Mumbai: We’re delighted to announce that an IndiaSpend story from Jharkhand, part of an Earth Journalism Network collaborative special report on greenwashing in Asia, won recognition at the 2024 SOPA Award.

Founded in 1982, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) is a Hong Kong-based not-for-profit that works to champion freedom of the press, promote excellence in journalism and endorse best practices for publishers operating in the Asia-Pacific region.



Tanvi Deshpande’s story revealed how tree plantation in Jharkhand is at odds with tribals’ forest rights. Cases from two different districts of Jharkhand showed how the forest department undertook tree plantation under the controversial Compensatory Afforestation scheme on forest land that was still in use by locals for their primary livelihood. People were using the land for farming or grazing cattle and their incomes have taken a direct hit since the plantation, we found. “I am afraid people will be forced to die by suicide,” said the headman of one of the villages.

The report is part of a collaboration of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network’s Asia-Pacific project, SourceMaterial, Pulitzer Rainforest Investigation Network and seven outlets across nine countries in Asia including IndiaSpend.

“Uncovering the global scourge of “greenwashing,” a growing and troubling problem, particularly in the Global South, requires extensive resources in labor and funding – both of which are not easy to secure,” the judges
noted. “With these articles, the reporters reveal an unwavering commitment in revealing the battle between big money and a vulnerable environment.”

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IndiaSpend Team