6.1 Multi-disciplinary collaboration
6.2 Geographical and product priorities
6.3 Stages in product development
6.4 Education, training and research
The development of NWFP
must be a multi-disciplinary approach carried out in
collaboration with appropriate specialists within FAO and other
international and national organizations. Within the Forestry
Department close collaboration with specialists in the Forest
Resources Division and with Community Forestry will be essential.
Appropriate initial interactions with other FAO Departments and
other agencies are elucidated in Tables 5.1 and 5.2,
respectively.
The advantage in selecting
a humid region for development is that there is a wide range of
suitable plant and animal products that can be developed. Apart
from the Sahel, where the struggle is for rehabilitation and
survival rather than improvement, the arid regions offer
opportunities for development but, where these do occur, they
could be highly beneficial. Urgent consideration should be given
to establishing non-wood product projects in the subhumid
Sudanian zone, immediately to the south of the Sahel, to help
prevent the advance of desertification.
The
selection of priority products for development, irrespective of
geographical regions, is determined by three major necessities
for life, namely food and beverage, forage and medicine. As a
general rule, these should receive priority over the other
products listed in Tables 1.1-3, since the advantages from their
development would be expected to benefit a wider range of people.
Products that promise to increase rural incomes and employment as
well as provide for these basic needs should receive highest
priority. A description of product areas for priority development
is mentioned in Chapter 4.
The various stages in the
development of a product, from its initial discovery to eventual
marketing are shown in Appendix A. FAO's NWFP programme may in
certain cases initiate and co-ordinate these stages at the
project level. New NWFP product development activities are more
likely to be identified from within a larger project than to come
as a direct request by the country concerned.
Collaboration with other Departments within FAO, and when required, consultative panels may be formed to guide this process. Such panels would likely include representatives from FAO, national institutions within one or more project areas, with international specialists in a particular field.
Before
taking any such action a dossier should be drawn up showing the
present state of knowledge regarding a particular product,
bringing together information not only throughout the entire
distribution range of the plant or animal involved, but also
related to the sustainable management of the resources. This is
most effectively carried out by a short-term consultant
conversant with the product at issue. Efforts should be made to
amplify the available consultant and institutional pool to
support efforts in this area.
In Chapter 2 there are
several references for the need to educate the people in the
developing countries to be more appreciative of the value of
their own natural resources, as well as the need to strengthen
some training and research facilities.
When
necessary, training should be organized in any new skills
required and back-up support should be given to appropriate
research institutions. Appropriate demonstrations could be
arranged for visiting public and officials. Publicity should be
given at both local and national level to sustainable utilization
of NWFP. These aspects require the collaboration of the Forest
Research, Education and Training Branch.