Medicinal Plants Cultivation and Market Linkage

B2V worked with 1,000 farmers in Athmallik block to build a viable medicinal plant cultivation ecosystem from the ground up. The programme addressed a dual problem: the commercial potential of medicinal herbs remains largely unrealised by rural communities due to gaps in farming knowledge and market access, while wild stocks of many species have been depleted through unregulated harvesting. B2V's approach treated cultivation as the solution to both, shifting farmers from wild collection to managed cultivation and simultaneously creating a supply chain that could sustain ongoing production. Training and capacity building covered species selection, cultivation techniques, and post-harvest handling, equipping farmers with the skills needed to produce commercially consistent output.

The processing component is a notable feature of this model. Rather than leaving farmers to sell raw material at the farm gate, B2V arranged for processing of harvested herbs, adding value within the community and improving the economics of participation.