Draft:Last Forest

Last Forest is a fairtrade social enterprise working with local indigenous communities in the forests of the Nilgiris, based in Kotagiri, Tamil Nadu. Last Forest was founded by Mathew John in 2010 after his work on honey-hunting and beekeeping programs at its parent organisation: Keystone Foundation. Last forest is a sustainable marketplace for non-timber wild forest produce (NTFP) such as raw honey, pure beeswax soaps, and traditional crafts. It focuses on natural, wild, and locally sourced products crucial to livelihoods of Indigenous communities in the Nilgiris and promotes meaningful community growth while contributing to the preservation of the environment.

History
The basic principles guiding Last Forest can be traced back to 1993 when the founders of Keystone Foundation—Mathew John, Snehlata Nath, and Pratim Roy—first visited the hills of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve. Recognizing the importance of Indigenous communities as caretakers of the forests and biodiversity, Keystone Foundation was established on November 19, 1993, to work with these communities on research, recognition, and empowerment. This laid the groundwork for Last Forest. In 2010, Mathew John founded Last Forest and established it as a for-profit social enterprise with a mission to address livelihood creation and conscious sustenance for Indigenous communities.

Business structure
Last Forest Honey was launched in 1996, followed by the establishment of Green Shops and the expansion of product lines. Last Forest procures from over 45 local groups and works with 150 villages and has an impact on over 6500 individuals in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. This includes indigenous people such as Toda, Paniya, Irula, Kurumba, Kuruchiya, and Mullukurumba. Last Forest's main supplier is the Aadhimalai producer company. More than 50 percent of Last Forest’s product procurement takes place from Aadhimalai. The production and value addition take place at village level production centers, operated by women. Last Forest has expanded its geographic range, supplying products to ten states in India. It procures from over 45 local groups and sells through more than 100 outlets, including its retail shops, Green Shop, in Kotagiri and Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. Last Forest listed in The Better India’s Best of 2020 – Noteworthy Businesses. for its unique work in the sector.

Ethics and Social Activation
Last Forest has been featured for its inspirational values of balancing business and conservation. It reinvests over 30% of their profits in community development to ensure improvement in health and education and generate  dignity, pride and sustainable income for producers. Since 2016, Last Forest has been a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WTFO). In August 2022, Last Forest Enterprises got an official certification by Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF). Last Forest uses a participatory guarantee system (PGS) to support Indigenous peoples’ forest-based activities.

Products and Ingredients
Last Forest Enterprises offers a wide assortment of NTFPs, produced in a sustainable, thoughtful, and eco-friendly way. Products include raw unprocessed Nilgiri Honey, personal care items like beeswax soaps and balms, lifestyle and home products like spices and coffee, as well as handcrafted wood products and handmade paper diaries. They also resell products from partners SoulTree and Bon Organics, including Aloe vera products.