22 August 2023 In May 2023, FAO launched a series of workshops on “Forest food systems and their contribution to food security and nutrition“ to identify and promote priority actions to enhance the sustainable use of forest and tree foods, including wild species. Over 160 participants from nearly 30 countries joined the workshops remotely to exchange knowledge and experiences on enabling the contributions of forests foods to sustainable food systems and optimizing benefits for biodiversity, climate and human health. [more]

22 April 2022 A new report published today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Wild Check: Assessing risks and opportunities of trade in wild plant ingredients, sheds light on twelve flagship species – the so-called "wild dozen” – that are hidden in our everyday products. Developed in collaboration with TRAFFIC , a non-governmental organisation working globally on trade in wild animals and plants, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature , it aims to raise awareness about the sustainable use of wild-harvested plants. [more]

29 November 2021 Co-organised by FAO and the European Forest Institute, the event focused on the contributions of non-wood forest products to socioeconomic development in Europe, with the launch of a White Paper with policy recommendations. [more]

18 October 2021 Acorns from oak trees hold potential to contribute to diversifying diets and better nutrition, according to a new FAO report published today. Oak (Quercus spp.) acorns have been part of human diets for thousands of years in many countries around the world, including many African countries. [more]

19 August 2021 According to the latest figures , published in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN’s (FAO) Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 (FRA), bamboo covers about 35 million hectares of land across Africa, Asia, and the Americas . In fact, FRA 2020 reports a 50 per cent increase in bamboo area between 1990 and 2020, largely because of new expansion in China and India. [more]

10 March 2021 The INCREDIBLE Policy Forum, taking place on 16 and 17 March 2021, will discuss the actions needed to position NWFP (non-wood forest products) as a pillar of Europe's bioeconomy. The Forum is addressed to EU, national, regional and local policy makers and key stakeholders in NWFP value chains (associations of forest owners, producers and processors, consumer organisations, industries, NGOs, public institutions, etc.). The Forum is co-organised by the European Forest Institute ( EFI ), leading the H2020 INCREDIBLE project consortium, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( FAO ), with the support of FoReSTAS (regional Foresta Agency for Land and the Environment of Sardinia) and the Cesefor Foundation. This virtual event will serve as an opportunity to consider the salient issues for NWFP policies and enrich a white paper on policy priorities for non-wood forest products in Europe . This document has been developed within the framework of the INCREDIBLE project, with peer review from the IUFRO task force on Non-timber forest products and other leading experts. [more]

17 December 2020 Consumer interest in edible insects has been rising in recent years and that has driven a traditional, but local, industry in Southeast Asia to expand to meet increasing global demand. To ensure the rapidly increasing supply can adequately respond to international food safety concerns (and ensure sustainable practices), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with Thailand’s Khon Kaen University , has today published Guidance on sustainable cricket farming , a new comprehensive manual on rearing crickets. [more]

17 November 2020 Incomplete data on trade wild plants, as well as the insufficient level of the uptake of sustainable management practices for these species, are threats to livelihoods, plant diversity and habitats , heard a FAO-TRAFFIC workshop on 30 September to discuss solutions to bridging the data gap on wild plants, and assess the sustainability of trade and use. [more]

27 August 2020 Wild plant species used in herbal treatments of COVID-19 are set to come under heightened harvesting pressure, both as a result of increased demand and because of more people turning to wild harvesting as an alternative source of income during times of high unemployment and economic crisis. [more]

18 March 2020 This publication brings attention to the role of forests in supplying beauty products and the connections with livelihood security and utilization of NWFPs, awareness of the importance of forests and their connection with cosmetics will be raised. [more]

27 February 2020 The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with the participation of the relevant stakeholders held a workshop on enhancing opportunities for sustainable exploitation and the use of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) to ensure food security. [more]

14 January 2020 In this first issue of the year, we share information about ongoing projects and initiatives on NWFPs implemented by FAO and partner organizations. Highlights include a FAO/ICRAF project on nutrition-sensitive NWFP value chains in Uganda, a FAO/TRAFFIC collaboration on mapping medicinal and aromatic plants data, and a FAO/CIFOR project on improving wild food statistics in Zambia, among others. [more]

