On Mahua, its people and the markets: reflections from Bastar, Chhattisgarh

This research note explores the changing place of Mahua (Madhuca latifolia) in the livelihoods of Gond and Dhurwa Adivasis (Indigenous communities) in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. Drawing on fieldwork across three villages and literature from Central India, it uses the Sustainable Rural Livelihoods Framework to examine how ecological, social, human, financial, and physical capitals shape household engagement with Mahua. The findings show that declining yields, volatile pricing, poor storage infrastructure, and uneven state initiatives are pushing households towards more effort-intensive strategies such as sale by bypassing local traders, liquor production, and broader income diversification. The study argues that sustaining Mahua-based livelihoods requires stronger collective action through decentralised governance under the Forest Rights Act of 2006, enhancing women’s roles in capacity and decision-making, fair and transparent value chains, and locally rooted ecological and market research.