Wild Harvests India is Reclaiming Mahua from Liquor Stills to Snacking Platters

In Jharkhand's Jonha region, beneath ancient mahua trees, fireflies dance around branches heavy with cream-coloured blossoms. These trees, which flower annually between March and May, have sustained indigenous communities for centuries. Yet for most Indians, mahua conjures only one image: illicit liquor. Rishabh Lohia, founder of Wild Harvests India, is determined to change that. "Jharkhand is one of the most underrepresented states. We have a beautiful culture, beautiful forests," he explains. After a decade of work through his NGO, Ekastha Foundation, Lohia launched Wild Harvests in January 2024 to reclaim mahua's rightful place as a nutritious food.

The untapped potential is staggering. India produces an estimated 0.85 million tonnes of mahua flowers annually, with a potential production of 4.9 million tonnes. Yet 90-95% goes to alcohol production. Between 75 lakh to 1 crore people harvest mahua, making it one of India's top five minor forest products, but communities typically receive just Rs. 30-40 per kilogramme.

A Colonial Legacy That Persists

The mahua tree's fall from grace has deep historical roots. The Bombay Abkari Act of 1878 and the Mhowra Act of 1892 criminalised mahua possession and collection across British India. As with the salt boycott, the British sought to create dependence on their goods by stifling traditional food systems. But whilst salt regained status post-independence, "mahua remains a victim of these colonial rules even till today," Lohia notes.

The consequences are stark. "Mahua is disappearing from diets, even in local communities that harvest it," Lohia observes. During one distribution of mahua laddus at the local Sohrai festival, a young boy spat out the sweet upon learning it contained mahua, a perception shaped by witnessing his grandfather's alcohol struggles. "As soon as the grandkid heard that, he spit the mahua laddu from his mouth, which he was relishing just one minute back," Lohia recalls. "That's what it's become."

Harvesting Change from the Ground Up

Wild Harvests' innovation lies in ethical practice. Working with 120 trees across 40 households in Ranchi's Angara Block, the enterprise introduced nets beneath trees for clean flower collection. Labour time dropped from five hours to one hour per tree, whilst forest fires, previously set to clear ground, ceased entirely. "It reduced work hours for communities massively," Lohia explains. "Kids didn't go to school to pick mahua flowers, and the forest used to burn."

In 2024, Wild Harvests prevented fires across 15 acres, saved 13,400 work hours, and rescued over two tonnes of flowers through scientific drying techniques using field dehydrators. "Just like we dry coffee, we also set up a machan in multiple areas during the mahua collection," Lohia notes. The result resembles plump raisins with three times more Vitamin C than blueberries, alongside significant iron, potassium, and B vitamins. Working in villages including Jillingsering, Dipatoli, and Gautamdhara, the enterprise conducted workshops helping women create micro-enterprises selling mahua laddus locally.

Growing Slowly, Growing Strong

Lohia takes a philosophical view of category creation. "A mahua tree takes 15 years to flower and fruit. So we don't expect our hard work to pay off quickly," he states. Wild Harvests co-creates with communities, increasing prices to Rs. 70-80 per kilogramme whilst reducing work hours. The enterprise offers three products for now, sun-dried mahua flowers, mahua granola with earthy sweetness, and mahua chocolates with nutty undertones.

"Modern life is reaching and changing rural lives very drastically," Lohia acknowledges. "There is a need to generate pride in indigenous knowledge and culture." Younger generations in harvesting communities had "never put mahua in their mouths" before Wild Harvests' workshops. "Yes, it is liquor, but it's also food. It's also nutrition. And it's something to be proud of, not ashamed of," he insists.

By 2026 end, with an expanded network approaching 1,000-2,000 people, Wild Harvests aims to position mahua as India's next superfood. Recent momentum suggests progress: India exported approximately US$200,000 worth of mahua flowers to the UK in 2022-23, whilst contracts now exist to export 200 tonnes from Madhya Pradesh to London at Rs. 110 per kilogramme. Enterprises like Wild Harvests are proving that decolonising food systems isn't merely about reclaiming ingredients, but restoring dignity to those who've always been their guardians.