Among the 100 top non-oil/gas export products of Indonesia in the period 1989-1993, rattan ranked 13th, plaits products (including bamboo and rattan products) 66th, and shellac/rosin/copal products 79th in terms of value at the current exchange rates.
| EXPORTS OF NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS IN INDONESIA (MILLION US$) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | |
| Rattan products | 158 381 | 225 057 | 278 281 | 309 197 | 355 885 |
| Plaits products | 45 845 | 37 013 | 51 742 | 53 330 | 49 940 |
| Shellac/rosin/copal | 17 914 | 24 847 | 25 848 | 28 845 | 37 649 |
| TOTAL | 222 140 | 286 917 | 355 871 | 391 372 | 443 474 |
| CONTRIBUTION OF NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS TO THE ECONOMY OF INDONESIA (PERCENTAGE OF THE 100 TOP EXPORTED PRODUCTS) | |||||
| 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | |
| Rattan products | 1.99 | 2.22 | 2.12 | 1.66 | 1.58 |
| Plaits products | 0.57 | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.29 | 0.21 |
| Shellac/rosin/copal | 0.22 | 0.25 | 0.20 | 0.15 | 0.17 |
(Source: B.D. Nasendi, 1994, INBAR Working Paper No. 2.)
The use of NWFPs in Iran has a very long history: evidence of the use of medicinal plants goes back a thousand years, when Avicenna, the great Iranian medical scientist and practitioner, wrote a volume on medicinal plants upon which western medicine was based until the thirteenth century. The pastoral nomads of Iran have sustainably managed rangelands for thousands of years. Until the early twentieth century, the rich grasslands provided the basis for national governments formed by nomadic pastoral tribes. Rangelands were protected and used as pasture for livestock (sheep and goats, cattle, camels, horses and donkeys, domestic fowl); to provide fuelwood; as hunting grounds; for harvesting wild plants as medicines; for dyeing material for handicrafts such as rugs, and industrial products such as gums; for extracting building materials for tents, fencing and tools; for harvesting and gathering wild plants as a constant and varied source of food. This last use has given nomads the leading nutritional edge over settled populations. Wild herbs, roots, berries, spices and fruits provide a rich supplement of vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates that many settled villagers and poor urban populations lack. Of the six main honeybee species of the world, four are found in Iran: Apis dorsata, A. flora, A. cercana and A. mellifera. The first two are found in the forests of the Elburz and Zagros ranges, A. cercana is found in a limited area of northern Khorassan in northeastern Iran. A. mellifera meda (named after the Medes, the inhabitants of northwestern Iran who appeared in the ninth century BC) is native to the country.
At present, the production and use of some NWFPs are encountering difficulties. The sustainability of rangelands, which cover 55 percent of the country's area, is threatened by recent government policies, particularly the efforts to settle nomads and the support to the expansion of dry farming.
Every year imported queens reduce the purity of the native stock of A. mellifera meda, partly as a result of the lack of studies and selection of the species. Similar problems apply to silkworms: of the 12 species known unofficially in the country, only one is the subject of research. Once completely self-sufficient in silkworm production, Iran now imports silkworm eggs every year. (Source: Diversity, 11(1 and 2). 1995.)
(For more information, please contact
Taghi Farvar, CENESTA, West 10 Juybar Street, Fatemi Square, 14157 Teheran, Iran. Fax: +98-21-655901.)An FAO project is working with local NGOs on alternative biological pesticides for banana culture in the Rio Grande valley. Breadfruit leaves, marigold and neem are being investigated while the first neem seedlings are being grown in nurseries. Tests with neem leaves, as a basis for an all-round pesticide, are planned in collaboration with the University of the West Indies. Another area of interest in NWFPs is the use of medicinal plants, for which there is a strong tradition in Jamaica. Although the knowledge of and skills with medicinal plants remain with the old people and medicinal plants do not receive support from the health departments, there is interest by local NGOs and environmental associations to look further into this subject. (Contributed by: J.G. Plantenga, CTA Project GCP/JAM/017/NET.)
