SALALE UNIVERSITY

COLLAGE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL

RESOURCE

Forestry

COURSE: NON TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS

(NTFPS)
Instructor: Alemayehu A. (MSc.)
 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

1.1 DEFINITION
 NTFPs are defined by what they are not (industrial timber), rather than
by what they are.

 They include species and parts of species gathered for noncommercial or

commercial purposes.

 The term “Non Timber Forest Products” (NTFPs) encompasses all

biological materials other than timber, which are extracted from forests
 Cont..
 Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are plants; parts of plants,
fungi, and other biological material harvested from within and

on the edges of natural, manipulated or disturbed forests.

 Cont…
Interest of NTFPs
 Traditionally, prior to the period 1970s, development concepts
(related to forestry) emphasized on large scale plantations.

 Meant for timber production.

 This development concepts have had their own undesirable

consequences:
o The poor were not the real beneficiaries of investment on timber
production, and were associated

o Severe environmental destruction due to clear cutting of timber

 Cont…

 Nevertheless, such development concepts have been changed after

the 1970s;

 Emphasis was given to sustainable development through the

satisfaction of basic needs of the local forest dependent people .

 Now, the importance of NTFPs has moved to the center stage of

the global development agenda
 Cont…

 Generally, interest in NTFPs emanates from two view points,

which were once assumed win-win
o The importance of NTFP for rural livelihood and thus
poverty alleviation; and
o The compatibility of NTFPs extraction/production in
tropical forest conservation
 Since then, the importance of NTFPs has moved to the center
stage of the global development agenda
 Classification of NTFPs
 Unlike timber, NTFPs comprise many product types.

 The diversity of product types together with differences in

socio-economic & cultural settings of communities in which
production and exchange take place management of NTFPs is
complex.

 This enquires many issues to discover in designing salient

management technique.
 Cont…

• There are several ways to classify NTFPs: they can be classified

into different categories, based on:-

 The purpose of use (e.g., as food, fuel, medicine, farm

implements, household utensils);

 Level of use (self-supporting, commercial);

 The plant part used (leaf, fruit, stem, roots);
 sources (plant and animal products)
Cont….
 Cont…

Components of NTFPs
• NTFPs include fruits and nuts, vegetables, medicinal plants,
gum and resins, essences, bamboo, rattans and palms; fibres
and flosses, grasses, leaves, seeds, mushrooms, honey and lac
etc
• Therefore it is difficult to jot down all components NTFPs
 Chapter two
major non timber forest products
2.1. Bamboo, mulberry and mushroom
Bamboo
 Cont……

Bamboo
 Cont….

Bamboo is the general name used for a number of perennial,

woody-stemmed grasses.
Bamboos constitute one of the few selected categories of
plants which are taxonomically related,
very rich in species and of vital economic and ecological
 Cont..

 They belong to the subfamily Bambusoideae and family Poaceae

(sometimes called Gramineae)

 Bamboo comprises more than 1,500 species that are widely

distributed in the

 Tropical,

 Subtropical and

 Temperate regions of all continents except Antarctica and Europe.

 Cont…
 The sizes of bamboos vary from small annuals to giant perennial timber
bamboo species.

 Dwarf bamboos may be as little as 10 cm in height, but stands of tall species

may attain 15–20 m, and

 The largest known (e.g.

Grow 40m and 30
Dendrocalamus giganteus cm diameter
Dendrocalamus brandisii
 Cont…

Giant bamboos Dwarf bamboo

 Cont….
Distribution of bamboo species in Ethiopia
 Ethiopia is one of the most endowed countries in bamboo
resources in Africa.

 The two indigenous bamboo species in the country are:

the African alpine bamboo(Arundinaria alpina) and a

monotypic genus of lowland bamboo (Oxytenanthera
abyssinica).
 Cont…
 Besides, twenty three different bamboo species under seven
genera were introduced in Ethiopia since 2007.

 The country has an estimated one million hectares of natural

bamboo forest,

 7% of the world total and 67% of the African total (Embaye et

al. 2003, FAO 2006, Wang 2006)
 Cont…
 Lowland bamboo in Ethiopia grows only in the western part

along major river valleys and in the lowlands bordering Sudan.

 It is found between 1100-1700 m.a.s.l.

 The species grows in savannah woodland, mainly in river

valleys and often forming extensive stands.

 Cont…

 The highland bamboo (Arundinaria alpina) on the other hand grows

naturally in:
 the south,

 south-west,

 central and

 north-west highlands of Ethiopia

 at altitudes ranging from 2200 to 4000 m.a.s.l.

 The highland bamboo grows in montane forest, often on volcanic

soils
Cont….
 Cont..
Propagation of Bamboo
 Bamboo can be propagated through sexual and asexual

Sexual Propagation of Bamboo

 Sexual propagation bamboo is propagation of bamboo from seed

 Once a bamboo stand or clump has flowered, seeds can be

collected within the flowering period and seedlings raised as
outlined below:
 Cont…
 Because of poor viability of seed, it is more desirable to collect and

sow the seed without delay.

 Sow seeds in the nursery bed and Cover with a thin layer of soil and

water daily.

 Watering should be done carefully using a fine rose can.

