editorial contents f · 2006. 5. 9. · case studies showing not only the important roles of nwfps,...

3 SPECIAL FEATURES• World Forestry Congress

- Final Statement- NWFP side event: “Strengthening

global partnerships to advancesustainable development of non-wood forest products”

- INBAR side event: “Resources,trade and market structure forbamboo and rattan”

• Importance of NWFPs for foodsecurity - Contribution of forest insects to

food security – caterpillars incentral Africa

- Mopani worm in danger ofextinction

- Dehydrated peach palm nut is adietary option in Amazonia

- Food for life: indigenous fruit-treesin southern Africa

- NWFPs as food in India- Indigenous fruit-trees: Irvingia

gabonensis and Dacryodes edulis- Fruits comestibles de forêt vendus

sur les marchés du nord-est duGabon

- No need for iron supplement – eatgrewia fruits

- Experts encourage rural people toplant fruit-trees

12 NEWS AND NOTES• Bicycle made from Amazonian

vegetable leather• Botanical museum opens “The Gift

of the Nile” exhibition • Certification

- Beyond timber: certification of non-timber forest products

- Benefit-sharing using certification- First FSC-certified non-timber

forest products from the BrazilianAmazon

• Commercializing NWFPs- Identifying the “winners & losers”- Commercialization of NTFPs in the

Amazon• Forestry Compendium 2003 edition• Global forum calls to curb illegal

logging and promote responsibleforest investment

• International fellowship opportunity• Journals

- Journal of Tropical Medicinal Plants

An information bulletin on Non-Wood Forest Products

March 2004

11

EDITORIAL CONTENTS

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ISSN 1020-3435

For more than a decade, Non-Wood News has provided a forum to discuss themesthat are influencing the environmentally friendly, economically viable and sociallyequitable use of non-wood forest products (NWFPs). This issue of Non-Wood News

is no different and contains a multitude of interesting information on NWFPs – frombamboo to tamshi, and from Bangladesh to Zambia.

Having celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, this eleventh issue of Non-Wood Newsis looking ahead to a new decade of challenging activities promoting the sustainable useof NWFPs. What will be the challenges that will determine the debate in the coming years?

The original debate on NWFPs was initiated by some enthusiastic reports on the actualand potential value of a wide variety of forest products other than wood/timber, whichresulted in the creation of new terms – “non-wood” or “non-timber” forest products(NWFP/NTFP) – describing different plant or animal products used for subsistence orcommercialization. Over the years, these reports have been complemented by numerous

case studies showing not only theimportant roles of NWFPs, but also thechallenges these products and their usersare facing.

Last year, during a side event to the XIIWorld Forestry Congress on“Strengthening global partnerships toadvance sustainable development of non-wood forest products” [See SpecialFeatures for more information], three majorchallenges for the NWFP sector wereidentified: the “profound lack of informationto realize the full benefits of NWFPs”; the“lack of technical, financial, political andsocial capacity to influence policies and togenerate information”; and the “lack ofprotected rights to access and benefit fromNWFP resources”.

Data on NWFPs indeed remainrudimentary and are still not collected in asystematic way. Reports on NWFPs oftenfocus on commercial products while thedescription of subsistence uses oftenremains anecdotal. Sound information isurgently needed in order to provide thenecessary information for decision-makersat all levels, such as producers, tradersand politicians.

However, the NWFP sector cannot beseen as a coherent one. A quick Internetsearch resulted in 11 100 entries beingfound on NWFPs, 30 000 on NTFPs, but 25 000 on bushmeat and even 279 000 onmedicinal plants, two major NWFPs. It isimportant to keep in mind that most expertsare working on their individual orinstitutional specialities without beinginvolved in the entire NWFP sector or evenwithout putting their work into an overallcontext. Interdisciplinary collaboration andpartnerships, e.g. among researchinstitutions, private companies and

NON-WOOD NEWSis compiled by Tina Etherington, ForestProducts Service of the FAO Forest Productsand Economics Division. Editorial support forthis issue was provided by Paul Vantomme andSven Walter; design, graphics and desktoppublishing were coordinated by TinaEtherington.

Non-Wood News is open to contributions byreaders. Contributions may be edited to fit theappropriate size and focus of the bulletin.If you have any material that could beincluded in the next issue of Non-Wood Newsfor the benefit of other readers, kindly send it,before 15 January 2005, to:NON-WOOD NEWS – FOPWFAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla00100 Rome, ItalyE-mail: [email protected]/forestry/nwfp/nonwood.htm

FAO home page: www.fao.org

Articles express the views of their authors, notnecessarily those of FAO. The designationsemployed and the presentation of material in thispublication do not imply the expression of anyopinion whatsoever on the part of the Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO) concerning the legal status of any country,territory, city or area or of its authorities, orconcerning the delimitation of its frontiers orboundaries.

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NON-WOOD NEWS, No. 11, March 2004

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- World Bamboo and Rattan- Nature and Environment Law Times

• Neem tree extracts to kill vegetablepests

• NTFPs revisited • Sustainable development of rattan in

ASEAN countries• The Southern African Natural

Products Trade Association• Use of an essential oil against

dengue • Vasundhara • Which biodiversity?• Wildlife and poverty study• Women play a central conservation

role in Africa• World Customs Organization

approves new bamboo and rattancustoms codes on the basis ofFAO/INBAR proposal

23 PRODUCTS AND MARKETS• Agarwood, Aguaje (Mauritia

flexuosa), Bamboo, Bushmeat,Cupuaçu, Guarana, Honey, Lac,Medicinal plants, Nuts, Tamshi

41 COUNTRY COMPASS• Bangladesh, Bhutan, Botswana,

Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China,Czech Republic, Grenada, India,Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia,Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali,Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan,Peru, Philippines, RussianFederation, South Africa, Turkey,Uganda, United Republic ofTanzania, United States of America,Zambia

66 ECONOOK• 2003 IUCN Red List• The state of the world’s ecosystems• Fungal partners• Rainforest Alliance launches

expanded Eco-Index• Africa – the most promising

ecotourism product in the world• World Tourism Organization to

become specialized UN agency• Amazonia: development without

destruction• Cross-border parks on the way• Partnership for environmental

management

69 INTERNATIONAL ACTION• FAO, Center for International

Forestry Research (CIFOR),International Centre for HimalayanBiodiversity (ICHB)

74 RECENT EVENTS

77 FORTHCOMING EVENTS

79 PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST

92 WEB SITES

95 READERS’ RESPONSE

Non-wood forest products (NWFP) are goodsof biological origin other than wood, derivedfrom forests, other wooded land and treesoutside forests. Non-timber forest products(NTFP), another term frequently used tocover this vast array of animal and plantproducts, also includes small wood andfuelwood. However, these two terms areused synonymously throughout this bulletin.Other terms, such as “minor”, “secondary”or “speciality” forest products, aresometimes used to keep original namesand/or titles.

CONTENTSEDITORIAL

government and non-governmentalorganizations, still remain the exceptionrather than the norm. Therefore, moreefforts are required from all of us to improvethis interdisciplinary collaboration, whichwill lead to the sustainable use of NWFPsbeing promoted in a more effective way.

Better data on NWFPs are urgentlyneeded, but these data need to bedemand-driven and user-friendly. Prioritiesneed to be set. What kind of information isrequired? For whom? When? Thesepriorities should be decided together withthe data users, who should be thestakeholders most closely involved inNWFP use. Their capacities need to bestrengthened in order to help them tocollect and analyse the information theyrequire – be it on resources, markets or thelegal framework.

However, the main driving force for thedevelopment of the NWFP sector will bethe benefits they provide to producers,users and all the other stakeholdersinvolved in the production, trade and useof NWFPs. Only by ensuring thesebenefits to the people involved will NWFPsbe able to play an important role in theoverall economic development and thuscontribute to local livelihoods. Thechallenge for us will be to find appropriatemechanisms to balance these benefits inan adequate way among the differentinterest groups; e.g. rural populationswithout secured access to land, urbantraders and multinational exporters andimporters. All these, and many otherstakeholders, are involved in the sectorand only if their various, and oftenconflicting, views can be balanced will thesustainable use of NWFPs be ensured.

The FAO NWFP Programme willcontinue to promote the sustainable use ofNWFPs by improving methodologies,supporting institutional capacities,strengthening global networks andpromoting best practices. Non-WoodNews will remain one of our prime vehiclesto share information on all aspectscovering NWFPs and to provide an openforum for its readers to exchangeinformation and to discuss these andother emerging issues.

Sven Walter


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The Congress is impressed by thenotable progress towards this end bydevelopment of principles and practice,concepts and tools; within global andregional treaties and national programmes;through varied partnerships amonggovernments, international organizations,corporations, and non-governmentalorganizations; and in a variety of activitiesat the local level, notably those involvingcommunities in ownership, decision-making and management, increasing thescope for enhancing their livelihoods.

At the same time, the Congress isdeeply disturbed that permanent forestloss and degradation, largely due toactivities outside the forest sector, continueat an alarming level. If current threats toforests continue, all human life will suffer.People in countries with low forest cover,indigenous peoples and local communitiesare particularly vulnerable. There is a needto address the widening gap betweenpresent trends and the potential of foreststo contribute to the societal agenda, givenincreasing demand for forest products andservices.

By harmonizing the needs of people andof the planet for forests, the world canprogress along the path of sustainabledevelopment. But this harmonizationcannot be achieved by the forestcommunity alone. Bridges must be builtwith other sectors of society and a varietyof actors.

The Congress calls on everyone forurgent and deep commitment to sustainthis long-term process.

We envision a future with:SOCIAL JUSTICE, where poverty isalleviated, livelihoods sustained, food andfuelwood secured, tenure rights andownership recognized, and access toresources assured; where rights andbenefits for forest workers are enhanced,gender equity is attained, intergenerationalequity is pursued, and where access toeducation, training and health services isguaranteed, traditional knowledge isrespected, and peace prevails. ECONOMIC BENEFITS, where the fullvalue of renewable and environmentallyfriendly forest products and services isrecognized and leads to a flow of benefits,

where sustainable forest management isprofitable, where compensationmechanisms are established, and wherethe forest products industry operatescompetitively. HEALTHY FORESTS which supply the fullspectrum of products and services whilstconserving soils, maintaining biodiversity,regulating climate, sequestering carbon;where forest fragmentation is decreasing,deforestation is reduced, degradation ishalted, and forest cover is increasing. RESPONSIBLE USE, where forestresources are efficiently used andprocessed, and where consumption issustainable.

And where: GOVERNANCE is participatory,transparent and accountable;management and decision-making aredecentralized, people are empowered,and partnerships flourish. INTERGOVERNMENTALDELIBERATIONS on forests haveadvanced to action. RESEARCH, EDUCATION andCAPACITY BUILDING foster betterunderstanding: of forest benefits anddynamics, of the complex relationshipbetween ecosystems and human well-being, and of the impacts of humanactivities and management on forests.

Congress participants are determinedto accelerate progress in closing the gapbetween the present situation and thelong-term vision outlined above. This is inthe collective interest of all. We recognizethat forests exist within larger landscapes,are vitally connected to other sectors, andthat they cannot be treated as enclaves inan interdependent biosphere.

To realize this vision, Congressparticipants highlight the followingprerequisites:

• sustained political commitment andadequate financing;

• a strong, responsible forest sector; • bridges with other actors and sectors;• sustained and more effective

international cooperation;• policies based on best available

science and information;• competencies to address issues of

complexity and multiple objectives;

S P E C I A L F E A T U R E S

WORLD FORESTRYCONGRESS

The XII World Forestry Congress, heldfrom 21 to 28 September 2003 in Québec,Canada, attracted 4 061 participants frommore than 140 countries. A wide spectrumof issues was considered in the context ofthe Congress theme, “Forests, source ofLife”, and under three programme areas:Forests for people; Forests for the planet;and People and forests in harmony. Thefinal statement represents the views of theCongress, identifies areas of priorityconcern, and is intended to encouragedecisions and action by those involvedwith various aspects of forests andforestry, and in other related sectors.

Final StatementAll societies are dependent on forestsand trees, and have responsibilities forbiodiversity, climate regulation, clean air,soil and water conservation, foodsecurity, wood and non-wood products,energy services, medicines and culturalvalues.

The Congress is convinced that theneeds of the planet and its people can beharmonized, and that forests haveenormous potential to make a vitalcontribution to environmental security,poverty alleviation, social justice,enhancement of human well-being,equity for present and future generations.

XII World Forestry CongressFINAL STATEMENT

Forests, source of life

“The subject of forests is related to the entire range of environmentaland developmental issues andopportunities ...”(United Nations Conference onEnvironment and Development, 1992)

Forests are a source of life: for theplanet, and for its people.

Québec, Canada28 September 2003

• recognition of the considerable capitalof culture, knowledge and goodpractice of indigenous peoples andlocal communities;

• management of forests and trees atlocal and regional scales, interfacingwith human settlements, agroforestrysystems, non-wood forest resourcesand other natural resources systems.

Congress participants committhemselves, and urge the worldcommunity, to actively pursue the aboveprerequisites and to accelerate progressthrough promotion of the followingstrategies and actions: POLICY, INSTITUTIONAL andGOVERNANCE FRAMEWORKS Formulate and enforce legislation thatrelates to sustainable forest management.

Recognize and respect the rights ofowners, indigenous peoples, users andworkers; and protect cultural values.

Establish effective governancearrangements for ensuring meaningfulparticipation and equitable sharing ofbenefits, and for facilitating a diversity ofmodels conferring tenure and access toresources reflecting local context.

Develop forest policies and implementprogrammes to reduce deforestation andforest degradation in coherence andsynergy with policies of related sectors.

Encourage positive incentives anddiscontinue incentives that areimpediments. PARTNERSHIPS Draw upon the energy and talent of youthin pursuing sustainable forestmanagement.

Encourage collaborative partnershipsinvolving women, forest owners,indigenous peoples, non-governmentalorganizations, local communities, industryand public agencies.

Foster active international and regionalpartnerships, including those betweenpublic and private institutions. RESEARCH, EDUCATION andCAPACITY BUILDING Implement comprehensive education andextension programmes designed topromote innovation at all levels andstrengthen positive behaviour and attitudestowards forests.

Reform education curricula to addressinterdisciplinary dimensions, as well asglobal and regional considerations.

Realize the potential synergy betweentraditional and scientific knowledge.

Increase investment in research,dissemination of information, andlearning processes that underpin allthese strategies. MANAGEMENTDevelop and disseminate methodologiesfor assessing, reporting and managingthe complete array of forest products.

Promote the reconciliation of uses andactivities for adding value to forest goodsand services.

Improve watershed management,intensify forest landscape restoration andrehabilitation activities: to supportlivelihoods, increase forest cover,enhance biological diversity andfunctionality, and minimize the impact ofinvasive alien species.

Promote planted forests and plantingof trees outside forest systems, includingin urban areas, which make a contributionto sustainable development.

Prevent, manage and combat forestfires, and restore forestlands asappropriate. MONITORING Foster mutual recognition of criteria andindicator processes and certificationschemes, which include social, cultural,environmental and economic dimensionsof sustainable forest management.

Develop tools for better monitoring,assessing and reporting on the state offorests and on achieving the balancebetween the needs of people and theplanet.

Congress participants resolve topursue the above vision and strategieswith renewed vigour and commitment to ensure that forests make a strongcontribution to achieving the MillenniumDevelopment Goals and otherinternationally agreed targets.

The Congress invites all governments,related agencies, professionalorganizations, private companies andcooperatives, communities and individualsto urgently, and with full commitment,pursue the vision and strategies of this

Statement. The Congress also requeststhat they promote these strategies withrelated professional communities andorganizations in other sectors, in order toconsolidate resources and efforts inrealizing these goals.

The Congress requests FAO to presentan assessment of progress on thestrategies outlined in this Statement tothe XIII World Forestry Congress and, inthe interim, promote the statementthrough other relevant fora.

The Congress expresses its sincereappreciation and gratitude to NaturalResources Canada and to Ministère desRessources naturelles, de la Faune etdes Parcs du Québec, who together haveformed the host institution, as well as toFAO and all the people and organizationswho have made this Congress possible.

The Congress invites Canada topromote this Statement to relevantbodies, in order to achieve thecommitment required at all levels forpursuing this vision.

NWFP side event at the World ForestryCongressThe NWFP side event “Strengtheningglobal partnerships to advancesustainable development of non-woodforest products” took place on 20 September 2003 and was an officialside event to the World ForestryCongress, held in Québec City inSeptember 2003. It was organized by theInternational Union of Forestry ResearchOrganizations (IUFRO), the Center forInternational Forestry Research (CIFOR)and the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations (FAONon-Wood Forest Products Programme).

The day-long event was theculmination of a global dialogue amongstakeholders. An electronic-consultationtook place for approximately threemonths in early 2003; and the discussionthemes formed the basis for furtherexploration and discussion.

Two working groups explored issuesand developed recommendationsrelevant to themes of the World ForestryCongress – “Forests for people” and“Forests for the planet”.


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The full-day side event was organizedby the International Union of ForestryResearch Organizations (IUFRO,Group 5.11 Non-Wood ForestProducts), the Center for InternationalForestry Research (CIFOR) and theFood and Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations (FAO Non-WoodForest Products Programme) and wasattended by approximately 50participants from around the world.Theobjectives of the meeting were: toidentify and prioritize emerging issuesfor the development of the NWFPsector; and to draw the attention of theWorld Forestry Congress and forestresources decision-makers to keypolicy and research recommendationsfor the years ahead.

Background documents wereprepared based on the outcome of apre-Congress global e-consultationprocess along the themes:Commercialization: a reality check;Linking NWFP management withlivelihood development; andInstitutional and policy dimensions.Thethree background papers andparticipant contributions werepresented and discussed in plenary,followed by group discussions alongthe World Forestry Congress (WFC)themes: Forests for the planet; andForests for people.

RATIONALENWFPs are of growing importance inboth the North and the South.There isincreasing evidence of this importancein the North.NWFPs are harvested from wild tointensively managed systems.NWFP uses, users and productionapproaches change over time, and aresignificant at all levels of society, fromlocal to global.

There are important opportunities tomanage forests for multiple purposesand products that will increase forestvalues.

Issue 1. There is a profound lack of theinformation necessary to realize the fullbenefits of NWFPs for individual,community and national well-being;decision-makers, forest managers andresource users alike lack informationabout economic, ecological and socialcharacteristics of NWFPs and theiruses.Recommendation 1a. The participantsof the side event on NWFPs of the WFCrecommend that government efforts bestrengthened to conduct research andgenerate, compile and disseminateinformation and statistics to keystakeholders on NWFP resources andtheir socio-economic and ecologicalvalues.Recommendation 1b. The participantsrecommend that governments anddevelopment agencies supporteducation and public awarenessprogrammes for NWFP conservationand sustainable use.

Issue 2. Lack of protected rights toaccess and benefit from NWFPresources can adversely affect theirconservation and sustainable use anddiscourage investment in the resource.Recommendation 2a. The participantsrecommend that governments, withassistance from concerned agencies

and organizations, develop andimplement policies and legislation toprovide secure access and benefits tothe people whose livelihoods aredependent on or supplemented by non-wood forest products.Recommendation 2b. The participantsrecommend that governments, withassistance from concerned agenciesand organizations, ensure thatstakeholders, particularly collectors,growers and traders, are providedincentives to sustainably manageNWFP resources.

Issue 3. Individuals, communities andinstitutions generally lack the technical,financial, political and social capacity toinfluence policies and generateinformation necessary to manage andmonitor NWFP resources effectively.Recommendation 3a. The participantsrecommend that governments, withassistance from concerned agenciesand organizations, supportprogrammes and projects to buildindividual, institutional, andcommunity-based capacity to manageNWFPs through multistakeholderparticipation.Recommendation 3b. The participantsrecommend that governments andresearch agencies give priority toresearch and the development anddissemination of managementpractices to be integrated intomultipurpose forest and agroforestresource management.

These statements andrecommendations are supported bydocuments and summaries of the sideevent produced by contributors andparticipants of the side event and e-consultation and will be found at:www.sfp.forprod.vt.edu

QUÉBEC DECLARATION ON: STRENGTHENING GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT OF NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS

XII World Forestry Congress side event, 20 September 2003

The results of the side event, coupled withthe discussion documents of the e-consultation formed the basis for the Québecdeclaration on non-wood forest products.The Declaration identifies the major issuesand provides recommendations for actionsthat would enhance the integration ofNWFP/NTFPs into forest management,research, development and conservation.

For more information, please contact:

Jim Chamberlain (IUFRO), Research

Scientist, Coordinator, Research Group

5.11 (Non-Wood Forest Products),

IUFRO US Forest Service, SRS-4702

1650 Ramble Road, Blacksburg,

VA 24060, USA.

E-mail: [email protected];

Brian Belcher, Senior Scientist, Forest

and Livelihoods Program (CIFOR),

PO Box 6596, JKPWB Jakarta,

10065 Indonesia.


Paul Vantomme, Forestry Officer,

Non-Wood Forest Products, Forest

Products and Economics Division,

Forestry Department, FAO, Rome, Italy.

E-mail: [email protected]; or

visit: www.sfp.forprod.vt.edu/discussion/

INBAR side event at the World Forestry CongressThe side event “Resources, trade andmarket structure for bamboo and rattan”was organized by the InternationalNetwork for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)on 21 September. The workshop wasattended by approximately 25 participantsand consisted of plenary presentationsfollowed by discussions. FAO’s PaulVantomme chaired the morning sessionand presented two papers, one on the useof bamboo poles for construction and theother on the perceived imbalance betweensupply and demand for rattan.

There were presentations/discussionson how to improve country statistics on theproduction and trade in bamboo and rattanproducts, as well as to further improveglobal reporting on the status and trends ofbamboo and rattan resources.

The proceedings of this meeting havebeen published in the Journal of Bambooand Rattan, Vol. 2, No. 4, December 2003.

IMPORTANCE OF NWFPSFOR FOOD SECURITY

[Please also see the section on Bushmeat

under Products and Markets.]

Contribution of forest insects to foodsecurity – caterpillars in central AfricaSince ancient times, insects haverepresented an important part of nutritionin many cultures, e.g. in Mexico and inmany Asian and African cultures. All overthe world insects are consumed as adaily dietary supplement, an occasionaldelicacy or a substitution product in timesof food shortages, droughts, floods, waretc. Today, delicacies made from insectscan also be found on restaurant menus ina few European countries, such asFrance and Belgium.

Edible insects should be consideredmore seriously as a potential in the effortsto improve food security and to alleviatepoverty in sub-Saharan Africa. FAO notesthat in particular it is the very poor whoharvest insects and other NWFPs, andthat gathering activities are usuallycarried out by women.

Realizing the need to raise moreawareness on the potential of edibleinsects in livelihood strategies of forest-dependent people, FAO’s NWFPProgramme initiated a review in 2002aiming at documenting their significancein the central African region. This articlemainly outlines some of the results ofcase studies commissioned to localexperts in Cameroon, the Central AfricanRepublic, the Republic of the Congo(Brazzaville) and the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo (Kinshasa). Thefocus is mainly on caterpillars as they arevery common insects in forests and canbe easily gathered.

Contribution of caterpillar collection to livelihood securityAbout 85 percent of the population of theCentral African Republic consumecaterpillars, the rate in rural areas beingslightly higher than in urban areas.Investigations in the Democratic Republicof the Congo show that 70 percent of therespondents eat caterpillars.

The harvesting of caterpillars is aperiodic activity in the rainy season. Thecaterpillars are preserved by sun-dryingor smoking. Regional diets have a widerange of methods of consuming insects,alive or dried, as side dishes orsometimes as snacks. Caterpillars areeaten as a delicacy but are a plannedpart of the daily diet according to theseasonal availability. Even if in principlethey are not to be considered as asubstitute to meat from livestock, peoplerely more on caterpillars and otheravailable insects when bushmeat and fishsupplies decline in the rainy season andtheir market prices are rising.

The intensity of caterpillar consumptionand species preferences depends onculinary traditions. In the Central AfricanRepublic, for instance, people living closeto forests prefer among others Imbrasiatruncata, Nudaurelia oyemensis andImbrasia obscura. In some culturestraditional restrictions exist forconsumption patterns. SomeCameroonian tribes, for example,withheld caterpillars from dignitaries ormore wealthy social classes.

Nutritional values. One case study givesa good overview of the nutritional valuesof various caterpillar species andbasically confirms the empiricalknowledge of local people in a scientificway. The average nutritional proportionsof 24 fresh caterpillar speciesinvestigated are (based on dry matter):63.5 ± 9.0 percent proteins and 15.7 ± 6.3percent fat, resulting in an energy valueof 457 ± 32 kcal/100 g. By comparisonwith beef and fish, the insects’ highproportion of these nutrients and thustheir high energy value is obvious.

Insect proteins tend to be low inspecific amino acids, e.g. methionine


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and cysteine, and very high in others,particularly lysine and threonine.Depending on the species, they are richin different minerals (e.g. K, Ca, Mg, Zn,P, Fe) and/or vitamins (e.g. thiamine/B1,riboflavin/B2, pyridoxine/B6, pantothenicacid, niacin). Research shows that 100 gof cooked insects provide more than 100percent of the daily requirements of therespective vitamins/minerals contained.The daily consumption of 50 g driedcaterpillars meets the human needs ofriboflavin and pantothenic acid as well as30 percent of niacin.

Owing to the high nutritional value, insome regions flour made of caterpillars ismixed to prepare a pulp which is given tochildren to counter malnutrition. Speciesthat are particularly rich in protein (e.g.Imbrasia epimethea, Imbrasia dione,Antheua insignata), calcium (e.g.Tagoropsis flavinata) or iron (e.g. Cinabrahyperbius) are given to anaemic people,or to pregnant and breastfeeding women.Several other species have an importantrole in traditional medicine.

Income generation. Caterpillars arewidely available in local village markets,while some of the favourite species doreach urban markets and restaurants.The commercialization of alive or driedlarvae takes place either directly betweenproducer (gatherer) and consumer or,more frequently, through one or moreintermediaries (wholesalers, retailers)who significantly mark up prices. Directas well as indirect commercialization ispractised in a very traditional, informalway and is usually carried out by womenand children. For the majority ofmerchants, dealing in caterpillars is nottheir main activity but supplements theirsales of other foodstuffs such as fish,nuts, manioc or other vegetables.

Merchants may occasionally organizethemselves into formal associations tofacilitate such logistic activities as rentinga car to transport insects to markets. InZimbabwe, a well-established formalmarketing system for thecommercialization of Imbrasia belinaalready exists. Although most caterpillarsare sold for cash, in some regions they

are bartered for food, clothes, householdutensils, cigarettes, alcohol or machetes.The pygmies of the Central AfricanRepublic, for example, are stillaccustomed to bartering.

There is also a significant transbordertrade in edible insects among all thecountries in the central African region, butalso with the Sudan and Nigeria and, on asmaller scale, as exports to France andBelgium. France and Belgium annuallyimport respectively about 5 tonnes and 3tonnes of dried Imbrasia sp. from theDemocratic Republic of the Congo. In thecase of Belgium, the quantity exported isvalued at some US$41 500,corresponding to an average price ofUS$13.83 per kilogram.

Linkages between forest resources and insect populationsSeveral caterpillar species are known todefoliate trees as they develop at thebeginning of the rainy season by feedingon fresh leaves. Foresters therefore oftenconsider caterpillars as pests. Thedefoliation causes a temporarily confinedgrowth but the trees usually respond byproducing a second crop of leaves. Theinsects’ attack, if it is not an irregularoutbreak, generates only weakpermanent damage to the host plants inthe dense moist forest zone. Theapplication of chemicals in these foreststo control caterpillar outbreaks istherefore non-existent.

However, caterpillars do have anegative impact when feeding on farmcrops. Pest control of caterpillars isusually carried out by applying hugeamounts of chemicals, thus killing theinsects and making them unsuitable forhuman consumption. There is a positive

effect of harvesting the pests. Acharacteristic example is the plentifuloccurrence of Augosoma centaurus andRhynchophorus phoenicis on Raphiasese and Elaeis guineensis. Even if thereis often severe damage to these plants,the extensive harvesting of the grubscontributes to maintaining natural plantregeneration. The question is oftenraised as to whether the increasedharvesting of insects for food might serveas a form of biological pest control. Sucha practice might result in the reduction ofpesticide use as well as creating neweconomic opportunities for local people.

Harvesting caterpillars is often carriedout in a non-destructive way by pickingthem by hand. However, in some cases,cutting down host trees is widespread;and lopping large branches has anadverse effect as it predestines trees forfelling afterwards. In this way, harvestingcaterpillars can contribute to forestdestruction.

On the other hand, forest degradationhas negative impacts on insectpopulations. It can be assumed that thedisappearance of certain host treespecies may in the long term be followedby a gradually decreasing supply of someinsect species, particularly thosedependent on specific host plants. Treespecies disappear, for instance, becauseof selective logging as in the case ofhigh-value timber species such as sapelli(Entandrophragma angolense).

Another serious problem is bush fireswhich disturb both habitats and insectpopulations. For instance, the extensiveuse of fire for hunting game and morefrequently to catch bush rats has asignificant negative impact on the foresthabitat. It may result in reduced survivalpossibilities for highly favoured ediblecaterpillars, while at the same time otherinsect populations (e.g. non-ediblebeetles) may increase. A very interestingaspect is the positive feedback ofcaterpillar harvesting on the frequency ofbush fires in Zambia. This research foundthat there have been of late very few firesin those areas where people wereharvesting caterpillars as the villagerswere aiming to protect the insects.


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Deforestation may indirectly alter localmicroclimates in the short term and doescontribute to climate changes in the longterm, which disrupts the life cycles of theinsects. For instance, drought mightbecome a problem, causing among othernegative impacts the disappearance ofhost plants and the corresponding edibleinsect species, and/or an invasion andproliferation of other (non-edible) species.