In addition to the information provided by the project JOR/92/004 (see Non-Wood News (1)2), the regional FAO project Forestry and food security in the Mediterranean and Near East Region, supported by the Government of Italy, is collecting information specifically on mushrooms, truffles and honey production in Jordan. Among the most important NWFPs are edible fruits: carob (Ceratonia siliqua), jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi), arbute berry (Arbutus andrachne), common hawthorn (Crataegus azarolus), oak (Quercus sp.) and stone pine (Pinus pinea). Records on NWFPs produced in Jordan are lacking and more studies are necessary. It is interesting to remember that along the Jordan valley and the Dead Sea coast, some typical Sahelian species are growing, which are well known for their NWFP potential, such as Salvadora persica and Moringa aptera. Several medicinal applications of the different parts of these plants are recorded and more detailed studies are required. (Contributed by: B. Cavalcaselle, Chief Technical Adviser, Project GCP/INT/539/ITA.)
Promotion of NWFPs combined with community forestry is a government priority in Laos. Of the NWFPs, the development of benzoin (of which Laos is among the main producing countries in the world), including cultivation, processing and marketing, has emerged as one with the highest priority. In Laos, historically, benzoin is obtained from the resin of Styrax tonkinensis and, to a lesser extent, from S. benzoides (see also "Products and markets"). The shifting cultivation farmers in three northern provinces, Oudongsay, Phong Saly and Luang Prabang, extract the resin from S. tonkinensis during the dry season. The price of benzoin resin paid to farmers ranges from US$2.08 to $4.17/kg. The price fetched for top- quality benzoin in China is US$22/kg and in France between US$15 and $20/kg. The benzoin is exported from Laos to Bangkok at a price of US$12/kg and to China, Yunnan Province at US$8/kg. According to investigations carried out by local authorities, a far better price could be obtained in Laos if the quality and packaging were to be greatly improved. To achieve this, local collectors should receive assistance in getting the product as quickly as possible to a storage place and packing it under vacuum conditions to reduce loss of quality through oxidation. This facility is not available in Laos at present.
Traditionally, benzoin production is integrated into the shifting cultivation cycle, combined with upland rice production. Depending on the areas, the farmers apply an 11-year or five- to seven-year rotation, producing upland rice in the first year and benzoin during the following ten-year fallow period wherein natural regeneration of S. tonkinensis is encouraged after the initial burn.
At present, no silvicultural treatment is applied in the benzoin production areas. No genetic improvement work (e.g. selection of high-yielding trees or trees resistant to pests and diseases) is carried out. Intensification of production and improved processing and marketing are considered to have potential to reduce environmental degradation, improve the livelihood of shifting cultivators and gain foreign exchange for the country. (Source: FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.)
Rattan is the most important forest product after timber in Malaysia where it forms the basis for a multimillion dollar industry. The resulting high demand has caused depletion of supplies in the wild. The FAO project "Silviculture of rattan" was initiated to conserve, propagate and restock rattan. The main activities of the project, which terminated in 1995, consisted of setting up seed collection areas and establishing rattan seed orchards; promoting large-scale planting of commercially important rattans; publishing a manual on rattan silviculture techniques; and the organization of seminars and training of individuals and organizations involved in the rattan industry. The rattan silviculture and physiology research initiated during the project and conducted through the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) helped to formulate practical management and planting techniques which can be used in large-scale cultivation. (Source: Project DP/MAL/86/010 Terminal Report.)
Une étude sur l'utilisation de la forêt classée des Monts Mandingues, au sud-est de Bamako, a mis en évidence les connaissances des paysans malinkés des espèces forestières et leurs préférences. Le karité (Vitellaria paradoxa), Pterocarpus erinaceus, Cordyla pinnata, Isoberlinia doka et Khaya sp. sont les espèces qui ont le plus d'utilisations différentes. Les paysans connaissent deux tiers des espèces dans la forêt pour les produits pharmaceutiques, la moitié pour les boissons et infusions, un tiers pour le fourrage aérien, les fibres et la nourriture, et un quart ou un cinquième pour les teintures, les gommes et les résines, le miel et la cire, les loisirs et les jouets, la religion et les rites.
