ISB hosts national learning exchange on forest economy

HYDERABAD Indian School of Business (ISB), in partnership with Society for Rural, Urban & Tribal Initiative (SRUTI) and Vasundhara, hosted a two-day learning exchange on strengthening and building a robust & sustainable forest economy, anchored in secure tenure.

This Forest Economy model is based on three pillars – security of tenure of local communities over forest landscapes, community-owned and women-led enterprises of scale that will enable economies of scale and aggregation and, direct market linkages between industry and community-owned enterprises.

The Learning Exchange event hosted over 150 key representatives from the government, forest-based communities, industry, academia & research, civil society organizations, and NGOs, who interacted, deliberated, and networked to collaborate towards building a sustainable forest economy that will benefit the people, profits, and the planet.

Participants at the event, through dialogues and interactive sessions, discussed ways in which external stakeholders, especially government agencies and the private sector, can support forest-dependent communities and benefit from partnerships. The panelists also deliberated on the opportunity that the forest economy model anchored in secure tenure presents for creating synergy between environment and development. Conversations highlighted how forests have a central role to play as the world confronts the challenges of climate change, food security, and secure livelihoods and the importance of building ecosystems that are beneficial to the country, communities & forests.

Prof Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director - Bharti Institute of Public Policy (BIPP), Indian School of Business, shared, "I am delighted that this Learning Exchange has facilitated a first-of-its-kind active engagement of the key stakeholders of the forest economy – communities, industry, government and civil society on a common and a neutral platform, that has led to several promising collaborative pathways."

Participation from the Industry at the Learning Exchange included senior representation from AAK India, Shree Cement, BILT Graphic Paper & Products, Biofuel Circle, 3F Industries, HDFC Bank & Kotak Mahindra Bank. Participants from the Government included representatives from State Rural Livelihood Mission, Integrated Tribal Development Authority, the Forest Department, the District Administration, from multiple states. IIT Bombay, Centre for Policy Research were some of the other impactful organizations that participated. The Learning Exchange had immense participation and involvement from communities across the country; leaders of the federations of communities in districts of Chhota Banghal - Himachal Pradesh, Malkangiri & Kalahandi - Odsiha, Gadchiroli – Maharashtra, Narmada – Gujarat, & Dharamjaigarh – Chhattisgarh were some of the representatives.

The event ended on high notes with the closing session bringing together diverse pathways and perspectives and, with new partnerships & collaboration opportunities. The structured interactions led to several high-potential expressions of interest from multiple participating organizations and institutions in collaborating with ISB towards the vision for a sustainable and thriving forest economy, anchored in secure tenure.

ISB-BIPP is building/incubating pilots of the forest economy model, anchored in secure tenure, in three States - Jharkhand, Odisha & Himachal Pradesh.