The case studies and otherinvestigations show that research oncaterpillars is not only recommendedbecause of their contribution to locallivelihoods but also because of themutual influence of caterpillar productionand forest/woodland management.(Contributed by: Daniela Göhler,volunteer with FAO’s NWFP Programme;written under the supervision of NWFPCoordinator Paul Vantomme. Thecomplete study and results of Daniela’swork will be published shortly by FAO’sNWFP Programme as a Working Paper.)

Mopani worm in danger of extinctionFor Anna Mathathu, it isincomprehensible that the protein-richmopani caterpillar could be facingextinction in the Matabeleland region ofZimbabwe if urgent steps are not taken toconserve its habitat. All her life, the 56-year-old villager has relied on theseasonal delicacy to supplement hermeagre diet. But it has become obviousto her, and countless other residents ofMatobo district – located about 70 kmsouth of Bulawayo – that unlessconservation strategies are adopted, themopani caterpillar will not accompanyfuture rains as it has done for decades.

The delicacy is known to the Ndebele-speaking people of Matabeleland asamacimbi, to the Kalanga as mahonja ormashonja and to the Shona as madora.Encased in a tough and spiky skin thatprotects its nutritional flesh, the mopanicaterpillar has gained popularity as adelicacy in the countries of southern andcentral Africa. To the rural communities ofMatabeleland, where it thrives, it hasbecome an important source of food.

However, a brisk trade in the delicacyis threatening its survival and worrying

villagers, who say there is no regulatorysystem to control the mopani caterpillarbusiness that has become a source oflivelihood for hundreds of people fromwithin and outside Matobo district. “That[threat] is because people from outsidethe district have been overexploiting theresource without considering that thecaterpillars need to regenerate everyyear. Such people care more about theprofits they derive from the resource thanits sustainability,” Mathathu said. Thevillager, who is from the Manyane area ofMatobo district, added: “Even the primeamacimbi-producing parts of the districtstill do not have the caterpillars despitethe rains this year. We fear they may notappear next year.”

Villagers say that the steady decline inthe supply of amacimbi began threeyears ago when groups of women fromBulawayo and Harare began invading thearea to buy the mopani worms, leading tooverharvesting of the delicacy. Tradersfrom Zimbabwe’s main urban areasexport the caterpillars to Botswana, theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, SouthAfrica and Zambia. The caterpillars wereinitially taken to the Democratic Republicof the Congo in 1998, where they were aninstant hit, with Botswana, Mozambique,South Africa and Zambia also becomingmajor consumers.

The absence of regulations orlegislation to control the harvesting of themopani worms has made it impossible forrural communities in Matabeleland to limitthe trade in the delicacy, some villagerstold The Daily News.

Canaan Ncube, a ward developmentcommittee member in the Donkwe area,said that the harvesting of amacimbi hadbecome so commercialized that themopani tree, the caterpillars’ habitat andsource of food, was endangered everyrainy season. “People fell down decades-old mopani trees just to get a kilogram ofimmature caterpillars,” he noted. “In theprocess, the habitat is destroyed andonce the immature caterpillars areharvested, there is no hope of othersreappearing in the same area.”

Although local authorities in whoseareas the caterpillars thrive have been

advised to introduce by-laws to manageharvesting as well as to safeguard theenvironment and the caterpillars’ habitat,most councils in Matabeleland Southhave yet to implement such regulations.

Knowell Dube, the Matabeleland Southprovincial natural resources officer, saidthat authorities in the province wereaware of the destruction of habitat andwere attempting to come up withsolutions. “We are working with a numberof councils to form local groups that willmonitor the harvesting and protect thetrees. The theory is that, given incentivessuch as exclusive harvesting permits,villagers can take better care of theirtrees and protect the mopani worm fromoverharvesting. But we need regulatorysupport from the councils to achieve this.”(Source: The Daily News [Harare], 27May 2003.)

Dehydrated peach palm nut is a dietaryoption in Amazonia The consumption of manioc meal and fishis the customary diet of the people ofAmazonia. It would difficult to imaginehow this custom might be substituted.However, new processing technologiesare slowly changing the Amazonian diet.Diverse native products may beconserved in a dehydrated form. A projectdeveloped by researcher Jerusa deSouza Andrade of the National Institutefor Amazonian Research (INPA) isstudying the possibility of dehydrating thepeach palm (Bactris gasipaes) nut(pupunha), a process which improves itsnutritional value.

The dehydration process concentratesthe nutrients and allows the product to be


8


stored at room temperature, facilitatingtransport and is an ideal technology for aregion as vast as Amazonia. The finalproduct is similar in texture to theubiquitous manioc meal. (Source:Amazon News, 10 April 2003.)

[Further information on the peach palm can be

found at: www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/1492/

peach-palm.html]

NWFPs as food in India

The following has been extracted from arecent paper, by A.K. Bhattacharya, V.K.Sinha and Piyusha Tiwari of the IndianInstitute of Forest Management, entitled“Seasonal availability and consumptionpattern of NWFPs as food among theBaiga Primitive Tribe Group of DindoriDistrict of Madhya Pradesh, India”.

NWFPs constitute an integral componentof food for the communities dependent onforests. The role of NWFPs becomesmore significant for less agriculture-dependent communities with smalllandholdings residing in remote forestvillages. In order to assess the role ofNWFP-based food habits of suchcommunities, a preliminary study wascarried out in one of the most forest-dependent tribes of India, i.e. Baigas. Thisstudy was carried out with people of theBaiga Primitive Tribe Group (PTG) livingin remote “Chadha” village of Dindoridistrict of Madhya Pradesh.

Since time immemorial people,especially tribals, have been dependenton the forests for various valuablebiological resources such as timber,fuelwood, food resources, medicines andother extracts, many of which have noreplacement by modern cultivationoptions. NWFPs play an importantbiological and social role in local foodsystems for the people living in andaround forests as they depend heavily onforest resources to meet their day-to-dayrequirements. The communities living inthe close vicinity of forests are especiallydependent for their livelihood needs andfood security. NWFPs are mostextensively used to meet dietary shortfallsand to supplement the household incomeduring particularly lean seasons. Manyagricultural communities suffer fromseasonal food shortages, generallyknown as “hunger periods”. Thesecommonly occur at the time of the yearwhen stored food supplies have dwindledand new crops are only just arriving.During this period the consumption ofNWFPs increases. In many Indian states,especially Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradeshand Himchal Pradesh, 80 percent of forest

dwellers depend on forests for 25 to 50percent of their annual food requirements.

The specific objectives of the studyincluded: analysis of the consumptionpattern of NWFPs among the Baiga PTGin different seasons; analysis of the foodintake of the Baiga tribe; and identificationof the NWFPs that play an important rolein food availability during the differentseasons.

Results and discussion • Food (agricultural produce) availabilityin different seasonsAgricultural crops such as maize, kodo,kutki and ramtila are grown in the area.The inadequate irrigation infrastructurerestricts farmers to the kharif crop only.The villagers’ landholdings are small (2 to3 acres per household) and the averagefamily size is six. Maize and chirota bhaji(NWFPs) form the staple diet of thevillagers and are consumed throughoutthe year. Food availability declines duringthe summer and at the onset of the rainyseason. This is the time of the year whenvillagers are most dependent on forestfood to meet the shortfall in agriculturalproduce and the family’s foodrequirements.• NWFP availability in different seasonsFifty-three NWFPs are reported as beingcollected by the villagers in Chadha (notincluding fish). Out of these, 46 are usedfor domestic consumption, with theremaining NWFPs being collected forsale. NWFPs such as sal seeds, tenduleaves and harra are collected by thevillagers and sold to the ForestDepartment. Some NWFPs are also soldin the open market after domesticconsumption has been met. Thecollection period and quantity depend onthe availability of the NWFP. Mostspecies are available from March to July,the maximum being available in June(62.78 percent), followed by May (44.18 percent), April (41.86 percent) and July (41.86 percent).

Out of the total NWFPs consumed, 49 percent are consumed as fruits, 26 percent as leaves, 16 percent asrhizomes and 5 percent as the entireplant.



9

FOOD FOR LIFE: INDIGENOUS FRUIT-TREES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

This paper looks at the status andcontribution of indigenous fruit-trees(IFTs) to food security in southernAfrica, and reviews and assesses thephysical situation of IFTs in themiombo woodland. It containsinformation on use and trade of IFTs,and on biological developments indomestication and dissemination. Itcovers processing and marketing andexplores avenues for the future of IFTs.

The paper was produced in 2003 bythe FAO Subregional Office forSouthern and East Africa (SAFR).

For more information or to request

copies, please contact:

Mr Michel Laverdière, Forestry

Conservation Officer, SAFR,

PO Box 3730, Harare, Zimbabwe.

E-mail: [email protected]

Most of the NWFPs, other thanmushrooms and leaves, are collectedfrom March to June. Villagers go deepinside the forests and cover longdistances, ranging from 2 to 5 km, tocollect NWFPs. Some NWFPs, such aschirota bhaji and gular, primarily used forconsumption, are found in adequatequantities in and around villages. SomeNWFPs are consumed mainly as leaves,for example, chirota, pepal, dhoodia,saroota and kanjari. These are collectedfrom June to September when the leavesare new and young. Chirota leaves arecollected from July to September anddried and stored for consumptionthroughout the year. Rhizomes of a fewspecies, such as kanhaya kand, birar kandand kadukand, are collected andconsumed throughout the year.Mushrooms (“pehri” in the local dialect)are collected by the villagers from July toAugust. Their consumption depends uponthe quantity collected.

The average collection period perhousehold varies from species to speciesand also depends upon the availability ina particular year. In a good productionyear the period extends to two months forsome species such as mushroom,mango, lorangi kand, birar kand, chirotabhaji and kachhar bhaji. The averagecollection period for the majority of theNWFPs is 10 to 30 days. The averagetotal quantity of NWFPs collected perhousehold per year is around 558.8 kg.Mango is the product collected in themaximum quantity (40 kg per householdper year), followed by chirota bhaji (35 kg per household per year) andmaruha (30 kg per household per year).Most NWFPs are consumed cooked (46.5 percent), others raw (34.9 percent),while the remainder are consumed bothraw and cooked.

ConclusionNWFPs form an integral part of the foodintake of the Baiga tribe. Some NWFPssuch as mushrooms and chirota leavesare stored and consumed throughout theyear. The consumption of mushrooms toa large extent depends upon availabilityin the area, while other NWFPs arecollected and consumed from March toSeptember. After the kharif crop isharvested, not much emphasis is laid onNWFP collection, partly because of lowavailability and partly because of theavailability of agricultural crops. Chirotaleaves and mushrooms form an importantpart of the diet throughout the year, andtheir consumption does not declinesignificantly with the seasonal availabilityof agricultural produce. The leaves ofdhoodia, bhramrakas, sarota and kacharare only consumed during the rainyseason. NWFPs such as khamar,kachnar, bhilwa, goolar and aam areconsumed as fruit from March to June,depending upon availability. (Contributedby: Dr Ajoy K. Bhattacharya, IFS,Associate Professor, Indian InstituteForest Management, Nehru Nagar, Post Box 357, Bhopal 462003, India; fax: +91 755 772878; e-mail:[email protected] or [email protected])

Indigenous fruit-trees: Irvingia gabonensisand Dacryodes edulisEdouard Kengni advises that he hassuccessfully defended his Ph.D. thesis atthe University of Yaoundé in Cameroon.His thesis was on “Food value of fruitsfrom indigenous fruit-trees in the LowlandHumid Tropics of West and CentralAfrica: case of Irvingia gabonensis andDacryodes edulis in Cameroon”.


10



Mr Edouard Kengni, Humid Tropics of

Western and Central Africa, World

Agroforestry Centre, PO Box 2067

(Messa), Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Fax: +237 223 7440;

e-mail: [email protected]

Fruits comestibles de forêt vendus sur lesmarchés du nord-est du GabonLes forêts du nord-est sont égalementriches en fruits comestibles comme laplupart des forêts du Gabon. Nousdonnons ci-dessous quelques fruitscomestibles vendus sur les marchés deMakokou; ville située à 10 km de lastation de recherche d’Ipassa où nousavons effectué la plupart de nosobservations de terrain, il y a plus d’unequinzaine d’années.

Les populations de Makokou (Fang,Bakota, Bakwélé) consomment les fruitsde forêt dès que ceux-ci arrivent àmaturité. La saison des récoltes est brèvechaque année (quelques semaines). Lesfruits sont consommés de deuxmanières: soit sous forme de pulpe, soitsous forme de graine. Les fruits à grainescomestibles sont les moins nombreux surle marché, tandis que ceux à pulpecomestible dominent les étales desmarchés à partir de septembre à août.

Si les fruits à pulpe comestible sont lesplus nombreux, force est de constaterque ceux-ci sont beaucoup moinsprésents sur les marchés tout au long del’année, comme c’est le cas pour lesfruits à graines comestibles qui sontreprésentatifs à cause de leur mode detraitement mis au point par lespopulations locales pour mieux lesconserver aussi longtemps que possible.

Ainsi, on note par exemple que lesgraines de Scyphocephalium ochocoa(forme de poudre), de Panda oleosa(poudre) ou celles d’Irvingia gabonensis(graines et forme de pain) sont présentessur les marchés locaux pendant l’année.

Pour plus d’informations contacter:

Dr Henri Bourobou Bourobou, Institut

de Recherche en Écologie tropicale,

BP 13354, Libreville, Gabon.

Télécopie: +241 7325 78;

mél.: [email protected]

No need for iron supplement – eat grewia fruitsGrewia tenax is a tropical bushy tree withrounded, pendulous fruits, 5 to 10 mmacross. Fruits change gradually fromgreen to bright red when quite ripe. Thefirm, fleshy layer surrounding the stone isedible and is relished by children andadults alike. Its fruit juice is regarded as agreat thirst-quencher, especially duringthe hot months from March to July. A thinporridge (nesha), prepared by boiling fruitpulp and millet flour is given to pregnantand lactating women to improve theirhealth and milk production.

And now we know why grewia fruit isso prized by Sudanese people that it iseven considered a substitute for ironsupplement: of the wide range ofnutrients in the grewia fruit, its ironcontent has attracted most attention.Indeed, the iron content is important tolocal communities who know well that it isa simple safeguard against iron-deficiency anaemia. It has, on average,two to three times the Fe content of

oranges, with up to 74 mg per 100 gedible portion. The iron in the fruit juice, inparticular, is noted for being much moreeasily assimilated than manufacturedforms of iron. The fruit is also rich incarbohydrates, minerals and vitamins,and low in fat and sodium.

In spite of its potential, which is wellrecognized, wild shrubs are continuouslyexploited to meet the increasing demand.A plant that is easy to cultivate and tolerantto harsh conditions deserves moreresearch and development efforts than ithas so far received. There is an urgentneed to study the growth, developmentand utilization of G. tenax morecomprehensively to facilitate theimprovement of this species for the benefitof humankind in the future.

A joint project is being launchedbetween the Arid Land Research Center,Tottori University, Japan and theAgricultural Research Corporation, theSudan to address these topics. Wewelcome any inputs from those who haveexperience with this species. (Contributedby: Dr Kamal El-Siddig, Visiting AssociateProfessor, Arid Land Research Center,Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori680-0001, Japan; fax: +81 857 296199; e-mail: [email protected])

Experts encourage rural people to plantfruit-treesA joint effort by the Uganda AgroforestryDevelopment Network, the NationalAgricultural Advisory Services and theInternational Center for Research inAgroforestry (ICRAF) aims to use fruit-trees as a weapon against poverty. They

expect millions of Uganda’s poor in therural areas to be their allies by plantingmany trees. Some 80 percent ofUgandans (approximately 19 millionpeople) live in rural areas.

A survey carried out by ICRAF recentlyshowed that 52.6 of households inUganda had not planted any trees duringthe previous 12 months. This was mainlydue to the limited access to qualityplanting material. Most householdsreported that they had no tree seedlingsto plant. The report also reveals that 10percent of formerly arable land had beendegraded owing to overcultivation andthat abandoned land is increasing at therate of 3 percent every year.

The experts say that fruit-tree plantinghas a huge potential given that there arecurrently more than 1 000 species of fruit-trees in the Tropics that are still in thewild. These, they say, can bedomesticated and turned into products.Some fruit-trees from the wild havealready been used to produce high-valueproducts. The shea nut tree producesbutter which is a major ingredient in high-quality cosmetics and foods, and theamarula is a major ingredient in high-quality beverages. (Source: New Vision[Kampala], 21 May 2003.)



11

Nom scientifique Famille Noms vernaculaires Partie utiliséeAnonidium mannii Annonaceae Yinda, money, libanga PulpeAntrocaryon klaineanum Anacardiaceae Osongongo, mungongubogu, onzabili PulpeCoula edulis Olacaceae Coula, mugumunu, ogula, éwumi, ingomba GraineDacryodes klaineana Burseraceae Nomeba, abatom, muninga PulpeGambeya lacourtiana Sapotaceae Obambo, mobami, mumbampfu, bébambé PulpeIrvingia gabonensis Irvingiaceae Andok, oba, uba, wiba, mubè, mwiba, ondimba GrainePanda oleosa Pandaceae Ovanda, afan, ovaga, nkuba GrainePseudospondias longifolia Anacardiaceae Andok, musungubali, ikongo, iposu GraineScyphocephalium ochocoa Myristicaceae Sorro, ossoko, nsoko, otchoko, issombo GraineTrichoscypha abut Anacardiaceae Owura, lebuta, mumbundu-kenga PulpeTrichoscypha acuminata Anacardiaceae Anvout, oléla, owura, elola Pulpe

BICYCLE MADEFROM AMAZONIANVEGETABLE LEATHER

The Giant bicycle, made using vegetableleather, is a success for the “Business fora Sustainable Amazonia” partnership.The bicycles come equipped with bagsmade from vegetable leather, stampedwith the World Wide Fund for Nature(WWF) logo. The range was launched atthe Botanical Garden in Rio de Janeiroduring the opening of a new exhibitionfrom Business for a SustainableAmazonia, a partnership between theMinistry of the Environment, AmazonLifeand WWF-Brazil.

The vegetable leather, known asTreetap®, is made from natural rubber andwas produced by three rubber-tappingcommunities in Amazonia, with supportfrom the Rio-based company Amazon Life,WWF-Brazil and the Nawa Institute.

The aim of the vegetable leatherproject is to develop new products made using natural rubber whichguarantee the sustainable use of forestresources and increase the income of the local population.

The bicycles have already attractedgreat interest from consumers in Holland.(Source: Amazon News, 20 June 2003.)

BOTANICAL MUSEUMOPENS “THE GIFT OFTHE NILE” EXHIBITION

The botanical museum at the InstitutoPolitécnico de Beja, Portugal (BejaPolytechnic Institute) has recentlyopened a new exhibition named “TheGift of the Nile or the Uses of Plants inAncient Egypt”. The exhibition displays216 items, including plants, plantproducts and Egyptian art reproductionsbrought to the workshops of the majorworld museums that have Egyptiancollections.

The exhibition covers the periodbetween 3100 and 30 BC and is dividedinto major themes: food plants, medicinaland aromatic plants, clothing plants,plants used in the mummificationprocesses, spices, etc.

Some of the plants included in theexhibition are native of Egypt (papyrus,blue water lily) but others were importedthrough legendary commercial routes(spices, resins).

Among the many plants and plantproducts displayed are: papyrus(Cyperus papyrus L.), doum palm(Hyphaene thebaica [L.] C. Mart.), flax(Linum usitatissimum L.), henna(Lawsonia inermis L.), pomegranate(Punica granatum L.), ebony (Dalbergiamelanoxylon Guill. & Perr.), frankincense(Boswellia sacra Flueck.), myrrh(Commiphora myrrha [Nees] Engl.),mastic (Pistacia lentiscus L.), coriander

(Coriandrum sativum L.), garlic (Alliumsativum L.) and onions (Allium cepa L.).

A catalogue of the exhibition has beenpublished (in Portuguese and English).

For more information, please visit themuseum’s Web page(www.esab.ipbeja.pt/museu/index.htm).(Contributed by: Luís Mendonça deCarvalho [[email protected]] and Francisca Maria Fernandes[[email protected]], Portugal.)

CERTIFICATION

Beyond timber: certification of non-timber forest productsCertification is part of a growing trend withregard to defining standards for social andenvironmental performance in naturalresource management. Started inresponse to consumer demand forsustainably sourced products, the concepthas taken hold in a number of sectorsincluding the food, health care and forestproduct industries. In forestry, certificationbegan in the wood products industry, onlyrecently including non-timber forestproducts. Because the term non-timberforest products (NTFPs) encompassessuch a vast array of goods, variouscertification schemes are being applied,with varied success and relevance. Thisreview positions NTFPs within the contextof sustainable forest product certificationand within the development of broaderstandards and certification for NTFPs andrelated products (organics, authenticationand quality control). There are broaderimplications of standards, for example as atool to influence consumer choice, to formthe basis of industry association standards(of collecting and management), corporatepolicies, and/or legislation.

There are 36 products that havestandards established within the forestcertification standards, 32 of them inBrazil. Certification has focused onproducts with commercial relevance butfor which there is a good informationbase of management concerns and aknown set of collectors whose activitiescan be monitored and confirmed. Theyare also products with a marketing chain


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N E W S A N D N O T E S

“Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFP)consist of goods of biological originother than wood, derived fromforests, other wooded land and treesoutside forests.”

«Les produits forestiers non ligneuxsont des biens d’origine biologiqueautres que le bois, dérivés des forêts,des autres terres boisées, et desarbres hors forêts.»

«Productos forestales no madererosson los bienes de origen biológicodistintos de la madera derivados delos bosques, de otras tierrasboscosas y de los árboles fuera delos bosques.»

(FAO’s working definition)

to a product for which the NTFP is themain or primary ingredient.

Recent efforts to certify NTFPs raisequestions about the impact of this market-based tool on local producers andcommunities. Drawing from case studiesin Latin America, we find that there aremany impediments to the successfulimplementation of NTFP certification.These impediments range fromunorganized and powerless labourers tobasic difficulties in commercializingNTFPs in the face of an undevelopeddemand for certified products amongbusinesses and consumers. The nextgeneration of NTFP certification will bemore complex owing to faulty informationon management and biologicalcharacteristics of the species, multiplechains of collectors, managers andprocessors, the volatility of NTFP marketsand the importance of many NTFPs whichare only a small part of the final product tobe marketed.

There are strong interests indeveloping standards from industryassociations interested in thesustainability of the supply of threatenedspecies and in preventing competitionfrom lower-quality products. Healthorganizations and governments areincreasingly concerned with standards,while producers seek clear guidelines forharvesting and management that can becommunicated clearly and successfullyapplied to ensure their own incomestreams. In most cases there is a lot ofconflicting information: a plethora ofguidelines, the weakness andinconsistency of standards and a lack ofintegration into market chains or othertrade labelling initiatives (organic or fairtrade, for example).

Apart from a limited set of products,NTFP certification can be extremelycostly as regards standards developmentand application to varied ecologicalsettings. Even within a given region in agiven country, standards can beimpossible to apply where there aremultiple types of collectors overdispersed areas with public tenure. Smallproducers may be unable to apply thesestandards owing to a lack of information

or lack of market return for theirapplication. Particularly in the cosmeticindustry, where individual NTFPs are onlya small portion of the final product, thereis little market incentive to certify. Inaddition, some products can be quitevulnerable to product substitution orfashion and expensive processes ofcertification should only be applied tothose NTFPs likely to maintain areasonable market share over time.

A number of successful experiencescan be expanded to other products –rattan, maple syrup, chicle, palm heartand wood carvings. For species whichare difficult to certify there are a numberof alternatives which could be moresystematically applied to new countriesand new markets, including ethicalstandards for collectors’ associations,permit systems which coincide withcollection options and requirements, fairtrade models and the provision of greatertenure security to specific sets ofcollectors and producers. Parallel to this,government regulations often needmodifying in order to remove marketbarriers for small-scale producers and toeliminate counterproductive permittingand taxation systems that reduce thereturns available to the producer.

It appears that the process of creatingNTFP certification standards may createpositive ripple effects among producers,traders, companies and policy-makers byplanting the seeds for a vision of moresocially and environmentally responsiblemanagement of NTFP resources. Weconclude that the ability of certification tobring about wider social change indirectlymay prove to be of greater lasting impactto rural livelihoods and NTFPmanagement than labelling andmarketing. (Source: ETFRN News,39/40.)

For more information, please contact

the author:

Patricia Shanley, CIFOR, PO Box 6596,

JKPWB, Jakarta 10065, Indonesia.

E-mail: [email protected] (general

inquiries); [email protected];

www.cifor.cgiar.org or www.forest-

trends.org

Benefit-sharing using certificationFair trade certification of non-wood forestproducts (NWFPs) is an example ofbenefit-sharing that is being developed.Typically, collectors of NWFPs receiveonly small payments for the products thatthey collect. These products mayeventually be sold at prices that are manytimes higher, particularly if they areexported from developing to developedcountries. Fair trade certification and othertypes of certification have been used to tryto redistribute some of these benefits backdown the production chain, to increase theprofitability of NWFP collection, raise theincomes of local people and help toprotect forest areas. As with woodcertification, such arrangements may havethe potential to increase the profitability offorestry for local people, but they currentlyaccount for only a small share of totalNWFP production. (Source: Extractedfrom an article in Unasylva, 212 by A.Whiteman “Money doesn’t grow on trees:a perspective on prospects for makingforestry pay”.)

First FSC-certified non-timber forestproducts from the Brazilian AmazonThe fruits and palm hearts of Euterpeoleracea are non-timber forest products ofmajor economical importance in theBrazilian Amazon. This multistemmedpalm is widely distributed in theswamplands of northern South Americaand the greatest concentrations are in theAmazon estuary. People harvest the fruits



13

sustainable. Other sustainablemanagement practices are the selectivethinning of forest competitors (lianas) andpruning to increase production.

Some 4 000 ha of Euterpe forest onMarajó Island (Amazon estuary) wererecently certified by the SmartwoodProgramme, according to thesustainability guidelines of the ForestStewardship Council (FSC). The canningcompany, Muaná Alimentos, buys palmhearts and açai from forest-dwellingcommunities. In 2000, the companyproduced 540 tonnes of palm heart with avalue of US$4 million. In the same year,seven tonnes of pure and sweetened açaipulp were exported to the United States.

Muaná employees are hired andorganized through a labour cooperativeand training courses in responsible forestmanagement are held periodically. Othertechnical training courses are madeavailable to the community as a whole.New harvesting methods have beendeveloped that enable adults to gatherthe fruits and the children now go toschool. The newly founded producers’association provides boats and fuel forschool transportation. The stategovernment continues to provide supportas well since eradication of child labour ishigh on their agenda. The schoolcurriculum includes forest managementand the basic concepts of natureconservation. (Source: ETFRN News,39/40.)


Dr Tinde van Andel, Leiden University

branch of the National Herbarium of the

Netherlands, Postbus 9514, 2300 RA

Leiden, the Netherlands.


www.guianashield.org/

COMMERCIALIZINGNWFPS

Identifying the “winners & losers”The commercialization of non-timberforest products (NTFPs) has an impacton many groups of people, from poorfarmers to small-scale entrepreneurs,and on the resource base.

Examining different NTFP marketchains can help to identify suitabledevelopment paths, so that commercialreturns are not achieved at the expense ofecological sustainability and other social,cultural and environmental benefits.

Over the past three years, our group atthe Centre for Ecology and Hydrology(CEH) Wallingford has been leading an

by climbing the palms, cutting theinflorescence and extracting the fruit pulpmechanically or by hand. A highlynutritious liquid, locally known as açai, isprocessed into beverages, ice-cream andpastries and is sold at local or regionalmarkets. Mixed with cassava flour or rice,it is consumed in huge quantities by thepoor section of the Amazonianpopulation. Palm hearts consist of theyoung, undeveloped leaves in the crownshaft of the Euterpe palm and can beconsumed raw or cooked. To harvest apalm heart, the entire stem is cut downand its crown shaft removed. Palm heartsare processed and canned in factories onthe banks of the Amazon and are worthsome US$120 million annually indomestic consumption and export value.

Repeated harvesting with short rotationperiods leads to the weakening ofindividual palm clumps and a slowerregeneration. Ecological research onEuterpe populations has pointed out thatharvesting at short intervals (one to twoyears), as is mostly the case in Brazil,causes clump mortality and a steadydecline in production. Overharvesting andlow-quality (immature) palm hearts havealready weakened Brazil’s position on theworld market. Obviously, theindiscriminate felling of Euterpe palmsalso has a negative effect on theavailability of açai resources.

Fortunately, alternative land-usepractices permitting both fruit harvest andpalm heart extraction are beingincreasingly implemented by the ruralAmazonian population. Harvesting palmhearts after longer intervals (four to fiveyears) causes less damage to the naturalstands and produces a higher palm heartyield. Leaving one mature stem percluster intact increases the vitality of theclump and supplies the extractor withfruits. Because of its frequency andclonal, self-regenerative habit, Euterpeoleracea is able to sustain a viableindustry, as long as rotation periods arelong enough and producers strictly followtheir management plans. As long aspeople climb the trees to collect the fruit,instead of cutting all mature stems, açaiproduction can be considered


14


This study was carried out for theGuiana Shield Initiative, which is anambitious ecoregional project,coordinated by the NC-IUCN with theaim of setting up sustainable financialmechanisms to conserve the uniqueintact ecosystems of the GuianaShield. The development ofcommercial non-timber forestproducts is often one of the ways bywhich local communities generateincome from their surroundingbiodiversity. (Full reference: van Andel, T.R., Bánki,O.S. & MacKinven, A. 2003.Commercial non-timber forestproducts of the Guiana Shield: aninventory of commercial NTFPextraction and possibilities forsustainable harvesting. Amsterdam,Netherlands Committee for IUCN.)

Crabwood is a tree found acrossAmazonia and Central America and is amuch sought-after hardwood. But thebenefits of the oil derived from its seedsare also known throughout the region. InGuyana, crabwood oil is a highly prizedhousehold item among Amerindianpeoples, having multiple uses, especiallyfor the treatment of common ailments. Itsother properties and uses have importantpotential, and have been examined sothat appropriate management regimescan be developed.

