Year of publication 1995

This volume outlines the approaches for assessing the potential of NWFP activities in a particular area. It is mainly addressed to policy-makers, researchers, local extension workers, NGOs and others professionals to identify and pursue possibilities for better management of NWFPs. It is hoped that through better assistance and support, community-level producers and processors will be able to realize the sustainable potential of NWFP activities. An outline of the kind of technical, institutional and policy support required to promote NWFP activities, is also provided. The principles and approaches described here represent an early step on the path toward better understanding the role and use of NWFPs. Many gaps remain in our knowledge - on harvesting technologies, assessment of resources and harvest levels, as well as on the nature of non-wood forest resources themselves - that must be addressed in further research involving communities. For example, techniques for assessing forest herbs and vines lag behind those for assessing tree-based products; that gap is unavoidably reflected here. Likewise, sub-fields for which few sound guidelines exist, such as ecotourism, are suggested here for further study.