Establishing a national non-timber forest products development body

摘要

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) have always played a central role as a source of income generation in community forestry throughout the world. Between 1996 and 1998, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) commissioned the Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study (APFSOS) which resulted in a comprehensive examination of forestry development issues and perspectives in the region. A key topic investigated during the APFSOS was the future prospects for developing NTFPs in the region. The study concluded that increasing commercialization of some NTFPs will result in larger-scale exploitation and cause considerable depletion of the resources. Domestication and cultivation of these NTFPs on a commercial scale are unlikely to succeed as few have proven to be economically feasible. The study further pointed out that policymakers have failed to identify and focus on the few NTFPs that have the greatest importance now or that demonstrate considerable promise for the future. This paper examines the issues faced by decision-makers in the development of NTFPs in a holistic manner and stresses the need for a comprehensive policy on NTFP development.