The “Winners & Losers” project teamincludes specialists in environmentaleconomics, ecology, natural resourcemanagement, community development,marketing, and intellectual propertyrights. We set out to identify the winnersand losers in forest productcommercialization to help establishmethods of sustainable harvest ofresources, benefit local producers, andresolve conflicts. This knowledge canhelp forest-dependent communitiesworldwide to profit from their naturalresources in an equitable and sustainableway. The United Kingdom Department forInternational Development (DFID) isfunding the research as part of theirForestry Research Programme, and willuse the results to inform localcommunities as well as national andinternational forest policies.

The research has shown that inidentifying the winners and losers inforest product commercialization we canconclude that an enterprise, community,or individual household may experienceboth winning and losing situations andthat they may win and lose at differenttimes of the year or season depending oncertain circumstances. The lesson thathas emerged is that there are winners’and losers’ qualities or behaviour thatinfluence the distribution of benefits incommercialization.

Outputs from the Winners & Losersproject are extensive and diverse,ranging from scientific papers toeducational materials. One such output isa half-hour professional quality video film,Trees of Life: 10 lessons from the marulaand crabwood trees, due to be shown on

international multidisciplinary teamexamining the distribution, use andmarketing of NTFPs from two species,marula (Sclerocarya birrea) in SouthAfrica and Namibia, and crabwood(Carapa guianensis) in Guyana, toassess the economic and ecologicalimpacts of their commercialization on theforest resource base and people’slivelihoods.

Our research has shown that NTFPuse can provide important income forpoorer households, especially for women,diversify their livelihood options, and atthe same time lead to improvedmanagement and conservation of theresource. We have also highlighted thefact that the potential economic benefitsof NTFP commercialization must beweighed against social, cultural andecological costs that may arise,particularly when products become thefocus of large-scale enterprises.

The marula tree and its fruit are wellknown across southern Africa, thanks toits widespread distribution, its commonuse among rural communities (especiallyfor brewing beer), and its popularizationthrough the advertising efforts of theproducers of Amarula Cream liqueur. Themarula tree has many uses and it is anexample of an NTFP with considerablecommercialization potential. Its barkprovides medicine, its wood is used forcarving, its fruits for the preparation ofjuice, beer and jams, and its kernelsprovide a wholesome snack and high-quality oil.

national television in the study countriesand available on VHS for widereducational dissemination.

More information about the project and(coming soon) downloadable reports andother outputs can be found at theWinners & Losers Web site (www.ceh-wallingford.ac.uk/research/winners/).


Dermot O’Regan, Water Policy &

Management, CEH Wallingford,

Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford,

Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK.

Fax: +44 1491 692338;

e-mail: [email protected];

or Sheona Shackleton, Marula

Commercialization Project,

Environmental Science

Department, Rhodes University,

Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.

Fax: +27 46 6038616;


Commercialization of NTFPs in theAmazonThe Rainforest Alliance has awarded the2003-2005 Kleinhans Fellowship forstudy of non-timber forest products(NTFPs) to Carla Morsello, Ph.D. Carlawill examine how the commercializationof NTFPs in the Brazilian Amazon isaffecting local indigenous communitiesand forest conservation. The NTFPs inthe study will include local oils, nuts,flowers and herbs used by the cosmeticsand medicinal industries. (For the fullstory, please see the press release at:http://ra.org/news/archives/news/news69.html) (Source: Rainforest Alliance[[email protected]], 5 August2003.)


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The Fellowship Program brings natural resources professionals fromaround the world to work at the WorldForest Institute for six to 12 months. More than 50 Fellows from 17 countrieshave participated in the programme.Fellows staff country desks at WFI andwork with colleagues from around theworld. They work on a primary researchproject developed in cooperation withtheir sponsors, and also participate ingroup activities which include site visits to forestry agencies, universities,companies and mills.

WFI seeks individuals with initiative,interest in international forestry issues,and a good command of English.


Angie DiSalvo, International

Fellowship Program Manager,

World Forest Institute,

World Forestry Center,

4033 SW Canyon Road,

Portland, OR 97221, USA.


www.worldforestry.org/wfi

JOURNALS

Journal of Tropical Medicinal PlantsMedicinal plants in the tropics areintegral to health care and constituteone of the richest forms of tropical forestbiodiversity. There is a need forscientific information on utilization,conservation, safety, efficacy and qualitycontrol to match the rapidly growingdemand in this field. The Journal ofTropical Medicinal Plants has beenestablished to provide a forum for soundscience and education of medicinalplant species from the Tropics that areof benefit to humanity.


Prof. A.N. Rao, Editor-in-Chief,

Journal of Tropical Medicinal Plants,

Level 2, Wisma Zuellig,

9 Jalan Bersatu (13/4),

Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

E-mail:

[email protected]

FORESTRY COMPENDIUM2003 EDITION

The Forestry Compendium is anencyclopaedic, mixed media tool,available on CD-ROM and the Internet. It has a user-friendly interface so it canpresent text, pictures, maps andabstracts together, without the userhaving to search numerous sources.


CAB International, Wallingford,

Oxfordshire, OX10 8DE, UK.

Fax: +44 1491 829292;

www.cabicompendium.org/fc

GLOBAL FORUMCALLS TO CURBILLEGAL LOGGINGAND PROMOTERESPONSIBLE FORESTINVESTMENT

With a call to curb illegal logging – whichtoday represents worldwide annuallosses in revenues and assets in excessof US$10 billion – and to increaseresponsible forest investments indeveloping countries and economies-in-transition, a two-day multistakeholderForest Investment Forum ended today inWashington.

A statement issued by the sponsoringorganizations – the World BusinessCouncil for Sustainable Development(WBCSD), World Wide Fund for Nature(WWF), Forest Trends, Program onForests (PROFOR), the World Bank, andthe International Finance Corporation(IFC) – emphasized that this gathering,which included leaders of multinationalforest companies, governments,ministries, international development andfinancial institutions, and environmentaland civil society organizations was acrucial platform to move ahead asustainability agenda for the forestsector.

According to Ian Johnson, World BankVice President for SustainableDevelopment, it is important to act now

to implement sustainable forestmanagement, as forests are fundamentalin the fight against poverty and themaintenance of biodiversity.

It is estimated that some 1.6 billionpeople worldwide depend on forests fortheir livelihoods. Sixty million indigenouspeoples depend on forests for theirsubsistence. Forest resources alsorepresent a survival base for as many as200 to 300 million small farmers aroundthe world.

Forests worldwide harbour 90 percentof land-based biodiversity, includingnumerous threatened and endangeredplant and animal species. Forestsprovide valuable goods such as timberand medicines, and important servicessuch as regulating climate change bystoring carbon and filtering drinking-water. Despite their importance, many ofthe world’s richest forests are rapidlydisappearing. (Source: Extracted from aWorld Bank [Washington, DC], PressRelease, 24 October 2003.)

INTERNATIONALFELLOWSHIPOPPORTUNITY

The World Forest Institute (WFI) isseeking individuals working in forestryand natural resources to apply for theirInternational Fellowship Program. WFI isa division of the World Forestry Center,which is a small, private non-profiteducational organization based inPortland, Oregon, United States. TheForestry Center promotes education andinformation exchange regarding forestsand forestry.


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World Bamboo and RattanWorld Bamboo and Rattan is a newquarterly journal.


Fu Jinhe, Ph.D., Program Officer,

International Network for Bamboo and

Rattan, Beijing 100101-80, People’s

Republic of China.

Fax: +86 10 64956983;


www.inbar.int or

www.geocities.com/zhuzi.geo

Nature and Environment Law TimesPrint World (Nature Book Shop) hasannounced the publication of a quarterlyjournal Nature and Environment LawTimes to cater to the intellectual andprofessional requirements of foresters,environmentalists, lawyers, socialactivists, academicians and naturelovers. (For information regardingsubscription and pre-publication offersplease contact: [email protected])

NEEM TREEEXTRACTS TO KILLVEGETABLE PESTS

Farmers could use extracts of the neemtree to control pests that attackvegetables, research done in MakerereUniversity, Uganda, has revealed. DrAnne Akol, a lecturer at the Departmentof Zoology, Faculty of Science, foundthat neem tree extracts could kill severalcabbage pests. She said only low doses

of the extract were needed to kill theinsects, and that farmers in Kenya werealready using the neem extracts tocontrol pests. Neem doesn’t kill theinsects immediately, but it causes theirabnormal growth.

She advised farmers not to collectextracts from different neem trees astrees vary in the concentration of thenatural pesticide. Some trees have higherconcentrations than others.

Dr Akol completed her research in2001. By setting up experiments in alaboratory, she established that the neemextract could kill such cabbage pests asaphids and caterpillars. However, she didnot establish how many other pests couldbe killed using neem. (Source: NewVision [Kampala], Uganda, 26 March2003.)


the author: Prof. Mark Chase, Royal

Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond,

Surrey TW9 3AB, UK.


www.kew.org

NTFPS REVISITED

In June 2003, the International ForestryReview published a special issue“NTFPs revisited”, guest edited by DrAnna Lawrence of the EnvironmentalChange Institute (ECI).

Some of the papers are available fordownloading from the ECI Web site:www.eci.ox.ac.uk/humaneco/he_IFR.htm.(Contributed by: Sarah Gillett[[email protected]], UK.)

SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT OF RATTANIN ASEAN COUNTRIES

Rattans belong to the palm family(Palmae or Arecaceae) and to theCalamoideae, a large subfamily. Theyare thorny climbing palms with around600 species belonging to 13 genera andfound in the lowland tropical forests ofthe Old World. Most of the species havevery restricted natural ranges and growfrom sea level to 3 000 m altitude.

The Southeast Asian region isendowed with diverse species of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) owing toits vast tropical forests. Of the 13 knowngenera of rattans, ten genera with about574 species are found in the SoutheastAsian and neighbouring regions, from Fijito the Indian subcontinent, and fromSouth China to Queensland in Australia.These are Calamus (400 species),Daemonorops (115 species), Korthalsia(26 species), Plectocomia (16 species),Ceratolobus (six species),Plectocomiopsis (five species),Pogonotium (three species), Myrialepis,Calospatha and Retispatha (one specieseach). Owing to this great number ofrattan species, Southeast Asia isconsidered to be the centre ofbiodiversity of rattans. Commercialspecies of rattan are only approximately10 percent of the total known speciesworldwide.

Rattan is an important commodity ininternational trade and at the local level.It was estimated that the external tradeof rattan generates about US$4 billion.Southeast Asian countries are the majorinternational traders of rattan, with localusage amounting to US$2.5 billion.

Worldwide, about 700 million peopleuse rattans and about two million peoplein the Asian tropics are said to be directlydependent on rattan or connected withrattan harvesting and trade. Most localpeople in Southeast Asia use rattansprimarily for thatching, handicrafts, food,furniture and other uses. In fact, over theyears Asian artisans have perfected theirskills in making attractive, distinctively

styled rattan articles that are renownedand valued all over the world.

Trade in rattan products has becomevery profitable for many Asian countriesand is a source of income for many ruralinhabitants. The rattan industry alsoprovides employment opportunities tolocal people and contributes to thenational and international economies.

At present, rattan resources are beingexploited in their natural habitat. Theexternal trade and commercial value ofrattan furniture amounts to US$7 billion to$8 billion. However, nearly 90 percent ofthe raw materials being used for theindustry are mainly from wild forests andvery few from cultivated areas. Thesituation is being aggravated by thelosses during post harvest operations of20 to 30 percent of the materials beinggathered. Inadequate replenishment, poorforest management and loss of foresthabitats also contribute to the problemsregarding the depletion of rattanresources.

A limited number of rattan species aresuitable for plantation establishment andplantations are found in few countries,e.g. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand andthe Philippines. Other plantationestablishments have started recently insome countries while large-scaleplantations have yet to be developed andencouraged.

Thus far, the plight of rattan productionand utilization cannot be ignored. It isapparent that there is a need for improvedtechniques in planting and managementof rattan in degraded forest. Collaborativeefforts and exchange of informationand/or experts concerning themanagement of rattan to a broaderperspective are imperative. This couldturn to the formulation and adoption ofimproved technologies for sustainabledevelopment of rattan. Building a strongcollaboration between governmental,international and private organizations formore information exchange andcooperation is an important undertaking.

As a first step towards this, theEcosystems Research and DevelopmentBureau – Department of Environmentand Natural Resources (ERDB-DENR)

and the Forest Products Research andDevelopment Institute – Department ofScience and Technology (FPRDI-DOST)are implementing a pre-project entitled“Application of production and utilizationtechnologies for sustainable developmentof rattan in the ASEAN membercountries” (ITTO PPD 51/02 Rev.1 [I])with funding support from theInternational Tropical TimberOrganization (ITTO). This Asia-wideendeavour will cover Brunei Darussalam,Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’sDemocratic Republic, Malaysia,Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Viet Namand the Philippines.

The development objective of the pre-project is to assess the socio-economicacceptability, the financial and marketfeasibility of rattan production andutilization technologies in the ASEANmember countries. Specifically it aims to:conduct a situational analysis of therattan industry and determine the socio-economic, production, harvesting,processing, utilization and marketdimensions of rattan both in plantationand community-based levels in theASEAN member countries; anddetermine future actions needed toenhance ASEAN regional cooperationthrough collaborative research in rattansustainable development.

This pre-project will capture the statusquo of the region’s socio-economicsituation in relation to the rattan industry.Other factors such as sociodemographicinformation, acceptability, preferencesand attitude towards rattan as a rawmaterial will also be studied. Theinformation will provide decision-makerswith bases for the rationale and viabledecisions for future market-relatedactions.

A Regional Rattan Conference washeld in January 2004 as a culmination ofall the activities in the pre-project andpresented papers on the status of rattanresources in participating ASEANcountries, their uses, extent andmanagement of natural stands andappropriate silvicultural activities relatedto sustainable development.

Formulation of a framework for the

sustainable development of rattan in theregion is anticipated to be carried out bythe Research Team. Indeed, through thispre-project it is foreseen that the status ofthe rattan industries will be improved ormodified with the appropriatetechnologies, information, and economicand social interventions through theefficient and effective exchange ofinformation and/or experts and thecollaboration among the ASEAN membercountries. (Contributed by: Jessie R.Fortus, Research Assistant, ITTO RattanProject.)


Dr Aida Baja-Lapis, Project Leader

(Production and Management), Project

Management Office, Ecosystems

Research and Development Bureau,

College, Laguna 4031, the Philippines.

Fax: +63 049 5363481;

e-mail: [email protected],

[email protected] or

[email protected]

THE SOUTHERN AFRICANNATURAL PRODUCTSTRADE ASSOCIATION

If you asked Chapeto six months agohow he saw his role in a global economy,he would have laughed at you. Chapetolives in the remote district of Rushinga, innortheastern Zimbabwe; a hot, dry, dustyplace, where the daily struggle forsurvival can be especially harsh. But ifyou ask him today, Chapeto will tell youexactly how he fits into the globaleconomy and how he is benefiting frombeing linked to one of the world’s fastestgrowing industries.


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Chapeto and his partner Kasoro,together own one of the latest businessesto benefit from a new regional tradeassociation, SANProTA (the SouthernAfrican Natural Products TradeAssociation) that aims to bring people likeChapeto into the global economy.Chapeto’s company is called C&KInvestments and they produce oil fromthe seeds of the baobab tree. They haverecently invested in an oil press andestablished a small oil processing facilitythat employs five local people. At currentproduction levels they are purchasing 6tonnes of seed per month from ruralproducers throughout their district inreturn for much-needed cash.

The global trade in natural products isa rapidly growing market sector valued atmore than US$40 billion a yearworldwide. SANProTA’s goal is to unlockthe market potential of natural products insouthern Africa, giving global companiesaccess to new and exciting Africannatural products while developing a long-term supplementary income source forpoor rural people in the region, thusenabling them to improve their livelihoodsfrom the sustainable exploitation ofnatural products. Established in 2001,SANProTA is a representative body forproducers in Botswana, Malawi, Namibia,Zambia and Zimbabwe. The associationprovides the institutional conduit for thecollection, processing, ordering anddispatching of natural products. Itsmembership encompasses the full rangeof rural producers, private sector players,NGOs and research institutions.

With their team of specialist staff insouthern Africa and Europe, SANProTAprovides its southern African memberswith technical advice on the latest productdevelopment and processing innovations,supply chain management, qualitycontrol, export procedures and salesnegotiation. SANProTA represents itsmembers at all major European naturalproducts trade shows, feeding memberswith market information and contacts, andfacilitating fair and environmentally soundtrading partnerships between membersand buyers. The association also helpsmembers to get to grips with often

complicated export procedures, whilelobbying for improved trade regulationsand an increased understanding of thenatural products industry amonggovernments and regulatory bodies.SANProTA therefore gives Africanproducers like Chapeto a place at thecutting edge of the natural productsindustry alongside some of the leadinginternational commercial players, enablinghim to gain an equitable and profitablestake in the global marketplace.

If you would like to know more aboutSANProTA, or are interested in becominga member, please contact them at thefollowing address: Lucy Welford, Liaisonand Information Officer, SANProTA, 9Lezard Ave, PO Box BE 385, Belvedere,Harare, Zimbabwe (e-mail:[email protected]; www.sanprota.com)

USE OF AN ESSENTIALOIL AGAINST DENGUE

The essential oil of rosewood (Anibarosaeodora), vastly used in the perfumeindustry, could also be useful for publichealth purposes. Researchers from theFederal University of Amazonas (UFAM),Brazil, discovered that it has substancescapable of exterminating the larvae ofthe mosquito Aedes aegypti thattransmits dengue. Tests showed thatlinalool, the principal oil in this treenative to Amazonia, is able to eliminate92 percent of the larvae present in asample.

The chemist, Katiuscia de Souza,arrived at this discovery following a

change of course in her investigation.The initial objective was to verify whetherlinalool was thrown out with the water inwhich it was distilled. The extractionprocess occurs by vaporizationseparation. Trunks, sticks and leaves areimmersed in water which is then boiled.Because this water is very fragrant,Katiuscia imagined that it still contained acertain amount of linalool. The testsproved that she was correct. However,another factor attracted her attention: shediscovered that many regions in theinterior of Amazonia use this material asa disinfectant in bathrooms, toilets andeven on walls and in hospitaldispensaries. She thought that thelinalool could be responsible for thelarvicide’s activity of the waste water.

As the ideal conditions did not exist atUNAM, Katiuscia used the laboratories atthe National Research Institute ofAmazonia (INAP). The results were verygood: in a sample where larvae wereexposed to linalool for 24 hours, 88percent of the Aedes aegypti larvae died.She extended the exposure for another24 hours. In the final results, 92 percentof the larvae had died.

The next step is to use the essential oilto develop a product to combat thedengue mosquito larvae. According tochemist Jamal Chaar, Katiuscia’s adviserin the investigation, it is possible toexploit linalool or even the waste water todevelop a larvicide. He also added thatanother aspect that needs to behighlighted is that the waste water cannotbe dumped into the environment since itcould by very toxic to micro-organisms,many of which have not yet beenexamined. (Source: Amazon News, 7 December 2003.)



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VASUNDHARA

Vasundhara is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization, working primarilyin Orissa, India with natural resourcesmanagement focused on sustainablerural livelihoods. Vasundhara has beenextensively involved in the forestrysector, trying to improve community-statecollaboration and facilitate policychanges in the direction of sustainablecommunity-based forest managementsystems. The main areas of work havebeen policy advocacy, research anddocumentation, capacity building andnetworking. It has been instrumental ininitiating coordinated action andresponse from the civil society onforestry issues, and contributed to theprocess of alliance building andnetworking among forest-protectingvillages and forest users in various partsof Orissa.

Vasundhara has also played anextremely relevant role in thedocumentation of community forestryinitiatives and in establishing therichness and diversity of theirexperience. This documentation hasrendered visible internationally the self-initiated forest protection efforts in Orissaas important examples of sustainableresource management systems.

Research is focused on supportingVasundhara’s efforts to improve accessand control of “ecosystem people” i.e.people who depend on their immediateecosystem for sustenance, on theirnatural resources, especially forests.Some of the key research issues includeNTFPs, NTFP policies, institutionalissues relating to community forestmanagement (CFM), ecological andeconomic aspects of CFM, biodiversityconservation etc.


Vasundhara, 14-E Gajapati Nagar,

PO Sainik School,

Bhubaneswar–751005, Orissa, India.

Fax: +91 674 509237/519237;


[Please also see under Products and

Markets for more information on Lac.]

WHICH BIODIVERSITY?In February 2004 thousands of expertsgathered at the Seventh Conference ofthe Parties of the Convention onBiological Diversity in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia to find ways to conservebiodiversity and to share the benefitsequitably. Usually much of the attention insuch discussions goes either to animalsthat are physically attractive or to thegenetic resources used by crop breedersand drug companies. The plants andanimals that villagers use for food,medicine, fuelwood, rituals, and otheruses are often neglected.

That is not just simply unjust, it isdownright unwise. If you don’t listen tolocal people’s concerns how can youexpect them to support conservation?

Doug Sheil from the Center forInternational Forestry Research (CIFOR)leads a team that is developing new waysfor conservation planners to take intoaccount local people’s needs. Thedocument, Local people’s priorities forbiodiversity: examples from for forests ofIndonesian Borneo, provides an exampleof this from the district of Malinau. There

the team worked closely with familiesfrom seven communities to map outwhich species are most important tothem, where they are located, and whatneeds to be done to protect them.

Hunting remains the main source ofanimal products for these villagers,particularly in remote places. Thevillagers prefer to hunt wild boar, butlogging has driven away many of theboars, forcing people to hunt less-preferred protected species such asmonkeys. While logging drives the boarsaway, small rice and cassava fieldsactually attract them. Salt springs andabandoned villages with many fruit-treesalso attract a lot of the animals thatpeople want.

Current Indonesian regulationsencourage loggers to slash all theundergrowth and climbers for five yearsafter logging to get rid of “weeds”.Unfortunately, many of those “weeds” areactually the plants that local people need.Similarly, loggers are usually told to drivetheir heavy machinery along the ridge topsto avoid erosion, but that is exactly wherethe sago palms grow that villagers eatwhen times are hard. Logging near riversoften kills the river carp that people areused to fishing because those carp eat thefruits of the trees that loggers harvest andcan only survive in clear water.

Malinau’s villagers are particularlyinterested in conserving forests neargravesites and limestone formationswhere they harvest bird-nests. As it turnsout, the latter are also rich in endemicspecies that interest biologists.

Focusing on these sorts of issuesleads you to a partially differentbiodiversity agenda than just worryingabout the big animals for the zoos orfinding the cure for cancer.

To request a free electronic copy of thispaper, contact Indah Susilanasari([email protected]); to sendcomments or queries to the authors,contact Doug Sheil ([email protected]). Afull explanation of the methodology canbe downloaded at: www.cifor.cgiar.org/publications/pdf_files/Books/exploring_bio.pdf (Source: Polex Listserv [CIFOR],[[email protected]], February 2004.)


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Vasundhara has produced a seriesprofiling individual NTFPs. The first sixpublications in this series cover: Charseeds; Hill broom; Tamarind; Mahua;Siali leaf; and Lac.

WILDLIFE ANDPOVERTY STUDY

International donor agencies, such as theUnited Kingdom Department forInternational Development (DFID), aretrying to figure out what to do about wildanimals. People back home like them,especially the warm and fuzzy ones. Butthe aid agencies’ main focus is reducingpoverty, and they are still not sure howfuzzy animals fit into the picture.

Some aid officials wonder whether thepoor really need wild animals. Othersargue that projects that combineconservation and development cost a lotfor each person the project benefits andthey worry that more parks mightmarginalize the poor.

Such concerns recently led DFID to doa “wildlife and poverty study”. This studyconcluded that some 150 million peoplestill rely heavily on wildlife for meat or cashand that wildlife tourism might become aninteresting option for marginal remoteareas. Given that the World Bank and theGlobal Environment Facility spent US$7.4billion on conservation and biodiversityprojects over the last ten years, the poorcould also benefit from having more ofsuch funds contributing to meeting theirneeds.

DFID says most poverty reductionstrategies fail to recognize that many ruralpeople rely on bushmeat and thatdeclining wildlife populations makes theirlives more difficult. (On the other hand,wild animals also cause problems whenthey eat villagers’ crops or livestock,spread disease, or attack people.) Solvingthe bushmeat problem in countries with

weak institutions will not be easy. Effortsso far to find other sources of protein tosubstitute for wild animals have not hadmuch success. People need to think moreabout the bushmeat issue from thevillagers’ perspectives, and not just interms of conservation. Working withlogging companies, traditional forestdwellers, small farmers and commercialhunters will each require separateapproaches. In any case it will be a hardnut to crack.

With regards to tourism, the study findsthat community-based wildlifemanagement projects have yielded mixedresults in eastern and southern Africa.Some households and districts receivedmore money and jobs, but at a high cost todonors. To get beyond that stage requiresquick and simple mechanisms forestablishing resource rights, clearer andmore equitable benefit-sharingarrangements, and building up localbusiness skills.

In 1998, tourism was one of the fiveleading export sectors in two thirds of theworld’s 49 least developed countries. Butthe tourism business is risky and outsidersusually get most of the benefits. Still,serious attempts to promote “pro-poor”wildlife tourism through communityenterprises, serious partnerships betweencompanies and communities, and effortsto upgrade the skills of local workers havejust begun. No one knows if they willsucceed.

The study points out many times thatwe still know surprisingly little about theseissues from a livelihood perspective, muchless what to do about them. And financingresearch is not as popular as it once was.But this is one case where it might justmake sense.

To request a free electronic copy of thispaper you can write to the DFID publicenquiry point ([email protected]); tosend comments or queries or if you haveany problems you can write to the authors,Joanna Elliott and the Livestock andWildlife Advisory Group ([email protected]). (Source: CIFOR-Polex Listserve,4 March 2003.)[Please see under Products and Marketsfor more information on Bushmeat.]

WOMEN PLAY ACENTRAL CONSERVATIONROLE IN AFRICA

“Women in Africa are the most culturally,economically, and politicallydisadvantaged,” said Dr Helen Gichohiof the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF),but “they are also the most dependenton the wildlife and forests for food, waterand fuelwood for their families.” DrGichohi stated this basic fact of life inAfrica during a breakfast sponsored bythe AWF at the National Press Club inWashington that highlighted the progressbeing made in the field of conservationin Africa and, specifically, the role ofwomen in that process.

“Women in Conservation” was thetopic for a panel discussion that featuredDr Gichohi, AWF’s vice-president forprogramming; Faida Mitifu, theambassador from the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo; Katie Frohardt,executive director of Fauna & FloraInternational; and Kim Sams, manager ofconservation initiatives for Walt DisneyWorld. All pointed out the central functionof women in the entire conservationmovement since they are the front line inthe process in Africa.

Gichohi noted that when the politicalor economic decision is made to build ina forested area, it is the women – whohad been excluded from the decisionentirely – who have to walk farther fortheir water, search longer for their foodand make more trips to carry their



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The World Customs Organization(WCO) has approved a series of newHarmonized System customs codes(see details at: www.inbar.int) forbamboo and rattan commoditiesbased on an FAO/INBAR proposal. This historic event will have profound,deep and long-term effects on theglobal bamboo and rattan productionand trade.

Thirteen new six-digit codes wereintroduced to the HarmonizedCommodity Description and CodingSystem (HS) in addition to or forclarification of the existing 12 bambooand rattan customs codes. The codesrepresent a wide range ofcommodities including bambooshoots, charcoal, plywood, plaitingmaterials, basketwork, pulp andpaper, furniture and furniture parts. Itis expected that codes for bambooflooring – one of the leading items ofbamboo and rattan global trade – areto be introduced during the coming2004 WCO HS Committee meeting inBrussels in March in the context of

the European Commission parquetfloor proposal.

The significance of the new customscodes for the dynamically growingbamboo and rattan sector is difficult tooverestimate. The new codes will allowthe levying of more preferential tariffsand taxes on bamboo and rattancommodities for the benefit ofdeveloping nations and fair trade. Theywill also significantly improvecollection of trade statistics, which isimportant for economic analysis andpolicy-making. Harmonized Systemcustoms codes are revised only onceevery four to six years. The nextrevision will only start in 2008. Thenewly introduced codes will take effectin 2007.

INBAR highly appreciates the overallsupport of its member countries andcontributions of all individuals andorganizations which for a few yearswere working together and contributedto the proposal, including FAO(particularly Messrs Wulf Killmann andPaul Vantomme), the European Forest

Institute (particularly Messrs PhilipWardle and Bruce Michie), theInternational Tropical TimberOrganization (particularly MessrsManoel Sobral Filho and SteveJohnson), the Chinese Customs(particularly Ms Jin Hongman), customsorganizations of Indonesia, Malaysiaand the Philippines (which providedtheir comments, statistical data andsuggestions), participants of two jointFAO/INBAR Expert Consultations onbamboo and rattan in 2000 and 2002, aswell as WCO representatives who werevery constructive and cooperative.


Dr Maxim Lobovikov, Program Manager,

International Network for Bamboo

and Rattan (INBAR), Director of the

International Commodity Body

of the Common Fund for Commodities,

POB 100102-86, Beijing 100102,

People’s Republic of China.

Fax: +86 10 6470 2166/3166;


www.inbar.int

WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION APPROVES NEW BAMBOO AND RATTAN CUSTOMS CODES ON THE BASIS OF FAO/INBAR PROPOSAL

fuelwood. They are the ones mostclosely connected to the environmentand when the environment is degraded,women suffer the brunt of the effects.

In that context, she stated, it isessential that women living in forestedareas develop income-generatingactivities that take advantage of thenatural resources around them.

Ambassador Faida Mitifu of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo saidthat her country’s history of civil war hadresulted in an unusually large number offemale-headed households that dependon the forest for “sustainable life”. Mitifusaid that the United States Agency forInternational Development (USAID) willwork with AWF to develop projects thatfocus on conserving wildlife and on

increasing women’s involvement in thateffort.

