The Western Ghats of India harbour diverse wild and underutilized fruit species with considerable nutritional, ecological and socioeconomic value. Fruits such as kokum (Garcinia indica), lasora (Cordia dichotoma), karanda (Carissa spinarum) and chironji (Buchanania cochinchinensis) offer opportunities for dietary diversification, value addition and rural livelihood development. However, habitat degradation, unsustainable harvesting, limited domestication and weak market linkages constrain their utilization. Integrating in situ conservation, cultivation, nutritional research and community-based processing could enhance biodiversity conservation, nutritional security and sustainable livelihoods in the region.
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