28 November 2019 The focus of this issue is biodiversity . Highlights include an interview with Julie Belanger, coordinator of FAO’s first-ever global report on the state of biodiversity launched earlier this year, UNCTAD’s BioTrade initiative and the launch of the NTFP Bioeconomy Taskforce. We also welcome back Sven Walter, new team leader for Forest Products and Statistics, who opens this issue. [more]

8 April 2019 Do you have an interesting solution or business idea to solve a technological, social or environmental challenge for non-wood forest products (NWFPs) in the Mediterranean? The INCREDIBLE project has just launched the Open Innovation Challenge (OIC) which will select the five most innovative ideas with the potential to increase the environmental, economic or social value of Mediterranean NWFPs. Prize-winners will be invited to attend the INCREDIBLE business acceleration programme led by an international team of leading forestry, business and NWFPs experts. [more]

5 April 2019 A first-of-its-kind global study shows that children in 27 developing countries have better nutrition -- when they live near forests. The results turn on its head the assumption that improving nutrition in poorer countries requires clearing forests for more farmland -- and, instead, suggest that forest conservation could be an important tool to improve the nutrition of children. [more]

3 September 2018 New Guidelines for Equitable and Sustainable Non-timber Forest Product Management offer field-tested strategies and good practices on how to pursue the multiple goals of gender equality and social inclusion, environmental integrity, and livelihoods improvement through the sustainable use and management of non-timber forest products. [more]

25 June 2018 Wild at Home: An overview of the harvest and trade in wild plant ingredients , released to coincide with the beginning of FairWild Week 2018, demonstrates how sustainable wild plant harvesting can contribute to wider wildlife conservation goals and why global industry must adapt.People are utterly reliant on plants for their survival, yet few appreciate that many of the consumer products in common use—ranging from herbal remedies, food, and drink to cosmetics, health supplements, and even furniture—derive from wild harvested plants. [more]

8 June 2018 Living in and from the forests of Central Africa is intended first and foremost as a full-scale extension tool concerning NWFPs in Central Africa. It is a work on the groups who have always lived in these forests, forests that contribute to every aspect of their daily lives, both material and spiritual, and enable them to survive even in periods of extreme crisis. The book is divided into seven parts. The first gives an overview of Central Africa and NWFPs, while the second shows how animal and plant NWFPs contribute to the food and nutritional security of forest people. [more]

1 June 2018 In Zimbabwe, FAO has been implementing a four year EU funded project to improve food and nutrition security of vulnerable rural communities through participatory sustainable forest management and value addition to forest products. The project, entitled Forest Forces, established the correlation between forest management and a thriving honey production business far beyond his expectations - a source of livelihood for his family and a sustainable business for his community. [more]

1 June 2018 Ce livre nous emmène au cœur des zones de forêts denses et sahéliennes de l’Afrique centrale, un écosystème précieux et essentiel à la vie quotidienne de ses habitants, représentant l’un des trois principaux ensembles boisés tropicaux de la planète. Dix pays (Burundi, Cameroun, Congo, Gabon, Guinée Equatoriale, République Centrafricaine, République Démocratique du Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tomé & Principe, Tchad) abritent ces forêts et savanes, riches d’importantes ressources naturelles. Ils ont en commun une longue histoire liée à la colonisation, suivie d'une expérience de coopération multiforme depuis les indépendances qui évolue incontestablement vers une intégration économique et monétaire. [more]

29 March 2018 Among the first green things to pop out of the ground in the spring across the sprawling forests of Appalachia, ramps ( Allium tricoccum ) taste stronger than leeks, which generally have a mild onion flavor, and are more "garlicky" than a scallion. As such, the uniquely pungent plant has become the darling of chefs and foodies and a much-sought-after commodity. All the attention on ramps of late has convinced Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture officials that they need to know more about the market for ramps and the wild stocks of the plants to manage and perhaps protect them. [more]

30 May 2017 One in seven people are thought to benefit from “wild” nutrition, or wild plants and animals, for food and health, yet these foods do not receive sufficient recognition, a seminar in Rome heard last week. The seminar, “Wild but edible and nutritious – Exploring new (and old) ways to contribute to the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition and the SDGs,” pooled together some of the most recent scientific evidence on forest foods and their contributions to nutritious and diverse diets. [more]