Mitifu observed that there was acontinuing contradiction between thetraditional roles of women in Africa andthe requirements of modern life. Whilethere had been progress towardsengaging women in politics andconservation, she said, there was stillroom for improvement. “In a male-dominated world, the policies are madeby men, and the women and their plightare forgotten,” explained Mitifu. Sheencouraged non-governmentalorganizations with a strong femaleinfluence to continue to advance the roleof women in conservation projects.

Sams, in applauding the work ofwomen in this vital field, noted that there

were few men in attendance. (Source:United States Department of State(Washington, DC), 17 November 2003.)


23

various grades of agarwood are distilledseparately before blending to produceattar (scent). Minyak attar is a water-based perfume containing agarwood oil,which is traditionally used by Muslims tolace prayer clothes. Agarwood essenceshave recently been used as a fragrancein soaps and shampoos. Agarwoodincense is burned to produce a pleasantscent, its use ranging from a generalperfume to an element of importantreligious occasions.

In Bangladesh the major agarwood-based industries are located in the Kulaurathana under the Moulavibazar districts,where about 100 agar-based industriesare located. Most (90 percent) of theentrepreneurs managed capital from theirown sources, 6 percent frommoneylenders as loans and the remainderfrom bank loans. Most of theentrepreneurs claimed that owing to theunavailability of capital they were unableto expand their industries. The majority ofthe industries (64 percent) were undersingle ownership while the rest had jointownership. It was found that a remarkableportion of the industries (72 percent) wereset up on their own land and the remainderon rented land. The average number ofthe workforce in these industries was 16,with both skilled and semi-skilled labourersbeing employed. Raw materials in theseindustries are collected from homesteadforests; there is, therefore, an acuteshortage of raw material owing to theabsence of commercial agarwoodplantations. The Forest Department hasrecently initiated agar plantations to meetthe demands of agar-based industries.Furthermore, entrepreneurs lack moderninoculation techniques and treatmentplants for agar oil production.

Agar oil is an export-oriented productand the demand is very high on theinternational market. The current annualdemand for agar oil in the study area is120 000 tola [1 tola = 10 g], but the supplyin the market is only 84 000 tola. The largegap in the demand/supply situation is dueto the scarcity of raw materials, fuelwoodand also because of government support.Production costs include raw materials,labour, fuelwood and other costs (rent,

P R O D U C T S A N D M A R K E T S

Aquilaria agallocha Roxb. – a promisingnon-wood forest product of BangladeshAgarwood (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) isbelieved to have originated from theIndian hills of Assam. This species issynonymous with A. malaccensis. It istraded in several forms, ranging fromlarge sections of trunk to finishedproducts such as incense and perfumes.Agarwood chips and flakes are thecommon tradable forms. Agarwood oil isa highly valuable and frequently tradedproduct. The major constituents ofagarwood oil are sesquiterpenes, thechemical structure of which makes themvery difficult, hence extremely expensive,to synthesize. Although syntheticagarwood compounds are used toproduce poor-quality fragrances andincense sticks, there are currently nosynthetic substitutes for high-gradeincense or oil. The price of agarwoodchips is US$20 to $60 per kilogram;agarwood oil commands US$956 to $7 059 per kilogram on the internationalmarket. Agarwood has also been usedfor medicinal purposes for thousands ofyears, and continues to be used inAyurvedic, Tibetan and traditional EastAsian medicine. The use of agarwood oilfor perfumery extends back severalthousand years in the Near East. In India

AGARWOOD

Agarwood is a resinous substanceoccurring in trees of the genus Aquilaria(a member of the Thymelaeceae family),a fast-growing forest tree which can befound growing from the foothills of theHimalayas to the rain forests of PapuaNew Guinea. Outside its native habitat,agarwood is best known in the NearEast and Japan.

The most important resin-producingspecies of Aquilaria are A. agollocha, A.malaccensis and A. crassna.

A. malaccensis is protected worldwideunder the (CITES) convention. A.crassna is listed as an endangeredspecies by the Vietnamese Government.

Agarwood has been used for centuriesas incense, for medicinal purposes andin perfumery.

First-grade agarwood is one of themost expensive natural raw materials inthe world, with prices in consumercountries ranging from a few dollars per kilogram for very low quality materialto more than US$30 000 per kilogramfor top quality wood. Agarwood oilfetches similarly high prices. (Source:Agarwood “Wood of Gods” InternationalConference.)

Edible insects in Ngao Model Forest, Agar

Agarwood is a one of the mostvaluable minor forest products of theSoutheast Asian tropical forests. InViet Nam, agarwood is produced fromthe heartwood of rarely availablenatural Aquilaria crassna trees. In theauthors’ fieldwork in Viet Nam, anatural A. crassna was found in KhanhHoa province. Information onagarwood exploitation and productionwas gathered by interviewing localpeople. The results showed that someof the local people earn their livingthrough agarwood production, butowing to overexploitation the naturalresource for this valuable plant hasdeclined dramatically in the past

decades, while the demand for theresource remains constant or evenincreases. The cultivation of A. crassnahas started in several places in thecountry as an initiative for conservingthis endangered but economicallyimportant plant species. (Source:Quan-Le-Tran, Qui-Kim-Tran, Kouda-K,Nhan-Trung-Nguyen, Maruyama-Y,Saiki-I & Kadota-S. 2003. A survey onagarwood in Vietnam. Journal ofTraditional Medicines, 20(3): 124–131.)


Institute of Natural Medicine, Toyama

Medical and Pharmaceutical University,

2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.


24

electricity). In the study area, per unit (tola)production costs were 3 900 taka. Theselling price of agar oil per tola is about 5 500 taka and the net income per unit is 1 600 taka [US$1 = 58 taka].

Proper marketing, considered to be theprime constraint for the development ofagarwood-based small-scale cottageindustries in Bangladesh, needs to bedeveloped considerably. Industry size, thepoor financial condition of theentrepreneurs, along with scattereddistribution of the industries pose a seriousthreat to marketing. Entrepreneurs play asignificant role in the marketing of agar oilin the study area. In Bangladesh there isno established market for agar oil; themain market is in the Near East. However,small entrepreneurs have no access tothat international market. Agents buy agaroil from small industry owners and send itfor sale on the Near East market. Themarketing of agar products on theinternational market is highly competitiveas it is based on quality standards,advertising and product promotion.

Bangladesh is lagging behind inpromotion and marketing; therefore, if wecan overcome the prevailing problems inthis sector, it is certain that agar-basedindustries will open up a new window inour small and cottage industries sector.(Contributed by: A.Z.M. Manzoor Rashid,Bangladesh.)


A.Z.M. Manzoor Rashid, Assistant

Professor and M. Qumruzzaman

Chowdhury, Lecturer, Department of

Forestry, Shahjalal University of

Science and Technology, Sylhet-3114,

Bangladesh.


AGUAJE(MAURITIA FLEXUOSA)

El aguaje, una alternativa alimentariadesde la Amazonía peruanaLa importancia de la presencia de lazanahoria y el zapallo en la dieta diaria,debido a su contenido de vitamina A,hace parte de los conocimientostradicionales populares. La vitamina A esmuy importante para la salud de losojos, el cabello y la piel, ya que laprotege contra los rayos ultravioleta,ayuda al mantenimiento del cutis,previene su resecamiento y elenvejecimiento prematuro.

La vitamina A se encuentra enrealidad en esos vegetales comoprovitamina, en forma de betacaroteno,que posee mayor actividad vitamínica yles brinda ese color característico rojo,anaranjado y amarillo. El betacaroteno,además de tener las propiedades yamencionadas, es uno de los mejoresanticancerígenos, previene laarteriosclerosis y actúa comoantioxidante neutralizando los radicaleslibres responsables del envejecimiento.

La ventaja de consumir betacaroteno,en vez de vitamina A, es que éstaconsumida directamente y en excesopodría ser potencialmente tóxica puesse acumula en el hígado, mientras queel betacaroteno al actuar comoprovitamina y siendo liposoluble seacumula como exceso en las grasas yse convertirá en vitamina A en base alas necesidades del organismo.

La industria alimentaria está lanzandoal mercado una nueva gama dealimentos enriquecidos con vitaminas A,E, y C que, siendo antioxidantes, seofrecen como complemento nutricional ypara combatir la agresión causada porlos radicales libres, satisfaciendo de estemodo las crecientes preocupaciones delos consumidores por su salud ybienestar.

En la Amazonía peruana se encuentrael aguaje (Mauritia flexuosa) que vieneconsiderada la palmera más importantepor su valor económico, social yecológico. En el Brasil se la conoce

como burití o mirití y en Colombia con elnombre de canangucha. El productomás valioso del aguaje es el fruto, cuyapulpa es rica en betacaroteno(provitamina A), tocoferoles (vitamina E)y ácido ascórbico (vitamina C).Estudios llevados a cabo en Gembloux,Bélgica, en 1987, conjuntamente por laFacultad de Ciencias Agronómicas deL’Etat y la Universidad Nacional de laAmazonía Peruana, y en otro realizadoen 1998 por la Universidad Federal delEstado de Pará, en el Brasil, handemostrado que el aceite de aguajecontiene de 173 a 300 mg debetacaroteno y de 80 a 100 mg detocoferoles por 100 gramos. La pulpa delaguaje contiene de 50 a 60 mg de ácidoascórbico por 100 gramos.

Haciendo una comparación con losprincipales vegetales que contienenbetacaroteno, vitamina E y ácidoascórbico, se puede afirmar que elaceite de aguaje contiene de 21 a 38veces más provitamina A que lazanahoria, de 25 a 31 veces másvitamina E que la palta (aguacate), eigual cantidad de vitamina C que lanaranja y el limón.

En el Brasil, su aceite se comercializacomo protector solar porque absorbecompletamente las radiacionesultravioletas, y también en forma dejabón. En la ciudad de Iquitos, Perú, elaguaje viene comercializado yconsumido como fruta, helado(«curichi»), refresco («aguajina») y parahacer mermeladas.

En un estudio reciente, efectuado porel Instituto de Investigaciones de laAmazonía Peruana (IIAP), en el 2000,se determinó que el 96,7 por ciento delas unidades familiares en la ciudad deIquitos la consumen. Proyectando eseresultado al ambiente estudiado, sepudo calcular que se necesitanaproximadamente 657,9 toneladasmensuales (21,9 toneladas diarias) deaguaje para satisfacer la demanda, locual en base a los parámetros deproducción del estudio lleva a concluirque se necesita cosechar 13 827árboles al mes (461 árboles diarios). Elmovimiento económico que produce esta



25

que representa aproximadamente 58sacos por hectárea para comercializarque, a un precio de NS 7 por saco,representa un ingreso de NS 464 porhectárea.

Entre 1994 y 2000 ha habido unapérdida en ingresos económicos delorden de 53,5 por ciento para lacomunidad que se dedica a estaactividad en esa zona. Ante estasituación es conveniente que el Estadoperuano y la comunidad amazónica sedecidan a emprender accionesinmediatas para aprovechar en formasostenible un recurso tan valioso comoel aguaje, las mismas que deberíanestar orientadas hacia laindustrialización del recurso con elmáximo valor agregado y al manejoadecuado durante la cosecha.

Para más información, dirigirse a:

Alberto García Mauricio, Programa

de Ecosistemas Terrestres del IIAP,

Av. Abelardo Quiñones Km. 2,5,

Iquitos, Perú.

Fax: +51 065 265527;

correo electrónico: [email protected];

www.iiap.org.pe

BAMBOO

Bamboo sector development as a meansfor sustaining forest livelihoodsBamboo has always been a vital part ofthe livelihood of millions of forest-dwelling people in tropical regions.Traditionally, bamboo is harvested in thenatural forest and its use is limited totemporal constructions and low-qualityutensils prone to rapid decay.Nevertheless, resource managementand technical improvements can convertthis fast-growing grass into a durableraw material for construction purposesand a wide range of semi-industrializedproducts. New industrial applications andmodern construction design have bothdemonstrated bamboo’s huge potential,but the bamboo sector in China is theonly one reported to be thriving. In thelast 20 years China has established anintegrated production chain of bamboo

actividad es de aproximadamente 358 145 dólares EE.UU.

El método tradicional de cosechacomporta el corte de la planta (de 15 a20 años de edad), destruyendo de estamanera su período productivo estimadoen 40 años. El campesino sóloaprovecha 3 o 4 racimos maduros de los6 u 8 que tiene la palmera. Si se suponeque para satisfacer el consumo mensualde la ciudad de Iquitos se están talando13 827 árboles al mes, se está ante unasituación muy alarmante, que aún no sepercibe debido a la abundancia delrecurso, ya que se estima una reservade aproximadamente 5,64 millones dehectáreas de «aguajales» (el ecosistemadonde predomina la palmera Mauritiaflexuosa) en la Amazonía peruana. Sinembargo, estos datos no deben llevar auna falsa percepción de abundancia delrecurso, ya que hay que tener en cuentaque ésta es una planta dioica, es decir,que existe una planta femenina queproduce frutos y una masculina que nolos produce, y que en el ecosistema«aguajal» la densidad de árboles deaguaje varía de un 32 a un 57 por cientode árboles femeninos y masculinos,respectivamente.

Alrededor de Iquitos y de lasprincipales poblaciones de la Amazoníaperuana, la tala está agotando lasplantas femeninas, afectandoeconómicamente a las comunidades quese dedican a esta actividad. Porejemplo, en la comunidad de San Miguelque se encuentra a 20 minutos deIquitos, el IIAP llevó a cabo un estudiopara determinar la pérdida económicapor extractivismo, haciendo medicionesen diferentes épocas. La primera en1994 cuando encontró fructificando 62árboles por hectárea, lo querepresentaba aproximadamente 124sacos de aguaje para comercializar que,al precio de 7 soles nuevos por saco (NS 1 = 0,29 dólar EE.UU.), significaque se producía un ingreso de NS 868por hectárea. El precio varía de NS 7 aNS 60, dependiendo de la estación y dela variedad. La segunda evaluación serealizó en el 2000, encontrándosefructificando 29 árboles por hectárea, lo

plantations, semi-processing andindustrial plants manufacturing bambooflooring, furniture, furnishings, charcoaland fresh bamboo shoots for thedomestic and export markets.

There are promising trends outsideChina where bamboo is being grown asa durable building material and income-generating resource for rural people. ThePhilippines has a rural bamboohandicraft sector that has been able toreach European and United Statesmarkets after investments in improveddesigns. In rural areas, bambooharvesters and artisans acquire animportant part of their income frombamboo. Moreover, in Colombia andEcuador growing bamboo on small plotsis becoming a lucrative option forsmallholders and the bambooconstruction sector is experiencing aboom period after years of neglect.

However, the bamboo sector is, inmost countries, still part of the informaland backward rural economy andseemingly unable to grab the largepotential represented by the Chinesebamboo industry. This raises thequestion of the bottlenecks facingbamboo development. Many of theseinhibiting factors are at the policy leveland are additional to a lack of knowledgeamong the important stakeholders and awidespread stigma of bamboo as a poorperson’s timber. Convincing andinforming users and policy-makers ofbamboo’s versatility may fit in with astrategy of poverty alleviation andreducing pressure on tropical forests.Smallholders at the forest fringe can, inparticular, improve their livelihood byprocessing bamboo or growing it in theirbackyard. At the same time, a largestock of bamboo contributes to broaderenvironmental goals of erosion control,reforestation and watershedmanagement.

For tropical countries confronted withrural poverty and shrinking forests,bamboo offers a sustainable option withconsiderable potential. However, it willrequire joint efforts by the internationaldonor community, research institutes,national governments and pioneer



26

investors to duplicate China’s bambooboom and turn the belief that bamboomay become the timber of the twenty-first century into a reality. (Source: DrHerwig M. Cleuren, INBAR in ETFRNNews, 39/40.)

Innovative bamboo products The bamboo industry in China isshowing more and more potential. Theannual production value is more thanUS$40 billion and its annual export valuemore than US$600 million. There aremore new bamboo products in Chinanowadays, for example, bamboo extractsfor beer, beverages, medicine andcosmetics. Other innovative bambooproducts developed in recent yearsinclude bamboo veneer, bamboo fire-proof ceiling material, and bamboo fibreand its fabric.

(Contributed by: Fu Jinhe, Ph.D.,Program Officer, International Networkfor Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), Beijing,China.)

Green gold: the United States is bamboo’s next new frontierPresident Forman of Lake Mary-basedCMI Global was searching forinvestment alternatives for his firm, aconsultant to other companies wanting todo business in China. To that end, hetravelled to Nanjing University with DrZhang Min, a renowned bamboo expert.Min showed him 30 years of research onbamboo, and Forman was sold.

Now the owner of two bamboomanufacturing plants in China, Formanplans to enter the United States marketwith more than 20 bamboo products,ranging from lotions, soaps anddisinfectants to mattress and pillowcovers to flower-preserving extracts,water purifiers and pain relievers.

Forman’s will be the first company tooffer this range of bamboo products inthe United States. Outside the UnitedStates, bamboo enjoys a large andrapidly growing market. According to arecent study, China sells US$2.4 billionin bamboo products each year, of whichexports total US$600 million. ThePhilippines has also taken an interest inbamboo products, as has the Republic ofKorea. Malaysia has recently begunlooking to bamboo as both a cash cropand a means to alleviate environmentalconcerns: the fast-growing plant can beused to reforest areas scoured bylogging.

In fact, bamboo is considered to beone of the fastest-growing plants in the

world, thriving in rich and sandy soilsalike. It is also a potential source for avariety of products. Min, now Forman’spartner, has tabulated 50, includingmedicinal uses long recognized inoriental medicine. Furthermore,according to CMI Global, there ispotential for other products yet to bediscovered.

The manufacturing muscle behind theUnited States retailing expansion lies intwo factories: a 4 200 m2 factory inNanjing that does research on anddevelopment of bamboo by-products,and a 7 600 m2 factory on the outskirtsof Shanghai that processes bamboo.This factory has supplied bambooproducts to Japan, a major market forbamboo, for more than 20 years. CMI’swholly owned subsidiary, YupongInternational, owns the factories whichwere purchased for US$3 million andoversees operations. Currently, Yupongdeals in more than US$5 million in salesin Japan.

In 2003, Forman expects more thanUS$45 million in sales from bamboo,mostly in exports, bringing projections forCMI Global’s total sales in 2003 toUS$90 million, more than doubling 2002revenue. Forman says he hopes to enterthe European and possibly the LatinAmerica markets eventually. (For the fullstory, please see: www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2003/03/24/story6.html)(Source: Extracted from an article by JillKrueger in Orlando Business Journal, 24March 2003.)

Utilization of bamboo in BoliviaBamboo is an everlasting, fast-growingplant. In addition, it is a flexible and cheapconstruction material that allows easydevelopment or repair. “Takuara” is thelocal name for the native American guaduabamboo species growing in the Bolivianlowlands. This bamboo offers solutions tothe housing deficit in Santa Cruz, withoutcompromising its harmonious andaesthetic architecture.

A working group was organized underthe name of “Takuara” in Santa Cruz withthe objective of promoting the use ofbamboo in the region as an alternative


Bamboo fibre is made from thebamboo cellulose of natural bambooand is produced through processingmethods such as steaming andboiling. The fibre does not containany chemical additives and is agenuinely environment-friendlyproduct. The fibre’s gloss is brightand beautiful. At the same time, thefibre has a unique antibacterial anddeodorizing function, a fine colour,elasticity, wearability, etc. In addition,it is especially moisture absorbentand permits ventilation owing to thebamboo fibre’s horizontal cross-section. Wearing bamboo fibre fabricin hot summers makes one feelespecially cool, owing to the fibre’sspecial structure and natural“hollows” in the horizontal cross-sections. For this reason experts referto it as a “breathing” fabric. At thesame time, it is soft to touch and easyto wear and is used for knittedunderwear, T-shirts, machine-wovenbedclothes, etc.

BAMBOO FIBRE AND ITS FABRIC


27

construction material and promotingconstruction skills using bamboo throughshort training programmes. Constructionusing the cheap and available bambooresources reduces the costs of material,transport and labour, and presents animportant advantage compared withcurrent concepts of social housing andconstruction materials in Bolivia.

Another objective of the Takuaraworking group is to stimulate the use andculture of bamboo as a sustainable andrenewable resource, aiming atenvironmental protection and improvingpeople’s quality of life. To this end,Takuara promotes and demonstrates thewide range of bamboo uses inconstruction, as well as in all kinds offurniture and handicraft manufacture.

Thanks to support from INBAR,Takuara-Bolivia was able to present itswork and mission at the First BolivianForest Fair (EXPOFOREST) held inSanta Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, inFebruary 2003. (Source: INBAR NewsMagazine, June 2003.)

Manejo biotecnológico de bambúes en CubaLos bambúes son de vital importanciapara los programas de construcción y defabricación de muebles, entre otrasaplicaciones. La Guadua angustifolia esun bambú originario del Ecuador yColombia que posee característicasparticulares, como la resistencia aalgunas plagas y enfermedades y elrápido crecimiento, que lo haceinteresante para los programas dereforestación.

La construcción de 1 000 casas debambú anualmente, con materialproveniente de 60 hectáreas de unaplantación equivale a la madera de 500hectáreas de valiosos árboles tropicales.La regeneración natural de esta especieocurre estacionalmente por medio desemillas y de manera asexual por laactivación de las yemas del rizoma. Estasvías de propagación resultan limitadas,más aún cuando se desea introducir laespecie en un plan de producción engran escala. Una alternativa a lapropagación vegetativa es la de laregeneración y multiplicación de plantasin vitro. Esta técnica ha sido utilizadapara la propagación de otras especies debambú, utilizando callos derivados deprimordios foliares de ápices, de semillasmaduras y de hojas inmaduras.

El objetivo de un reciente trabajollevado a cabo por el Laboratorio deCélulas y Tejidos del Centro deBioplantas de la Universidad de Ciego deÁvila en Cuba, fue el de lograr lainducción de callos derivados de tejidosvegetativos de Guadua y Dendrocalamus,así como el establecimiento de yemas,con vistas a establecer un protocolo depropagación in vitro.

El estudio incluye los siguientes temas:• inducción de callos en segmentos detejido intercalar de Guaduaangustifolia;

• evaluación de diferentesconcentraciones de cefotaxima en elpretratamiento de estacas para elestablecimiento de yemas de Guaduaangustifolia; y

• evaluación de diferentesconcentraciones de cefotaxima en elestablecimiento de yemas de Guaduaangustifolia.

Para la inducción de callos seutilizaron segmentos de tejido intercalarde ramas jóvenes que se desechabandurante el establecimiento de las yemas,siguiendo un protocolo de desinfeccióncon 0,2 por ciento de bicloruro demercurio durante 10 minutos y enjuaguescon agua destilada estéril e implantaciónen medios de cultivo Murashige y Skoog.Para el establecimiento de yemas, elprocedimiento de desinfección fue similar

al anterior, pero antes del tratamiento conbicloruro de mercurio las estacas sesumergieron en una solución decefotaxima a 50 mg por litro, durantediferentes tiempos, para ser luegodesinfectadas e implantadas en un mediode cultivo Murashige y Skoog.


Marcos Daquinta, Alexis Gregori,

Mariela Cid y Yarianne Lezcano,

Laboratorio de Células y Tejidos,

Centro de Bioplantas, Universidad

de Ciego de Ávila, Carretera a Morón

Km. 9, CP 69450, Cuba.

Correo electrónico:

[email protected]

Participatory development with bamboo in the Andean countries The European Community represented bythe Commission of the EuropeanCommunities has approved a proposalfrom INBAR for participatory developmentof a replicable model for bamboo-baseddevelopment in the Andean countries.The project began in mid-2003.

The project rationale is that poorfarmers in Andean countries do notbenefit from the income opportunitiesthat the native guadua bamboo can offer.Farmers have access to bambooresources, but lack the skills andknowledge to use these for livelihoodimprovement. This project will develop areplicable model for the sustainableproduction and commercialization ofbamboo products in order to alleviaterural poverty in the Andean countries.The pilot project is situated in the coastalregion of Ecuador and has as a mainobjective to improve farmers’ incomewith guadua bamboo and to reducepressure on the forest. The project areais an example of a rapidly deteriorating


BAMBOO IN BANGLADESH

Approximately 90 percent of allbamboo harvested in Bangladesh isused for building construction, suchas house posts, purlins, rafters,bamboo walling, ceiling and roofingmaterial. (Source: MFP News, Vol. XIII,No. 4, 2003.)


28

forest situation endangering the uniquetropical forest biodiversity.

Project activities will address all themajor components of the bambooproduction-to-consumption chain. It willimprove resource management, trainpeople in better processing techniques,explore and create market outlets, andpromote linkages between small-scaleproducers and the private industry.Although the project is based in Ecuador,it will network closely with Peru, Boliviaand other Andean countries. (Source:INBAR News Magazine, June 2003.)

BUSHMEAT

Bushmeat hunters deplete Africa’s forestsBushmeat hunters, in forests throughoutCentral and West Africa, have huntedvirtually every type of wild animal,frequently illegally, for use as food.

Reports indicated that deep in thetropical forest of the Congo River Basin,immense sapelli and okoum trees towerover the forest floor, and small antelopescalled duikers plunge through theundergrowth, while the calls of bonobosand sooty mangabeys sound from theleafy canopy.

But while indigenous peoples such asthe Bantu pygmies have sustainablyhunted this bushmeat for centuries, thelevel of hunting has skyrocketed in thepast two decades. Today, species rangingfrom cane rats to elephants are beinghunted at unprecedented levels, andrecent estimates suggest a bushmeatharvest of between 1 million and 5 milliontonnes each year, a level that is literallyemptying forests of wildlife. The situationis most dire for primates such asbonobos, chimpanzees and gorillas.

“As a group, great apes tend to be verymuch at risk because they breed soslowly,” said Elizabeth Bennett, director ofthe hunting and wildlife trade programmeat the Wildlife Conservation Society(WCS).

To be hunted sustainably, some apespecies could lose no more than onemember per square kilometre every 20years, but bushmeat hunters are annually

killing 6 000 western lowland gorillas(from a total population of less than 100 000) along with 15 000 chimpanzees.Smaller primates end up on the table too,with approximately 7.5 million red colobusmonkeys being killed for food each year.In addition, WCS estimates that 28 millionbay duikers are killed annually, as are 16 million blue duikers. “And these areconservative figures.”

The problem has reached suchtremendous proportions that last summer,at a meeting of experts on gorillas inGermany, scientists from WCS and otherinstitutions said that poaching hadsurpassed habitat loss as the mostimmediate threat facing western lowlandgorillas and could lead to their extinctionin the next 20 years.

At the root of the problem is a growinghuman population and a tumultuouseconomy. Today more than 30 millionpeople live within forested regions ofCameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea,and other Central African nations, andthese inhabitants eat about the sameamount of meat each year as most NorthAmericans. More than 60 percent of themeat comes from local wildlife.

Until recently, much of the forest wasinaccessible to hunters. This changed inthe 1980s when international loggingcompanies expanded into Central Africanforests. Roads were built to accommodatelogging trucks, carving the forest intoeasily traversed parcels. Armies ofworkers followed, many bringing theirfamilies, and almost overnight formerlypristine areas were flooded with people.

“Areas that had previously beenunexploited and unpopulated aresuddenly inundated, and every workermay bring eight or ten individuals who aredependent on that salary,” said HeatherEves, director of the Bushmeat CrisisTask Force (BCTF), a consortium of morethan 30 organizations and institutionsformed in 1999 to address the loomingproblem. “This brings lots of peopletogether who need to be fed, and theforests just open up.”

Logging roads have also allowed theinflux of shotguns and steel cable forsnares and have enabled hunters to carry

more carcasses out of the forest. As aresult, a burgeoning commercialbushmeat market now stretches farbeyond the Congo Basin.

Eves added that bushmeat has alwaysbeen a commodity in this region, used atvarying levels of trade, but wildlife is nowbeing exploited for export to urbancentres. The reason for this is economic:bushmeat hunters can earn the equivalentof US$300 to $1 000 per year, more thanthe region’s average household income.The hunters find eager buyers in largecities, where many inhabitants purchasethe meat as a way to reconnect to theirvillage origins or to show off their newlyacquired wealth. In Libreville, theGabonese capital, around 1 200 tonnes ofbushmeat arrives in the markets daily, andin Pointe Noire, the second-largest city ofthe Congo, an estimated total of 150 000tonnes is consumed each year.

And the markets are not limited toAfrica. In 2001, two London shopkeeperswere jailed for operating a business thatsold meat from monkeys, anteaters andother animals. They had offered tocustom-order whole lions for around US$8 000 each.

In addition to the obvious loss of preyspecies, the bushmeat trade has far-reaching consequences. According to theCentral African Regional Program for theEnvironment (CARPE), the bushmeattrade threatens forest carnivores such asleopards and crowned eagles by depletingtheir main prey species. The forest itself isthreatened as well, in that the loss ofseed-dispersing animals is permanentlychanging the forest’s composition andstructure.

Indigenous pygmies are losing theforests and animals they have dependedon for centuries. And even the bushmeathunters and consumers are at risk:according to BCTF, the hunting,butchering and consumption of bushmeat,especially primates, is placing people atincreased risk of contracting virulentanimal-borne diseases. Ebola outbreakshave been linked to exposure to gorillacarcasses, and evidence of simianimmunodeficiency virus (SIV) infectionhas been found in 26 different species of



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primates, including chimpanzees andsooty mangabeys, which manyresearchers believe may be a link toHIV/AIDS.

Despite the severity of the problem,some remedial steps are showing signs ofsuccess. In northern Congo, WCS hasbeen working with the Ministry of ForestryEconomy and a logging company,Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB), toreduce bushmeat hunting in a 1.8-million-hectare logging concession. The projectsupplies forest workers with alternativeforms of protein and provides forenforcement by groups of local“ecoguards” who control traffic on loggingroads. “This ensures that protectedanimals aren’t being hunted,” saidBennett. “Gorillas and chimps are noweasier to see in the concession.”

But to reduce bushmeat huntingsignificantly, many groups are taking themessage directly to the consumers. Lastyear in Ghana, Conservation Internationalundertook a national bushmeat educationcampaign that BCTF says has been veryeffective in changing behaviours. “Peoplehave an incredibly deep cultural link withwildlife in Africa,” Eves said. “Talkingabout bushmeat as a loss of culturalheritage resonates there.”

