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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. 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) are becoming ever more important. Local people use these products to meet their daily needs; as a source of food, fodder and medicine, 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.

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 increase 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.