20 April 2017 The contribution of forest foods to food and nutritional security is greatly underestimated, according to a recent report on the Congo Basin issued by FAO. The report, Living in and from the forests of Central Africa, originally published in French and now available in English, is based on a decade of work across central Africa and the Congo Basin, which is home to 130 million people, many of whom still depend directly – just as their ancestors did – on non-wood forest products (NWFPs) such as game, fruit, seeds, roots, insects and fungi for nutritious food and overall well-being. [more]

18 April 2017 Honey is a nutritious natural food produced by bees. It is appreciated worldwide for its taste, proven health benefits, cultural values, etc. However, recent reports have shown that an increasing amount of honey traded internationally is adulterated. From 14 April to 14 May 2017, TECA Beekeeping Exchange Group will look into this issue and try to address the following questions: How big is the problem? What are the consequences for the beekeeping sector? What can be done? Join the discussion! [more]

21 February 2017 New research by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) shows that forests play an important role in the diets of many households and communities living in close proximity to tropical forests. The findings contribute to a growing body of evidence that suggests deforestation and forest conversion to crops pose a threat to communities that receive their nutritional requirements from forests. [more]

30 January 2017 A project is working to increase the capacity of collectors of wild medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) in Bac Kan Province (Viet Nam) to protect biodiversity and improve local livelihoods. To achieve these outcomes, TRAFFIC, the Bac Kan Forest Protection Department (FPD) and two local pharmaceutical companies assisted the local harvesters to establish collector groups and cooperatives in Bac Kan. [more]

19 December 2016 The contribution of forest foods to food and nutritional security is greatly underestimated, according to a new report on the Congo Basin issued today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Living in and from the forests of Central Africa is based on a decade of work across central Africa and the Congo Basin, which is home to 130 million people, many of whom still depend directly – just as their ancestors did – on non-wood forest products (NWFPs) such as game, fruit, seeds, roots, insects and fungi for nutritious food and overall well-being. [more]

3 November 2016 This new quarterly issue focuses on wild edible fungi (WEF), sometimes referred to as “ wild useful fungi ”. [more]

3 August 2016 Help the FAO Forestry Department by taking this short survey on non-wood forest products! [more]

21 July 2016 Laura Snook, Flagship Leader of the Management and Conservation of Forest and Tree Resources of the Forests, Trees and Agroforestry Programme of the CGIAR, tells us about the relationship between forests and food and nutritional security on the sidelines of the 23rd Committee on Forestry. Sharing lessons from the Beyond Timber Project, she gives examples of how forest products meet local nutritional and economic needs, and how competing interests affect forests’ capacity to supply these products, and villagers’ ability to access them. [more]

30 June 2016 Just launched, special issue No.8 of the NWFP Update: "Perspectives on NWFPs: Taking stock, and moving forward." [more]

21 June 2016 The giant trees near Pemberton only flower once every seven to 10 years but this season, there is a uniform budding across the whole forest and the bloom has lasted for almost a year. Karrakup beekeeper Mike Spurge said it was an extremely unusual event. "It hasn't flowered like this for 40-odd years or more; nearly 50 years that it's been over the whole forest," he said. [more]

25 May 2016 Bees make a priceless contribution to agriculture and are a bellwether for environmental health, working without pay while both delivering and reflecting biodiversity. "A world without pollinators would be a world without food diversity - and in the long run, without food security," FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today during a visit to Slovenia at the national beekeepers' festival. Slovenia, a promotor of declaring May 20 the World Bee Day, has sought assistance from FAO in this endeavor and has already received its support and that of 53 countries at the last Regional Conference of Europe. [more]

26 April 2016 Wildlife is in crisis in many parts of the globe, and decision makers need sound expertise and experience to inform their actions. In order to understand the drivers of escalating patterns of poaching, organised illegal wildlife trade, and habitat loss, this event places the indigenous and local communities that live close to wildlife at the forefront of thinking and action, and provides insights on how wildlife conservation can be reconciled with supporting community rights and livelihoods. [more]

9 February 2016 Training Schools are an important part of European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Actions and are intended to share knowledge and support collaboration. Within the scope of COST Action FP1203, a Training School offering a general overview on methodological aspects related to NWFP marketing has been prepared by Task Force 4 (Marketing). The course will combine theoretical lessons, case studies analysis and the presentation of some tools for marketing research. The Training School will be held in San Vito di Cadore, Belluno, Italy from 14-18 March 2016. Trainee candidates can submit their applications until 19 February 2016. [more]