| Utilisation | Espèce |
|---|---|
| Fourrage aérien | 27 espèces, dont la plus importante est le Pterocarpus erinaceus, suivi par Securidaca longipedunculata |
| Produits animaux | 27 espèces, principalement: guib harnaché, redunca, céphalophe de Grimm |
| Boissons/infusions | 53 espèces, principalement: Sclerocarya birrea, Opilia celtidifolia, Teclea sudanica, Tamarindus indica |
| Teinture | Près de 20 espèces, la plus importante étant Anogeissus leiocarpus suivie par Combretum ghasalense, Vitellaria paradoxa, Lannea vellutina |
| Fibres | Près de 30 espèces, surtout Piliostigma sp. suivi par Oxytenanthera abyssinica, Sterculia setigera, Pteolopsis suberosa |
| Gommes et résine | Près de 20 espèces, principalement: Landolphia heudelotii et Lannea sp., Terminalia Sp., Daniellia oliveri |
| Miel et cire | 25 espèces, surtout Vitellaria paradoxa. Autres espèces: Pterocarpus erinaceus, Terminalia sp., Lannea sp., Isoberlinia doka |
| Produits oléagineux | 6 espèces, surtout Vitellaria paradoxa, aussi Anacardium occidentalis, Elaeis guineensis, Carapa procera, Ximenia americana, Raphia sudanica |
| Produits chimiques | 15 espèces dont: Sesamum alatum, Acacia nilotica, Combretum glutinosum |
| Produits pharmaceutiques | Plus de 60 espèces. Parmi les premières: Trichilia emetica, Mitragyna inermis, Opilia celtidifolia, Saba senegalensis, Sclerocarya birrea, Khaya senegalensis, Daniellia oliveri, Hymenocardia acida, Heeria insignis, Vitellaria paradoxa |
| Nourriture | 33 espèces, les 10 premières: Vitellaria paradoxa, Parkia biglobosa, Saba senegalensis, Lannea microcarpa, Detarium microcarpum, Landolphia heudelotii, Spondias mombin, Gardenia sp., Strychnos spinosa et Zizyphus sp. |
| Jouets et loisirs | Près de 20 espèces dont: Strychnos spinosa, Pterocarpus lucens, Bombax costatum, Isoberlinia doka, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Cordyla pinnata, Daniellia oliveri, Khaya senegalensis |
| Espèces sacrées | 24 espèces, surtout: Khaya sengalensis, Bombax costatum, Afzelia africana |
(Source: J. Anderson, Forestry Extension Officer, FAO Forestry Department, Rome.)
El término orégano se aplica a 14 especies de las familias Labiatae, Astraceae y Verbenaceae, que se desarrollan en las regiones áridas y semiáridas del país; sus características botánicas son variadas, presentándose desde hierbas hasta arbustos. La especie Lippia berlandieri es la más importante, ya que representa el 90 por ciento de la producción nacional. En México se encuentra en los Estados de Queretaro, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Jalisco, San Luis de Potosí, Zacatecas, Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Baja California Sur y Caohuila.
Las hojas de esta especie se utilizan principalmente como condimento alimenticio o hierba medicinal y en menor medida para la extracción de aceites esenciales utilizados en la industria de bebidas gaseosas, de cosméticos y como catalizador en la elaboración de licores.
El potencial de aprovechamiento es de 4 000 t, pero depende de factores clim ticos y de la oferta y la demanda en el mercado internacional, actualmente sólo se aprovecha el 50 por ciento. El 90 por ciento de la producción (1 500 t) se exporta principalmente a Estados Unidos y en menor medida a otros países. El beneficio económico generado por la recolección, la cual dura dos meses, es de aproximadamente 1 100 000 $EE.UU. y las divisas generadas por las exportaciones son del orden de los 2 200 000 $EE.UU. (Fuente: Consulta de Expertos sobre los Productos Forestales no Madereros para América Latina y el Caribe, FAO, 1994.)