Until these changes becomewidespread, however, sections of theCongo Basin continue to be identified assuffering from “empty forest syndrome”,filled with trees but devoid of largeanimals. It is a new situation, but one thathas become disturbingly familiar. (Source:This Day [Lagos], 23 April 2003.)

Cameroon demands bushmeat actionThe rate at which Africa is devouring itswildlife is entirely unsustainable, saysCameroon’s environment minister. He isdemanding international action to controlthe trade, which produces as much as5 million tonnes of bushmeat from theCongo Basin alone every year. The tradethreatens the survival of several alreadyendangered species, including elephantsand great apes.

The minister, Chief Clarkson ObenTanyi-Mbianyor, was visiting London toaddress a Bushmeat Campaign

conference. The campaign says that MrTanyi’s call for international cooperationis the first time any African leader hasmade such a proposal. The aim of theconference is to secure agreement onhow to tackle the unsustainablebushmeat trade, in which London playsa prominent part.

Other speakers included Ghana’sMinister for Lands and Forests, DominicFobih, the Okyenhene (tribal king) ofAkyem Abuakwa in eastern Ghana,United Kingdom Minister for InternationalDevelopment, Gareth Thomas, MP, andrepresentatives of the timber trade.

Mr Tanyi told BBC News Online: “Whatwe are saying is that we cannot go onselling bushmeat, because people believein looking after the environment. It’s notlocal consumption that’s the problem, butthe wider trade, taking the meat into thetowns and out of the country. So we’recalling on our partners to fight the tradeby helping us to recruit and trainecoguards, and by providing local peoplewith alternative ways of earning a livingthat will keep them out of the forest.Some of these forest concessions can beup to 70 000 ha in size, so the guards willneed to be able to communicate witheach other. We’re hoping other countrieswill help us to equip them. This is in thecontext of Cameroon itself. But I am alsospeaking in a wider context, about theneed to fight the bushmeat trade acrossWest and Central Africa. And I’ll be askingMr Thomas for his help in stamping it outin the United Kingdom. But the best wayto tackle it is to fight it at source, and keepthe animals in the forest.”

Adam Matthews, the BushmeatCampaign’s director, is hoping MrThomas will spell out how the UnitedKingdom Department for InternationalDevelopment plans to implement theconclusions of a recent study it carriedout on the links between wildlife andpoverty. Mr Matthews told BBC NewsOnline: “That study said 150 millionpeople – one in eight of the world’s poor –depend on wildlife for both protein andincome. The report’s recommendationswere excellent, but we have yet to seeany move towards carrying them out. Ihope the United Kingdom will incorporatewildlife into its poverty strategies.”

Some zoologists believe the bushmeattrade is so important to people’s survivalthat it would be better to try to control itthan to stamp it out. They say it may bepossible to tell when large species suchas apes are reaching a dangerous point


While deliberations at the Bushmeatand Forest Actions for SustainableManagement Conference were takingplace in London, the Yaoundé Court ofFirst Instance slammed a one-monthprison sentence and a fine of CFAF 300 000 on two illegal dealers in elephant products, bringing thenumber of wildlife criminals jailedsince July 2003 to four. This is part ofan operation being undertaken by theMinistry of the Environment andForestry in collaboration with theforces of law and order and the LastGreat Apes Organisation (LAGA).

According to Cameroonian law, anyperson found in possession of live orpart of protected animal species isliable to a fine and imprisonment. Thelaw targets only protected wildlifespecies (gorillas, chimpanzees,crocodiles, elephants, drills, etc.). Itattacks the trade chain of protectedspecies in different places. Anyonebreaking the new law in Cameroon,where bushmeat is a prized delicacyfor rich city-dwellers, faces threeyears in jail and a CFAF 10 millionfine. The ministry authorities havebeen calling on restaurant dealers tohelp save protected wildlife by takinggorillas, chimpanzees and elephantmeat off their menus.

About 100 years ago, more than a million chimpanzees lived in 25 African countries. Today, fewerthan 150 000 remain, with healthyreproduction populations found only in six African countries. (Source: Cameroon Tribune[Yaoundé], 31 December 2003.)


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trafficking. With populations of animalshaving been decimated in West andCentral Africa, the focus is now turningto Kenya. Ian Saunders of the AfricanEnvironmental Film Foundation madethis revelation during a talk in Nairobi onthe “Bushmeat Crisis” in Kenya, whichwas hosted by the Kenya WildlifeCoalition (KWC).

Mr Saunders wants Kenyans to besensitized on the illegal bushmeatbusiness. “When one talks of the illegalbushmeat trade, it is the countries ofWest and Central Africa that immediatelyspring to mind. But it is these countriesand those further afield that pose anexternal threat to one of Kenya’sgreatest natural resources: wildlife.”

According to an Irish non-governmental organization (NGO), theillegal global bushmeat trade is worthmore than US$5.5 billion a year. Themeat is smuggled from Africa to variousdestinations in Europe and the UnitedStates. Mr Saunders fears that countriessuch as Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberiaand Côte d’Ivoire could soon becomelike Nigeria, where the numbers of gamebecome very low and warns that theeyes of the cartels will turn to othercountries such as Kenya to supply themassive demand.

The conservationist says bushmeat isprobably already being exported fromKenya. According to Mr Saunders, gangsor cartels operate from Nigeria andGhana. In 2001, two West Africans werejailed in the United Kingdom for smugglingand illegally selling endangered speciesand bushmeat in London’s DalstonMarket. Their market is thought to beprimarily African expatriates in the UnitedKingdom. British police uncovered morethan 2 tonnes of bushmeat.

The KWC is made up of severalNGOs, including the AfricanEnvironmental Film Foundation, the BornFree Foundation, the East AfricanWildlife Society, Youth for Conservation,Friends of Conservation, Pan AfricanConservation Network and the BillWoodley Mount Kenya Trust.

But just what exactly is bushmeat?According to a recent rapid survey (as

by seeing when smaller animals such ascane rats enter the market. The smallerspecies tend to do so just before theflagship animals reach crisis point, andthis could serve as a warning mechanism.(Source: BBC News Online, 15 December2003 [http://news.bbc.co.uk/].)[Please see under News and Notes formore information on DFID’s wildlife andpoverty study.]

Bushmeat consumption in GhanaSince Ghana held a national conferenceon the bushmeat crisis in August 2002,Ghanaians have been made more awareof the threatened state of somecreatures in their forests.

It is believed that with this knowledgeGhanaians have become more selectivein their consumption of bushmeat. Tohelp sensitize Ghanaians further on theanimals, reptiles and birds faced with thedanger of extinction, EnvironmentalWatch would begin write-ups on theseendangered species, courtesy of adocument entitled Endangeredbushmeat species in Ghana, producedby Conservation International-Ghana.

The creatures are categorized asEndangered (EN), Critically endangered(CE), Vulnerable (V) and Data deficient(DD). Environmental Watch begins thewrite-ups with the more than 40 globallythreatened species of mammals, fishesand birds that can be found in Ghana.(Source: The Independent [Accra], 16June 2003.)

Illicit trade in bushmeat in KenyaUnauthorized trade in game meat isreportedly the second largest illegalbusiness in the world after drug

opposed to a full scientific study) carriedout by the International Fund for AnimalWelfare (IFAW), bushmeat is the termused to refer to meat from both the smalland large wildlife species. These includerodents, birds, duikers, bush pigs,impala, gazelles, elephant and buffalo.According to the IFAW survey, over timethe hunting of these wildlife species forcommercial and domestic purposes hasbeen on the rise. The survey concludesthat this fact, coupled with deforestationand interference with nature, poses agrave danger to wildlife.

The IFAW survey was meant toestablish the extent of bushmeatconsumption in Kenya. Like IFAW, otherconservationists believe that one of themain causes of declining animalpopulations in much of Africa is this illicittrade.

Some participants argued that unlessbenefits to landholders were increased,and proceeds from wildlife used incommunity development, the animalswould continue to be seen as a freelyexploitable and uncared-for resource thatbenefits only those who get to it first.

Historically, in the East African region,bushmeat has been seen purely as asubsistence activity undertaken bytraditional hunter/gatherer societies. Theincreasing human population, acutepoverty and widespread unemployment,however, have led to a greater relianceon natural resources.

Bushmeat is in demand because it isgenerally cheaper than domestic meat.In various surveys, it was found thataffordability was the main reason whyrural households cited bushmeat as themost important meat protein source. Thelarger species are generally preferredowing to the greater quantities of meatper carcass.

In addition, respondents in manyareas surveyed showed a preference fortheir taste. With declining wildlifenumbers, a hunter’s catch per effort hasreduced in most survey areas. Profitmotives and the increased value ofbushmeat have led hunters to continuesupply although the hunting effortrequired is now far greater. To improve



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catch per effort, more sophisticated andunsustainable hunting methods are usedsuch as wire snaring, night torch hunting,and the use of semi-automatic weapons.

According to a report by the NGOTrade Records Analysis of Flora andFauna in Commerce (TRAFFIC), the year-round demand for bushmeat has resultedin the gradual erosion of traditionalhunting seasons. Increased numbers ofhunters and traders that rely on bushmeatrevenues have led them to hunt and tradefor longer periods of the year. The Youthfor Conservation group, working intandem with the David Sheldrick WildlifeTrust, have carried out research onsnares and other hunting techniques.Speaking at the KWC gathering, the youthgroup programme officer, Steve Itela, saidthat these devices of death are largelynon-selective, explaining that a wire snareset for a small antelope could also causethe slow and agonizing death of anelephant. He added that whereas thistraditional form of hunting used to be forthe subsistence of impoverished families,today it has become commercialized withbushmeat being sold regionally and alsointernationally. Youth for Conservation andthe David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust de-snaring teams have removed 34 852snares since 1999.

According to a survey by TRAFFIC, allhunters using snares reported a catch pereffort of 1.539 kg per hour of effort, whilea hunter using traditional traps reported acatch effort of 0.723 kg per hour of effort.Hunters using night torching (use ofpowerful lights to blind animals combinedwith ringing a bell) reported 1.198 kg perhour of hunting effort. (Source: The Nation[Nairobi], 26 October 2003.)

Wild meat, livelihoods security and conservation in the TropicsThe Bushmeat Project is the latestundertaking of the Forest Policy andEnvironment Group at the OverseasDevelopment Institute (ODI). The projectis funded by a grant from the John D. &Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, in theConservation and SustainableDevelopment Area of its Program onGlobal Security and Sustainability. The

project aims to research the livelihooddimensions of hunting for consumptiveuse in tropical forests, including bushmeatand the bushmeat trade, and offers adissemination channel for innovativepolicy-relevant research.

To date, research on the bushmeatissue has mostly been driven byconservation priorities and livelihoodconcerns have tended to be secondaryand contingent. But the importance ofbushmeat in range state economiesrequires that policy development takes thehuman dimension fully into account.

The project provides an opportunity toexplore the differences in perspectivewhich arise when the human dimension isbrought to the fore, and priority is given tolivelihoods, economic and socioculturalconcerns.

The project is pan-tropical in coverage,and will seek to identify possibilities for thesharing of experience, both intraregionallyand across continents (Africa, LatinAmerica-Caribbean, Asia-Pacific). Themain, though not exclusive, emphasis willbe on mammals in tropical moist forests,for it is here that the conservationchallenges are greatest.

ODI is interested in publishing anddisseminating innovative work on wildlifemanagement issues, with a strong socialand livelihood focus, and solicitscontributions from professionals from therange states.


Dr David Brown, Project Director,

Overseas Development Institute,

111 Westminster Bridge Road,

London SE1 7JD, United Kingdom.

Fax: +44 20 79220399;

e-mail: [email protected] or

[email protected];

www.odi.org.uk

CUPUAÇU (THEOBROMAGRANDIFLORUM)

CupuaçuCupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum) is asmall-to-medium tree in the rain forestcanopy which belongs to the cocoafamily and can reach up to 20 m inheight. Cupuaçu fruit has been a primaryfood source in the rain forest for bothindigenous peoples and animals alike.Cupuaçu fruit is known for its creamyexotic tasting pulp. The pulp is usedthroughout Brazil and Peru to make freshjuice, ice-cream, jam and tarts. The fruitripens in the rainy months from Januaryto April and is considered a culinarydelicacy in South American cities wheredemand outstrips supply.

Indigenous peoples as well as localcommunities along the Amazon havecultivated cupuaçu as a primary foodsource for generations. In former times,cupuaçu seeds were traded along theRio Negro and Upper Orinoco riverswhere indigenous people drink cupuaçujuice after it has been blessed by ashaman to facilitate difficult births. The“beans” are utilized by the indigenousTikuna people for abdominal pains.

Because of the close relationship tothe cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao L.), inaddition to pulp production the seeds ofT. grandiflorum (about 20 percent offresh weight) can be used formanufacturing chocolate-like foodstuffs.There are initiatives throughout Brazil todevelop cupuaçu chocolate, also knownin Brazil as “cupulate”.

In Japan this product is already beingproduced and commercialized. In thefirst quarter of 2002 alone, Amazonasstate exported 50 tonnes of cupuaçuseeds to Japan. It is expected that theJapanese will buy approximately 200tonnes of cupuaçu seeds for chocolateproduction next year. Once again, Brazilassumes the insignificant role of asupplier of raw material.

There is a series of patents on theextraction of the fat from the cupuaçuseeds and the production of cupuaçuchocolate. Almost all of them were

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registered by the company Asahi FoodsCo. Ltd from Kyoto, Japan. Besides thepatents, Asahi Foods has registered theplant name “Cupuaçu” as a trade markfor various product classes (includingchocolate) in Japan, the European Unionand in the United States. (For thecomplete story, please see: www.amazonlink.org/biopiracy/cupuacu.htm)

Amazonia unites against biopiracyThe campaign against biopiracy inAmazonia, launched by the Acre-basednon-governmental organization (NGO)Amazonlink.org, has been joined by theAmazonian Working Group (AWG), whichis composed of 513 local organizations.The campaign is a result of an attempt byAmazonlink to support a project by ruralproducers to export sweets made fromcupuaçu to Germany. The organizationdiscovered that the name “Cupuaçu” hadbeen registered as a trade mark by theJapanese multinational company AsahiFoods in Japan, Europe and the UnitedStates. This means that Amazonlinkcannot use the name cupuaçu on thepackaging of its product even though it isa plant native to Amazonia. Asahi alsoholds patents on the manufacture ofchocolate from cupuaçu seeds (cupulate)and the extraction of vegetable oils.(Source: Amazon Newsletter, 6 March2003.)

NGOs try to stop cupuaçu patent in Europe The European Patent Office is analysingan application from the Japanesemultinational Asahi Foods to patent “theproduction and use of fat from cupuaçuseeds”. This would give the company theright to produce and commercializecupulate, chocolate made from cupuaçu,explained Michael Schmidlehner,president of the NGO Amazonlink.org,which has been campaigning againstcases of biopiracy involving cupuaçu,açai and other native Brazilian products.

Alongside German NGOs,Amazonlink.org has promised anoffensive to stop the patenting processon the grounds that the request does notfulfil the basic legal requirements for a

patent to be granted: the processing ofcupuaçu is not a new technique. It hasbeen used by traditional communities inAmazonia for hundreds of years.Furthermore, cupulate was not inventedby Asahi Foods, but by the Brazilianagricultural research agency, EMBRAPA.

Asahi Foods does not currently holdany patents in relation to cupuaçu. It hasregistered “Cupuaçu” and “Cupulate” astrade marks in Europe, the United Statesand Japan, which theoretically preventsBrazilian companies from selling productsmade from cupuaçu on the internationalmarket. (Source: Carta Maior, in AmazonNews, 2 October 2003.)

GUARANA(PAULLINIA CUPANA)

GuaranaGuarana is a creeping shrub native tothe Amazon (and particularly the regionsof Manaus and Parintins). In thelushness of the Brazilian Amazon whereit originates, it often grows to 12 m high.The fruit is small, round, bright-red incolour, and grows in clusters. As itripens, the fruit splits and a black seedemerges – giving it the appearance of an“eye” about which Indians tell legends.

The uses of this plant by theAmerindians predates the discovery ofBrazil. South American Indian tribes(especially the Guaranis, from whencethe plant’s name is derived) dry androast the seeds and mix them into apaste with water. They then use it inmuch the same way as chocolate – to

prepare various foods, drinks andmedicines. The rain forest tribes haveused guarana mainly as a stimulant andastringent, and in treating chronicdiarrhoea. Botanist James Duke citespast and present tribal uses in the rainforest: as a preventive forarteriosclerosis; as an effectivecardiovascular drug; as an analgesic,astringent, febrifuge, stimulant and tonicused to treat diarrhoea; and forhypertension, migraine, neuralgia anddysentery.

Nowadays, guarana is taken on adaily basis as a health tonic by millionsof Brazilians. Guarana has also beenused as an ingredient in shampoos andin hair-loss treatments. In Peru, the seedis used widely for a variety of ailments.

Today the plant is known and usedworldwide and is the main ingredient inthe “national beverage” of Brazil,guarana soda. Eighty percent of theworld’s commercial production ofguarana paste is in the middle of theAmazon rain forest in northern Brazil –still performed by the Guarani Indianswho wild-harvest the seeds and processthem into paste by hand. The BrazilianGovernment has become aware of theimportance of the local production ofguarana by traditional methodsemployed by the indigenous inhabitantsof the rain forest. Since 1980, theNational Indian Foundation (FUNAI) hasset up a number of projects to improvethe local production of guarana. Now,under the direction of the FUNAI regionalauthority in Manaus, many cooperativesin the rain forest support indigenoustribal economies through the harvestingand production of guarana.

While the Indians have been usingguarana for centuries, Western sciencehas been validating that the indigenoususes are well grounded. In 1989, aUnited States patent was filed on aguarana seed extract which was capableof inhibiting platelet aggregation inmammalian blood. A Brazilian researchgroup has been studying guarana’sapparent effect of increasing memory,thought to be linked to the essential oilsfound in the seed. A United States patent


Guarana


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has been filed on a combination ofplants (including guarana) for promotingsustained energy and mental alertness“without nervousness or tension”.Guarana (often in combination with otherplants) has also been found to facilitateweight loss.

Guarana’s good health benefits and itsstanding as a natural stimulant havecaused its popularity to grow steadilyworldwide. It can be found under manylabels and as an ingredient in manyherbal formulas, energy drinks andprotein bars. Unfortunately, too many(unethical) manufacturers are simplyadding the guarana name to their labelsto capitalize on its popularity – andadding caffeine to their products instead.(Source: www.rain-tree.com/guarana.htm)

The battle over Amazonia’s guaranaThe dispute involves millionaireinvestments, spying and a true battle ofwords. The battleground is Amazonasstate. At issue is the guarana fruit,discovered by indigenous people at theend of the eighteenth century andindustrialized into a drink in 1900. On oneside is Guarana Antarctica, of AmBev,which is proud of being “originally fromBrazil” and which has, for more than 40years, bought its seeds from small farmersin Maues, a city located about 260 kmfrom Manaus and considered thebirthplace of guarana. On the other side isGuarana Kuat, of Coca-Cola, which hasjust harvested (in the municipality ofPresident Figueiredo, 120 km fromManaus) its first crop of guarana withplans to transform the region into thenewest pole of this Amazonas’ fruit.

In its favour, AmBev has the tradition.Before the actual founding of Maues in1798, the Satere-Mawe, an indigenouspeople in the region, discovered the fruit’senergetic ingredients. With the driedtongue of the pirarucu fish (Arapaimagigas), this indigenous people wouldscrape the trunk, extracting a powderwhich would then be mixed with water, aconcoction that guaranteed improvedresults while hunting. In 1921, a chemisttreated the fruit and was successful inmaking a drink that maintained theguarana flavour without its characteristicbitterness: Guarana Antarcticachampagne.

Maues guarana, the Brazilian leader inproduction up until the 1980s, began tolose its productivity and the Bahia guaranaplants assumed the leadership. Onereason for this is time: the average age ofMaues guarana plant is 40 years, withproductivity beginning to decrease after 30years. A bush native to Maues produces80 g of seeds, whereas plants that havebeen genetically altered can increaseproduction thirtyfold.

This reduced productivity is exactlywhat Coca-Cola wants to take advantageof in the attempt to valorize its ownguarana, a plant that the corporationintroduced three years ago. The crop issown in the Jayoro Sugar Factory, which

supplies all the sugar utilized by Coca-Cola in Brazil. Over five years, Coca-Colahas invested $R 10 million in research,planting, harvesting and improving theguarana plant. According to Coca-Cola,the technicians have reached an averageproduction of 1 kg of seeds per bush. Thealtered plants are reproduced in a nurserythat houses more than 180 000 shoots.

At the end of this year, Coca-Colagathered its first guarana harvest: 40tonnes of seeds extracted from 410 ha. By2005, it hopes to be self-sufficient in itsproduction and to increase production to160 tonnes.

In addition, the multinational is alsointerested in commercializing the fruit forother purposes, for example, cremes,shampoos and even lipstick.

Perceiving Coca-Cola’s competitiveadvancing and the loss of productivity inMaues guarana, AmBev responded: itelaborated an investment plan of $R 61million in diverse projects in the region upuntil 2013; additionally, it has created 12development poles to offer assistance tothe rural communities and to finance theexpansion of guarana farming and therecovery of the Maues guarana plants.

At the centre of AmBev’s research isthe Santa Helena Plantation, inauguratedin 1972 in Maues. AmBev’s agriculturalengineer, Renato Cardoso Costa, Jr,explained that more than 280 000 shootshave been distributed, with an average of1.5 kg of seeds per plant. In thedistribution, the corporation faced strongresistance from the local farmers. “Somesaid that the plants that they cultivatedwere from the grandfather of the great-grandfather of the great-great-grandfather;so the modernization and technology’sincorporation had to be accompanied witha process of re-education and persuadingthe farmers,” explained Gileno Correia, themanager of the AmBev factory in Manaus.

Guarana is responsible for 25 percentof sodas in Brazil. According to anOctober report by the AC Nielsenconsulting office, Guarana Antarcticacontrols 75 percent of the market, whileKuat maintains the other 25 percent.(Source: O Estado de S. Paulo, inAmazon News, 7 December 2003.)

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The taste of guarana is distinctive andunique, and is the main reason for itssuccess in Brazil as a soft drink. Themain ingredient of guarana isguaranine, which is chemicallyidentical to caffeine.

Guarana-based drinks are commonin Brazil, but hard to find in mostother countries. The success in Brazilwas reason enough for Pepsi andCoca-Cola to start the production oftheir own guarana soda varieties.Pepsi tried to market “Josta” in theUnited States (and failed); Coca-Colastill sells “Kuat” in Brazil (with somesuccess). In most cases, imitationbrands still cannot compete with theoriginal Brazilian brands. (Source:www.guarana.com/)


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HONEY

Honey factory in UgandaBeekeepers in Uganda will no longerhave to hassle for the local market fortheir honey with the opening of a newhoney processing plant in Kampala bythe Mazima Group of companies nextmonth. The plant, to cost U Sh 500million, is under construction inNalukolongo near Kampala and oncompletion will process honey fromvarious parts of the country, for localconsumption and export.

The Mazima Group’s managingdirector, Harshad Barot, said they wereundertaking this venture to exploit theuntapped value in organic honey that isplentiful in Uganda but not yet fullytapped. The Mazima Group is workingtogether with the Uganda BeekeepersAssociation to provide materials andsome financial assistance. (Source: NewVision [Kampala], Uganda, 25 March2003.)

Honey in SlovakiaRich sources of bee forage allowefficient beekeeping in most areas of thecountry. The landscape in Slovakia isrugged – lowlands, hills and highmountain ranges lie close to each other.Therefore, Slovak honeys are usuallymixed. In the southern part of Slovakia inthe early spring beekeepers determinethe survival of wintered colonies andobserve their spring growth rates. Theseare dependent upon important earlynectar and pollen sources, includingfruit-trees and willows and oilseed rape.At the end of this initial season, Acacia isin bloom and during the summer, clover,seed crops and sunflower provide pollenand nectar.

In northern Slovakia, coniferoushoneydew is found, especially on spruceand fir. This is the principal bee forage inthe highlands and mountains ofSlovakia. Other nectar sources in theseplaces include bilberries, meadowflowers and raspberries, all of which arehardy in the cooler climate. Dark honeysproduced from forest fir and spruce areof outstanding quality and are muchsought after by international markets.

The long-term annual Slovakian honeyyield is 12 to 15 kg per colony; however,top yields can surpass 80 kg per colony.

Honey is used by the beekeepersthemselves, sold directly to consumers, orpurchased by a number of companies andexported, mostly to European Unioncountries: 1 500 to 2 000 tonnes areexported annually, representing one thirdto one half of the total annual yield. Honeyconsumption in Slovakia is just 0.25 kgper capita. It is marketed in a variety ofways – cakes, nuts with honey, mead.

Venom and royal jelly were used asadditives in famous pharmaceuticalproducts, but owing to the low prices ofthese raw materials on the globalmarket, beekeepers are no longermotivated to produce them. (Source:Extracted from “Zoom in on Slovakia” inBees for Development Journal,September 2003.)

Indigenous communities begin to producehoney in Mato Grosso, BrazilThe honey produced in the Xingu regionis now being sold outside the state. Thismonth, the indigenous communities willsend a shipment of honey to three SãoPaulo supermarkets. They arenegotiating with the Pão de Açúcarsupermarket chain, which has shops in12 Brazilian states and which could openthe door to the international market. Thecommunities currently produce 1 500 kgof honey per month, and are beginningto increase production.

The product has strong commercialappeal as it is produced by Indians. Thehoney has organic certification from theBiodynamic Institute. The certificate isonly awarded to products produced bysustainable practices which do not harmthe environment. The honey is the firstindigenous product to receive a FederalInspection Seal from the Ministry ofAgriculture, which means that the honeyis produced in accordance with healthand safety legislation. The sealauthorizes the sale of the honey in otherstates. (Source: Gazeta de Cuiabá, inAmazon News, 17 July 2003.)

LAC

Lac-based livelihood in Orissa, IndiaLac is the encrusted secretion of aninsect, Laccifer lacca. This insect growson some suitable trees from which itconsumes the sap as its food and


BEEKEEPING IN RURALDEVELOPMENT

Two weeks of lectures at theUniversity of Sheffield, UnitedKingdom, followed by two weeks ofpractical experience with tropicalbees in the United Republic ofTanzania at Njiro Wildlife ResearchCentre, Serengeti Wildlife ResearchInstitute.


Bees for Development, Troy,

Monmouth, NP25 4AB, UK.

Fax: +44 16007 16167;


www.beesfordevelopment.org


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produces a fluid that envelops its bodyas a protective cover. This fluid, whenhardened, becomes the resin that isknown as lac. Brood lac is the twig of thehost tree carrying lac encrustation.

This tiny insect completes two lifecycles in a year, but in certain cases theremay be three cycles in 12 or 13 months.The number of lac crops per year variesaccording to the number of life cycles;there are usually two crops harvested in ayear from a single host tree.

The female insects secrete most ofthe lac fluid. The quality of this fluid mayvary according to the nature of the hosttree. Other factors that affect the qualityand quantity of production includeclimatic conditions (e.g. above 20°Cfacilitates the activity of lac insects),protection from pests and predators andsoil characteristics (that affect the growthof the host trees).

Wild lac grows by itself in the forestwith little or no human intervention. Withcultivated lac, there is a possibility ofcontrolling the quality as well as thequantity of the product, which is notpossible with the wild variety.

Two different strains of the lac insecthave been identified: “kusumi” and“rangini”. The kusumi strain, whichproduces the best quality of lac, growsbetter on such trees as kusum(Schleichera oleosa) and khair (Acaciacatechu). The rangini strain prefers treeslike palas (Butea monosperma). Hosttrees for the kusumi strain aresignificantly fewer in number than thosefor the rangini strain and thus theproduction of kusumi lac is also lessthan that of the rangini lac in India.

Kusumi lac has a number ofadvantages over the rangini variety: it iscomparatively heavier and harder andbest suited for artistic work. However, fordyeing and similar uses, rangini lac issaid to be preferable.

In some forest areas near the coast,climatic conditions sometimes facilitatethe production of three crops a year, butthe encrustation in each crop isreportedly thinner.

Traditional uses of lac include makingbangles and lacquerware and as asource of dye. There may also betherapeutic applications, with scientistsconfirming its antibacterial properties.Modern applications of this resinoussubstance and its derivatives are foundin the plastic, leather, electrical,adhesive, wood finishing and hatindustries.

Indian lac dominated the world marketfor many years until 1950, whenproduction in Thailand increasedsignificantly and gained a major share ofthe lac market. Development ofsynthetic substitutes has also affectedthe lac market badly. However, almost85 percent of the lac produced in Indiais exported. (Source: Banabarata,Issues II & III, 2002-2003[www.vasundharaorissa.org].)[Please see Vasunhara in News andNotes for more information.]

MEDICINAL PLANTS

Herbal medicine boom “threatens plants” If the huge boom in herbal medicinecontinues unchecked, up to a fifth of theplant species on which the industrydepends could disappear, according tonew reports. This could in turnjeopardize the health and livelihoods ofthe poor in India and China who harvestthem.

Studies are showing that the industry– which fuels a world market worthUS$20 billion – largely fails to ensure itsraw material is harvested sustainably.The conservation group PlantlifeInternational published a report thatreveals an uncertain future for many ofthe wild plants.

One species highlighted by Plantlifeas being under threat is tetu lakha(Nothatodytes foetida), a small treefound in the rain forests in South Indiaand Sri Lanka and used for anti-cancerdrugs in Europe. Others include a saw-wort known as costus or kusta(Saussurea lappa) from India whose rootis used for chronic skin disorders, andthe tendrilled fritillary (Fritillaria cirrhosa)from Sichuan, China, used to treatrespiratory infections.