 Cont
 When germinated seedlings attain a height of 3 cm, they are

carefully transplanted into growing medium.

 After 3-6 months, good-sized transplants are obtained.

 Seedlings over one year old establish better

Cont..
 con.. Bamboo seedling
for transpalnt

Bamboo
seed
 Cont…
Asexual propagation bamboo
 Bamboos can more easily be propagated using vegetative material
such as rhizomes and offsets.

 Propagules are considered to be successfully established when they

form new rhizomes and start to develop new shoots.
 Cont…
 The most effective way of propagating O. abyssinica is by
means of offsetting a culm from a clump.

 Although this method has a high success rate, it is not the most
practical method for large scale propagation, nor is it the best
way of obtaining planting material that will be directly planted
in the field.
Cont…

Offset
Cont…
 Cont..
Harvesting of bamboo
 Harvesting of culms should be done either by applying harvesting

designs or by selectively cutting mature culms.

 Systematic cutting of mature culms assures the continuous

production of young shoots, which is an index of annual yield or

increment.

 Harvest culms only during the dry season.

 Cont…
 The starch content of bamboo is lower during periods of dryness.

 Lower starch content in the culms will make them less susceptible to

attack by borers.

 Use very sharp tools. It is highly advisable to disinfect harvesting

tools using bleach.

 This lowers the risk of infecting the plants

 Uses Bamboo

 Bamboo is most important Construction

NTFPs in Asian countries:
 Wood of poor
 Brother
Bamboo floor
 fried

Bamboo furniture's
 Cont…
Fuel uses
• Food
 Biogas
 Charcoal  Fresh bamboo shoots are
delicious and healthy, with
high fiber content.

Bamboo chacoal

Editable Bamboo shoot

 Cont…
Ecological uses

 It is fast growing species

 Reduce land degradation

 Regulates climate

 Act as buffer
Buffer & climate regulation
MUSHROOM
 CONT..

 Mushrooms are known to human beings since time

immemorial

 Its use as food is as old as civilization.

 In China the cultivation of black ear mushroom (Auricularia)

started about one thousand years ago

 Cont…

 Mushrooms lack chlorophyll and unable to absorb carbon dioxide

from atmosphere

 Thus receives nutrients from other plants and known as saprophytes

 They are different from plants in having different shapes, sizes and colour.
 Cont…
 Some mushrooms are mild to deadly poisonous and are known as
toadstools.

 If it consumed accidently, causes severe health problems and may

leads to death.

 Mushrooms are propagated by spores.

 Cont….
• The deadly poisonous mushrooms belong to genus Amanita

particularly Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric), Amanita virosa

(Destroying angel), and Amanita phalloides (Death cap).

 Cont…..
 Mushrooms are also known as Macrofungi, Macromycetes, Fleshy
fungi and Toadstools, and considered as a key group in forest
ecosystem maintenance.

 It decomposes leaf litter, dead wood, and ally of more than 95%
plants as they form mycorrhizal association with tree roots.

 In this symbiotic relationship both are mutually benefited.

 Cont….
Mushroom in Ethiopia
 In Ethiopia mushroom locally called as Angudai in Amharic and

Kintishara in Tigrinya language

 Mushroom has been used as food by different inhabitants of the

county
 Cont…

 Although, mushroom cultivation has been started a decade ago

with the trial made with Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus

ostreatus) followed by button mushroom, Agaricus sp. and

Shitakke mushroom, Lentinus sp

 Cont…..
use
 Edible- high in protein food

 Medicinal-help fight cancer, boost immune system, lower

cholesterol.

 Nature’s recycling plant- help to clean environment from

pollutants, including deadly petrochemicals and heavy metals

 Cont….
Harvesting and utilization of mushroom

 If you are lucky not to miss a flush, which usually takes about a 5-7 days from

primordia to maturity, you’ll enjoy delicious mushrooms.

 All mushrooms, with the exeptions of truffles, must be cooked to destroy heat-

sensitive toxins.
Mulberry
 Cont…

 The scientific name of Mulberry is Morus spp., a genus belonging to the

Moraceae Family of the Urticales Subclass, and

 It is usually associated with sericulture, the production of silk with the

silkworm

 The domestication of mulberry have started several thousands of years ago as

a requirement for silkworm rearing

 Cont…..
 Considering that the silk trade has been going on for a long time

throughout the Old World, and that this plant is also cultivated for

its fruit and for landscaping

 Mulberry germplasm has been taken to a lot of countries, and it

now has a very wide distribution

 There are about 68 species of mulberry

 Cont…
 The origins of most cultivated mulberry varieties are believed to be

in the area of China-Japan and in the Himalaya foothills

harvesting

 If mulberry is needed for fruit purpose, its harvested at the time of

repining
 Cont…
use
• Sericulture:

• The most important use of mulberry globally is for the production of

the silkworm, that feeds exclusively on its leaves
 Cont…
Fruit:
• All throughout Asia, but in particular in Central Asia and in
the Near East, mulberry is highly appreciated for its delicious
fruit
 Cont..
• Landscaping:

In Asia, Southern Europe and in Southern U.S.A. mulberry trees

are utilized for landscaping
 Cont…..

