Contact us 
Protecting Slender Lorises from extinction
India
Protecting Slender Lorises from extinction
Project leader
Duration of the partnership
2017-2019
Location
India
The project goals
The Ayyalur forest is home to the greatest biodiversity in India, including the Slender Loris, a critically endangered primate. Poaching, habitat destruction and the massive use of pesticides on family farms that contaminate the water and the land are the main causes of the declining numbers of Lorises.
The SEEDS Trust project aims to develop income-generating activities with the communities in order to reduce the pressure on natural resources.
The project is being implemented in three communities and 30 villages in and around the Ayyalur forest. The goal is to combat the three factors responsible for the dwindling Loris population, by:
- Developing income-generating activities focusing on non-timber forest products such as honey, tamarind, nuts, etc.
- Training 300 farmers to farm without pesticides
- Setting up a tree nursery for the reforestation of 600 hectares of land
The Beneficiaries
450 families in 30 targeted villages are involved in the project and benefit from income-generating activities developed to improve their living conditions while protecting the environment. Among them, 150 women are being trained to develop marketable products.
The project benefits
SEEDS Trust works hand in hand with the Forest Department, which has helped to establish a relationship of trust with the communities. The project addresses the main causes of the declining numbers of Lorises in an innovative way. By simultaneously protecting the environment and promoting social and economic development, it reduces the impact of poverty on people and the environment.
Project leader SEEDS Trust
Social Education and Environmental Development Scheme (SEEDS) Trust has been undertaking development activities in the state of Tamil Nadu, India since 1997. The objective of SEEDS Trust is to enable needy communities to become self-sufficient and boost their standard of living through an integrated holistic approach to environmental protection. The Association works with the Forest Department of Tamil Nadu to develop income-generating projects in the region.
Website
“This project sets an example because it works with all of the communities to holistically address the three main factors causing harm to the Ayyalur forest and the Loris habitat. It combats poaching by developing income-generating activities for tribes living in the forest, it develops organic farming to reduce pesticide use in the surroundings, and it plants endemic tree species to restore the forest. Thanks to the valuable support of Maisons du Monde, SEEDS Trust is bringing about a paradigm shift in the field.”
Cécile Renier Project Manager at the association M&N