Karbi Women Empower Assam’s Economy with Pirbi!
Karbi women boost Assam’s economy and biodiversity with the ‘Pirbi’ enterprise.
In the lush Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape (KKL) of Assam, the indigenous Karbi community, particularly its women, is redefining economic and environmental sustainability through ‘Pirbi,’ a community-led enterprise launched in 2019. Meaning ‘biodiversity’ in the Karbi language, Pirbi connects local farmers and artisans directly to markets, ensuring fair value for organic produce like ghost chillies, millets, ginger, turmeric, and handwoven textiles while promoting ethical trade practices.
Historically, Karbi producers struggled with limited market access and exploitative middlemen, leading to wasted produce and diminished interest in scaling production. “Much of our produce would go to waste,” said Bapuram Ingti, Pirbi’s general secretary, in an interview with PTI. To address this, the biodiversity group Aaranyak introduced a community business model, enabling Pirbi to empower local communities while safeguarding the region’s rich ecosystem.
Managed by a committee of local villagers, Pirbi operates in 15 villages across the Karbi Anglong Hills and Kaziranga floodplains. It allocates 20 percent of profits to growers and artisans and another 20 percent to biodiversity conservation and community development. This model supports traditional practices like ‘jhum’ (shifting cultivation) and homestead agroforestry, which faced threats from monocropping and unsustainable harvesting practices that harmed the ecosystem.
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“Conservation projects often fail because products remain unsold. Pirbi makes livelihoods viable while promoting coexistence with nature,” explained Firoz Ahmed, a senior scientist at Aaranyak. Since its inception, Pirbi has expanded from four villages in 2018 to a robust network, launching its first outlet, ‘Pirbi Karbi Ethnic Hat,’ in 2023. Villagers receive training to enhance their produce and develop new enterprises, fostering entrepreneurship.
Women, in particular, have embraced this transformation. Moina Ingtipi, a local grower, shared, “Now the women of our village have organized into self-help groups and taken up mushroom cultivation, earning good returns.” Similarly, weaver Rupali Ingtipi noted the soaring demand for Karbi textiles, requiring organized group efforts to meet orders. Pirbi’s commitment extends to promoting gender equality, ensuring equal wages, and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy on child labor.
By blending cultural preservation with economic empowerment, Pirbi not only strengthens livelihoods but also sets a model for sustainable community-driven enterprises. As Swapan Nath, Pirbi’s treasurer, emphasized, the initiative fosters social and financial security while protecting the delicate balance of the Kaziranga ecosystem.
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