Medicine:
• A variety of medicinal properties have been attributed to the
different parts of the mulberry plant

Forage:
• Silk producers have traditionally fed mulberry refusals, leftovers
from silkworm feeding, to farm animals and to herbivorous carp in
polyculture fish ponds
 Cont….
propagation

Propagation via seed

 Seeds have the advantage of ensuring the young plant has few
pathogens.

 Growing mulberries from seed may be an interesting attempt

to create a new cultivar,

 But it has disadvantages.

 Cont…
 Mulberries do not grow "true to seed", so your new plant may
not be like the mother plant.

 It can take several years before the fruit reaches its maximum
size and abundance
Cont…
Cont….
cutting
 Cont….
 WHO defined traditional medicine as health practices, approaches,

knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral based

medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises useful

to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or to maintain well-being.

 Traditional medicine is the sum total of knowledge, skills, and

practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to

different cultures that are used to maintain health, as well as to

prevent, diagnose, improve, or treat physical and mental illnesses .

 Cont….
 It is not surprising that throughout history man has searched for

remedies to overcome disease

 Historically speaking, man has explored nature to fulfil two major

needs food and herbs for alleviating pain and suffering

 Traditional medical practitioners mostly implement herbs, spiritual

healing, bone-setting and minor surgical procedures in treating

disease.
 Cont...
• Discussion (5 minute)

1. when is the birth of traditional medicine?

2. In your locality how herbalist determines dosage of traditional
medicine?

 Evolution of curative practices closely follows the path of a disease.

 Herbalist determines dosage of medicine by using; finger, number

of leaf, spoon cup, and e.t.c
 Some medicinal plants are not allowed for pregnant and children
 Cont…
Economic value of medicinal plants

 Many people depend directly on the availability of usable land, water,

plants and animals to support their families.

 In fact, ecosystems are the base of all economies.

 cont

 In addition to their healing capacity Medicinal plants play an

important role in economic sectors that drive development.

 There are many herbalists depend on selling medicinal plants

in order to support their day to day life

 Cont……

• Children selling endemic medicinal plant- Echinops kebericho (ቀበርቾ) gathered

from Central Highlands of Ethiopia and Thymus schimperi (ጦስኝ) gathered from
Bale Mountains National Park and herbalist
 Cont….
Common medicinal plants in Ethiopia

 The diverse vegetation resources that are found in the various agro-

ecological zones of Ethiopia accommodate various types of MAPs:

 The country is also home to multi-ethnic cultural diversity, which

have in turn contributed to the high diversity of TK and practices,

which among others includes the use of wild plant for medicine
 Cont……
Scientific name Local name Part used disease
Allium sativum shinkurt/qullubbii Bulb/root Common cold, back
adii pain…..

Aloe genus Reet/haargisa root Gonorrhea

Azadirachta indica Kiniin zaaf leave Teeth infection
Calpurnia aurea Digita/cekataa L,ST Rabies, external
parasite..

Capsicum annuum barbaree FR Back pain

Citrullus colocynthis Yemdir L, FR Gonorrhea,
inbuway/holatoo Tetanus,woond

Citrus limon L. lomi FR goiter

Croton Bisaana/bakaniisaa Leaf,ST Bloting, ring worm….
macrostachyus
Datura stramonium Atefaris/ manjii Fr. Homeoroide, rabies
Scientific name Local name
Cont…..
Part used disease

Dodonaea Kitkita/ ittacha leaf Broken body, evil eye

angustifolia
Echinops kebericho qarabicho root Evil sprit, fibril illness

Ferula communis Insilal/insilaalee leaf Urine problemIntestinal

parasite,
Hagenia abyssinica Koso/ hexoo fr Tape warm

Indigofera tinctoria dingatee root Sudden sickness

Kalanchoe petitiana Indahula/bosoqee leaf Kalanchoe petitiana,broken

body
Ocimum lamiifolium Dama kasee leaf Fibrill illnes

Withania somnifera Gizawaa root Common cold, fibrill illness

Zingiber officinale jinjibila room Heart disease

 Cont…

part used, harvesting effect, and conservation of

medicinal plants.
 The peoples utilize different parts of the plants as remedy for human
and livestock diseases.

 The use of a particular plant part depends on the plant habit and user’s
needs.
 Cont..

 Plant parts for the preparation of disease remedies include leaves,

roots, fruits, whole plants, seeds, barks, saps and latexes,

 some plants prepared for remedies with two parts, one plant used

for more than one disease and different part of the plant is utilized

for different disease

 Cont…

 Most of the time leave is frequently utilized plant parts for

preparation of remedies.

