Karbis of Assam script success with community-led enterprise

Kohora, Aug 19 (PTI) Indigenous Karbis, particularly women, in Assam's Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape (KKL) have long cultivated a bounty of organic produce, from ghost chillies and millets to handwoven textiles, but rarely got their due. Now, a community business initiative called 'Pirbi' is helping them earn fair value while safeguarding nature.

'Pirbi', which means biodiversity in the Karbi language, connects farmers and artisans directly to markets by following sustainable and ethical trade practices.

"Lack of proper market linkages and dominance of middlemen prevented people from getting the deserved value of the products. Much of our produce would go to waste, which led to people losing interest in scaling up production," Pirbi general secretary Bapuram Ingti told PTI.

Kaziranga's villages brim with homegrown treasures -- ginger, turmeric, 'bhoot jolokia' (ghost chillies), bay leaves, varieties of local rice, pepper, sesame, honey, brooms, tea and vibrant textiles. But without proper linkages, producers earned little.

"That is when biodiversity group 'Aaranyak' stepped in and proposed a community business model," Pirbi treasurer Swapan Nath said.

Registered in 2019, Pirbi is managed by a committee drawn from local communities. It ensures that indigenous products reach buyers who pay fairly, offering both financial and social security.

"This strengthens livelihoods and, in turn, the ecosystem," Nath added.

The initiative is focused on Karbi Anglong Hills and the Kaziranga floodplains, which are rich in culture and biodiversity. Pirbi shares 20 per cent of its profits with growers and artisans, while committing another 20 per cent to biodiversity conservation and community development.

The Karbis have traditionally lived in harmony with nature, depending on 'jhum' (shifting cultivation), 'hembiri' or homestead agroforestry and collection of non-timber forest products (NTFP).

"In an attempt to rehabilitate 'jhum' farmers, different agencies introduced plantation cropping in the area, leading to mono-cropping and biodiversity loss, while the absence of sustainable harvesting of NTFP, shortening of the 'jhum' cycle and lack of market access created pressure on the ecosystem," said Firoz Ahmed, senior scientist at Aaranyak.

"This led to ecological damages, resulting in a negative impact on the sustenance of the livelihoods, food and economic security of the indigenous Karbis," he said.

To address this, community-based resource management began in four villages in 2018 and now spans 15 villages. "Conservation projects often fail because products remain unsold. A community business model like Pirbi makes livelihoods viable while promoting coexistence with nature," Ahmed explained.

After testing the concept in 2019, Pirbi launched its first outlet, 'Pirbi Karbi Ethnic Hat', in 2023. Villagers are trained to add value to their produce and develop new enterprises.

"Earlier, I used to grow only vegetables in my backyard. Now the women of our village have organised themselves into self-help groups and have taken up mushroom cultivation. We are getting good returns," said Moina Ingtipi.

Weaver Rupali Ingtipi, who learnt the tricks of the loom from her mother, said earlier she produced textiles only to meet the needs of her family and relatives.

"Now the demand for Karbi fabrics is so high, we have had to organise ourselves into groups to meet orders," she said.

Nath said Pirbi is committed to promoting entrepreneurship among women and youth, safeguarding the cultural identities of the communities, equal wages to both women and men, and zero tolerance to child labour. PTI DG SOM