

He was under the weather when we arrived, but he still welcomed us cheerfully as we entered his house.

This man, Damodar Kashyap, was soon to be given the Paul K Feyerabend award for community solidarity. He was being given the award for his commitment to forest protection. As a young educated man, he returned to his village Karmari, Bastar in the heart of tribal India only to be devastated by the scene of forest destruction that he found there. Forests mean so much to the Bhatara people since 6 months of the year the community fully depends on forests for sustenance.

Damodar began a campaign to protect the 100 acres of sacred grove and rebuild the 350 acres of sal forest that had been destroyed during his time away from the village. As a strategy, Damodar also revived the tradition of “thengapalli” in which a decorated sacred pole is carried by three people through the forest as a form of ‘patrolling’. The pole moves from one house to the next each day as people take turns to patrol the forest. These large patches of forest lie as testament to Damodar’s success in mobilizing the community forest protection. Those caught destroying the forest would be fined 500 rupees, of which300 rupees would go to the village forest protection program while 200 would go to the patrol guards.

Damodar’s actions displeased some ranks and, early on, his life was under threat. But given his stature in the community at home and beyond, he was never touched and he managed to continue his forest protection and planting unscathed.

The Bhatara people in Karmari believe that in the sacred forest dwells the Mauli goddess. If the sacred forest is damaged, then an illness will befall the village; offerings must be made to appease the spirits and to heal sick individuals. It is this strong belief in the relation of one’s behavior towards forests and one’s destiny that keeps this spiritual tradition alive.

At 4pm after a ceremony with the thengapalli pole, dancing with Durwa neighbors who visited with their drums, and a tree planting with other guests, Damodar received his plaque. Many honored him with kind words retelling his feat of conservation. Young children watched on and vowed to also protect the forest for the next generation.

It was a beautiful ceremony for a legendary man.

“Bhaikaguda”, the part of Karmari that Damodar lives in, translates as “wild cat hamlet”. Damdoar had prevented the wanton destruction of forests auctioned off to external parties and turned the community force into one of conservation. Now the community is lucky live in a place where fruit is abundant, where water is not scarce and where animals merrily co-exist with the humans.