The market for African cherry (Prunusafricana), the bark of which is popular inEurope as a treatment for prostateenlargement, has collapsed because toomany trees have been destroyed. In thepast the trees, which grow in Africa’smountain regions, survived becausetraditionally less than half of their barkwas harvested. But according to a recentstudy by Kristine Stewart, fromconsultants Keith and Schnars in Florida,growing commercial pressures have ledto whole forests being stripped or felled.Exports of dried bark halved between1997 and 2000 and the main exporter,Plantecam, had to close its extractionfactory in Cameroon.

In its report, Plantlife urges theindustry to invest in cultivation. It alsoproposes the introduction of a kite markto identify products that have beensustainably harvested.


Gone are the days of gramophonerecords and so also the days of theirbasic raw material, lac. The advent ofsynthetic substitutes anddegeneration of age-old practiceshave badly damaged the regime ofthis non-timber forest product, thusaffecting the livelihoods of the peopletraditionally dependent on it.

Some experts say Plantlife’s criticismis too conservative. Only a concertedeffort by herbal practitioners,environmental groups and the industryitself can, they say, turn the tide. (For the full story, please see:www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994538) (Source: NewScientist.com,9 January 2004.)

European Union to promote plantsustainability European companies and researchersshould share the profits made onproducts using exotic plants such asginseng and green tea with the countriesof origin, urges a European Commission(EC) communication issued on Friday.

The statement, which encourages“international solidarity”, follows a newreport from the United Kingdom’sPlantlife International that shows manywild plants are under threat of extinctionfrom the booming herbal medicineindustry. This in turn threatens thelivelihoods of numerous populations,mainly in developing countries.

The use of exotic plants such as Aloevera, ginseng, green tea and jojoba oil iswidespread in the European Union (EU),particularly in cosmetics, but there isalso a growing demand for extracts ofthese plants in dietary supplements andfunctional foods. The EC urgescompanies and research institutes not totake genetic resources from othercountries – usually developing countriesthat are rich in biodiversity – without theirconsent.

Genetic resources, defined by the ECas materials of plant, animal or microbialorigin, are usually found in the SouthernHemisphere, mostly in Latin America,Southeast Asia, Oceania and Africa.

Medicinal plants: chainsaws in the drugstoreMedicinal plants are used by asurprisingly high percentage of theworld’s population. This is partly forcultural reasons and partly because theytend to be cheaper than drugs made bybig companies. People also use plants tocure problems Western medicine stillcannot solve.

Many medicinal plants are readilyavailable. Women grow them in theirgardens or they grow naturally allaround. However, some key plants arebecoming scarce owing to logging,overharvesting and deforestation, whichhas put many families’ health at risk.

For nearly a decade, Patricia Shanleyfrom the Center for International ForestryResearch (CIFOR) and Leda Luz fromthe State Forestry Institute in MinasGerais, Brazil have been studying thisproblem in the Amazon. Their results,presented in “The impacts of forestdegradation on medicinal plant use andimplications for health care in easternAmazonia” in Bioscience, are hardlyreassuring.

The authors focus on the Amazon cityof Belém and find that most of its 1.7million inhabitants use medicinal plantsto treat a wide range of ailments. Thecity’s markets, shops, pharmacies, petrolstations and curbside vendors sell morethan 200 different plants, of which abouthalf grow naturally in the Amazon. Themain downtown outlets alone make morethan one million sales each year,generating several million dollars, andsales are growing fast. Some plants arejust sold unprocessed, but there is also a


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The communication suggests thatcompanies and research institutions usestandard agreements with the providersof genetic resources, such asgovernments or local populations, whichset out terms and conditions under whichthe plants could be used and how thebenefits from their use should be shared.All users of genetic resources are alsoencouraged to develop their own codesof conduct as a means of respecting the1992 United Nations Convention onBiological Diversity (CBD) and the BonnGuidelines on Access and BenefitSharing (ABS) adopted under theConvention in 2002.

Europe will also take measures toraise users’ awareness of theirobligations under the United Nationsagreements, said the communication,such as creating a European network toprovide information on international andEuropean laws on access and benefitsharing.

It also opens the debate on theintroduction into EU law of a requirementfor patent applicants to reveal wherethey got their genetic resources from andif they made use of the “traditionalknowledge” of indigenous peoples orlocal populations.

The Council of Ministers and theEuropean Parliament have been invitedto give their views on the proposals andthe public will also be consulted beforefurther steps are taken on the proposals.(For the full story, please see:www.beveragedaily.com/news/news-NG.asp?id=48955) (Source: BeverageDaily, 12 January 2004 in BIO-IPR[[email protected]].)


37

growing variety of capsules, powders,liquid medications and shampoos.

Of the 12 top-selling medicinal plantsin Belém, eight come from forests.Logging companies use five of thesetrees for timber which has depleted theirsupply. Many important medicinal treespecies are particularly vulnerable tologging because they grow slowly andoccur in low densities. Fewer trees meanless access for the rural poor and higherprices for medicinal tree barks, roots andoils. That has made sick people’s livesmuch harder.

Politicians always like to talk abouthealth care because they know it affectsall of us. But they pay too much attentionto white coats and high-priced drugs andnot enough to the plants that so manypeople turn to when they get ill. To getthe chainsaws out of our drugstores, thathas got to change. (To request a freeelectronic copy of this report in pdf orWord format, write to Titin Suhartini[[email protected]]; to sendcomments or queries to the authors,write to Patricia Shanley[[email protected]].) (Source: DavidKaimowitz, Polex, CIFOR, 30 June2003.)

Guidelines on the Conservation of Medicinal PlantsAt a meeting in 2003 organized by theWorld Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-UKand WWF/TRAFFIC-Germany,representatives from the World HealthOrganization (WHO), the WorldConservation Union (IUCN), TradeRecords Analysis of Flora and Fauna inCommerce (TRAFFIC) and WWFdiscussed the need to revise the 1993Guidelines on the Conservation ofMedicinal Plants. These are globalguidelines that were published by WHO,IUCN and WWF following the historic1988 Chiang Mai Declaration “SavingLives by Saving Plants”.

All participants recommended therevision of the 1993 guidelines in the lightof significant new developments in thefield of medicinal plant conservation anduse over the past decade (e.g.community involvement in conservation,

incentive-based approaches/certification).The usefulness of an up-to-date globalframework document was stronglyhighlighted. Apart from governments andnon-governmental organizations, a newkey audience for the revised guidelineswill be the commercial sector (e.g. herbalmedicine industry, traders). This sectorcan contribute significantly toconservation and sustainable use ofmedicinal plants through socially andenvironmentally sound sourcing practices.

To achieve maximum buy-in, therevised guidelines will be developedthrough a global consultation process,which should be completed by December2004. TRAFFIC becomes the fourthauthor of the revised document. The workwill be guided by a steering committeecomprising two representatives from eachorganization.

The original 1993 WHO/IUCN/WWFGuidelines on the Conservation ofMedicinal Plants can be found at:www.wwf.org.uk/researcher/programmethemes/plants/0000000180.asp


Wolfgang Kathe, Ph.D., TRAFFIC-

Europe, Boulevard Émile Jacqmain 90,

B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.

Fax: +32 2 3432565;


www.wwf.de or www.traffic.org

Syzygium alternifolium Walp. – anendemic medicinal plantSyzygium alternifolium Walp. is anendemic and medicinal plant species ofthe Tirumala hills which are a part of theEastern Ghats of India. The plant isfound in open areas of rocky terrain onthe hills at an altitude of 600 to 750 m,where the soil is red and calcareousshales. Flowering occurs in April andMay and fruiting in June and July. Theplant is pollinated by insects andpropagated by seeds.

Syzygium alternifolium Walp.(Myrtaceae) is a small tree, the leavesare sub-opposite, ovate, large, 20 cmlong and 15 cm broad; the inflorescenceis a cyme usually formed laterally fromthe axile of fallen leaves; the flowers aresmall calyx tube turbinate, the limb four-lobed, with four rounded, calyptratepetals; the numerous stamens are bentinwards in the bud condition; the ovaryis two-celled with several ovules in eachcell; and the fruit berry is globosepyriform, one-seeded. The taxa isreduced to its population density andnatural spread and has become rare asit is overexploited for its professedmedicinal properties.

Its fruits are fleshy and edible. The fruit pulp and alcoholic extraction of seeds possess antidiabeticproperties. The ripe fruits are also usedin making squashes, jellies and vinegar.The juice of the fruits is used to curestomach ache and ulcers while theexternal application of the fruit pulpreduces rheumatic pains. The extract ofthe stem bark possess antisepticproperties. The leaves are the bestsource for such economically importantcompounds as sitosterol (+) pintol,sideroxylon and sizalterin. The juice ofthe fresh leaves and pulp of the tendershoots are used to treat bacillarydysentery. The wood is used for crafts,scantlings, beams, poles andagricultural implements. (Contributed by:N. Ramamurthy and N. Savithramma, Department of Botany, S.V. University, Tirupati–517502, India [e-mail:[email protected]].)


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South Africa: permits to harvest Devil’s ClawThe future of one of Northern Cape’smost important medicinal plants, theHarpagophytum procumbens DC, orDevil’s Claw, as it is more popularlyknown, has been given a huge boost bythe laying down of permit conditionsregarding large-scale harvesting of theplant in the province.

Large-scale harvesting is deemed tobe the harvesting of more than 40 plants.This was decided by the Department ofAgriculture, Land Reform, Environmentand Conservation in Northern Cape, towhich the survival of this precious plant isvery important.

A spokesperson for the department,Thabo Mothibi, said in a statement thatthe introduction of permit conditions forthe harvesting of Devil’s Claw in NorthernCape was a proactive step to ensure itslong-term survival, and to protect itssustainable commercial use as a naturalmedicine through the prevention ofoverexploitation. Mr Mothibi said thatthere was a sharp increase in thedemand for Devil’s Claw as a naturalmedicine and it was estimated that in2002 more than two million plants werecollected from the wild to meet theinternational demand.

According to the Northern CapeGovernment Gazette (Vol. 10, No. 802),the permit applicant should provide proofof consent from the landowner on whoseproperty the harvesting will take place, aswell as the submission of a ResourceAssessment and Management Report(RAMR). The written consent from the

landowner, or Memorandum ofAgreement, must stipulate that thelandowner was informed of the reasonsfor the collection of plants.

The department said the permitapplicant should not harvest betweenNovember and February as this was theperiod in which flowering and seed setnormally took place.

The same area should also not beharvested again for the following threeyears, while only secondary tubers maybe harvested.

Devil’s Claw has gained popularitysince the 1900s, when it was recognizedas having valuable analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties to assist in thetreatment of rheumatism and arthritis. Itwas therefore no surprise that its demandhad steadily increased since the 1960s,leading to the export of the dried tubersto Europe and other countries, making ita much sought-after product outsideAfrica. (Source: BuaNews [Pretoria],South Africa, 19 January 2004.)

Medicinal plant collection in protectedareas in the BalkansStocks of many medicinal plant speciesin the Balkan countries have declined inthe past decades with some speciesbecoming rare or endangered owing tohabitat loss, habitat modification andoverexploitation, among other reasons.The German Federal Agency for NatureConservation (BfN), WWF-Germany andTRAFFIC-Europe call for action to fixand implement measures to avert thefurther depletion of medicinal andaromatic plant populations in the Balkancountries, most of which are preparingfor accession to the European Union.

Western Europe’s herbal industry,especially in Germany, which is thelargest European medicinal plantimporter, relies on medicinal plantsupplies taken from the wild in theBalkans. Most of the more than 2 000different plant species that are used forproducing medicine or other herbalproducts in Europe are collected from thewild. A surprisingly large share – about 8percent of the global medicinal plantstrade – originates from the Balkans.

In the countries that supply them,medicinal plants are a controversial topic.The livelihoods of many people in ruralareas depend to a considerable extent onthe wild collection of such plants, butoverharvesting has depleted wildpopulations of many medicinal plantspecies in areas where they wereabundant only some 10 to 15 years ago.

A study – Medicinal and AromaticPlants in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina,Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania. A studyof the collection of and trade in medicinaland aromatic plants (MAPs), relevantlegislation and the potential of MAP usefor financing nature conservation andprotected areas – released today [12September 2003] by BfN and carried outby WWF-Germany and TRAFFIC-Europelooks into the current volumes of themedicinal plant trade, the sourcing ofmedicinal plants from protected areasand the legal situation in five selectedBalkan countries: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia andRomania. It also analyses several currentprojects aimed at a sustainable use ofmedicinal plants in protected areas in theregion and evaluates the potential forusing protected areas to link effectivelynature and species conservation and thesustainable use of natural resources,thereby involving all stakeholdersaffected by the chain-of-custody ofmedicinal plants sourcing and trade. “It isvital that both range and consumercountries are aware of an urgent need toshare the responsibility for sustainablesourcing, trade and use of medicinal andaromatic plants,” said co-authors of thereport, Susanne Honnef from WWF-Germany and Wolfgang Kathe fromTRAFFIC-Europe.

The study found that the medicinal andaromatic plant species wild-collected inthe largest quantities in the region arecurrently sage in Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina, juniper in Bosnia-Herzegovina, dog-rose in Bulgaria, nettlein Croatia, field shave-grass (Equisetumarvense) in Croatia, as well as bilberryand raspberry in Romania. Species suchas yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea) andmountain tea (Sideritis raeseri) have




39

become threatened almost throughouttheir natural range in the Balkans.

Most medicinal plants in the Balkansare collected from the wild by the localpopulation. As a rule, one or moreintermediate traders and wholesalers areinvolved in the chain-of-custody of thetrade; direct marketing by individualcollectors or collectors’ cooperatives isuncommon. As a consequence, the shareof the export price being earned byindividual collectors is usually low. At thesame time, all five countries havedeveloped a comprehensive system oflaws and other regulations related toenvironmental issues and theconservation of natural resources. Withthe exception of Bulgaria, however, theimplementation and enforcement of legalinstruments has so far been relativelyineffective.

In December 2002, a seminar convenedby BfN, WWF-Germany and TRAFFIC-Europe in the Isle of Vilm, Germany,brought together medicinal plant expertsfrom the Balkans and Germany to discussecological, social and financialimplications of medicinal plant sourcingand trade in the Balkans and at the sametime served as one of the main incentivesto develop the study released today.

Based on the results of the study andthe seminar, action at several levels isurgently needed in most areas in theBalkans. Among other things, medicinaland aromatic plant populations and wildcollection activities have to be assessedand species-specific and local maximumquantities of annual wild-collectiondetermined.

Effective control and monitoringmechanisms must be established and acomprehensive management plan has tobe developed for every protected area,which should guarantee that medicinaland aromatic plant sourcing does notexceed sustainable levels. Based on theeffective management of protected areasmedicinal plant sourcing couldsubsequently contribute to natureconservation in protected areas.

In addition, collectors must – over thelong term – be guaranteed a certainincome level. It may be possible to

achieve higher market prices if the rawmaterial is processed in the region orcountry and products are sold on thenational and international markets. (Hardcopies of the study and the proceedings ofthe seminar held in Vilm, Germany –including the Declaration of Vilm – can beobtained from Gisela Stolpe, BfN[[email protected]]; an electronicversion can be downloaded from the BfNWeb site [www.bfn.de/ 06/0602_en.htm].)(Source: Traffic Press Release, 12 September 2003.)

NUTS

Milk produced from Brazil nuts Bread made with nut milk is a speciality ofregional cuisine in Acre. As well as beingtasty, the product is highly nutritious. AnAcre-based company, Sello IndustriaComercio, Importação is building a factoryto produce pasteurized nut milk, whichmay be used as an alternative to coconutmilk in cooking. The company already hascontracts with companies in Europe forthe exportation of nut products. Theproduct will begin to be sold in RioBranco, the capital of Acre, but thecompany hopes to expand its productionand sell the product to other states. Thisyear, Sello hopes to produce 100 000litres of nut milk. The factory will employ32 people.

The Brazil nut is considered to be one ofthe most complete foods available. It is richin protein, lipids and minerals. Brazilexports around US$3.3 million of Brazilnuts every year but the product has beenbanned in the European Community owingto concern about contamination with acarcinogenic fungus, aflatoxin. The ban willnot affect the exportation of nut milk.(Source: Página 20, in Amazon News, 31 July 2003.)

Brazil nuts vetoed in Europe Sanctions imposed by the EuropeanCommission on the importation of Brazilnuts in their shells, owing to thepresence of a fungus which is thought tobe carcinogenic, have effectively broughtan end to the export of the product toEurope. The Brazilian Government andthe private sector lack the minimuminfrastructure to meet the Europeanstandards.

All Brazil nuts exported to Europe mustbe accompanied by a certificate statingtheir origin. All the nuts must also betested. Brazilian producers at present donot have the means to comply with theseregulations. The trade in the nut, which isa symbol of Brazil, is worth aroundUS$3.3 million per year.

The European Commission decisionwas based on a technical inspectioncarried out in Pará in January andFebruary 2003. The inspection teamfound levels of the fungus, aflatoxin, 100times greater than that permitted underEuropean Commission rules.

Brazilian diplomats in Brussels havecriticized the decision as anotherexample of European agriculturalprotectionism. (Source: O Estado de S.Paulo, in Amazon News, 17 July 2003.)

Brazil nuts under threat Scientists are warning that the export ofBrazil nuts collected in the Amazon regioncould collapse if intensive harvestingpractices continue. Until now, harvestingthe nuts has been thought to be asustainable way of preventing moreenvironmentally destructive activities suchas ranching.

However, in this week’s Science, aninternational team of researchers, led byCarlos Peres, a tropical conservationbiologist from the University of East Anglia,United Kingdom reports that currentharvesting practices are not sustainable inthe long term.

The scientists surveyed 23 naturalBrazil nut tree populations in the Brazilian,Bolivian and Peruvian Amazon. Theyfound that populations that have beenextensively harvested over severaldecades are dominated by older trees,


Los «tamshies» son especies nativasno maderables que tienen en comúnsu condición de epífitas, con raícescilíndricas largas en forma de lianasque cuelgan o están pegadas a lostroncos de árboles de gran altura enbosques primarios amazónicos. En laszonas rurales, debido a su flexibilidady alta resistencia al ataque de hongose insectos, se los utiliza en lasconstrucciones como material deamarre en sustitución del alambre.

suggesting that younger trees are unableto establish themselves in such areas.Computer models confirm that, as a result,these tree populations will dwindle overthe long term if current practices persist.

Brazil nuts are the only internationallytraded seed crop collected from the wild.They are traditionally harvested from treesthat can reach 50 m in height and morethan 16 m in circumference. At least 45 000 tonnes of nuts are harvested eachyear in the Amazon region.

In order to avoid a collapse of the Brazilnut industry, the researchers recommendclose monitoring and careful managementof exploited tree populations to encourageyoung trees to become established.

They also suggest that the annual quotaof seeds that can be harvested should bemanaged, and that a rotation systemshould be implemented, alternating areasin which harvesting would not take place.(Source: Science, 19 December 2003.)

TAMSHI

Tamshi: otro producto no maderable delos bosques amazónicos con importanciaeconómicaLa fibra vegetal de «tamshi» juega un rolimportante en la vida del poblador ruralde la Amazonía peruana, pues se lautiliza habitualmente en la construcciónde casas, utensilios domésticos yartesanías. Sin embargo, hay pocaconciencia sobre la necesidad de suconservación y manejo. La especie, quecon un manejo adecuado puedecontribuir a generar ingresos

económicos y a preservar los bosquestropicales amazónicos, se hallagravemente amenazada debido a laexcesiva explotación.

El nombre «tamshi» viene dado a ungrupo de especies de fibras vegetalesde las familias Araceaea yCyclanthaceae. Estas especies tienenen común la característica de serhemiepífitas, con raíces aéreas,cilíndricas o planas, largas, en forma dealambres, que cuelgan o están pegadasa los troncos de los árboles en losbosques primarios. Los «tamshies» sonespecies nativas de los bosquesamazónicos clímax y no se encuentranen bosques secundarios.

Los «tamshies» son productos nomaderables del bosque, altamenteresistentes al ataque de hongos einsectos, que tienen múltiples usos yaplicaciones. En las zonas rurales sonmaterial importante de construcción quereemplaza al alambre y se utiliza comoelemento de amarre para sujetar vigas,caballetes y junturas.

Es también común su uso en el tejidode canastas, esteras, camas, sombrerosy otros utensilios y materiales de pesca.Los «tamshies», dependiendo del grosory características de la especie, se utilizantambién en la construcción de balsas demadera, cercos para protección deanimales, armado de camas enreemplazo del somier, tendales parasecar ropas y como materia prima parala fabricación de artesanías en diferentescomunidades nativas. En zonas urbanasse los utiliza ampliamente en lafabricación de muebles, pues reemplaza

perfectamente a la fibra de mimbre.Como una prueba más de su granpopularidad, la capital de la provincia deSargento Lores en Loreto se llamaTamshiyacu, nombre puesto por susantiguos pobladores, posiblemente por laabundancia del «tamshi» en ese lugar.

En la actualidad el recurso escasea acausa de la presión ejercida por suexplotación y obliga a los pobladoresrurales a buscar en áreas cada vez másdistantes de los centros tradicionales deproducción. No obstante su utilidad, muypoco se conoce sobre aspectos básicosde su taxonomía, biología, ecología ycaracterísticas físicas y mecánicas, porlo que urge desarrollar investigacionesorientadas a solucionar los problemasvinculados a su manejo y explotación.


Juan Baluarte Vásquez o Dennis del

Castillo, Instituto de Investigaciones

de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP),

Av. Abelardo Quiñónez Km. 2,5,

Apartado 784 Iquitos, Perú.

Fax: +51 14 265527;

correo electrónico: [email protected]

o [email protected]


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He plants trees to benefit anothergeneration.

Caecilius Statius(220–168 BC)


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BANGLADESH

A forest stolen for cashThe plantation of exotic trees – rubber,acacia and eucalyptus in particular – is amajor factor that has changed theModhupur sal forest (Shorea robusta) forever, with severe consequences for theethnic communities – Garos and Koch –who have lived in the forest forcenturies.

With loan money from the AsianDevelopment Bank and the World Bank,in particular, the government has actuallyestablished plantations of alien species allover the public forest land. With theexception of the Sundarbans, onlyfragments of native forests remain inBangladesh.

Pineapple and banana plantations havealso expanded recently in the Modhupursal forest, which is a cause of seriousconcern owing to the heavy use ofpesticides (including DDT), and importedhormones to make the fruit bigger andripen faster. Nowadays both pineappleand banana production and trade arecontrolled by the Bangalee traders.

In Bangladesh, “social” forestry onpublic forest land means big cash dealswith loans coming from internationalfinancial institutions. The practice of“simple plantation” forestry has beenpassed for “social”, “community” or“participatory” forestry. The land belongsto the Forest Department; loan moneycomes from the Asian Development Bank(ADB); and the Forest Departmentestablishes the plantations on publicforest land, cutting native forests andbushes with the argument that the localspecies are less productive and growslowly. The local people and oftenoutsiders are drawn into the practice asthe so-called participants or beneficiarieswho have no say in the selection ofspecies, while production and trade arecontrolled.

According to some appalling statisticsabout the state of the Modhupur forestgiven by the Tangail Forest Office, out of18 600 ha in the Tangail part of theModhupur forest, 3 160 ha have been

given out for rubber cultivation, 405 ha tothe Air Force, 10 125 ha have gone intoillegal possession and the ForestDepartment controls only 3 650 ha.

In Modhupur, once abundant withmedicinal plants, one can hardly findnative species such as Gandhi gazari,ajuli (Dillenia pentagyna), dud kuruj,sonalu (Cassia fistula) (golden shower),sesra, jiga, jogini chakra (Gmelinaarborea), kaika, sidha, sajna, amloki(Emblic myrobalan) and gadila.

Currently, the Forest Department isimplementing the second rotation offuelwood plantation throughout thecountry with loans for the Forestry SectorProject from the ADB. The controversy,debate and protest that the first rotation ofplantation (beginning in 1989/90)generated are still alive. The ForestDepartment continues to ignore all theseprotests and controversies aroundplantations. (Source: Extracted fromModhupur. A stolen forest, robbedAdivasis, by Philip Gain, Society forEnvironment and Human Development[[email protected]] in CommunityForestry E-News, 2003.16.)

BHUTAN

Matsutake export declinesExports of matsutake mushrooms toJapan have slumped rapidly in recentyears says the National MushroomCentre (NMC) in Semtokha. According toDawa Penjor of NMC this is basicallybecause of the large production ofmatsutake in other exporting countriessuch as the Republic of Korea, theDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea

and China. Matsutake, locally calledsangay shamu, fetches about Nu 3 000per kilogram in Japan and Bhutan hasbeen exporting the mushroom for abouta decade.

There are other reasons for thedecline. Despite the vigilance of qualitycontrol inspectors, Japanese importersfound nails inside the mushrooms,seriously tarnishing the quality ofBhutanese export standards. Badharvesting practices of mushroomcollectors have also contributed to thedecline. According to Dawa Penjor, theBhutanese overpick, collect very youngmushrooms, disturb the soil and damagethe host plant, and carry plastic bagsinstead of baskets which preventedspores from being released in the forest.Collectors say that the productivity of thecultivated areas has declined by at least10 percent in recent years.

Exporters, farmers, agriculturists,foresters, collectors, quality controllersand marketing experts in the businessmet at a one-day workshop on 18 June2003 to discuss “sustainable harvestingand marketing of the mushroom”. Theparticipants deliberated on various cross-cutting issues affecting the mushroomindustry in Bhutan.

Chhimi Tshering of the agriculturalmarketing section, who presented apaper during the workshop, said thatlittle was known in Bhutan about theJapanese mushroom industry, the placeof matsutake in the industry, and theprogress and the prospects of Bhutan’sexports to Japan. He added thatCanada, the Democratic People’sRepublic of Korea, the Republic ofKorea, Mexico, Morocco, the UnitedStates, Turkey and China also exportedmatsutake to Japan, with China and theDemocratic People’s Republic of Koreadominating the market. Bhutan was thesmallest supplier. Bhutan also exportedmatsutake to Thailand, Singapore, India,Malaysia and China, Hong Kong SpecialAdministrative Region.

Mushroom exporters said that the “lowdemands and uneconomic pricesoffered” because of an economic slumpin Japan, coupled with high cargo

C O U N T R Y C O M P A S S

charges and flight cancellations owing tobad weather, were other reasons for thedeclining exports to Japan. But amarketing expert with the agriculturalmarketing section argued that theinformation Bhutanese exporters had onthe Japanese mushroom industry waseither very limited or not accurate andassured the workshop that the Japanesematsutake market was steady and thatexports were worth continuing.

The programme director of theRenewable Natural Resources-ResearchCentre (RNR-RC) spoke about thepossibility of harvesting matsutake basedon the principles of shared ownership.He explained that mushroom producingareas were a “common pool” for whichan effective management strategyneeded to be developed.

Meanwhile, NMC has been takingvarious initiatives to keep the industryrunning and has been training thematsutake collectors in the sustainableharvest of mushrooms. The beginning ofthe harvest season is now being setevery year and the collection of small-sized mushrooms is not permitted so thatmushrooms can mature and shed theirspores. NMC has also set packagingstandards and has been encouragingcollectors’ group formation to preventoverpicking and mismanagement.

To regain Bhutan’s market reputationin exports to Japan, “Bhutan Fresh” willbe used as the quality standard brand onmatsutake mushrooms exported toJapan. (For the full story, please see:www.kuenselonline.com/article.php?sid=3087) (Source: Kuensel online.com, 24 July 2003.)

BOTSWANA

San Bushmen launch ecotourism projectOne of southern Africa’s most ancientand vulnerable communities, Botswana’sBukakhwe San Bushmen, have launcheda community-run ecotourism project builton preserving their traditional values andprotecting the region’s declining wildlife.

Working in partnership withConservation International andWilderness Safaris, the BukakhweCultural Conservation Trust recentlyinaugurated the new venture calledGudigwa Camp. The ecotourism ventureis fully owned by the Bukakhwe SanBushmen and all proceeds will befunnelled back into communitydevelopment projects. The initiative aimsto reduce pressure on wildlife inBotswana’s Okavango Delta by providingalternative sources of income thatrespect the Bukakhwe’s cultural heritage.

Hunting, increased human settlementand livestock encroachment have had anegative impact on some of the region’smost endangered species such as theAfrican elephant (Loxodonta africana) andAfrican wild dog (Lycaon pictus).Gudigwa’s cheetahs, wattled cranes, lionsand leopards are also under pressure.This new project gives the 700 membersof the Gudigwa community sustainablealternatives to livestock grazing andincentives to protect local fauna.

The Bukakhwe San Bushmen ofGudigwa live in northeastern Botswanain the upper extremity of the OkavangoDelta. Tracing their roots back toNamibia and southern Angola, they havemaintained their cultural heritage forthousands of years, amid their uniquewetland surroundings.

Gudigwa Camp will host up to 16guests at a time in comfortable grasshuts modelled on traditional Bushmenshelters. Through walking tours,community members will teach guestsabout the San cultural heritage includingthe use of medicinal plants, gatheringwater in the dry season, traditionalstorytelling, song and dance. (For furtherinformation about the project, please

visit: www.gudigwa.com) (Source: PressRelease, Conservation International[Washington, DC], 1 May 2003.)

BRAZIL

Environmental protection areas in half of Amazonia Brazil should consider the idea oftransforming half of Amazonia into anenvironmental protection area, accordingto a document published by the WorldBank; Brazil should combine “itstremendous natural riches”, with higherlevels of human capital, foreign tradeand innovation to “construct an economybased in knowledge and naturalresources”.

The document advocates thepreservation of Amazonia’s ecosystemsalongside the existence of highlyproductive agriculture. (Source: O Estadode S. Paulo, in Amazon News, 29 May2003 [[email protected]].)

Secrets of the forests Nuts, essential oils, precious stones,certificated tropical hardwoods andhandicrafts are some of the treasureshidden deep in the Amazonian rainforest. Despite the fact that it occupiestwo thirds of the territory of Brazil, theAmazon region contributes 7 percentonly of Brazil’s annual income. TheBrazilian environment agency IBAMAestimates that Amazonia’s biodiversitycould generate an income of $R 4 trillion,four times more than the current GNP.