In the buffer zone of Popa Mountain Park, the use of native medical herbs and shrubs is studied through interviews with villagers by the Environmental Education Centre of the park. The extension activities also include a garden with medicinal plants. The list below shows some of the plants and their uses. Even if the traditional uses are not supported by scientific investigations, the list shows the diversified approach towards agroforestry and the detailed local knowledge of non-wood use of plants. The plants listed are growing naturally in the area. However, from the interviews with the villagers it resulted that people do not collect the plants in the wild but buy them in shops.
| SPECIES | USES |
|---|---|
| Acacia farnesiana | Meal from all parts of the tree used together with P. patchouli |
| Aloe vera | Ancient, well known |
| Alpinia conchigera | Against high blood pressure |
| Argyreia barbiera | Eating gives strength, and improves male sexual vigour |
| Arundo donax | Root and stem are boiled in water to give a drink used against kidney problems |
| Asparagus acerosus | Tuber is used against heart disease |
| Atalantia monophylla | For children. Mixed in alcohol and applied externally on skin |
| Berberis asiatica | Meal of roots and stem is applied on wounds |
| Clerodendrum sp. | Root and stem. Against headache, menstruation pains and pains in general |
| Coptis teeta | Meal of roots is applied around eyes when wound infected |
| Cratoxylum prunifolium | Effect not mentioned |
| Crinum asiaticum | The tuber against coughs |
| Gentiana kuroo | For general health |
| Gureuma comosa | Against high blood pressure |
| Jatropha multifida | Latex external use on new wounds will speed up healing |
| Leea macrophylla | Ash of burned leaves applied on wounds |
| Millettia extensa | Application to fractures |
| M. racemosa | Against dysentery |
| Mucuna prurita | Eating the fruit is good for the eyes |
| Pogostemon patchouli | Against coughs. Meal is mixed with other plants and diluted in liquid |
| Rauvolfia serpentina | Roots are used against high blood pressure |
| Rhoeo discolor | Used on burns |
| Tinospora cordifolia | Eating the stalk gives a long life (general health) |
| Vitex trifolia | Against bugs. Also good against diarrhoea |
| Zingiber consuminar | Improves healing of sprains, external use on skin |
(Contributed by: D. Cameron, STRAP Project, Hanoi.)
El Perú es el mayor productor de carmín de cochinilla o grana, contribuyendo con el 80 por ciento de la producción mundial (ver también la sección "Products and Markets"). En Ayacucho, la zona de mayor producción del país, existen aproximadamente 35 000 ha de tunales; y en la última década, por la alta rentabilidad alcanzada por este producto, se han realizado plantaciones en la costa, en la sierra e incluso en la selva alta, tanto de pequeña como de mediana escala (1 a 20 ha, incluso más).
El aprovechamiento de la cochinilla está subexplotado, por falta de un adecuado manejo, a pesar de la existencia de paquetes tecnológicos al alcance del agricultor, lo que va en desmedro de la producción y calidad del producto. El agricultor es un simple recolector y no realiza trabajos de manejo. La productividad es mayor según la condiciones medio ambientales de la zona, pudiendo variar desde 120 a 240 kg de cochinilla seca/ha/año (360 a 720 kg. de cochinilla húmeda) y el contenido de carmín óptimo es de 18 a 20 por ciento.
En los lugares más alejados de la sierra, la comercialización de la cochinilla se hace a través de una interminable cadena de intermediarios. En las cercanías de los centros poblados más grandes, un intermediario de cierto nivel financiero se dedica a recorrer las zonas acopiando el producto para colocarlo directamente a los industriales y/o exportadores en Lima.
El mayor porcentaje de la producción se exporta, ya sea como cochinilla o carmín, y un reducido porcentaje se queda para satisfacer las necesidades de la artesanía (cochinilla de segunda, tercera o descarte).
En 1986 se crea la Comisión Reguladora de la Exportación de Cochinilla, COREXCO, que tuvo por objetivo asegurar el abastecimiento de la industria de carmín instalada en el país y regular el remanente de la producción de cochinilla para la exportación. Como consecuencia de esta actividad se formó la Asociación Nacional de Colorantes Naturales. Lamentablemente estas son las únicas acciones concertadas del empresariado nacional. Sin embargo, podrían contribuir en las labores de extensión y en una adecuada comercialización para buscar nuevos mercados y usos al producto.
