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Book (stand-alone)Sustainable management of Miombo woodlands
Food security, nutrition and wood energy
2018Also available in:
No results found.The Miombo woodland is a vast African dryland forest ecosystem covering close to 2.7 million km2 across southern Africa (Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe). The woodlands are characterized by the dominance of Brachystegia species, either alone or in association with Julbernardia and Isoberlinia species. It is estimated that the woodlands – through their numerous goods and services which include various non-wood forest products (NWFPs) (e.g. insects, mushrooms, fruits, tubers, medicine, fodder, honey, seeds) and woodfuels, which, for simplicity, will be referred to as non-timber forest products, or NTFPs, throughout the publication – sustain the livelihoods of more than 100 million rural poor and 50 million urban people. The charcoal sector alone employs vast numbers of rural people and offers additional income to many poor rural families. Communities moreover rely directly on the woodlands for food and nutrition. NWFPs add vital micro- and macronutrients to local diets and contribute to diversified food systems, while woodfuel is essential for cooking and sterilizing, thus ensuring proper nutrient absorption and providing clean water for drinking. Forests and trees, if managed sustainably, are an important source of resilience for rural people in the Miombo woodlands, supporting households to absorb and recover from climatic or economic calamities and contributing to resolving the underlying causes of food insecurity, undernutrition and poverty by providing nutritious edible products and woodfuel for cooking in addition to conserving biodiversity and water resources, buffering extreme weather conditions and preventing land degradation and desertification. Generally speaking, it is now accepted that forests managed for both timber and NTFPs retain more biodiversity and resilience than forests managed solely for one aspect, e.g. timber and exotic timber plantations. However, a growing population in high need of agricultural land and unsustainable use and overharvesting of natural resources in parts of the Miombo woodlands, combined with climate change impacts (e.g. drought, fires), leave insufficient time for many trees and associated species to regenerate naturally, posing a serious threat to the products and services of the woodlands, and to the livelihoods depending on them. Compounding the problem and hindering development of the Miombo ecosystem, are: i) lack of an enabling policy environment; ii) unsustainable management; iii) limited willingness and ability to pay for and access to energy-efficiency technologies; iv) inadequate awareness and information, including technical capacity; v) high poverty levels; and vi) limited access to microcredit facilities. With the Committee on World Food Security’s endorsement of the recommendations presented in the High Level Panel of Experts Report on Sustainable Forestry for Food Security and Nutrition in late 2017 – which include promoting multifunctional landscapes, integrated food-forestry systems, and research on associated linkages, among other things – forests and trees are expected to play a greater role in future land-use decisions and related policies. This paper provides an overview of these linkages in the context of the Miombo woodlands, in the hope that future land use, policy decisions and financial investments are shaped to support the contributions of forests and trees to the health and livelihoods of communities in the ecoregion. The following key messages were formulated: • Forests and trees, if managed sustainably, are an important source of resilience for rural people in the Miombo woodlands, supporting households to absorb and recover from climatic or economic calamities and contributing to resolving the underlying causes of food insecurity, undernutrition and poverty by providing nutritious edible products and woodfuel for cooking in addition to conserving biodiversity and water resources, buffering extreme weather conditions and preventing land degradation and desertification. • Current data bases referring to the value of the Miombo must be analysed and used as evidence to improve policy-making. • Miombo woodlands may be dominant (spatially), but they have not been addressed as a single unit but as part of the region’s forests. They form part of the overall forestry strategies and no specific mention in the conventions does not suggest that their importance is underplayed. • The management of Miombo will require some changes in management structures, especially in providing benefits emerging from trade in forest products to local managers. • Local forest managers should play a greater role in allocating resources for feedstock for charcoal production. -
DocumentIndex of Non-wood News Volume 1 2006
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No results found.Since its first issue in March 1994, Non-Wood News has focused on highlighting the importance of NWFP and promoting all aspects of non-wood forest products (NWFPs). Through its global coverage, it has sought to raise awareness among policy makers and other readers about the multiplicity of NWFPs and the opportunities that they can offer, as well as the vital role they play in forest-dependent communities. In fact, numerous people worldwide depend on NWFPs for their subsistence, food security, he alth care and cash income. -
DocumentPotentials of non-Wood Forest Products for Value Chain Development, Value Addition and Development of NWFP-Based Rural Microenterprises in Sudan
Consultancy report
2017Also available in:
No results found.There is global recognition that forests are not only about trees but also about the people who live in and around them. Empirical evidence on the role of forests in food security, poverty reduction through income and employment generation, and addressing the challenges of climate change is increasingly being generated and documented. Over 1.6 billion people worldwide depend heavily on forest resources for their livelihoods, of which 1.2 billion people in developing countries use trees on farms to generate food and income. For the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region where forest resources are scarce and the potentials for timber production are limited, non-wood forest products (NWFPs) such as fruit, bark, roots, tubers, corms, leaves, flowers, nuts, gums, sap, resins, dyes, honey, mushrooms, medicinal and aromatic plants, and wildlife animal products are becoming ever more important. Local people use these products to meet their daily needs; as a source of food, fodder and medicin e, and to generate income. However, current production of NWFPs represents a small fraction of what it could actually be in most countries in the region, and its full potential for poverty reduction, livelihood improvement and environmental sustainability has yet to be harnessed to help local people in the region out of poverty and food insecurity. Although the commercialization of NWFPs in the NENA region runs deep in the region’s history and has done for thousands of years, local producers sti ll remain on the side-lines and receive a much smaller commercial margin compared to what other actors receive. In this context the FAO, through its Regional Initiative for Small-Scale Family Farming (SSFF), supported country studies in selected NENA countries on the potential of NWFPs for value chain development and value addition to generate evidence-based data on the valorization of NWFPs in the NENA region. The aim is to support policy recommendations, strategies and actions that can increas e benefit retention and poverty reduction by commercializing NWFPs at the local level and boost their contribution to the well-being of rural communities, national economies and to the sustainable development of the NENA countries overall.
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