 Removal of plant leaves up to 50% have no impact on the mother

trees, but use of bulbs, whole part, bark, steam and root have an
influence on ecology as well as existence of mother tree
Cont…
 Cont…

 Sustainable management of traditional medicinal plant resources is

important not only because of their value as a potential source of new

drugs built,

 but also due to reliance on traditional medicine for health

 Some knowledgeable people conserve medicinal plants of rare

abundance such as Echinops kebericho, Citrullus colocynthis in their

home garden
Cont..
 Cont…
 In addition to this practices :
 secrecy on use and plant name,
 dead wood collection,
 conservation at burial site,
 selective harvesting of plant part and sacredness of forest are
common.
 These practices have positive role in sustainable use of medicinal
plants
Coffee
forest
 Cont..
 Coffee is belonging to the Rubiaceae family which contains
several species including Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora, and
Coffea liberica
 The arabica coffee was first originated in the south-western
highlands of Ethiopia and still there naturally under the shadow
of the forest canopy at an altitude of 1600-2800 m

 The coffee species have been widely disseminated from their

center of origin to most parts of the tropics and sub-tropics are
now found in over 100 countries worldwide .
 Cont…
 The arabica coffee is best adapted to the higher elevations of 18- 22°C
temperature rang

 There are dozens of wide­ly cul­ti­vat­ed Ara­bi­ca and Robus­ta cof­fee vari­eties
around the world,
 and each is unique in its performance and adap­ta­tion to local con­di­tions.
 Cont…
 Coffee is an important global beverage crop ranked as the second most
traded commodity next to oil and most popular drink water.

 It is the most important export commodity crop in Ethiopia which

have a share of about 20- 25% of total foreign exchange earnings

 source of livelihood for more than 15 million people, especially for

those engaged directly or indirectly in the production and marketing
systems .
 Therefore, coffee production has an economic, environmental, and
 Cont..
 Wild coffee contribution could be enhanced and taken advantage in many ways:
 Through natural certification it can fetch more money.

 Its genetic material can also generate benefit, and new taste, new gene, new version can
also be discovered if research is encouraged
Gum and Resign
 Cont…

Gum

 Vegetable gums: - gums obtained from plants, are solids consisting of

mixtures of polysaccharides (carbohydrates) which are either water-

soluble or absorb water and swell up to form a gel or jelly when placed in

water.

 They are insoluble in oils or organic solvents such as hydrocarbons, ether

 Cont…
Resin
 A solid or semi-solid material, usually a complex mixture of organic
compounds called terpenes, which is insoluble in water but soluble in
certain organic solvents.

 Oil-soluble resins are soluble in oils and hydrocarbon-type solvents;

spirit-soluble resins are soluble in alcohols and some other solvents
 Cont…

 A lot of plant species yield gums and resins.

 Among the NTFPs, gum and resins such as gum arabic,

frankincense, myrrh and opopanax are produced from the various

dry land vegetation formations of the Ethiopia.

 There are over 40 plant species bearing gum and resins in Ethiopia

 Gums and resins are tapped from a considerable number of trees

and shrubs of the genera Acacia, Boswellia and Commiphora, and

sometimes from the genus Stericulia

 Cont…
 About 13 species of Acacia, 16 species of Commiphora and 6 species
of Boswellia are known as potential yielders of commercial gums
and resins in Ethiopia.

 Gums and resins contribute to local livelihoods, in terms of both cash

income, gained by selling products to buyers, and subsistence value.

 Several gums and resins are used as herbal medicines, insecticides

and hygienic and sanitation detergents
 Cont…
• Gum arabic: There are three varieties of acacia Senegal
and two varieties of Acacia seyal.

 In the country, Acacia senegal is found in Western,

southern, south estern, and Rift valley part of the country.
 Cont..
• Gum karaya: There are several species of this genus grown in

northern and northwestern Ethiopia

 The genus is widely represented by the species of Sterculia

setigera in Ethiopia

 Except the potential, no actual production and marketing has

been reported for this product

 Cont…
• Frankincense: Ethiopia ranks first in terms of diversity of the species

,genus.

 Among the species that produce commercial Frankincense include: B.

paprifera (widely distributed in the northern and western lowlands of

the country), B. rivae, B. neglecta, B. microphylla, and B. ogadensis.

• Commiphora gum resins: The major Commiphora gums of

economic importance in Ethiopia are myrrh, opoponax and Hagar.

 Cont..

 Several species of Commiphora produce myrrh, opoponax and

Hagar

 The chief Commiphora of economic importance is produced

from C. myrrha

 This is an important article of commerce in the southern and

southeastern Ethiopia
 Cont…..
Honey be flora
 Ethiopia have wide climatic and edaphic variability have endowed
this country with diverse and unique flowering plants,

 thus making it highly suitable for sustaining a large number of bee

colonies and the long established practice of beekeeping.

 Beekeeping in Ethiopia is a traditional exercise carried out in all

areas: forest beekeeping and backyard beekeeping are common
cultural practices of many farmers.
 Cont…..
 Ethiopia, having the highest number of bee colonies and surplus
honey sources of flora, is the leading producer of honey and
beeswax in Africa.

 On a world level, Ethiopia is fourth in beeswax and tenth in honey
production.

 Beekeeping can be practiced virtually all over the country.

 This shows the vast potential of the country.

 Cont…..
 Beekeeping, like many of the other NTFPs, has the advantage of
being integrated with other land uses and forests without conflict
with any other form of land use therein.

 Besides honey, there are several products of commerce obtained

from apicultural industry.

 Most important are: - beeswax, propolis, pollen, bee venom and royal
jelly
Cont…..
 CHAPTER THREE
DOMESTICATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION

3.1 Concept of domestication and commercialization

 The domestication of agroforestry species as producers of

NTFPs has become a worldwide initiative in recent years.

