Odisha’s Generous Forest

There’s a popular saying in Uttarakhand that goes “Sal, sau saal khada, sau saal padaa, sau saal sadaa,” which means “A Sal tree grows for 100 years, stays on the forest floor for 100 years, and rots for 100 years”.

The Sal tree (scientific name Shorea robusta) is a timeless symbol of India. Growing in dense forests, Sal has woven itself into the fabric of India’s culture and economy for centuries. Revered in religious texts, the tree is synonymous with enlightenment. Anyone who has seen mature Sal trees, with their thick, straight trunks that grow up to 40 metres tall, can’t fail to be impressed by their magnificence. These strengths also meant that Sal trees were massively harvested during British colonial rule for their valuable timber.

Beyond their spiritual significance and medicinal value, Sal leaves are also a vital source of income for forest dwellers, who have long collected them to make prasadam religious offerings of food as well as cups and leaf plates known as patravali.

Sal forests cover around 38,300 square kilometres of Odisha State in the eastern part of the country. Indigenous communities here have relied on Sal leaves for their livelihoods for generations, tirelessly picking them up from where they naturally fall in nearby forests and selling them occasionally to local middlemen with minimal added value. Although demand for these eco-friendly handicrafts is growing, rural artisans remain largely unorganised, with little access to working capital and production infrastructure. This has limited their ability to secure a steady, sufficient income for themselves and their families.

The Industree Foundation is an Indian NGO that’s working to transform the situation in two districts of Odisha State – Kandhamal and Koraput – where the main economic activities are agriculture, horticulture, livestock and forest products. Engaging with tribal groups that are actively involved in leaf collection, Industree is helping them set up two women-owned leaf plate production units, an eco-friendly alternative to disposable plastic products.

A Cartier Philanthropy partner since 2023, Industree began its work in 2017 with a particularly vulnerable group, women from the Kondh tribe.

“The Khond are traditionally hunter-gatherers who practice agriculture in forest areas,” says Suresh Chandran, Industree’s Senior Manager of NTFP Operations. “Despite the rich natural environment, Kondh communities struggle with intergenerational poverty, having very limited access to schools, health, nutrition, formal employment and land ownership. Kondh women have long crafted disposable serving ware from Sal leaves but earned as little as 2,000 to 3,000 rupees per year (between $20 and $35) due to challenges like difficulty to meet quality standard, limited market access and exploitation by intermediaries. Despite their persistent hard work, they struggled to generate sufficient income to escape poverty.”

The NGO has since scaled its operations across Odisha and works with several tribal communities today, including the Bhumia, Gadaba, Paraja and Durua.

Playing the combined role of incubator and accelerator, Industree makes it easier for marginalised women to join together, assists them to develop products that appeal to modern markets like plates and bowls, helps them to streamline their operations and ensures the production units have access to vital working capital and consistent demand.

“We deliver comprehensive training that equips indigenous women with the expertise to identify quality leaves, adopt efficient collection practices and increase productivity,” says Suresh. “We also provide them with opportunities to learn vital technical skills, such as fine stitching, line production and quality control. Critical modules include soft skills building to help them strengthen their self-assurance in decision making at home, in their communities and in their workplaces. Our goal is to ensure participants are equipped to work effectively and make steady progress by, for instance, moving toward supervisory and leadership roles.

“We also partner with designers to co-create a range of market-driven products, including innovative tableware and lifestyle items such as buffet plates. By forging strong market linkages with large hubs like Bengaluru, we are gradually expanding the opportunities for these communities, enabling them to move beyond local sales.

“In addition, we have now secured essential certifications, including Food Grade Certification, to open international market opportunities.”

Cartier Philanthropy recently met with some of the women who work at the two Sal leaf plate production units in Odisha. In the video below, they explain their daily work and how the financial security it provides is changing their lives.

“Women who are socially and economically empowered to contribute to their own profitable businesses and to the resilience of their communities: that’s what success looks like for us as part of a broader vision of eco-conscious development in Odisha”, says Suresh.

“Industree’s approach in Odisha is interesting in several ways:“ says Samdoup Allier, Cartier Philanthropy Programme Officer, “economically, because formalising the Sal leaf value chain provides a stable income to marginalised communities; culturally, because this income comes from sacred and respected forests whose presence have been part of the indigenous peoples' lives for generations; and socially, because it allows social norms to evolve by giving women their first job outside the house, a new financial independence and a powerful voice within the household and community”.