Forest rights, dietary diversity and nutritional security of tribal communities: Evidence from India

India's indigenous communities (Schedule Tribes or STs) have historically relied on forests for their subsistence, livelihood and cultural identity. Despite this, the STs lacked formal rights to reside in forests and use forest resources under governmental control. In 2008, the Forest Rights Act (FRA) was implemented which granted these STs access to forest land and non-timber forest products (NTFPs). This paper examines the impact of FRA on the dietary diversity of STs. We evaluate this objective by making use of four rounds of a large-scale consumer expenditure survey and use variation in forest cover as a proxy for the potential of the Act to employ a generalised difference-in-differences strategy. We find that post-FRA, dietary diversity of ST households increased in areas with greater forest cover. This increased dietary diversity is driven by an increase in the diversity of vegetables, fruits, and oils consumed. In addition, we find that the sources of food shifted from subsistence-based collection and cultivation to market purchases. Suggestive evidence points to an occupational shift toward non-agricultural employments, particularly in wholesale and retail trade, potentially facilitated by improved NTFP access.