 Domestication has been defined as "human-induced change in

the genetics of a plant to conform to human desires and agro
ecosystems, overcome plant's loss and ability to survive in
natural ecosystems
 Cont…..
 More recently, the concept has been broadened to embrace
“
 The regeneration and sustainable management of a species" and “
 The management and adoption of genetic resources by farmers

 Domestication involves a long-term iterative and integrated strategy

for tree/plant selection and improvement, for the promotion, use and
marketing of selected products and their integration into agroforestry
practices.
 Cont….
 Plant in the wild have traditionally provided mankind with both
products and environmental services,

 Although the importance fails under risk, With increasing

environmental pressures on the land arising from increasing human
and domestic animal populations,

 Agroforestry is seen as a means of simultaneously addressing this

issues
 Cont….
 Some of the traits that have been selected for /by humans
but which are not healthy for a plant in the wild,
Increasing farmer income;
increasing the food and nutritional security of poor
people; and
enhancing the environment through the better
management of natural resources in the agro
ecosystem
 Cont….
 Commercialization or commercialisation is the process of
introducing a new product or production
method into commerce.
 making it available on the market

 Many NTFPs are commercial products that can make a

significant contribution to the cash economy of households.
 forest products may be processed into one or more
marketed products, and traded through a variety of different
value chains.
 Cont….
 Commercialization is defined as the entire process from
production, through collection or cultivation, to sale of a
product in exchange for cash, or sometimes for batter,
resulting in the product leaving the community of origin.
Cont….
 Cont….
3.2 Constraints of domestication
 The following are main constraints of domestication:

 Unavailability of high-quality planting material: Access to good-quality

planting materials is typically a major constraint for rural and urban farmers

 Limitations in production systems: Agroforestry systems developed by

researchers, such as alley cropping, have been found to be limited in terms

of adoption by farmers

 Limitations in harvesting methods: At present, farmers use traditional

methods of fruit harvesting, such as shaking the branches or using sticks to

knock the fruits to the ground, which often result in heavy losses.
 Cont….
 Limitations in postharvest methods: Heavy postharvest losses of
indigenous fruits/other products occur due to poor packaging and
inappropriate transport conditions

 Limitations in processing: In general, indigenous fruits are

processed and used locally by families for home consumption and
for sale in the locality

 Nevertheless, many of these fruits have greater potential for

processing and marketing of their products
Cont….
 Cont..
3.3 Determinant of commercialization
 Cont….
3.4 Value Addition Technique
 Value addition is raising the market (monetary) benefits of
a product through high-value product, improved production,
processing, and marketing.
1. Improved production
Quality (high value) product
Organic production
Sustainable production (environmental and social
sustainability)
 Cont….
2. Processing is the transformation of a product from a
raw form to a semi-finished or finished product that is
more highly valued by the market/consumers.
E.g.
• Fuel wood charcoal

• Leaves oils pharmaceuticals

 Cont….
3. Marketing: - key success factors
Physical access: infrastructure
Competitiveness:- quality; price
Recognition/Identification:- branding;
certification
Information
Supply/market chain
 Cont….
Product branding

Brand is a name, symbol, design, or a combination

used to help customers identify a specific producer’s
product.
It serves as focal point for advertising
Characteristics of a good brand
• descriptive
• distinctive and easy to remember
• suitable to be registered and legally protected
 Cont…
VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS
 A value chain (VC) describes the full range of activities
required to bring a product or service from production, through
the intermediary phases of production, delivery to final
consumers and final disposal after use.
 VC includes:
– Business activities: - generation of raw materials,
transforming them into intermediate products,
manufacturing the final product.
– Business transactions: - between companies and
government; between companies and institutions.
 Cont…
 Global VC exists when the chain involves different
stakeholders at different stages in different countries.
 It particularly matters if global value chains are governed

by a few lead firms or entrepreneurs.

 CHAPTER FOUR
HARVESTING AND HANDLING OF NTFPS

4.1 Collection and processing of NTFPs

• The quality of NTFPs often depends on how they are harvested.
• Harvesting (collection) techniques vary considerably between
NTFPs
 For instance: gums and resins production system in Ethiopia can broadly be
sub-divided into two:
 Production by tapping and

 Collection on naturally oozing gums and resins

• e.g. • Edible nuts: collecting raw nuts, cleaning, drying, and grading.
• • Fibers: cutting relevant parts of the plant (leaves, branches),
 Cont…
 Improving collection of NTFPS from wild is very important

 To manage NTFPs in national forests and community forest

natural regeneration management option would be the first
consideration.
 It is appropriate where there is
 Enough resource base in wild ecosystem,

 Limited knowledge and skills for propagation and cultivation

techniques, and
 Difficult to get viable seeds.
 Cont….
 The following are management option to improve production
from NFPs
1. no management
 Just utilization of NTFPs without any control and management
will be sustainable when NTFPs are used occasionally for
domestic purpose by a limited population and demand for trade
was very low
 This option does not deteriorate the resource base in the condition
where the extraction of resources does not exceed the production
capacity of the resource base.
 Cont…
2. Controlled harvesting
 Collection of harvestable NTFPs while retaining enough
individuals for natural regeneration is a suitable strategy
to initiate for an improved production system that is
sustainable
 This option ensures the natural regeneration in the
controlled area and checks the over exploitation of
NTFPs.
It is applied through,
Ratational harvesting
Fixed quantity of NTF harvesting
Selective harvesting
 Cont….
3. Intensive management
 In this option, the focus is not only on harvesting but also
on other stages of production.
 For example, natural propagation of NTFPs can be

maintained by cleaning the site, providing light, space, etc.

