The paper presents the contribution of non wood forest products (NWFPs) in poverty alleviation of forest dwellers in Madhya Pradesh. The study shows that non- destructive harvesting of non-wood forest products by local villagers with proper market linkages may lead to poverty alleviation. It shows symbiotic relationship between forest and forest dwellers. If proper market linkages are not provided and the poor gatherers do not get the proper prices of the produce collected by them, it may lead to exploitation by middlemen and over-exploitation of NWFPs in greed to earn more money, thereby leading to forest degradation.
In order to optimize benefit to forest dwellers in collection and trade of forest produce, ensure appropriate returns from the NWFPs collected by them and to increase their average earnings, the Madhya Pradesh State Minor Forest Produce (Trade & Development) Cooperative Federation (MFP Federation) was formed. The MFP Federation has provided fair purchase price of NWFPs to collectors and thus, has increased their income.
NWFP, MFP Federation, forest dwellers, poverty alleviation, market linkages