Women of the Forest
We are a women-farmers’ collective based in the Western Ghats of tropical South India dedicated to promoting forest garden biodiversity and small scale food systems through the conservation of traditional seeds and tubers. Vanastree means “women of the forest” and the agrarian communities here are part of an age-old way of life where the wilderness, spice orchards, paddies and homesteads are closely intertwined. The role of women farmers and gardeners is seen as integral to the social, cultural and ecological fabric of the unique Malnad region where our collective is located.
