Tracing the Embedded Value of Lac: Political Economy of a Traditional Forest Produce in Central India

Lac is a significant non-timber forest produce (NTFP) and lac rearing is a traditional forest-based livelihood concentrated in the tribal dominated areas of central India. The extinction of the lac insect (Kerria lacca) from their natural habitats and the gradual decline of lac production has dented livelihoods over the past. Apart from a few research and civil society institutions, some communities in rural Chhattisgarh are trying to revive this traditional practice through grassroots initiative that seek to conserve lac insects among the networks of lac rearers. Despite India being the largest producer and exporter of lac, there is limited literature on the historical significance of lac production and the value chain of this global NTFP while community-based conservation initiatives are relatively unknown. This paper traces the history of lac cultivation in India from the early twentieth century when lac production was embedded in social relations to the present times when the value chain is sustained by multiple levels of middlemen that sustain the lac economy. Further, it also discusses the significance of community-based grassroots initiatives to conserve lac insects in their natural habitat that is not only reviving traditional livelihoods but is also transforming communities as sovereign lac rearers. I argue that although the community-based lac conservation is highly contextual, it nevertheless is an example of community-driven biodiversity conservation that directly support local livelihoods.