THE SAGA OF FOOD SECURITY IN WEST BENGAL

Livelihood and sustenance of the forest and fringe dwelling communities are inextricably linked with the forest ecosystem as it provide wide range of services and products. Forest helps them overcome poverty, acts as season gap-filler during income slack period and shock absorber in case of poor harvest. Poverty analysis shows that economical weaker section of the people live in and around the forests. In India, around 40% of the poor population dwells in forest fringes. Forest degradation due to human settlement, agriculture, exploitation of forest resources, landuse/ landcover change has resulted in loss of biodiversity, habitat fragmentation, shrinkage of wildlife habitats man-animal conflicts and climate change. Assam has also suffered rapid loss of forest cover due to encroachment in the forest areas, clearing of forest for expansion of agriculture land, excessive dependency of the rural communities on forest resources and displacement of people by annual floods, erosion, militancy, ethnic clashes. Lower literacy rate, large family size, unsustainable use of forest products, frequent trips to forests, income slack periods, dependency on forest for firewood and bamboo, monetary benefit by selling forest products and feeding cattle in the forests creates human pressure on forest ecosystem. Dependency on the forest ecosystem can be reduced by providing livelihood opportunities to the communities through community orchards, community fisheries, organic farming and composting and establishing market link as a joint initiative by the Forest Department and the local bodies, use renewable energy for cooking purpose instead of firewood use of solar cooker and engaging youth and women folk in forest based crafts and handloom.