El precio en los últimos años es fluctuante debido inicialmente al factor especulativo (terrorismo) que hizo subir en forma espectacular hasta 120 $EE.UU./kg de cochinilla, también a la falta de calidad y a la presencia de sustancias extrañas, por el inadecuado proceso de matado, y por la adulteración con semillas, piedras etc. La baja del precio se debe además a la fuerte competencia que tiene el carmín con respecto a otros colorantes naturales: bixina, cúrcuma, antoxianinas, etc., así como de los colorantes sintéticos y la recesión mundial que afecta a la industria. Actualmente, una buena alternativa constituye cambiar los cultivos para la producción de fruta en vez de cochinilla, ya que se están abriendo nuevos mercados, tanto a nivel nacional como internacional, así como de sus derivados como son: mermeladas, licores, etc., por lo tanto puede contribuir como un recurso para la pequeña agroindustria rural. (Fuente: Consulta de Expertos sobre Productos Forestales no Madereros para América Latina y el Caribe. FAO, 1994.)
In the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, medicinal plants are commonly used especially as a primary health care. In a recent ethnobotanical study conducted by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, United Kingdom, 93 plants with medicinal uses were documented. Approximately two-thirds of the documented plants come from a non-forest source, being cultivated or growing in or near settlements or disturbed areas. Most of these medicinal plants are cultivated for domestic use in pots or gardens around the home. These are used as the most important form of primary health care: Chenopodium ambrosiodes, Bryophyllum pinnatum and Ocimum gratissimum. Of the plants that have been introduced as crops in Sao Tome and Principe, some have evolved secondary medicinal uses: Carica papaya, Annona muricata and Psidium guava. The large seeds of Terminalia catappa (introduced as an ornamental) are eaten by children and an infusion of the bark is used against diarrhoea. Local people still use an infusion of the bark of Cinchona sp. as a primary measure against malaria and abdominal pain. Only a third of the documented medicinal plants occur in forests, although no plant was noted to be collected directly from primary forests, but from secondary regrowth forest of differing ages and disturbance. Forest trees with medicinal properties are best known by massagistas (local healers) and a very few of the older people. Tree species used are: Rauvolfia sp., Voacanga africana, Allophyllus africanus.
Primary forests in Sao Tome and Principe are under conservation proposals that include the establishment of a zona ecológica surrounded by a secondary forest buffer zone. The official demarcation of the buffer zone will ensure that secondary forests are not cleared for agriculture or fuelwood. The buffer zone will act as an "extractive reserve", allowing people who rely on plants for medicinal purposes to use the forest without damaging its integrity. (Source: V. Sequeira, Diversity and Conservation, 3: 9, 1994.)
Dans la vallée du fleuve Sénégal, les populations consomment les fruits de Ziziphus mauritiana et de Balanites aegyptiaca, qui sont aussi commercialisés sur les marchés locaux et urbains. Le Projet de la FAO cherche à valoriser ces produits forestiers non ligneux (PFNL) au bénéfice des populations locales. En particulier, le projet fournit une assistance aux ramasseurs de fruits de Balanites aegyptiaca qui sont éloignés des routes et qui dépendent, pour la commercialisation, d'intermédiaires (les banabanas). Le projet a mis en ouvre, dans le terroir villageois de Walla, un grand programme de sensibilisation sur l'importance des PFNL. La quantité de fruits récoltés est de l'ordre d'une tonne, vendue à 100 F CFA le kg, soit une recette locale de 100 000 F CFA. Les données rassemblées par les brigades forestières mettent en évidence un total de 20,5 tonnes de fruits de Balanites aegyptiaca commercialisés durant la campagne de récolte d'octobre à décembre 1994. Ces quantités sont celles pour lesquelles des taxes ont été payées à l'Etat et qui ont été acheminées vers les grandes villes; la commercialisation locale et la consommation par le bétail en sont exclues.
En plus de la consommation des fruits comme bonbons, et comme fourrage, une huile est extraite de l'amande de Balanites. L'huile est consommée ou vendue sur les marchés hebdomadaires. L'émulsion des fruits contient un poison utilisé pour décontaminer l'eau des puits ou des mares, contre les escargots d'eau douce qui servent de vecteurs de la bilharziose. Le dosage est d'une centaine de fruits broyés dans un baril de 60 l d'eau (150 g/20 l d'eau) en macération pendant 36 heures. (Contribution de: M. B. Diouf et A. Sonko, PROWALO, Sénégal.)
