IMPORTANCE OF LAC CULTURE ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION FRONTS.

Lac is a resin secretion of insects, which are commercially cultivated through ages. Lac cultivation has its roots in India and Bangladesh, the two main Asian countries in the world and was a major source of economy to the local populace. Natural red color obtained on purification of this resin was used in coloring of items like wood and textiles. With the advent of synthetic dyes since last 150 years, this technique was abandoned to a large extent due to its low profitability. Recent research has actually shown that Lac culture has a number of beneficial effects on the conservation of biodiversity, which is an aspect of great concern as the loss of biodiversity has put a question mark to the ultimate survival of human race on this planet. Revival and improvements of Lac culture is proposed to achieve this goal. This paper discusses the better aspects of Lac culture, as well as its effects on the biodiversity.