Vanasree’ is a novel initiative by the Forest and Wildlife department of Kerala to improve the livelihoods of tribal communities by facilitating collection, processing, value addition and market access to the forest produce which has been traditionally collected from interiors of pristine evergreen forests. ‘Vanasree’ aims to achieve the dual objective of taking healing benefits of plant products to people’s door steps and making a difference to the lives of forest dependent people. Before vanasree was tribals of Chalakudy were collecting these valuable forest produce from forest areas in bulk quantity and sell it at very low price to middlemen. The poor marketing system didn’t help the tribals to come out of abject poverty. After formation of Adivasi VanaSamrakshanaSamiti’s by forest department in the tribal areas with strategy for the collection, value addition and marketing of forest produce,the income of tribals has increased substantially.