A review of the uses of trees in Western Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati and Tuvalu was carried out by FAO with UNDP funds, under the general framework of the South Pacific Forestry Development Programme. In these islands, even in the smaller atoll countries, people use indigenous and long-established exotic tree species for a great variety of purposes that have provided environmental, economic and cultural sustainability to land use in the countries. Recent trends in agricultural development do not seem to promote sustainable land use, locally or nationally, and have increased, in some cases, dependency of countries and individual communities on external aid and vulnerability to natural and economic factors beyond their control. The review suggested a strategy to integrate trees in land uses in the countries under study. An annotated checklist of about 160 important tree species and their uses was prepared.
For further information, please contact
Tang Hon Tat, Team Leader, South Pacific Forestry Development Programme, 29 Pender Street, Private Bag, Suva, Fiji. Fax: +679-305212.
The FAO project "Forestry and food security in the Mediterranean and Near East Region", supported by Italy, carried out a three-month study in the governorates of Lattakia and Kuneitra aimed at promoting a better knowledge of the potential role of NWFPs. The NWFPs available in the Syrian Arab Republic include edible fruits and seeds such as carob (Ceratonia siliqua), common hawthorn (Crataegus azarolus), oak (Quercus sp.), chestnut (Castanea sativa), arbute berry (Arbutus andrachne), almond (Amygdalus communis), stone pine (Pinus pinea) and nettle tree (Celtis australis); aromatic plants (Thymus sp., Oryganum sp., Laurus nobilis, Rosmarinus officinalis); mushrooms (Agaricus sp., Boletus sp., Cantharellus cibarius, Lepiota procera, etc.), truffles (mainly Terfezia vulgare but also Tuber aestivum and T. melanosporum); baskets made from reeds (Phragmites communis) and myrtle (Myrtus communis), pine tar, honey and wax. The study also identified good potential for the development of honey, wax, mushrooms and truffles, aromatic and medicinal plants and tannins. In order to promote the development of NWFPs the study recommended: the creation of a research station for NWFPs; management of a local pine plantation for improved production of stone pine and tar production; management of an existing chestnut plantation for improved fruit production; creation of a databank on NWFPs; creation, within the Forestry Department, of a special service for NWFP development; training of the local population for better knowledge and sustainable management of NWFPs; improved institutional coordination among government departments dealing with NWFPs; and better support and technical assistance to organizations and cooperatives dealing with the collection, storage and marketing of NWFPs. In order to promote a better knowledge of the existing potential of NWFPs, the project has awarded two fellowships of two months each at the University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. (Contributed by: B. Cavalcaselle, Project GCP/INT/539/ITA.)
Small-scale oilseed processing is a major source of income for many people in the United Republic of Tanzania. Appropriate Technology International has received a grant of about US$900 000 to fund the Tanzania Project for Rural Enterprise Support Services (T-PRESS), a new programme to commercialize small-scale oilseed processing. T-PRESS will establish commercial distribution channels for small-scale oilseed processing inputs and will also improve manufacturing and repair services. The effort will introduce a business approach to marketing in new rural areas by building a network of sales agents and repair artisans. T-PRESS activities will expand the country's small-scale oilseed production capacity and strengthen the private sector in the countryside. (Source: Talking points/ATI, October 1995.)
In addition to the information provided by the project "Development of appropriate methods for community forestry in Turkey" and published in Non-Wood News 2, the FAO project "Forestry and food security in the Mediterranean and Near East Region", supported by Italy, is collecting updated figures on medicinal and aromatic plants in Konya province, together with their potential and the potential for honey production in three selected villages. A national consultant visited three villages in 1994 and identified around 40 aromatic and medicinal plants commonly used by local people, such as Thymus sipyleus, Alcea pallida, Mentha pulegium, Marrubium anisedon and Malva sylvestris. Many species are commonly known and widely used for various medical purposes, such as Tilia sp., Melilotus officinalis and Rubia tinctoria. What is particularly interesting in one of the villages surveyed is the great potential for collecting and cultivating Cystus salvifolius, which preliminary studies consider to be a promising species to combat cancer. In order to improve knowledge on the potential of NWFPs, the project has awarded a two-month fellowship at the University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. (Contributed by: B. Cavalcaselle, Project GCP/INT/539/ITA.)
