In 1993, three friends backpacked across the Nilgiris to understand honey hunters and their economic ecosystems. Twenty-eight years later, one of their projects, Kotagiri-based Last Forest Enterprises, produces more than 20 tonnes of honey a year, ensuring that the producers, sister organizations, and employees receive at least 50% of their profits.
Last Forest Enterprises (LFE) was founded in 2010, and is helmed by Mathew John, and supported by the other two founding members, Sneh Lata Nath and Pratim Roy. The project was a direct offshoot of decades of working with honey harvesters, mostly tribal communities, who then received a raw deal from honey companies.
Beeswax wraps, a later product line of Last Forest Enterprises
LFE is a project of Keystone Foundation, an NGO focused on the development of the natural and human ecology of the Nilgiris. While a lot of the focus was on honey in the initial years, the organization branched into conservation, health and nutrition of the local tribal communities.
In fact, Mathew John remembers the team peddling honey on their bikes! Mathew still talks about rushing to the honey-hunters when word came in that honey would be harvested that day, only to realize it was postponed to another day.
The honey and allied products have come way since then—with bespoke branding, and addition of allied products such as beeswax soaps and beeswax food wraps, as well as other products from similarly ethical companies across the country.
Honey jars sealed with beeswax wraps
Accidental discoveries that are unthinkable in today’s scenario abound. When faced with honey that tasted bitter one season, the team was just about to dump all 700 kilos of the honey, when a friend tasted it and suggested it be sold as bitter honey. That remains one of their best-selling products today!
LFE is very active in the organic and fair trade space and has been pushing for participatory guarantee system for organic certification in India, which is a decentralized way of ensuring that products adhere to organic standards. Their products have also been certified fair trade by the World Fair Trade Organization.
To know more, visit www.lastforest.in
(All images courtesy Last Forest Enterprises)
