Non timber forest products

Non timber forest products (NTFPs) are defined as biological resources of plant and animal origin, harvested from natural forests, plantations, wooded land and trees outside forests. NTFPs are also classified as minor, secondary, and non-wood forest products, signifying a variety of animal and plant resources other than timber, derived from forests. NTFPs are gathered in the wild, produced as (semi-) domesticated plants in plantations and agroforestry systems, or in intermediate production systems which reflect several degrees of domestication. What distinguishes NTFPs from agricultural products is the wild or semi-domesticated mode of production.

The official forest sector has perceived NTFPs as commodities with marginal economic contribution and their significance in all aspects of forest management had been neglected. However, global attention to NTFPs has recently increased, mainly due to two factors:

1. their compatibility with environmental objectives, including the conservation of biological diversity
2. their contribution, not only to household economies and food security but to national economies as well

An indication of the socio-economic importance of NTFPs is the fact that 80% of the developing world population meets health and nutritional needs by using NTFPs. Several million households world-wide depend on NTFPs for subsistence consumption and / or income. NTFPs provide raw materials for large-scale industrial processing including raw materials for internationally traded goods as food, beverages, confectionery, flavourings, perfumes, medicines, paints and polishes. There are at least 150 NTFPs that contribute substantially to international trade, including honey, gum arabic, rattan and bamboo shoots, cork, forest nuts and mushrooms, oleoresins, essential oils, and plant or animal parts for pharmaceutical products.