23 December 2015 Rattan wood — the stems of a climbing palm that grows in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka — could be the source for bone implants by 2019. An Italian firm announced last month that trials on sheep prove that the technology works. [more]

2 September 2015 Honeybees provide a wide range of benefits to humans from honey, other bee products, pollination of food crops and ecological services. Beekeeping is practiced around the world, and can provide a valuable source of income to people in developing regions with relatively little investment. This month, the Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition “FSN Forum” – an online venue for multi-stakeholder dialogue where policy decisions on food security and nutrition are collectively inspired, developed and linked with practice – is hosting a discussion on bee products, nutrition and income generation. [more]

2 April 2015 Ramps, these tasty spring ephemerals with the scientific name Allium tricoccum , are generally called ramps in the south and wild leeks in more northern areas. They are native to the hardwood forests of eastern North America. In many areas, ramps are viewed as a sign of the coming of spring and people flock to the forests to “dig a mess of ramps.” [more]

3 March 2015 In this first issue for 2015, we tackle bushmeat, or the harvesting of wild animals from forests for food and non-food purposes (medicine, culture, recreation). Bushmeat has long been a part of the diets of forest dwellers as an important source of protein, micronutrients, fats and also fibre and is increasingly consumed in urban areas. It is also an important source of income for many communities. At the same time, the scale of wildlife hunting threatens important forest species and ecosystems. Compounding the problem is the threat of zoonoses – diseases transmitted from animals to humans – arising from bushmeat hunting, trade and consumption. Ebola is a recent reminder of this threat. [more]

26 September 2014 This issue is dedicated to education and communication initiatives related to NWFPs/NTFPs. In our special feature, Citlalli López Binnqüist and colleagues share their experiences from the Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico. Also featured are two interviews: INBAR Director General Hans Friederich fills us in on training, research and knowledge management initiatives on bamboo and rattan; Cesar Sabogal from FAO provides us with an overview of a new tool: the Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Toolbox, recently launched at the 22nd session of FAO’s Committee on Forestry. [more]

21 February 2014 Welcome to our first issue for 2014, which will focus on the institutional dimensions of NWFPs and the degree to which legal and institutional frameworks on NWFPs should be improved. [more]

15 February 2014 One way of categorising wild foods gathered for subsistence is through their importance for people’s survival. Some are exclusively famine foods (leaves of celosia and bidens, usually regarded as weeds), some are seasonal (bamboo shoots during monsoon), some are occasional (bamboo seeds during the periodic flowering), some are collected routinely as a staple (various yams and greens) and some may be delicacies (such as the larvae of Vespid wasps). [more]

20 December 2013 Deep in the Amazon rainforest , in Brazil 's far western region, tappers walk the forest trails, harvesting liquid latex from the trunks of the bountiful native rubber trees. [more]

25 November 2013 This document is a compilation of cases showing how forest farmers have organized themselves and the lessons drawn so far, with the aim of providing ideas and motivation to service providers and farmers alike. It highlights the need for farmers to have their say on forest policy and legal issues, and to have better access to markets, services and finance. It also provides an insight into the kind of activities and processes that can be supported by the Forest and Farm Facility hosted by FAO, and by the Farmers Fighting Poverty programme at AgriCord. [more]

19 September 2013 The first findings of a project that aims to help low-income communities benefit more from living near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where conservation priorities can impose limits on their livelihoods has dispelled perceptions that poor people who live closer to the park pose a danger to wildlife conservation efforts. Researchers from the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) alongside other partners who met in Kampala from 17-18 September noted that there are complex links between poverty and threats to wildlife. [more]

18 September 2013 A central African pygmy tribe is losing its identity and being driven off its ancestral forest lands by logging, according to a global charity. Despite instigating a social programme to integrate the Baka, the Cameroon government does not recognize the Baka tribe as indigenous and has given the rights to most of the region’s rainforest to international logging companies. It has also banned hunting of endangered species, as easier public access to forest areas and local market opportunities has meant increased wildlife hunting pressure. Consequently, several species of “bushmeat”, the tribe’s traditional food that can encompass chimpanzee and antelope, are now unavailable to the Baka. [more]

