Forest Caucus Report

A Newsletter of the Canadian Environmental Network Forest Caucus

Winter 2004 Vol. 5 No.1

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and the World Forest Congress (WFC)

Traditionally NTFPs in southern countries have played an important role for subsistence and medicinal purposes. This is somewhat true in northern countries, although not to the same extent. Our forestry practices do not generally make allowances for non-timber values, being perceived as a constraint to the industrial style of forestry most commonly practiced. The same cannot be said for southern countries where there is a greater proportion of community-based management that has greater opportunities to support non-timber values and an ingrained understanding of these values and their importance to society.

The World Forest Congress had several sessions dedicated to NTFPs, their management and opportunities. The majority of the presentations concentrated on existing research within the NTFP field. Some notable outcomes include the identified need for:

  • more adaptive approaches to managing NTFPs
  • policies and legislation to provide secure access and benefits to individuals whose livelihoods depend on NTFPs
  • frameworks that protect the rights to access and benefit from NTFP resources

Interestingly, the most important information pertaining to NTFPs was implied by numerous presenters and during group discussions. The emergence of social forestry, other forest values (apart from timber) and the interest in NTFPs is a significant departure from traditional forestry practices in most areas. Developing a greater understanding of the social side of sustainable (integrated) forest management will go a long way to recognizing NTFP and other non-timber values.

Ultimately, the success of NTFPs in promoting truly “sustainable” forest practices comes down to the practitioners, those on-the-ground that take an active role in forest management. Whether for subsistence, medicinal, commercial or other purposes, NTFPs have the potential to alter traditional forestry practices for ever.