El principal producto forestal no maderero alimenticio del cual se tiene registro en Venezuela es el palmito, producto derivado de la palma manaca (Euterpe oleracea), extraído de los lotes boscosos situados en el Delta del Orinoco, que constituyen selvas de pantano con especies propias de este tipo de comunidad, en donde se entremezclan bosques de manglar y los palmares, dominados por la palma manaca.
En Venezuela la industria del palmito se ha consolidado en los últimos años y también ha desempeñado un papel fundamental en el crecimiento económico y social de la Región déltica, constituida por el Estado Delta Amacuro. Asimismo ha contribuido a desarrollar en las comunidades indígenas de la etnia Warao, el sentido de cumplimiento de jornadas de trabajo, el valor monetario de ésta y la formación de una conciencia sobre la importancia de los recursos forestales. También este tipo de agroindustria ha generado asistencia técnica y económica para el desarrollo de la infraestructura primaria en cuanto a la prestación de servicios médicos, educación, alumbrado eléctrico en las comunidades locales.
En el Estado Delta Amacuro se han instalado cinco empresas que procesan la palma manaca. Las superficies bajo manejo varían de 20 000 a 44 000 ha.
En cuanto a la producción nacional se reportan 1 900 000 unidades de palma manaca, en terrenos baldíos. Este producto se exporta, principalmente a los países de la CEE. Los volúmenes de producción de exportación se estiman en un 90 por ciento de la producción nacional.
Existen también otras especies de palmas productoras de palmito, pero a diferencia de la anterior no se industrializan. Delascio (1992), en un estudio sobre Palmas Utiles de la Orinoquia-Amazonia Venezolana, cataloga como palmas comestibles (palmito) a las siguientes: Sabal mauritiiformis (carata, palma redonda), Mauritia flexuosa (moriche), Jessenia bataua (palma seje), Attalea ferruginea (coquito, cocurito), Oenocarpus bacaba (sejito) y Bactris gasipaes (pijiguao).
De las anteriores mencionadas se distinguen dos especies consideradas altamente nutritivas y parte esencial de la seguridad alimentaria de las comunidades indígenas, ellas son el moriche y el pijiguao (Fuente: Consulta de Expertos sobre los Productos Forestales no Madereros para América Latina y el Caribe, FAO 1994.)
Agarwood is one of the most valuable NWFPs in Asia, prized for the oil derived from a fungal infection in its heartwood that is used in the production of incense, perfume and certain traditional medicines. The agarwood, Aquilaria crassna, found in Viet Nam is considered to be of a particularly high quality. By 1987, a thriving industry in agarwood extraction quickly resulted in a drastic reduction in the country's supply, leading to a government ban on the extraction of and trade in agarwood. Because of the high returns to be gained from agarwood harvesting, extraction continued on a smaller scale despite efforts to regulate this harvest. A study prepared for Trade Records and Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce (TRAFFIC) by the Centre for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (CRES) of the University of Hanoi investigated the trade in agarwood of A. crassna in Viet Nam, where populations have been severely depleted as a result of harvesting.
Prior to the ban in 1987, state-run companies and a forest produce export company administered by the Ministry of Forestry were also involved in agarwood extraction: between 1983 and 1989 agarwood production in Viet Nam was 300 tonnes. There was, however, a flourishing illegal trade that bypassed the state-run companies. Since the ban, small-scale illegal trade has continued although this trade appears to rely on agarwood from Laos and Cambodia.
The price of agarwood is determined by the concentration of oleoresin deposit: traders reported that the mean value between 1983 and 1989 was US$93/kg. The prices of extracted oil reached US$15 000 to $18 000/kg.
Fears about overexploitation led the Vietnamese Government to issue a ban on the extraction and trade of agarwood. However, enforcement of that restriction is reportedly poor. In order to reduce the pressure on the dwindling wild populations, the Ministry of Forestry established a plantation in Ha Tinh province of 200 A. crassna trees, inoculated with certain fungi; there are plans to extend this area and to establish further plantations in other provinces.
This information from Viet Nam demonstrated that other Aquilaria species are employed in the agarwood trade and that at least one has suffered similar overexploitation to that documented for A. malaccensis in India. Aquilaria crassna and possibly other species of the genus may be worthy of consideration for inclusion in the CITES appendixes for their conservation. (Source: TRAFFIC Bulletin No. 2, 1995.)