Araku Valley is a place of dense forest area located in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India. Tribal farmers have inhabited it. The tribes share a co-existent relationship with the forest. They significantly contribute to habitat preservation and procure minor forest products for livelihood. They cultivate subsistence agricultural crops like millet and paddy.
The majority of the farming was done using the slash-and-burn method, known locally as Podu cultivation. Since the 1960s, the government has gradually introduced coffee plantations in an effort to control the Podu. The goal of this programme was to increase tribal members' income levels.
Through the involvement of numerous organisations, including tribal members, the government, and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the production of coffee involves environmental protection. The Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005 (MNREGA) was introduced by the government. This intervention was made to give rural people a minimum wage. Additionally, this assisted in preventing soil erosion and keeping the coffee plantations' moisture levels stable. Similar to this, NGOs are implementing carbon emission control plans on coffee plantations. By boosting vegetation cover, reducing soil erosion, and generating sustainable livelihoods, coffee production contributes to the overall goal of preserving and promoting the environment in this context.
The purpose of this article is to examine how environmentalism aids coffee growers in overcoming marginalization using qualitative data, primarily based on ethnographic material. The emphasis is on the entire collaborative process between the agencies. This research can find its relevance in the domain of Anthropology of the Environment.
