The silkworms used for wild or “tussah,” or “tasar” feed on leaves, not necessarily mulberry, and does not harm the chrysalis. Tussah silk is derived from cocoons collected after the moth has emerged naturally in the field. Because the continuous silk fibre is broken into smaller pieces as the moth leaves the cocoon, wild silk has a rougher and slubbier surface than cultivated silk.3
Sericulture (silk farming) is labor-intensive. About 1 million workers are employed in the silk sector in China. Sericulture provides income for 700,000 households in India, and 20,000 weaving families in Thailand. Wild silk can provide a year round income for tribal people in India and some areas of China.4
== Potential impacts ==