2 September 2013 Concern about the unsustainable demand for indigenous medicinal plants, still used by an estimated 70 percent of South Africa’s 53 million people, is the focus of Kirstenbosch Biennale. The biennale is an exhibition of botanical art by artists from southern African and elsewhere with the theme “Medicinal and traditional plants of southern Africa”. Phakamani Xaba, a research conservation horticulturist at Kirstenbosch, says the biennale highlights the rich history of traditional-plant use among indigenous people, while also aiming to raise awareness about unsustainable over-exploitation. [more]

27 August 2013 There may be just 50 tigers left in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex (BTFC), as detected under a comprehensive scientific study, says Dr. Mark Rayan Darmaraj. The WWF-Malaysia’s tiger expert and lead research scientist for the fund’s tiger conservation programme said that its minimum viable population there should be 80. Darmaraj also found evidence of poachers via the camera traps as well as snares and camps left at the site. “In Royal Belum, we caught photos of foreigners encroaching mostly for agar wood. [more]

20 August 2013 For a tribal community living in the forested Western Ghats mountain range in southern India, the central cultural, spiritual and economic role honey collection plays is illustrated by its name — Jenu Kuruba — which translates into “honey collectors”. Understanding how people learn directly affects what information they get and how they use their environments – understanding the transmission system of behavior as a whole can help predict how a culture evolves,” said Kathryn Demps, lead author of “ Social learning across the life cycle: Cultural knowledge acquisition for honey collection among the Jenu Kuruba, India ” [more]

12 July 2013 Forests will have a role to play in ensuring food security and mitigating the impacts of climate change. "We know that about a billion people around the world are food-insecure, and that's about one-sixth of the global population (and) climate change will make the problem worse," Dr. Rodel Lasco of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) said recently. "Forests provide people stable foods and supplemental foods such as fruits, edible leaves and nuts. For example, in Lao PDR, up to 80 per cent of the population rely on some kind of wild food," he said. [more]

12 May 2013 The information guide "The contribution of insects to food security, livelihoods and the environment" is a 4 page summary of the key issues addressed in “Edible insects: future prospects for feed and food security.” [more]

31 December 2012 The interactive FAO/IAEA Spreadsheet for Designing and Operating Insect Mass-rearing Facilities is generic. The Spreadsheet assists in technical and economic decision making associated with design, costing, construction, equipping, and facility operation. [more]

23 January 2012 Jointly organized by FAO and Wageningen University with financial support of the Government of the Netherlands, the meeting aimed to open a dialogue and foster an exchange of information and expertise on the potential benefits of using insects for food and feed as part of a broader strategy to achieve global food security. [more]

15 December 2011 An information bulletin on Non-Wood Forest Products [more]

4 August 2011 Cultivation of NWFPs, cork and NWFPs in Asia. [more]

1 March 2011 Tropical palms, originally published in 1998, has been updated in 2010 by the author to include the most recent information and developments regarding the conservation status and use of various tropical palm species. The deteriorating conservation status of several tropical palm species, particularly in the rattan group, as well as recent developments regarding the use of palm products in the food, bioenergy and fibre processing industries, for example, required a thorough review of the first edition. [more]

21 February 2011 Proceedings of a workshop on Asia-Pacific resources and their potential for development. 19-21 February 2008, Chiang Mai, Thailand [more]

28 October 2010 Edible insects, medicinal plants and a community approach to forest conservation and development. [more]

1 March 2010 Worldwide, over 1400 insect species are reportedly eaten as human food; most are harvested from natural forests. Read more about this overlooked protein supply. [more]

28 August 2009 A guide to the services provided by bees and the sustainable harvesting, processing and marketing of their products. Series: Non-Wood Forest Products 19 [more]

1 January 2009 Boreal forests, wildlife and ecological restoration using non-wood forest products. [more]

1 July 2008 Bee products, climate change and Pacific sandalwood production. [more]

1 January 2008 This 16th issue highlights some of these historical aspects in a Special Feature, “History of NWFPs”, with articles ranging from “The forgotten heritage”and “Old glory”, to others that demonstrate how NWFPs were useful andimportant for people in ancient times, and are still so today (e.g. edible insects, Morinda citrifolia ). This traditional knowledge is an essential component of the NWFP world and has been underlined not only in “History of NWFPs”, but also in “NWFPs in the Pacific Islands” (the first Special Feature in this issue), where we have highlighted the many different traditional uses of the trees of the Pacific Islands. [more]

1 November 2007 This publication is the result of one of the thematic studies prepared during the Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) [more]

