Problems to be addressed
NTFPs provide communities with food and activities that generate income, which helps to improve their livelihoods and their food security. However, policies, programs and legislation does not yet allow local communities to take real advantage of NTFPs. Barriers to sustainable management and marketing of NTFPs are mainly institutional, organizational and technical. (1) The law on the commercial exploitation of NTFPs is inadequate or non-existent
 Rwanda ©FAO/Giampiero DianaThe main NTFP species are subject to unsustainable exploitation mainly because of their uncontrolled commercial use. Competition for resources often leads to excessive collection of NTFPs that prevents regeneration and causes gradual degradation of the resource. The lack of legislation on access control and commercial use of NTFPs is the main cause of degradation of forest resources. When available, the regulation favors a quota system that is not part of a clear strategic vision.
(2) The capacity of communities who depend on forests to manage their forest resources and to benefit from their use in a sustainable manner are limited
Local communities collect NTFPs for their livelihoods and as an income generating activity. However, organizational and technical capacities are not sufficient for sustainable exploitation of NTFPs for commercial purposes, even if an appropriate legal framework is established. Sustainable resource management refers to the recognition of certain rights to communities and the acquisition of skills in negotiation and decision-making, development of NTFP enterprises, market access, etc. Initial studies have shown that the capacity of forest-dependent communities to effectively manage and market NTFPs in a profitable and sustainable manner, are limited. This observation also applies to government agencies. Therefore NGOs are called to assist local communities.
(3) The lack of basic information does not improve the visibility of the role of NTFPs in the concerned national economies, and thus influence policy choices and public opinion
The contribution of forests to the concerned national economies was, until recently, only attributed to the production of timber. NTFP were consequently perceived as secondary products, having little or low importance. This perception has led to a special emphasis on timber products in policies and programs. Despite the progress noted in some specialized administrations, the image of policymakers concerning NTFPs and their contribution to concerned national economies has not changed much. This is reflected in the policy decisions, action plans and budget approvals by governments. Other key stakeholders, such as the banking sector and the private sector remains very reserved vis-à-vis NWFP, which are predominantly part of the informal sector and perceived as unable to offer viable economic opportunities.
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