India, Sept. 24 -- The system governing minor forest produce collection and trade is caught between overlapping laws, unclear institutional responsibilities, weak regulation and growing commercial pressure. Unless forest rights are balanced with ecological responsibility, India risks degrading the very resource on which millions of forest communities depend

India has traditionally maintained a powerful presence in global natural ingredient supply chains, exporting processed lac, natural gums and herbal extracts to international pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic markets. India's trade in Non-Timber Forest Produce (Minor Forest Produce, or MFP, in legal parlance) and bio-based commodities reveals two distinct structural dynamics: agricultu...