9 January 2007 This study seeks to examine the impact of timber harvesting in two villages, one in Cameroon and one in the Central African Republic. It documents many plant-based and animal-based NWFPs of great signifi cance to the livelihoods of the local populations in terms of food security, income generation and health. [more]

4 April 2006 Economic value of NWFPs, trade [more]

9 March 2005 Global alliance on NWFPs, microfinance [more]

3 May 2004 One of the main problems in several African countries producing gum arabic and gum resins, is the lack of knowledge for the sustainable use of this important commodities and the need of providing enhanced value to the product, improving its quality according to the requirements of marketing and exporting sectors. The manual will be used by extension agents and forest technicians for training programmes for producers, collectors and other stakeholders. This manual is the first in a series to be produced. Additional manuals will be produced focussing on specific aspects after a programme on training needs has been elaborated covering both gums and resins. [more]

8 April 2003 This paper looks at the status and contribution of Indigenous Fruit Trees (IFTs) to Food Security in Southern Africa, and reviews and assesses the physical situation of IFTs in the Miombo Woodland. It contains infOlmation on use and trade of IFTs, and on biological developments in domestication and dissemination. It covers processing and marketing and explores avenues for the future of IFTs. [more]

5 December 2002 The Expert Consultation on Developing an Action Programme towards Improved Bamboo and Rattan Trade Statistics was organized by the FAO Forestry Department in collaboration with, and with financial support from, the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR). The meeting was held at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, from 5 to 6 December 2002. The purpose of the consultation was to: (i) elaborate and agree on a proposed set of new HS trade codes for bamboo and rattan products; and (ii) elaborate a plan of action for improving bamboo and rattan statistics at national and global levels, with a programme of work and the roles of the different agencies discussed and agreed upon during the meeting. [more]

4 June 2001 This publication is based on the outputs of the Forest Research Programme's (FRP) pre-project ZF0077 (of the United Kingdom Department for International Development - DFID), on the biometrics of current NWFP resource assessment methods. FAO undertook the publishing in its Non-Wood Forest Products Series, within the framework of a current partnership programme with the European Commission aimed at developing methodologies for NWFP assessment. [more]

5 December 2000 The objectives of the expert consultation were to review and analyse: (i) essential baseline information on the rattan sector in producing countries, the critical global supply situation and key requirements to guarantee a sustainable future supply of rattan; (ii) the needs and methods for better cooperation and coordination among key agencies and stakeholders in relation to their ongoing activities on rattan development; and (iii) the desirability of developing an international programme aimed at promoting and undertaking rattan development activities with partner institutions in the various regions and strengthening global networking in rattan research and development. [more]

1 March 2000 Food security, commercial use of biodiversity, definition of non-wood forest products [more]

1 October 1998 FAO, through its Forest Products Marketing Programme, aims, inter alia, at increasing and documenting the knowledge of current marketing practices in order to provide a solid basis for further development. The Programme, being part of the normative activities of FAO, also makes every effort to contribute to the development of approaches and methodologies for the preparation of case studies on marketing practices. [more]

18 January 1998 The workshop concentrated on the promotion and development of non-wood forest products (NWFP) or boreal and cold temperate forests. [more]

1 March 1996 Vegetables, international agreements, genetic improvements. [more]

18 January 1995 This field manual presents a systematic approach that can be used by small-scale producers to gather information about markets for NWFPS. [more]

1 November 1993 Wood and its associated products form but one chapter in the catalogue of forest-derived goods that upgrade and safeguard rural livelihoods and the quality of human life the world over. Knowledge about the benefits and uses of other, 'non-wood' forest products (NWFP) is, however, less widely available. In many cases such knowledge is rooted in local or vernacular traditions of land and resource use, an evolving cultural heritage passed down from generation to generation. As pressure to husband the world's vital forest resources intensifies, so the need grows to share, disseminate and mobilise NWFP wisdom more generally. This booklet is a step in that direction. [more]

2 December 1991 As "The Way Ahead" emphasizes throughout, NWFP development must by necessity comprise a multidisciplinary approach, for which task there must be devised close lines of collaboration both within FAO itself, and between FAO and other organizations, both international and national, governmental and non governmental. Efforts to strengthen common programmes toward sustained use of NWFP should be encouraged, as one among many approaches for the conservation and wise use of forest resources. [more]