| Impact, special achievements & commitments | | | Nature Connect India Pvt Ltd - a conservation enterprise will implement the FFL project in Sangameshwar block, Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra India. Ratnagiri district is known for its production of cashews and Alphonso mangoes. However, for the plantation of these two cash crops, local communities are cutting forests indiscriminately. It only helps deforestation that some 95 % of the land in this district is privately owned. Importantly, most of the villages in the region fall in the Ecologically sensitive area marked by the Government of India. The entire district is part of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. Considering the threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services such as pollination which plays critical role in production of cashew and mangoes on grounds of deforestation, Nature Connect has planned to promote FAIR for Life certification standard for sustainable production and management of target species- Pterocarpus marsupium – a threatened tree species and Cashew orchards in Sangameshwar block. The FFL certified production will help in maintaining a healthy balance between economic progress and biodiversity conservation which is much needed for sustainable development of the region. |