On 17 June 2003, 650 representativesof the public, private and “third” sectormet in Belém to discuss proposals tomake the forest economy the motorwhich drives the development of theregion. During the meeting, the first


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group of timber producers with thecoveted “green seal” was formed. Thegroup is composed of five companiesand two communities in Acre.

An initiative from the federalgovernment, the National ForestsProgramme, promises to offer incentivesfor ecologically correct products. Theidea is to transform an area twice thesize of the state of São Paulo intonational forests by 2010. Under this newregime, the exploitation of the forest’snatural resources will be permitted aslong as it conforms to the criteria ofsustainable management, i.e. theextraction of forest resources shouldbenefit local communities withoutdamaging the environment.

Adalberto Verissimo, of the Institute ofMan and the Environment in Amazonia(IMAZON), said that the future ofsustainable development in the regiondepends on the urgent resolution of theland question since around 45 percent ofthe forest has no owner.

Certificated timber continues to be upto 20 percent more expensive than timberwhich does not have the FSC “greenseal”. Other ecologically correct productsare up to a third more expensive. “Theappeal of these products is in the workbehind each item and the many familieswhich benefit from this economicalternative which means that they do nothave to leave their land,” said Verissimo.

One piece of good news is that thereis no shortage of projects in the regionaimed at bringing about sustainabledevelopment. The non-governmentalorganization Friends of the Earth-Brazilian Amazonia has created a servicefor sustainable business, which offersadvice to local communities in Amazonia.According to Roberto Smeraldi, directorof Friends of the Earth, an economybased on sustainable development couldgenerate 500 000 direct and indirect jobsin the next four years. The sustainablebusiness service received an investmentof $R 1.5 million from the NetherlandsGovernment in its first year. It helpscompanies selling forest products toidentify markets and find buyers for theirproducts.

One area of growth is the production ofcosmetic products, using raw materialsfrom all over the Amazon region. Beraca,a São Paulo-based company which actsas an intermediary between producersand industrial manufacturers, has createda research programme to identifypotential ingredients. Copaiba oil is usedto make antidandruff shampoo and acneproducts. Andiroba oil is used inanticellulite products.

The sustainable development projectshave an unquestionable appeal. Aspecialist shop in São Paulo, which sellsecologically correct stationery, furnitureand personal hygiene products, hasseen an increase in its monthly incomefrom $R 40 000 in June 2002 to $R 100 000 today. The shop was thefirst in Brazil to receive the ForestStewardship Council’s “green seal”.(Source: Revista Istoé, in Amazon News,25 June 2003.)

Ecology makes a difference to Brazil’scosmetic industryThe exotic names of fruits, seeds, barksand plants from the Amazon region havean ecological appeal which distinguishesBrazilian products in the internationalcosmetics market. In the last five years,the beauty products industry has grownby 102.7 percent. In 2002, export salesexceeded imports by US$35 million. It isestimated that more than US$190 millionof products will be exported in 2003,representing a growth of 20 percent inrelation to 2002.

Products which are “made in Brazil”are becoming increasingly common inEurope, the United States, Africa and theNear East. Until 2000, 80 percent ofBrazilian exports went to other countriesin Latin America. This year, that figurehas dropped to 55 percent.

The use of biodiversity has giventhe national industry a distinctivepersonality. According to Farmaervas’commercial director, Walmir Paulino,natural cosmetics, particularly those withactive ingredients from Amazonianplants, have a great marketing appealabroad. The company has recentlylaunched an Amazonian line using


The Sustainable Business Service isan initiative launched by Friends of theEarth-Brazilian Amazonia in December2002. The project offers training – andnot direct financial resources – tosmall-scale community initiatives inthe Amazon region, which includes thestates of Acre, Amazonas, Rondônia,Roraima, Amapá, Pará, Maranhão,Tocantins and Mato Grosso.

The aim is to strengthen theproductive sector in the regionthrough the development andsustainability of community-basedinitiatives which are socially,economically and environmentallysustainable. The initiative isbenefiting rubber tappers, furnituremakers, producers of indigenous craftgoods, oils, palm hearts, honey, fruitpulps and certificated wood.

The Sustainable Business Service isone of a number of initiatives aimed athelping local people to exploitAmazonia’s natural resourcesresponsibly. The service offers supportin a number of areas: technical, legal,marketing, business management,etc., through partnerships with localgovernment, non-governmentalorganizations, specialist teachinginstitutions and law practices. The aimis to help 24 enterprises in the nextfour years. There have already been200 candidates.

Information about the candidateswill be included in a SustainableBusiness Databank, which may beaccessed via the Internet. Anypotential candidates may contact the service by e-mail ([email protected]) or via the Web site(www.amazonia.org.br/negocios).

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essences of copaiba, pequi andandiroba. (Source: O Estado de S.Paulo, in Amazon News, 25 September2003.)

CAMEROON

Forestry products to boost economy The contribution of the forestry sector toCameroon’s economy is significant. Thelatest report on the competitiveness of theCameroonian economy describes thesector’s role in very simple terms; “itscontribution is important by virtue of itsdirect and indirect fallouts.” The report isthe result of a study on the diagnosis ofthe competitive nature of Cameroon’seconomy realized by the TechnicalSecretariat of the Committee onCompetitiveness in partnership with theCRETES cabinet and James Bannet, aninternational consultant. It has beencarried out within the framework of thefight against poverty, a strategy whichchallenges the Cameroonian economyand particularly the private sector, alreadyidentified as the major axis on whichriches and employment could be created.

On the basis of its enormouscontribution to the economy, the reportgives serious consideration to theforestry sector which possesses richpotentials for making the economy morecompetitive within and outside thecountry.

The sector is also hailed for playingthe following role in the economy:contributing to the amelioration of theroad infrastructure especially in enclaveareas; reinforcing banking and insurancebusinesses; supplying wood to thenumerous carpentry and furnitureworkshops nationwide known to haveprovided jobs to more than 20 000people; providing non-timber forestproducts, such as medicinal plants,vegetables, wild fruits and spices thathave undergone spectacular

development; and supplying fuelwood asan important energy source for a greatermajority of the population. (Source:Cameroon Tribune [Yaoundé], 30 December 2003.)

Fighting poverty through communityforestry “Empowerment and livelihoodimprovement of the Bagyeli communitythrough the sustainable use of theresources at the Ngovayang Forest inCameroon”: this is the purpose of aproject conceived for the Bagyeli orBakola people living around theNgovayang Massif Forest in Lolodorf,Ocean Division.

The feasibility studies for the projectwere carried out by the CameroonBiodiversity Conservation Society(CBCS), working in collaboration with theMinistry of Environment and Forestry(MINEF) and the Ministry of SocialAffairs (MINAS). The project is beingimplemented with the financial support ofthe Dutch Development Agency (DGIS)and Comic Relief.

CBCS collaborates with two main sitecommunity-based organizations madeup of the Bagyeli people and their Bantuallies. The government brings intechnical support through MINEF andMINAS.

The Bagyeli people who live aroundthe Ngovayang Massif Forest are part ofthe second largest group of pygmies incentral Africa and the world’s populationthat still live as hunters and gatherers.Their economy is based on hunting andthe collection of forest products. TheNgoveyang forest covers an area of 62 700 ha, situated in the Centre andSouth Provinces.

The project aims at raising awarenessand contributing to the empowerment oflocal communities around theNgovayang forest to manage theirnatural resources and improve theirlivelihoods. The project activities include:training in natural resource management,promotion of indigenous natural resourcemanagement systems, and access rightsto natural resources. (Source: CameroonTribune [Yaoundé], 26 December 2003.)

Foundation helps communities protectCameroon Mountains biodiversity The United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) is supportingactivities by the Cameroon MountainsConservation Foundation to protect thearea’s unique biodiversity by helping localcommunities manage forest resourcesand improve their livelihoods. UNDP isproviding US$300 000 for the initiative.

The Cameroon Mountains, lying in thewestern part of the country, are thehighest range in West Africa. The region’sforests have been designated byConservation International as one of theworld’s 25 biodiversity “hot spots” thatneed special attention to safeguardendangered species.

Many villages in the mountains areisolated, and their people are among theone third of Cameroonians who surviveon less than one dollar a day. Theydepend on the mountains for resourcessuch as fuelwood, honey, medicinal plantsand game for food, and have strongcultural bonds to the forests. Themountains are also a vital source of waterfor many inhabitants.

Among the animals living in this uniqueenvironment are primates, includingchimpanzees and gorillas, mountainelephants and a number of rare birdspecies. Over the years, however, forestshave been cleared for farming andgrazing, leading to the drying up ofstreams and the disappearance of wildlife.

The Cameroon MountainsConservation Foundation is applying tothe Global Environment Facility for US$6 million in funding and UNDP isworking to mobilize an equal amount fromdonors and partners. To aid this effort,UNDP hosted a round table in June 2003for representatives of donor andgovernment agencies in the capital,




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Yaoundé, and is following up to marshalsupport for the foundation.

Tanyi Mbianyor Clarkson, Minister ofthe Environment, urged support for thefoundation’s mission, noting that its workis carried out within the framework of thegovernment’s Forest EnvironmentSectoral Programme, supported by theWorld Bank. Donors to date include theGerman Technical Cooperation (GTZ)which has allocated US$2.1 million, theUnited Kingdom Department forInternational Development US$740 000and the Forest Environment SectoralProgramme US$620 000.

The foundation is cooperating withcommunities to improve forestmanagement to conserve resources,protect endangered species and improvelivelihoods by promoting ecotourism andmarketing of local products. Thefoundation also works with villagers tomonitor the ecology and social andeconomic conditions in the area.

These activities contribute toCameroon’s efforts to reach two of thetargets of the Millennium DevelopmentGoals for 2015: halving severe povertyand ensuring environmentalsustainability. (Source: Newsfront, 13 August 2003 [[email protected]].)


Peter Ngu Tayong, UNDP Cameroon.


Nicholas Gouede, UNDP

Communications Office.


Les produits forestiers non ligneux – quelrôle dans la gestion participative dudomaine forestier non permanent? La gestion participative est une desoptions fortes de la nouvelle politiqueforestière du Cameroun mise en œuvredepuis la seconde moitié de la décennie1990. Cette nouvelle démarche est uneréponse à l’échec des approches degestion centralisée, «exclusive» etrépressive par rapport à l’entreprise deconservation et de développementdurable.

À travers le triangle national, il existed’importants espaces offrant despossibilités de cogestion. Il s’agitprioritairement des espaces-ressourcesdes populations dans le domaine deforêts non permanentes dont l’exploitationrelève du régime collectif villageois outout simplement de ceux dont l’accès estlibre. Ces espaces regorgent pour laplupart des produits forestiers non ligneux(PFNL: rotin, njansang, bitter cola, eru,mango, etc.) dont les potentialitésnotamment en matière de gestioncollective demeurent ignorées. Pourtant,par leurs caractéristiques, les PFNLpeuvent jouer un grand rôle dans leprocessus de mise en place et defonctionnement d’un système de gestionmultipartite ou participative desressources forestières.

En premier lieu, les PFNL peuventservir de révélateur d’un besoin decogestion à travers la surexploitation etles conflits auxquels donne souvent lieuleur prélèvement incontrôlé dans certainsmassifs forestiers d’accès libre. Au-delàde ce rôle de déclic (c’est-à-dire la miseen exergue du besoin de gestionconcertée), les PFNL peuvent être utiliséscomme élément d’analyse des situationsde précarité autour de l’exploitation desressources forestières.

En deuxième lieu, lorsque le principed’une gestion collaborative des ressourcesforestières est retenu, les PFNL peuventcontribuer de façon appréciable àplusieurs étapes du processus de sa miseen place dans la mesure où leurexploitation est relativement simple, facileet suscite l’engouement de fortesproportions des communautés

villageoises. Ainsi par exemple, on peut seservir des PFNL comme outil demobilisation d’un grand nombre depersonnes pour cause de gestionparticipative. On peut aussi les utilisercomme un des indices d’identification desdifférentes parties prenantes del’exploitation d’un massif forestier, commesupport de négociation des plans etaccords de gestion ou encore commematériel didactique dans le cadre del’apprentissage collectif de la cogestionpar l’action. On peut également relever lefait que les situations de prélèvementexcessif et de friction autour des PFNLpeuvent constituer de puissants élémentsde persuasion ou de conviction dans lacommunication sociale (sensibilisation,dialogue) dont fait généralement appel lecheminement vers la cogestion.

Sur le plan organisationnel,l’exploitation des PFNL peut être à labase de la naissance d’une entité degestion participative (association,coopérative, groupe d’intérêtéconomique) dans la mesure où certainesopérations d’exploitation commerciale desPFNL constituent des facteurs derapprochement des villageois. On peutpar exemple penser aux «expéditions» deramassage de Irvingia dans certaineslocalités du sud et du sud-est, aux partiesde chasse dans les mêmes régions etaux opérations de cueillette, d’évacuationet de vente du rotin dans les campagnesdu Nyong et Soo. A ces occasions, desgroupes informels plus ou moins larges etstables se constituent. Cette synergiepeut être capitalisée et canalisée versune éventuelle initiative de cogestion.

Les PFNL étant peu «sensibles» (ilspolarisent moins d’enjeux politico-économiques et fonciers que le bois) etd’accès relativement facile peuvent être,sans grande difficulté, pris commeressources support ou ressources témoindans le processus d’initiation et dedéfinition du cadre relationnel (rôles,droits, responsabilités) entre différentsacteurs impliqués dans l’exploitation desproduits d’une forêt donnée.

Enfin, dans le cadre particulier desforêts communautaires (au sens dudécret 95/531/PM: «une forêt du domaine


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forestier non-permanent faisant l’objetd’une convention de gestion entre unecommunauté villageoise et l’administrationchargée des forêts»), l’exploitationcommerciale des PFNL peut être d’unegrande importance pour les communautéslocales. Par rapport au bois d’œuvre,l’exploitation des PFNL présente diversavantages: ces ressources sontrelativement plus abondantes etdiversifiées et ont un temps de maturationgénéralement court. Leur extraction est engénéral simple et nécessite moins demoyens (financiers ou techniques). Leurévacuation peut se faire à travers dessentiers qui sont en général moinscoûteux et perturbateurs que les routesdont fait appel le prélèvement de lamatière ligneuse. Par ailleurs, les PFNLse prêtent mieux à l’exploitation en régieet sont comme on l’a déjà relevé, moinssensibles que le bois. Par ailleurs, sanségaler à court terme les bénéficesfinanciers de l’exploitation des arbres, lacommercialisation des PFNL par lesvillageois peut générer des sommes nonnégligeables. Certaines études réaliséesen Amérique latine ont d’ailleurs montréqu’à la longue, l’exploitation des PFNLpeut être économiquement plus profitableque celle des arbres.

Au-delà de leur montant, les sommessusceptibles d’être générées parl’exploitation commerciale des PFNL dansles espaces régis par le régime collectifvillageois peuvent être d’un grand appuipour les communautés dans les effortsd’obtention et de gestion des forêtscommunautaires: cet argent peut aiderces derniers à rechercher des partenairestechniques et financiers, à financercertaines étapes ou formalités dans leprocessus (exemple: organisation desréunions, création de l’entité légale degestion, élaboration de plan simple degestion). Les PFNL peuvent générer del’argent plus rapidement que le bois et cetargent peut financer le fonctionnement etla consolidation de l’entité de gestionaussi bien au cours du processusd’acquisition de la forêt communautaireque de son exploitation en attendant queles disponibilités financières s’élargissentdavantage avec l’exploitation des arbres.

Comme on le constate, les PFNLpeuvent jouer un rôle significatif dans lagestion participative des ressourcesforestières en général et en matièred’obtention et de gestion des forêtscommunautaires en particulier. Il revientdonc aux différents acteurs de la gestionforestière d’exploiter les possibilitésqu’ils offrent dans leurs effortsd’opérationalisation du concept departicipation. (Contribution de: LouisDefo, CML, Université de Leiden [bourseWOTRO], Pays-Bas et Université deYaoundé, BP 8297, Yaoundé, Cameroun[mél.: [email protected]].)

Local communities take the lead inimplementing their conservation plans Mount Kupe straddles the Southwestand Littoral provinces of Cameroon. Itsaltitude ranges from approximately 600to a peak at 2 064 m. The forest islargely submontane evergreen forest(800 to 2 000 m), with some montaneforest species above 1 800 m and below1 200 m. At present, the mountain’sforest covers an area of approximately42 km2. The forest is surrounded by 16villages/towns with an estimatedpopulation of 140 000 inhabitants,predominantly of the Bakossi tribe.

The forest has a wide range ofendemic, unique and endangered floraand fauna species, such as the MountKupe bush shrike (Malaconotuskupeensis) exclusively on Mount Kupeand the Bakossi forests. In addition,there are seven bird species for whichMount Kupe is a very importantpopulation centre, a unique chameleonspecies, eight primate species and about20 endemic plant species, includingCoffea montekupeensis known inBakossi as “deh a mbine”, a wild coffeeplant (discovered by the Earthwatchteam from the Kew Gardens, UnitedKingdom) believed to be more valuablethan the robusta and arabica coffeescommon in Cameroon.

Apart from its scientific worth, MountKupe forest represents a rich and grandcultural force to the Bakossi people.They consider it as one of the strongestpoints of their culture, constituting one of

the major reasons for the intact state ofthe forest, especially on the western side.

The Bakossi people believe that theMount Kupe forest is the greatest secretmeeting place in all Bakossiland. However,as can be expected, the populationsurrounding Mount Kupe forest uses it fortheir livelihood and recreation via hunting,farming, tourism and petty-logging. Thenative inhabitants saw human pressure onthe forest, especially from the settlerpopulation (non-Bakossians), as a steptowards obliterating the valuablebiodiversity that nature has provided themand, above all, their culture. Consequently,the local communities through their chiefsand in concert with other stakeholdersdecided to put in place a farm-forestboundary, beyond which further humanactivities are forbidden. The peculiaraspect of the more than 52 km longboundary in the Kupe forest is that thelocal people themselves took the decisionto put it in place and afterwards todemarcate the forest, technicallysupported by the Government ofCameroon and facilitated by the WWF-Coastal Forests Program.

An assembly of the “Kupe All ChiefsMeeting” (community leaders’ forum),consisting of 19 villages, was convened bythe local chiefs to determine futureinterventions in the Kupe forest, assanctioned by the Cameroon Forestry Lawof 20 January 1994.

Facilitated by WWF-Coastal ForestsProgram, with the technical assistance ofthe Ministry of Environment and Forestry(MINEF), the 19 chiefs bordering theKupe, collectively with other stakeholders,proposed Mount Kupe, as an IntegralEcological Reserve in an enlarged KupeAll Chiefs Meeting, after they had beenwell schooled on the provisions of theCameroon Forestry Law.

The Cameroon Forestry Law of 1994highlights an Integral Ecological Reserve,as one of the highest categories ofProtected Area Legal Status. If theGovernment of Cameroon approves thisstatus, then Kupe will be the first IntegralEcological Reserve in Cameroon (as at thetime of writing this article, September2003). As stated by the Cameroon




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Forestry Law, an Integral EcologicalReserve is a Permanent Forest, an areawhose resources of whatever kind arecompletely protected in order to ensure thefull preservation of its climatic conditions. Itimplies that all human activities are strictlyprohibited in such areas.

However, the administration in chargeof forestry may authorize scientificresearch projects to be carried out inareas where such projects are not likelyto upset the balance of the ecosystem.

So far, although the status is still to beapproved by the government, manypeople are respecting the boundary aselucidated by the general belief of thelocal inhabitants, that their ancestorshave the prowess to attack anyone whotrespasses on the boundary. Also, thejoint monitoring staff of the Center ofReproduction of Endangered Species-Cameroon, a programme of theZoological Society of San Diego-USA,and WWF-Coastal Forests Program, hasreported the presence of an encouragingpopulation of drills (Mandrillusleucophaeus) and chimpanzees (Pantroglodytes) in the area.

The gazettement process of Kupe is inprogress and has been proving veryexpensive. More funds are required tofollow it up to its end in a scrupulousmanner and also to assist in theimprovement of the livelihoods of the localcommunities around Kupe by stirring upother alternative conservation-relatedenterprises, as one of the strategiestowards reducing pressure on the would-be Kupe Integral Ecological ReserveForest. (Contributed by: NgweneTheophilus Nseme, WWF-Coastal ForestProgram, Nyasoso Office, PO Box 112,Tombei, Kupe-Muanenguba Division,South West Province, Cameroon [e-mail:[email protected]].)

Seeking assistance on managing forestbiodiversityIn 1994, a group of extension workers inforestry, agriculture and communitydevelopment in Bova, Buea Limbe, FakoDivision in South West Province formedWewuley Consultancy to fightdeforestation, promote participatoryforest management/sustainableagricultural practices to rescueforest/agricultural land, the environmentand people from the threat of drought,desert encroachment and soil erosion.Forests and trees on farms are thelifeline of rural people. The group helpsgrassroots farmers, common initiativegroups and community forest projects toplant and manage trees. It also works toensure that the trees that have beenfelled are replaced by establishing treenursery training and helping the farmersand groups to plant trees on their farmlands. It also organizes training inbeekeeping.

The consultancy is helping to establishcommunity forests, including establishingcommercial forestry enterprises in theirmanagement plans covering timber,fuelwood, fruits, charcoal, non timberforest products (NTFPs), medicinalplants and bees, all of which can providesome income for the rural people forpoverty alleviation.

Wewuley’s goal is to maintain a goodstatistical database to guide future useand protection of the “Green Gold”, theAfrican rain forest ecosystem. Theconsultancy has 28 members andresource persons/volunteers, ten ofwhom are women. Members pay amonthly contribution towards funding thegroup’s activities, but these funds arenot enough to cover the running costsand projects. The group is, therefore,seeking assistance from non-governmental organizations, donoragencies, interested agroforesters andscientists.


Ndumbe Ekeme Stephen, Wewuley

Consultancy, PO Box 442 Buea,

Fako Division, Cameroon.


CANADA

Salvaged ferns – the newest North Island export Nurseries in the Lower Mainland havealready ordered thousands ofsustainably harvested ferns from NorthIsland residents as a result of harvestingtrials held in December 2002 andJanuary 2003.

Native ferns such as deer fern(Blechnum spicant) and sword fern(Polystichum munitum) are highly desiredproducts in the nursery industry for use inlandscaping and restoration. Concernsabout the sustainability of whole plantextraction, however, have resulted in areduced demand for these wild-harvestedferns in the past four to five years,particularly with the advent of successfulnursery propagation. If managed correctlythough, wild fern harvesting, as with othernon-timber forest products (NTFPs),could be a sustainable and viableindustry for the North Island community.

To ensure the ecological sustainabilityand economic viability of whole fern plantextraction, harvesting trials were initiatedon the North Island in December 2002.With the assistance of Western ForestProducts and with the informationgathered from the North Island NTFPDemonstration Project’s 2001 BotanicalInventory, sites with good fern coveragewere selected. The research team thenchose two species of fern, deer fern andsword fern, and conducted variable levelsof commercial harvest (0, 50 and 100 percent) within areas slated fortimber harvest.

Plots will be revisited after the timber isharvested. Survivability of the ferns willbe compared between the plots. If nosignificant difference is found betweenthe harvest levels and the survivability ofthe ferns, then it can be assumed thatremoving ferns prior to timber harvest is asustainable method of whole fernextraction. If there is a significantdifference, other methods of sustainableharvest should be explored.

Fern harvest prior to road building,however, is clearly a salvage activity. In


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coordination with Western ForestProducts, proposed and flagged loggingroads were identified and selected foradditional harvesting trials, in order todetermine the economic viability ofsalvaging ferns for North Islandharvesters.

The data from the study will beanalysed and a report made available.

This project is led by Royal RoadsUniversity and funded by the ForestryInnovation Investment ResearchProgram. (Contributed by: Diane Carley,Communications Coordinator, NTFPDemonstration Project, Sointula, BC,Canada [e-mail: [email protected]].)


Wendy Cocksedge, NTFP Coordinator,

Royal Roads University, 2005 Sooke

Road, Victoria, BC, Canada V9B 5Y2.

E-mail:

[email protected];

www.island.net/~ntfp/

Forests – much more than a bunch of treesManitobans from remote northerncommunities are literally forging a newpath through the forest to enhancedeconomic security. They are harvestingoften overlooked non-timber forestproduct materials such as: mushrooms,berries, floral greens, medicinal herbs,craft supplies, landscaping products, andmore. Non-Timber Forest Product(NTFP) Training Program graduates areprocessing these materials and sellingthem to vendors in Canada and aroundthe world, including the United Statesand Japan.

The NTFP Training Program is aremarkable example of communityeconomic development at its best.Looking at ordinary things inextraordinary ways, KeewatinCommunity College, Western EconomicDiversification Canada (WD), fivenorthern Community FuturesDevelopment Corporations (CFDCs) –Cedar Lake, Greenstone, North Central,North West and Kitayan – and theProvince of Manitoba are workingtogether to ensure the success of theNorthern Forest Diversification Centre.The centre, established in February2001, is a subsidiary of KeewatinCommunity College in The Pas and wasset up to develop the non-timber forestproducts and ecotourism industries inthe north. One of the ways it does this isthrough the NTFP Training Program.

The NTFP Training Program, deliveredlocally in the communities, teachesstudents about the industry, including anunderstanding of their unique communityresource base, the market potential, safeand ethical harvesting, and NTFP-basedbusinesses. Students come away withthe information and skills they need toassess opportunities and to develop anindustry valued by some at hundreds ofmillions of dollars annually in Canada.“NTFP Training Program graduates knowthat the forest is more than a bunch oftrees,” commented Dave Buck, NTFPproject coordinator and instructor.

Annette Brightnose graduated fromthe July 2001 training session held inCormorant and is a member of theManitoba Wild Harvesters Association.Among the many products she and herfamily are working on is collecting drydiamond willow for walking sticks. Thewillow sticks are cleaned, peeled,sanded and varnished repeatedly untilthey shine just right. After a leather handstrap is attached to the top and a rubbertip is placed on the bottom, a walkingstick emerges from what was onceconsidered suitable for the fireplace.

Interest in the NTFP Training Programis growing. So far, it has been deliveredin the northern Manitoba communities ofMoose Lake, Cranberry Portage,

Cormorant, Sherridon and National Mills.Plans are under way to offer the coursein Lynn Lake, South Indian Lake andLeaf Rapids.

WD is proud to be part of the NorthernForest Diversification Centre and theNon-Timber Forest Products TrainingProgram – a community economicdevelopment project with tangible impacton the lives and economic well being ofpeople and communities in northernManitoba. (Contributed by: Dave Buck,Canada.)

For more information on the NTFP

Training Program or products available

through the Manitoba Wild Harvesters

Association, please contact:

Dave Buck, Northern Forest

Diversification Centre, PO Box 509,

The Pas, Manitoba, Canada R9A 1K6.

Fax: +1 204 6278686;


www.nfdc.ca/contact.htm

Coalition agrees to ban industrialactivities in Canadian forestAn agreement announced on 1 December 2003 would exempt morethan half of Canada’s vast northernforest, about 1 million square miles[about 2.56 million km2] in all, fromindustrial activities, including logging andoil and gas exploration.

The boreal forest, as it is known, isjust below the Arctic Circle and stretchessome 3 000 miles [4 800 km] from theYukon to the Atlantic Ocean. It is thelargest intact forest ecosystem in theworld and makes up roughly half ofCanada’s territory. The agreementreached by a coalition of native tribes,environmentalists and businesses seeksto protect this evergreen expanse thathas large bear, wolf and cariboupopulations, along with other speciesand hundreds of native communities.Approval by national and localgovernments is now necessary, as 90 percent of the forest is under publicownership. (For the full story, pleasesee: www.enn.com/news/2003-12-02/s_10903.asp) (Source: EnvironmentalNews Network, 2 December 2003.)




49

CHINA

China’s forests, global lessons frommarket reforms Sweeping reforms since the late 1970shave turned China upside down. China’sforests, global lessons from marketreforms, edited by Bill Hyde, BrianBelcher and Jintao Xu and copublishedby Resources for the Future and CIFOR,shows what the reforms have meant forforests.

In the early 1980s, the collectives thatown about 60 percent of China’s forestshanded most of them over to individualfamilies to manage. Fifty-seven millionhouseholds received 30 million hectaresof degraded land to plant trees on.Millions more households were allowed tomanage existing forests and share theprofits. The government partiallyliberalized forest product markets,particularly for bamboo, fruits and pineresin.

Many families that received forestsinitially overexploited or deforested them.But after a few years both forest area andtimber stocks started to grow as farmersplanted more trees. Things improvedmore quickly in regions which handedover forests faster, went further towardsliberalizing markets, charged lower taxesand had more consistent policies.

The reforms made some farmers betteroff, particularly those who were bettereducated and well connected and whogrew bamboo and fruit-trees. Plantingwindbreaks increased many farmers’ cropyields. However, there are still too manytaxes and regulations for most farmers toprosper from selling timber. More than 80percent of the country’s poorest countiesare in forested mountainous regions andin many of them life is improving slowly.

The total area in forests grew by fivemillion hectares between 1980 and 1993.Yet, while the plantation area increasedby 21 million hectares, the area in naturalforests declined by 16 million hectares.The net result was good for reducing soilerosion, but bad for biodiversity. Thegovernment has since banned logging inseveral major regions and set aside

millions of hectares as nature reserves,which may have improved the biodiversityaspect.

To meet the growing demand for paper,small factories using agricultural residuessprang up throughout the country.However, those factories soon becamethe largest source of rural water pollution,so the authorities shut down 2 000 ofthem. The government is now trying toencourage foreign companies to buildlarge modern pulp and paper mills thatuse wood instead of residues, but it isunclear where the wood will come from.

They may get it from imports. China israpidly becoming one of the largestimporters of all sorts of forest products.So what happens in China maydramatically affect forests worldwide;and we all need to pay attention. (A limited number of copies of this bookare available free of charge for people indeveloping countries. To request oneplease write to Nia Sabarniati[[email protected]]; others canpurchase the book from RFF press[www.rffpress.org]; to send comments or queries to the authors, please writeBrian Belcher [[email protected]].)(Source: David Kaimowitz, CIFOR[[email protected]], Polex Listserve.)