 Except some initiative from the government's departments
as a research activity there is no application of intensive
management to date
 Cont…
4.2 Postharvest handling
• Postharvest action is done before supplying the product to the
intermediate or final markets, can be broadly categorized into:
• Treatment to avoid deterioration or contamination,

• Storage,

• Packaging and

• Transport

• Post harvest handling of NTFPs and resins vary based on

NTFPs type.
 Cont…
• Losses: Reduced quantity and quality of product can happen during
harvest, processing, transport, and storage.

• Storage: The shelf life and recommended storage conditions vary for
different NTFPs, but dry, Ventilated areas are important for most
.
• Packaging: Packaging to avoid damage during transport is different
from packaging used to grade products, improve presentation and
shelf-appearance
 Cont…
• Transport: Transport by open or containerized trucks, trains, boats
and even planes can be expensive, and will vary according to
whether the product is traded locally, nationally, or internationally.

• Processing: Processing NTFPs to add value occurs

 Cont…
4.3 Sorting, grading and cleaning of NTFPs Im
ag
e

 Cleaning: removal of
foreign or dissimilar
material done by washing,
screening, handpicking
etc.
Cont….

 Sorting: Separation of cleaned

product into various quality
fractions that may be defined
on basis of size, shape, density,
texture and colour (physical
characteristics
 Cont.….
 Grading: Classification of material on the basis of
commercial value and usage and is dependent upon more
factors than recognised when physical sorting is
considered i.e. physical, chemical and biological
characteristics.
 Cont…
4.4 Certification and labeling
 Certification is the procedure by which a third party
provides written assurance that a product, process or
service conforms to specified standards, on the basis of an
audit conducted to agreed procedures.

 It is used to define production and process standards for

social and environmental performance in natural resource
management.
 Cont…
 Forest management certification serves two basic
purposes:
– to improve forest management through market-based
incentives
– To improve market access and share for the products
of such management.
 It addresses the quality of forest management, and the
quality of forest products
 Cont….
Procedures for conducting forest certification
 At the request of the forest owner or manager, the certifier
conducts:
 An independent audit of the quality of forest management,

 in a specified forest area,

 under one management regime,

 against specified environmental, social and economic standards by

assessing documents which prescribe and record management,
together with checks in the forest followed, usually, by peer review
of the assessment.
 Cont..

• Certification bodies:

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

International Organization for Standardization
(ISO)
The Pan-European Forest Cert. Framework (PEFC)
National certification programs
 Cont…..
labeling
 A label is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or
other material affixed to a container or product, on which
is written or printed information or symbols about the
product or item.
 Information printed directly on a container or article can
also be considered labelling.
 Cont…
4.5 Marketing consideration
 The variation in NTFPs, from raw product to aroma chemicals
and Phyto-pharmaceuticals, is reflected in a wide range of
market types,
 from bulk to niche,
 informal and seasonal, to formal and regulated.
 in any one locality or even country,

 With the move from subsistence to trade, many small-scale

businesses and community-based producers and processors often
encounter barriers to entry into trade along the value chain
 Cont…
• Marketing information is critical to the success of any
business since, in order to market goods or services
effectively,
• the seller needs solid information about what the buyer
wants.
• Similarly, to ensure that the most effective production and
distribution methods are being used, producers need to
know what their options are.
 CHAPTER FIVE
ROLE OF NTFPS IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
5.1. Social and economic importance of NTFP
 Despite the immense importance of NTFR, their value is
rarely taken into account in land-use planning
 Nor are the economic values of these products and the
services they provide rarely taken into account in
assessing Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
 Cont….
 These omissions need to be corrected, as NTFP make particularly
significant contribution to household incomes of the rural poor
 Why NTFPS are associated with poor?
 The poor are dependent on NTFP extraction because,

۩ Forests are geographically remote from the center of economic and political
power
۩ Absence of alternative income source

 Wild and naturalized plants provide a "green social security" to

billions of people in the form of low cost building materials,
 Cont…..
The economic role of NTFPs can be categorized in to two:
 NTFPs for subsistence
– NTFPs have considerable role in insuring food security

to low income population during drought and famine

– Some NTFPs are also consumed in different forms to
increase palatability of stable foods
 Cont…..

