India, Sept. 25 -- The Dongria Kondha of the Niyamgiri hills grow some of Odisha's finest organic pineapples, using techniques handed down over generations. While these sweet pineapples have longer shelf life, getting paid fairly for it is the harder climb.

On our journey to Khambasi village in the Niyamgiri hills, Odisha, our resource person, Chitti Amma, told us we were entering "pineapple country." Her words were not an exaggeration. The moment one approaches the Dongria Kondha settlements, the landscape itself begins to speak; pineapple plants spread across slopes, jackfruit trees standing tall above them, and a glimpse of the hard-working community that has mastered the art of growing fruits in the hills.

The Dongria Kondha, a Part...