EDITORIAL

Another year has passed, dense with developments and activities in the field of NWFPs. It is becoming harder for us to keep Non-Wood News to a reasonable size while still trying to report on some of the main developments (events, publications of interest, new projects, emerging research topics) as well as giving our readers an opportunity to see their contributions included and shared - that "networking" role which we consider so important.

This year, Non-Wood News gives ample space to the important and controversial subject of "bioprospecting"' and to the various ethical issues linked to it. The ethical issues related to the marketing of NWFPs are also the focus of an increasing number of organizations which promote fair trade.

Social and ethical issues are also important in the consideration of the role of NWFPs in securing access to food. The need to concentrate efforts on the malnourished and the food vulnerable people is a priority of FAO in all fields, including forestry. NWFPs and food security is one of the special features of this issue.

The information in this issue on the potential of NWFPs as a source of food in Africa results from the collection of quantitative and qualitative information on the exploitation practices and production levels of major NWFPs which we have carried out in collaboration with 52 African and Caribbean countries. Last year, the preliminary results were discussed in five regional workshops in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire and Trinidad and Tobago. The feedback regarding the need for and the contents of national data collection on NWFPs is of great relevance and will have important bearings on FAO's work in this field. One aspect which has emerged is the importance of reporting on the service values of the forests in national forest statistics and, therefore, the need to put some fresh efforts into this aspect (in terms of developing a definition and classification of forest services, assessment methods, etc).

Being multidisciplinary by nature, NWFPs will benefit from the joint efforts of different actors. FAO is moving more and more into the establishment of interdepartmental interest groups on various aspects of NWFPs that will draw on the expertise of a wide range of technical staff.

Medicinal plants will be the first group of NWFPs to be the subject of an FAO interdepartmental group.

Thank you all for your support, comments and contributions, which we hope will continue into this millennium.

NON-WOOD NEWS

Non-Wood News is compiled by Laura Russo and Tina Etherington, Wood and Non-Wood Products Utilization Branch (FOPW) of the FAO Forest Products Division. Editing support for this issue was provided by Helena Kastel, Paul Vantomme and Sven Walter; design, graphics and desktop publishing coordinated by Tina Etherington. Non-Wood News is open to contributions by readers. Contributions may be edited to fit the appropriate size and focus of the bulletin. If you have any material that could be included in the next issue of Non-Wood News for the benefit of other readers, kindly send it, before 30 September 2000, to:

NON-WOOD NEWS - FOPW
FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
E-mail: [email protected]
www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/nonwood.htm
FAO home page: www.fao.org

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Non-wood forest products (NWFP) are goods of biological origin other than wood, derived from forests, other wooded land and trees outside forests. Non-timber forest products (NTFP), another term frequently used to cover this vast array of animal and plant products, also includes small wood and fuelwood. However, these two terms are used synonymously throughout this bulletin. Other terms, such as “minor”, “secondary” or “speciality” forest products, are sometimes used to keep original names and/or titles.