 NTFPs for Cash income

NTFPs also contribute to the cash economy of many

rural households

The contribution to the cash economy can be also seen

at different scales. i.e. at households, at national,

Continental and International scales

 Cont….
I. At household’s level
The contribution at this level is more consistently high compared
to national scale estimates
NTFPs may be critical to overall subsistence, and can supply a
high percentage of the household’s cash income
Households may rely on NTFPs during particular season when
income from other sources is low
However, income from NTFPs is not evenly distributed among
all community groups, and different geographic regions
 Cont……
II. At national level
• Impact of NTFP on cash income varies significantly across nations.
Eg. In India, NTFPs, contribute about 40% of the total official forest
revenue and 55% of forest-based Employment
III. At Continental level (Africa)
• In Africa, NTFPs are the only readily available and affordable
sources of human and livestock health care
– Non-farming earnings are substantial to African farm households
– Such earnings range from 22% to 93% depending on countries.
 Cont……
• The social and cultural values linked to foods and
medicines are a reflection of the value placed on
NTFR.
 Cont….
5.2. Biodiversity conservation and environmental
protection
• The premises behind conservation role of NTFPs is Forests could have a greater
long term economic value if they are kept standing.
• With this regard:

– What makes NTFPs different from timber and important for conservation
strategy is the assumption that the forest remains standing and more or less
biologically intact under sustained NTFP harvest
– Local forest communities will tend towards careful, sustainable management
of the forest if they receive direct economic benefits from harvesting its
resources
– Poverty in local forest communities is both a cause and result of deforestation
 Cont…..
 Natural honey production in Ethiopia

• Requires trees for: Shade, hanging hives and as fodder

• The bees also contribute for improved productivity of forest

through cross pollination

• Honey is highly marketable product

 Cont…
 It is often said that NTFPs can be harvested without destroying the
natural ecosystem.

 Indeed, collecting fruits, eggs, honey, mushrooms, bark or leaves is

less damaging than cutting down entire trees for timber or converting
entire forest areas to agricultural land.

 Although many wild products are extracted without damaging the

forest, techniques of collection have different impacts on the
regeneration of the species and, therefore, on their future availability.
 Cont….
• The collection of fruits, nuts, leaves and bark is less harmful, as
only specific parts are removed and the tree or shrub easily
regenerates.
• The collection of wood or resin, on the other hand, can be fairly
destructive because in certain cases the entire tree is cut down
• Uncontrolled harvesting, as well as very low, or exceptionally
high prices may all cause overharvesting,
• lead to forest degradation, and even result in local extinction of
species
Cont….
 Cont…
5.3 Sustainable harvesting methods
 sustainable NTFPs management entails: wise utilization;
strategic manipulation or development of the resource to
meet basic need of communities (locals); and enhance
critical ecosystem functions
 Hence, sustainable NTFP management comprises:
Ecological,, Economic, and social and political aspects
 Cont…
Ecological aspect of NTFP management
 The ecological sustainability of the NTFP harvest is a
central issue to the long-term availability and
management of NTFP on a broad scale.
 Undoubtedly, the impact of the evolution of harvesting
operations from subsistence level use to commercial
exploitation will create new pressures on individual
species and ecosystems as well as conflicts with other
forest users.
 Cont…
 The ecological sustainability of NTFP harvest can be seen at
three levels. These are:
at the level of individual organism,

population level, and

ecosystem/community level

Individual and population level

 At individual or population level, sustainability of harvest

requires at a minimum harvest rate do not exceed the
capacity of the population to replace the part/individual
 Cont…

How to make harvest adjustment?

Two methods:

i. Regulate the number and size of the plants being

exploited

ii. Limit the total area from which the resource is harvested

(Rotational harvest)
 Cont…
Socio-political sustainability
 Resources are managed for the benefits of people.
 So, in the management, the livelihood of forest
dependent communities should be emphasized.
 Sustainability can be achieved only when communities
using the forest resources recognize the benefits of their
conservation efforts.
 Cont…
 Local communities should be empowered.
 Local communities should be allowed to control
development programs based on their own priority
 Local knowledge should be respected & used in NTFP
resource management
 Sites of special social, cultural, spiritual, & historical
significance should be maintained
 Cont…
Economic sustainability
 Economic sustainability of NTFP extraction is measured
in terms
 Equitable access to economic decision making
 Equitable access to economic values
 Efficient exploitation & processing (in terms of resource
utilization)
 Economic feasibility (the soundness / profitability of
NTFP extraction)
Cont…
 Cont…
5.4 Valuation of NTFPs
 Value is not the inherent property of an entity.

 It is only a measure of a relationship between a subject and the object of

valuation within a context (time and place or hypothetical scenario)

 Appropriate method of valuation depends on the objective of the

study
 e.g. fuel wood measured in Kg/year i.e. weight of fuel wood
fetched on an annual basis. Fodder, honey mushrooms, wild
mangoes etc collected was measured in kg / household / year
 Financial value of NTFP is measured in terms of current market
 Cont..

Classification of forest value

Direct use value are associated with

Consumptive uses:
(a) Commercial & industrial market goods, Fuel wood, timber, pulpwood
poles, fruits, animals, medicines etc.

(b) Domestic non-market goods and services (fuel wood, non-commercial

non-wood products, animals, fruits etc)

Non consumption uses:

(a) Recreation (jungle, cruises wildlife, photography, trekking)

(b) Science and Education (forest studies)

 Cont…
Indirect use values are associated
• Environmental protection –
• Wastershed protection,
• nutrient recycling,
• soil fertility agricultural productivity.
• Gas exchange,
• contribution to climate stabilization.
• Habitat and protection of biodiversity.
 Cont…
Option value
• People may value the option to use a forest in the future.
• Although such values are difficult to measure in economic term,
they should be recognized in valuing the contribution of forest to
human welfare.
Existence & Bequest values.
• People may value forests purely for its existence without the
intension of using it directly in the future.
• People may value forest as a bequest to their children.

