When Nirmal, our head of Project Development, recently visited the East India Tasar Afforestation Project, he brought back great news from the villages of Jharkhand. His conversations with community members revealed that our initiative is progressing even faster than anticipated.

In the village of Baldega, Sunita Devi, an initiative worker, shared a story that stands as a powerful proof of concept for the project’s goals. Originally, the women-led afforestation team expected that their Arjuna trees would take a few years to become hosts for silkworms, allowing them to begin silk production. However, silkworms have already begun settling naturally into the branches of these young Arjuna trees, forming cocoons far ahead of schedule.

“We were thinking that we will start in the next two years but now we think we will start before the assumed time. I’m eager to have training on it so that we can rear silkworms on our newly planted trees,” Sunita said.

For Sunita and the other women involved, this early arrival of silkworms is more than a pleasant surprise. Without additional investment, they are witnessing the potential for cocoon farming right before their eyes. The naturally occurring silkworms are a testament to both the careful planting efforts of the women and the land’s natural capacity to sustain a functional silk production.

“We didn’t think that the cocoon would be formed on its own, we are very happy. We have not invested anything, still we are experiencing the demonstration of cocoon farming,” Sunita said.

This development means that training in silk rearing can begin soon, allowing women to participate fully in the silk value chain and benefit economically from this traditional craft. The project is not only building a carbon sink but is also transforming communities by creating new livelihoods and empowering women.

There’s no stronger proof of concept than results that arrive well ahead of schedule, driven by both community dedication and the favourable environmental conditions. For the women of Baldega these early silk cocoons mark the beginning of a promising journey toward economic independence and environmental restoration.