Kendu

Context:

• Stringent laws needed to keep children out of Kendu leaf trade.
• In May 2021, several children were seen collecting kendu leaves in the Odisha’s Kalahandi district.

About Kendu:

• Kendu leaf is called the green gold of Odisha.
• It is a nationalised product like bamboo and sal seed.
• It is one of the most important non-wood forest products in Odisha.
• The leaves are used to wrap bidis, a popular smoke among the locals.
• The states producing bidi leaves in India comprises mainly Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Maharastra.
• Odisha is the third-largest producer of kendu leaf, after Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/economy/kendu-leaf-trade-stringent-laws-needed-to-keep-children-out-78183