.
 Cont…
• It is not so easy to compute these value separately as they
are dependent on each other e.g. the felling of trees by
harvesting may degrade (or improve) the habitat for
specific birds and animals
 The economic value of forest is the aggregate of both use
value (direct value, indirect value and optional value) and
non use value (bequest and existence value).
 CHAPTER 6: SOCIO CULTURAL AND POLICY
ISSUES OF NTFPs
6.1. Traditional knowledge of NTFPs
 what is TEK?
What its importance in biodiversity conservation?
 TEK is a cumulative body of knowledge and beliefs,
handed down through generations by cultural
transmission,
 about the relationship of living beings (including humans)
with one another and with their environment.
 Cont…
 Indigenous peoples are the repositories of vast
accumulations of traditional knowledge and experience
that link humanity with its ancient origins.
 Their disappearance is a loss for the larger society, which
could learn a great deal from their traditional skills in
sustainably managing very complex ecological systems.
 Cont…
 The following distinctive features characterize indigenous
knowledge:
 collective rights and interests held by Indigenous peoples in
their knowledge
 close interdependence between knowledge, land, and other
aspects of culture in Indigenous societies
 oral transmission of knowledge in accordance with well
understood cultural principles, and
 rules regarding secrecy and sacredness that govern the
management of knowledge
 Cont…
Use of TEK for conservation
 Provide total protection to some biological communities or

habitat patches.
include pools along river courses,
sacred Ponds,
sacred mountains,
meadows and forests.

 Provide total protection to certain selected species

Example species under genus of ficus
 Cont…
 Protect critical life history stages: In south India, fruit
bats may be Hunted when away foraging, but not at
daytime roosts on trees that may be in the midst of
villages
 Organise resource harvests under the supervision of a
local expert: to organize the harvest, control access,

supervise local rules and generally act as a ‘steward ‘

166
 Cont…..
6.2 Property right and its implication in NTFP
Management
 Indigenous peoples have rights on land, in the biological
resources on the lands, and in the knowledge they possess of
these resources
 Although Indigenous peoples claim that their knowledge
constitutes part of their 'intellectual property rights', the
protection of biological, or other forms of Indigenous
knowledge does not fall within the scope of existing
intellectual property laws
 Cont…..
 It is argued that one factor in the loss of NTFP producing
species is the 'lack of clear property rights governing
ownership and access to resources'.
 Consideration of property rights in biological resources is of
importance to Indigenous peoples,
who claim that their cultures and livelihoods depend on
these resources, and that their knowledge and practices
relating to the natural environment constitute part of their
intellectual property.
 Cont…
Tenure security
 Property right, particularly the security of tenure is an important
precondition for success in in conservation.
 Tenure arrangements govern the most direct interactions between a
society and living resource: harvesting and management.
 Tenure systems provide the rules for governing who gets to harvest
a resource, where they can harvest, how much they harvest, and for
whose benefit.
 Thus the concept of tenure includes both the notion of ownership

and a corresponding parcel of rights .

 Cont..
 The widely accepted classification of tenure systems
 defines four types of ownership – state, private,
communal and open access
 and four basic kinds of rights – use, transfer, exclusion,
and enforcement.
 The many combinations of rights and forms of
ownership means there is limitless complexity in tropical

forest tenure systems.

 Cont…
 People without a secure tenure over resource have no
predictable future and will have a diminishing
willingness to invest time and resource
 Once they have this, they will take active interest in
conservation
 Effective insitu conservation should be done on legally
owned and recognized areas
Cont…
 Cont….
6.3 Impact of national policies in NTFP use and management
 Polices and institutions concerning NTFP management and
utilization should consider the collection processes, collectors
skill and attitude, benefits channel and Nature of the forest
where NTFP extraction take places. i.e.
NTFP collection process: who are the collectors?
 What socio-economic background do they have?

 What is the objective of their collection?

 What implication does it has on achieving the NTFP oriented

forest management objective
 Cont….
Who are the actual beneficiaries of collection and trade?
 Is the benefit from NTFP collection distributed fairly among actors?
 If not what will be the implication under the different scenario on the
sustainability of the resource use?
 NTFP collection: who are the collectors?
– In most forest areas NTFP collectors are local communities
– Most commonly for subsistence use.
– Such subsistence products are collected by member of rural families
including:
• Children
• Women and
• Elders
• another group
 Cont …
cation:
– Collectors from outside deliberately ignore local rules regarding ss
• Benefit distribution
• Resource management
• They collect as much as they can in short time possible.

Apply “harvest-exhaust-move” strategy

So, what should be done?
• Regulatory policies should aim at reducing this unbalanced competition between
locals and outsiders
• It has to consider the difference both in logic and practice of forest product
collection by the two main categories …. And put appropriate action.
 By: Alemayehu A. (MSc.) 2023

[email protected]