CZECH REPUBLIC

Collection and importance of NWFPs Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) –forest berries, mushrooms, medicinalplants and partially plants for decorativepurposes – are picked intensively in theCzech Republic by forest visitors but aremostly not marketed. In particular, ediblemushrooms, forest berries and medicinalplants have been well-known products ofthe Czech forests from time immemorial.According to Article 19 of Forest Act No.289 of 1995, individuals are entitled toenter the forest at their own risk and tocollect, for their own needs, any forestberries and dry wastewood lying on theground. Although the collection of NWFPsis a very popular public activity, there wasno objective information about theimportance of NWFPs before the

investigation into the socio-economicimportance started in 1994.

Questionnaire surveys of representativesamples of the Czech population, whichtook place from 1994 to 2001, were aimedat investigating the level of NWFPcollection by the population. The followingmain kinds of NWFPs were included in theset of NWFPs surveyed (in order ofimportance): mushrooms without speciesspecification, bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillusL.), raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.),blackberry (Rubus fruticossus L.),elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) andcranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.).

The collection of NWFPs is secondamong the main reasons for visitingforests, with a share of almost 29 percent(short-term recreation had first place, with42.5 percent). But NWFPs are also pickedduring short recreation activities, as wellas during forest visits for other mainpurposes. Data obtained show that abouttwo thirds of the inhabitants and four fifthsof households collected NWFPs.Mushrooms were picked by 70 percent ofhouseholds, bilberries by almost 50,raspberries by almost 30, blackberries bymore than 20, elderberries by 15 andcranberries by 8 percent. On average,more than 11 kg of these commoditieswere picked per year by an averagehousehold in the Czech Republic in theperiod from 1994 to 2001. One half of thatamount was mushrooms by fresh weight.The total average annual value of NWFPscollected reached CK 2 999 million.(Source: RG5.11, IUFRO News.)


the author:

Ludek Sisak, Faculty of Forestry,

Czech University of Agriculture Prague,

Kamycka 129, 165 21 Praha 6-Suchdol,

Czech Republic.



50

GRENADA

Grenada is the world’s second largestproducer (after Indonesia) of the well-known spice, nutmeg (Myristica fragrans).The cost of nutmeg has declined sharply,triggering an economic crisis for the“Spice Island”. Any fluctuation in thenutmeg price jeopardizes Grenada’seconomy. More than 30 percent of thepopulation earns a livelihood bycultivating the spice. A nutmeg glut hasresulted in the price falling from US$1.50per pound [0.4536 kg] to US$1 per poundin 2003, resulting in a reduced income forthe farmers. (Source: MFP News, XIII.4.)

INDIA

Traditional Knowledge Digital LibraryThe National Institute of ScienceCommunication (NISCOM) of the Councilof Scientific & Industrial Research, NewDelhi (India) is developing a TraditionalKnowledge Digital Library (TKDL) incollaboration with the Department ofIndian Systems of Medicine andHomeopathy, Government of India,Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, inorder to protect India’s traditionalknowledge from biopiracy.

The TKDL proposes to digitize, inphases, information available in thepublic domain on Ayurveda, Unani,Siddha, Naturopathy and Folklore.

The TKDL will be available in differentforeign languages (e.g. English, French,German, Spanish), as well as Indianlanguages, which will make it accessibleto patent examiners globally. It will bemade mandatory for patent examiners torefer to TKDL before granting patents onnon-original inventions.


Mr V.K. Gupta, Chairman, TKDL Task

Force and Director NISCOM, NISCOM,

Dr K.S. Krishnan Marg (near Pusa

Gate), New Delhi 110 012, India.

Fax: +91 11 5787062;


www.niscom.res.in

Community Based EconomicDevelopment Project (CBED): NTFPcultivation benefiting marginalizedmountain farmersThe hills of Uttaranchal are rich withNTFP resources. Communities in thisregion are dependent on these forestsand resources for their day-to-day needsas the topography of the region is notconducive to the traditional croppingpractised in the plains. Traditionally,NTFPs that are collected from the wildsupport and supplement farm-basedincomes.

At the same time, hill farming issuffering owing to the damage to cropscaused by wildlife. NTFP cultivation, onthe other hand, is less prone to wildlifeinterference. In fact, cultivation helps toreduce the pressure on dwindling forestresources and farmers can adapt NTFPcultivation as a sustainable source ofincome.

Additionally, permilia (lichen), mossgrass, soap nut, Cinnamomum tamalaand Valeriana jatamansi are collected ona large scale and sold every year. As aresult of this considerable collection, thequantity of NTFPs available hasdiminished.

Asparagus racemosus Willd, a thornyclimber has been identified as a potentialcommodity for cultivation. The roots ofthis plant are one of the importantingredients of Ayurvedic preparations inIndia. A. racemosus along with its wildcousins (A. adscedence) is collectedfrom the wild in different parts of thecountry (90 percent) without consideringits regeneration. There is a strong needto focus on the cultivation and properharvesting for perpetual availability.

For these reasons, one of thecomponents of the Community Based

Economic Development Project (CBED)is the focus on NTFP cultivation onmarginal lands, idle lands, and farmspaces. In addition to replenishing thesewild resources, cultivation activitiesprovide high-value crops for incomegeneration.

Women and children arepredominantly involved in NTFPcollection during the lean agriculturalperiods. NTFP collection is lessdemanding on women’s workloads andencourages time-saving activities. Thecultivation process is less labourdemanding than other cultivations andinvolves one-time sowing, nomaintenance and natural irrigation.

The CBED project has providedtraining and support to producers andcommunity leaders in establishingnurseries, maintenance andmanagement of crops, concepts inmarketing and marketing activities, andtechnological aspects. All training isfollowed by field exposure to



The Community Based EconomicDevelopment Project (CBED) is a four-year bilateral project funded by theCanadian International DevelopmentAgency (CIDA) and Centre canadiend’étude et de coopérationinternationale (CECI). The project isimplemented in partnership with theHimalayan Study Circle and theKumaon Agriculture and GreeneryAdvancement Society in the districtsof Champawat and Pithoragarh inUttaranchal, India.

The CBED project is designed toserve 15 000 families in 230 villages.Its goal is to reduce rural poverty bysupporting the social and economicreform processes of the Uttaranchalgovernment. This will be achieved byimplementing an integrated set ofactivities aimed at improving thelivelihoods of the local communitiesthrough participatory processes incommunity-based sustainableeconomic development.


51

demonstration plots, which CBED hasdeveloped in Champawat andPithoragarh districts. Farmers in theproject are organized into Producer SelfHelp Groups (PSHGs) so that productionand collective marketing can bemanaged.

In addition, the outreach of PSHGs ispromoted in the project area in order toincrease the cultivation of selected cropsand to organize other collectiveproduction activities. To date, the CBEDproject has involved 800 producers andthe involvement of more producers nextyear will enable economies of scale ofproduction.

The CBED project has alsoestablished nurseries which provide low-cost planting materials at the local levelso that more producers can undertakeplantation. Nurseries are raised andmanaged collectively to benefit all groupmembers in PSHGs. (Contributed by:Erica Stillo, CBED India.)


Ravi Pacholi, NTFP Specialist, CBED

India, Link Road, Takana Tiraha,

Pithoragarh, Uttaranchal, India.


INDONESIA

The Dayak people in the first comanagedprotected area The Kayan Mentarang National Park,situated in the interior of EastKalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, lies atthe border with Sarawak to the west andSabah to the north. With its gazetted 1.4

million hectares, it is the largest protectedarea of rain forest in Borneo and one ofthe largest in Southeast Asia.

The history of the natural landscape ofthe park is inexorably intertwined with thehistory of its people. About 16 000 Dayakpeople live inside or in close proximity tothis national park. The communities livingin and around the park are still largelyregulated by customary law or “adat” inthe conduct of their daily affairs and themanagement of natural resources in theircustomary territory. Traditional forestareas with protection status or strictmanagement regime exist. “Tana ulen”,for example, is land whose access isrestricted, limited. It is an expanse ofprimary forest rich in natural resourcessuch as rattan (Calamus spp.), sangleaves (Licuala sp.), hardwood forconstruction (e.g. Dipterocarpus spp.,Shorea spp., Quercus sp.), fish andgame, all of which have high use valuefor the local community.

The Nature Reserve established in1980 had a strict protection status,meaning that no human activities areallowed inside the protected area. TheWorld Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)together with the Indonesian Institute ofResearch (LIPI) and local people ran along-term social science researchprogramme (Culture and Conservation,1991–1997) and conducted experimentalcommunity mapping to show that thecommunities were dependent on forestresources and had rightful claims to theland. The results provided the necessaryevidence to recommend a change ofstatus from Nature Reserve to NationalPark in 1994 (where traditional activitiesare allowed).

The issue of social entitlements, andparticularly the lack of tenure security,was identified by the WWF team as akey issue and priority area forintervention in the period 1996–2000.Although the Dayak people had beenliving in the area and had made use ofthe forest resources for centuries, theforest they inhabited and managed was“state forest” with open access, wherebythe state could decide to allocateexploitation rights or decide to establish a

conservation area without the priorconsent of the local communities. Localcommunities had very little power intrying to defend the forest or secure thesource of their economic livelihoodagainst the interests of loggingcompanies, mining exploration or outsidecollectors of forest products.

Under these circumstances, the WWFKayan Mentarang project developed astrategy and programme of field activitiesthat would lead to the legal recognition of“adat” claims and “adat” rights so thatindigenous communities could continueto use and manage forest resources inthe conservation area. Activities included:community mapping; qualitativeassessments of the use and availabilityof forest resources with economic value;workshops for the recognition of “tanaulen” or forest under traditionalcustomary management; participatoryplanning for zonation recommendationsand the redrawing of the externalboundaries of the park; drafting of “adat”or customary regulations for themanagement of the national park;strengthening of local organizations andinstitutional development.

Following several meetings anddiscussions among the ten “adat” leadersfrom the customary lands around the parkarea, the Alliance of the IndigenousPeople of Kayan Mentarang National Park(FoMMA) was formed and formallyestablished on 7 October 2000. The mainobjectives were to create a forum forconveying the aspirations of theindigenous communities and debatingissues concerning the management of thenational park and natural resources in thecustomary lands of the park. FoMMA isconcerned with guaranteeing theprotection of the forest and the sustainableuse of natural resources as well as theprotection of the rights of indigenouspeople, and is also concerned withincreasing their economic prosperity.FoMMA now legally represents theindigenous people on the Policy Board ofthe park, a new institution set up to presideover the park’s management. The PolicyBoard includes representatives of thecentral government (agency for Forest



52

Protection and Nature Conservation), theprovincial and district governments, andFoMMA. The operating principles of theboard emphasize the importance ofcoordination, competence, sharedresponsibilities, and equal partnershipamong all stakeholders. The board wasformally established in April 2002 with aDecree of the Ministry of Forestry, whichalso spells out that the park is to bemanaged through collaborativemanagement (a first in Indonesia).

After decades of marginalization anddispossession, recent developments inthe Kayan Mentarang National Park offerhope to the indigenous communities ofKalimantan. It is becoming increasinglyevident that conservation objectives canrarely be obtained or sustained byimposing policies and projects thatproduce negative impacts on indigenouspeoples and local communities.Alternative and progressive approachesthat genuinely take into considerationlocal people’s needs and rights andsecure their full involvement inbiodiversity management and decision-making can provide a more solid basis forecological protection and theimprovement of people’s livelihoods.There is hope that the comanagementarrangement being developed in KayanMentarang will fulfil these objectives.(Source: Community Forestry E-News2003.14 [[email protected]].)


Cristina Eghenter, WWF Indonesia

Kayan Mentarang Project.


Martin Labo, Alliance of the Indigenous

People of Kayan Mentarang National

Park (FoMMA).


Maurizio Farhan Ferrari, Forest

Peoples Programme.


Forestry ministry to map forestsThe forestry ministry and the NationalCoordinating Agency for Surveying andMapping signed a memorandum ofunderstanding for a joint project to mapout the country’s forests.

The head of the ministry’s forestryplanning body, Boen M. Purnama, saidthe move was needed to provideaccurate data and information on forestsin the country. The cooperation, whichwill last five years, will start with pilotprojects in South Kalimantan and WestKalimantan. Boen earlier said theministry did not have accurate data on60 million ha of forest in the country,including the rate of deforestation.

Indonesia has lost more than 75 percent of its forest over the past fewdecades. Over the past five years, some43 million hectares of Indonesia’s forest,the equivalent of half of KalimantanIsland, has been destroyed. (Source:Jakarta Post, 12 September 2003 citedin Community Forestry E-News2003.15.)

KENYA

Biodiversity greatly affected by loss of forest cover The allocation and destruction of forestlands has had a serious impact on usefulplants and animals, says MichaelGacanja of the Kenya Forest WorkingGroup. The pressure on useful plants willincrease owing to reduced habitat.Continued overcollection of medicinalplants will eventually end in the loss ofthose plants and affect the health ofpeople who are not able to purchasemodern medicines.

Forest loss in water catchment areascontributes to reduced water flow inrivers. In Mount Kenya Forest, low waterlevels for downstream users following

water abstraction by upstream users lastyear also raised tension between the twousers.

The destruction of forests has also hada serious impact on biodiversity. A largepercentage of the country’s biodiversityoccurs in forests. Deforestation is knownto have impacts on viable speciespopulations within the forests. (Source:The East African Standard [Nairobi], 10 March 2003.)

Experts want carvers banned from forestsIn Malindi, about 1 000 wood carversyesterday urged the government to liftthe ban on tree felling in the remainingforests. Malindi Handicraft Co-operativeSociety chairman, Joseph Kimulu, saidthat the ban on logging may renderwood carvers jobless.

Speaking at the Malindi HandicraftCentre, Kimulu said the local woodcarvers make beautiful curios depictingKenya’s wildlife and cultural heritage thatattract tourists from all corners of theworld. Wood carving, he said, was amajor job creator and that unless thegovernment lifts the ban on logging, themultimillion-shilling wood carvingindustry would collapse.

Environmentalists have called for theban on logging, saying the cutting oftrees from the remaining forests couldwipe out forests in the district. MalindiGreen Town movement chairman,Godfrey Karume, lamented that theunrestrained cutting of trees by woodcarvers had threatened the world famousArabuko Sokoke Forest with extinction.Karume strongly opposed the cuttingdown of indigenous forests which, headded, are a major tourist attraction andessential for scientific study. (Source:The East African Standard [Nairobi], 31 October 2003.)

Kenya Wildlife Service permit to cut raretree type now revokedThe Kenya Wildlife Service has beendirected to revoke a 20-year-old permit itgranted to a trader for the cutting of anendangered medicinal tree. It shouldalso stop any further exploitation of thePrunas africana tree used in



53

manufacturing medicine, environmentminister Newton Kulundu said yesterday.

The minister accused the KenyaWildlife Service of abusing its authorityas the custodian of the Convention onTrade in Endangered Species (CITES).He said that although the governmenthad listed the plant under its endangeredspecies, Kenya had been providing 60percent of the world’s supply, estimatedat K Sh 28.1 billion per year.

The indigenous tree, found in Baringo,Kakamega and Samburu districts, isused in manufacturing drugs for prostatecancer. (Source: The Nation [Nairobi], 14 November 2003.)

Opposition to new forest regulationThe government has been accused ofinterfering with the local communities’right to enjoy forest resources. The leaderof the official opposition, Uhuru Kenyatta,said yesterday that a new regulation thatbars people from entering forests wasdenying minority communities access tofood, grazing lands, water, fuelwood andmedicinal plants.

Area MP Musa Sirma said the decreewas contrary to the Forest Act, whichallows local people to source food andother necessities from forests. (Source:The East African Standard [Nairobi], 7 December 2003.)

LIBERIA

Forest protection lawsThree landmark laws have been signedrepresenting an important step forwardin securing protection for Liberia’sglobally important biodiversity. The threelaws – the Protected Forest AreaNetwork Law, the Sapo National ParkAct and the Nimba Nature Reserve Act –aim at protecting Liberia’s forests fromdeforestation, fragmentation anddegradation.

Preparation of the laws was led byFauna & Flora International (FFI) withtechnical input from numerous Liberianand international partners and withfinancial support principally from theEuropean Commission, the Critical

Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)and the Panton Trust. All three lawswere passed by the Liberian legislatureearlier this year and will come into forceshortly.

Liberia contains two of the threeremaining large blocks of Upper Guineanrain forest: the Lofa-Gola-Mano block inthe northwest contiguous with SierraLeone, and the southeastern Liberianblock that extends into Taï National Parkof Côte d’Ivoire. The Upper GuineanForest, CEPF’s strategic focal area inthe Guinean Forests of West Africahotspot, is a coastal rain forest beltcovering six countries from western Togoto eastern Sierra Leone. Today roughly40 percent of the original Upper Guineanforest cover survives in Liberia alone.

The first of the laws amends the NewNational Forestry Act of 2000. It definesa series of eight protected area typesand the uses permitted and prohibitionsfor each, establishing a coherent legalframework for the conservation of forestresources.

The second Act expands SapoNational Park – Liberia’s first and onlyfully protected area – to more than 180 000 ha, an increase of 38 percent.Biological surveys coupled with GIS andremote sensing analysis since 2001 havedemonstrated that Sapo Park is amongWest Africa’s least disturbed lowland rainforest areas, with populations of forestelephants, chimpanzees, pygmyhippopotamus and other species whoseWest African ranges have been severelyreduced outside Liberia. Botanicalcollection experts who visited the park inlate 2002 found six species new toscience in just ten days.

The third Act creates the NimbaNature Reserve out of the former NimbaEast National Forest. Analysis indicatesthis mountainous reserve could be asextensive as 13 568 ha. The reserve iscontiguous with the Nimba NatureReserves of Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire,which together were declared a WorldHeritage Site by UNESCO in 1981.

Together, these laws representsignificant progress towards the overallgoal of creating a biologically

representative network of protectedareas covering at least 30 percent of thecountry’s existing forest area or about1.5 million hectares. The Government ofLiberia is committed to establishing thisnetwork, including an expansion of SapoNational Park and the creation of NimbaNature Reserve, as part of aMemorandum of Understanding signedin 2002 with Conservation International –one of five CEPF donor partners.(Source: October 2003 CEPF E-News[[email protected]].)

MADAGASCAR

GEF grant of US$13.5 million supportsprotection of Madagascar’s biodiversityA US$13.5 million grant, approved todayby the Council of the Global EnvironmentFacility (GEF), is supportingMadagascar’s ambitious plan to protectits globally significant biodiversity, whichincludes hundreds of species that areunique to the island.

“Protection of Madagascar’sbiodiversity and natural resources willcontribute to improving the quality of lifefor the country’s residents, many of whomdepend directly on natural resources fortheir livelihoods,” said Len Good, CEOand chairman of the GEF. “This projectwill also benefit the global environment,since Madagascar contains numerousunique species, including many medicinalplants that are of critical importance to thepharmaceutical industry.”

The project is funded by a GEF grant ofUS$13.5 million and US$135.4 million incofinancing from other sources, includingUS$18.5 million from the Government of



54

Madagascar. The World Bank and theUnited Nations Development Programme(UNDP), two of GEF’s implementingagencies, are managing the project inpartnership with key government agenciesand non-governmental organizations(NGOs). The project supports the thirdand final five-year phase of Madagascar’sinnovative Environmental Action Plan,which was started in 1991 with thesupport of a broad coalition of internationaldonors, agencies and NGOs.

Madagascar, the fourth largest island inthe world, is one of the 17 recognizedmega-diverse countries that represent 80 percent of the world’s biologicaldiversity. As a result of Madagascar’slongstanding geographical isolation andhighly varied microclimates, the archaic lifeforms making up Madagascar’s terrestrialecosystems have evolved into some of themost unique biodiversity in the world.

Without substantial and sustainedintervention, there is a real risk thatnumerous species that are unique toMadagascar will become extinct.Deforestation caused by illegal loggingand unsustainable agricultural practices,among other factors, is a major threat tothe biodiversity. It also leads to a rapidloss of topsoil, which in turn diminishesthe country’s agricultural productivity andaccelerates its downward spiral ofextreme poverty. Nearly 80 percent of thecountry’s poor inhabitants live in ruralareas and depend on the land almostexclusively for their livelihoods.

GEF funds will be used to preserve thequality of Madagascar’s globally significantbiodiversity and natural resources.

Investments made under Madagascar’sEnvironmental Action Plan from 1991 tothe present are leading towards theestablishment of a comprehensiveenvironmental policy and regulatoryframework, and have already led to thecreation of environmental institutions. TheGovernment of Madagascar’s Ministry ofWater and Forests, for example, hassuccessfully carried out an action plan toimprove governance. This plan includedthe transferral of 70 percent of permit feesto local stakeholders, thus providing anincreased incentive for communities to

support the enforcement of loggingregulations. (Source: Global EnvironmentFacility [Washington, DC] Press Release,24/11/03.)

Data collection and analysis related to NWFPsIn most African countries, non-wood forestproducts (NWFPs) play a significant rolein livelihoods by providing key subsistenceproducts and income. In Madagascar,NWFPs such as medicinal plants,ornamental plants (e.g. orchids, aquaticplants), xerophytes, essential oils (e.g.Syzygium sp.) and living animals (e.g.birds, mammals, reptiles and insects)represent 40 percent of the export value ofthe entire forest products sector.

Despite its socio-economic importance,the availability of statistical data on thesocial, economic and ecological aspectsof NWFPs is very limited. Therefore astudy, Data collection and analysis relatedto NWFP – a pilot study in Madagascar,was carried out within the context of theEuropean Commission-FAO PartnershipProgramme, Data Collection and Analysisfor Sustainable Forest Management inACP Countries – Linking National andInternational Efforts. The main objectiveof the study was to review availableinformation on NWFPs in Madagascarand to propose an appropriatemethodology to improve the quality andquantity of statistical data on NWFPs inthe country. The preliminary results of thestudy were presented and discussed in aworkshop held in Antananarivo inNovember 2001.

In Madagascar, NWFP statistics arecollected and maintained by variousinstitutions such as the Service de laConservation de la Biodiversité withregard to NWFPs listed on theappendixes of the Convention onInternational Trade in EndangeredSpecies of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)and the Service de la Valorisationéconomique des Ressources forestièresfor NWFPs not covered by CITES.

The study proposes a methodology toimprove the availability of data on theproduction, consumption and marketing ofNWFPs of major importance in

Madagascar. This methodology coversecobiological, socio-economic, technicaland statistical aspects and is divided intofour phases: i) preparation; ii) datacollection; iii) data analysis; and iv) datastorage and dissemination.

The proposed methodology was testedfor the frog Mantella aurantica and themedicinal plants Catharanthus roseus andPrunus africana. The case studies analysequantitative and qualitative information,propose a data collection form for animalsand plants and present recommendationsfor the better use and improved statisticaldata collection of NWFPs.

The study concludes that many gaps,irregularities and challenges still exist withregard to the use of NWFPs, includingtheir monitoring and evaluation. The studynotes the urgency to implement a plan ofaction for the entire NWFP sector in orderto promote the sustainable use of NWFPsand presents a programme of work for thedevelopment of an appropriate datacollection system with regard to NWFPs.(An electronic version of this WorkingPaper, FOPP/03/1 – La collecte etl’analyse des données statistiques sur lesproduits forestièrs non ligneux. Un étudepilote à Madagascar, is available on FAO’sNWFP home page [www.fao.org/ forestry/foris/webview/fop/index.jsp?siteId=2301&langId=1&geoId=0&sitetreeId=13473].)[Please see under Publications of Interestfor more information on the WorkingPapers of FAO’s NWFP Programme.]



55

MALAWI

From poaching to sustainable use ofNWFPs: two successful cases fromMalawi’s national parksNational parks in many countries faceproblems with the surroundingcommunities for a number of reasons.Poaching and the mistreatment of thecaught poachers is one example of howanimosity develops between a nationalpark and the people living outside itsboundary. One way of solving this conflictis to implement projects in which thecommunity benefits from the park andappreciates its presence rather thanresenting it. In many southern Africancountries governments have initiateddifferent long-term projects aimed at thecollaboration between their national parksand the communities that border them.The Government of Malawi has calledtheir efforts Community Based NaturalResource Management (CBNRM), and itsgoal is to mobilize villagers to worktogether with the park instead of againstit. Rather than poaching out the vitalresources or stealing wire from the parkfence, they should work together with thenational park extension staff and learnhow to benefit from it.

In two national parks in Malawi,grassroots development initiatives withcommunity groups have shown that withvery little input successful and sustainableprojects can bring monetary benefits tothe members and in turn create a positiverelationship with the national park.

Something most parks have incommon are tourists. In Liwonde NationalPark a group of approximately 50 womenliving outside the park’s westernboundary have learned they can benefitfrom the national park by takingadvantage of its tourist market. For thepast two and a half years these womenhave been making and selling differentcrafts, such as jewellery made from localseeds, banana leaf baskets, decorativemobiles and baskets made from bottletops. In collaboration with the park staff,the women can collect the materials forthe crafts and benefit from the parkwithout overutilization of its resources.With all the resources needed to producethe crafts found locally, sustainability inthe project is ensured. The women sellthe crafts in their own stores as well as atthe tourist lodge within the park.Remarkably, they initiated the project in2001 with a loan of less than US$5 andin one year they have made well overUS$2 000. This is in an area where mostfamilies are subsistence farmers andfamilies have little annual income andwhere women are rarely employed andgenerally do not control any of thehousehold money. Through this projectthe women have learned to benefit fromthe tourists visiting the park, andtherefore appreciate the establishment ofthe national park and the conservation ofits resources.

Similarly, at Lake Malawi NationalPark a natural resources committee hasbeen able to demonstrate the success ofan income-generating project,independent of selling or utilizingnational park resources, such as fish orwood for carvings. Six months ago thegroup was taught how to make peanutbutter and peanut brittle with locallygrown groundnuts. Again, by utilizing thelocal resources the project issustainable. The group was given a loanof US$3 to buy the initial supplies andnow, six months later, they have mademore than US$500 to share between fivemembers. The natural resourcescommittee now has the capital to initiateother projects such as a communitygarden, woodlot or beekeeping.

These two case studies show thatgrassroots development projects can notonly be monetarily successful andsustainable, but effective in building apositive relationship between thenational park and the surroundingcommunities. As populations continue togrow there becomes an even greaterneed to involve local communities in theconservation and management of naturalresources. Through basic income-generating projects such as these,community groups can improve theirquality of life with the money they make,the skills they learn and from the senseof empowerment they gain and,furthermore, help to protect the nationalpark and its resources in the process.(Contributed by: Erin Meyer, US PeaceCorps Volunteer/WWF-Finland, PO Box66, Monkey Bay, Malawi [e-mail:[email protected]].)

The promise of ecotourism in LakeMalawi National ParkLake Malawi, 600 km long and 60 kmwide, is the southernmost basin of theAfrican Great Rift Lakes system. The lakehosts some of the greatest diversity offreshwater fish in the world, especiallycichlid fish. To protect examples of thelake’s aquatic communities as well astheir habitats, Lake Malawi National Park(LMNP) was established in 1981 anddesignated as a UNESCO World HeritageSite in 1984. LMNP encompasses the tipof the Nankumba peninsula in thesouthern end of Lake Malawi, consistingof 87 km2 of terrestrial area including 13islands, and a 7 km2 aquatic zone.

The park was designed so that the fiveenclave fishing villages situated onbeaches inside the park could continuetheir traditional way of life undisturbed,allowing fishing outside the protectedaquatic zone and permitting fuelwoodcollection and collection of other NWFPsinside the park, e.g. primary productssuch as building poles and grass, andsecondary products such as wild plantfoods, medicines, fibres and dyes,bushmeat (mammals and birds), insects,curios for the tourist industry anddomestic tools.



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Today, LMNP encases the largestvillage in Malawi, Chembe, with anestimated population of 12 000. Likemany other communities on the shores ofLake Malawi, Chembe is struggling withthe effects of overfishing, unemploymentand an HIV/AIDS pandemic that threatensto destroy the local social fabric. With itshot climate and low rainfall the region hasthe lowest agricultural productivity in thecountry. The still rapidly growingpopulation of the village is in greater needof the dwindling fish and forest resourcesof the park, posing the threats ofwoodland degradation and loss ofbiodiversity. In this situation, new,innovative means are required to provideboth sustainable economic opportunitiesas well as conservation of theenvironment.

An important source of income forMalawi, which is among the ten poorestcountries in the world with annual percapita income of US$170 (2001), are thetourists attracted by Lake Malawi. In thecase of LMNP, the development ofecotourism activities in the area has beensuggested as a means of providing localpeople with an ecologically andeconomically sustainable source ofincome. The International EcotourismSociety characterizes ecotourism as“responsible travel to natural areas thatconserves the environment and sustainsthe well-being of local people”. From thispoint of view, the natural preconditions forecotourism are ideal in Chembe. In theabsence of large-scale tourism and withthe emphasis on “environmentallyfriendly” activities, the negativeenvironmental impacts of tourism can beconsidered relatively minor.

As a part of a conservation anddevelopment project by the World WideFund for Nature (WWF)-Finland(Conservation of Endangered Species ofFishes and Forests of Lake MalawiNational Park: Environmental andEconomic Strategies, started in 2001) westudied the socio-economic potential ofecotourism in Lake Malawi National Park.We investigated what kind ofstakeholders need to be taken intoaccount when promoting nature-based

tourism in LMNP, and how the differentstakeholders see the potential of tourismas a means of benefiting both the localcommunity and the environment.Fieldwork of the study took place betweenAugust and December 2003.

Preliminary results show that althoughthe number of foreign visitors in LMNPhas decreased strongly during the last tenyears, presumably owing to economicinstability in the southern Africansubcontinent, tourism still providesimportant economical inputs for locallivelihoods. The seven lodges operating inthe village employ directly around 100local people. Income also comes fromlocal arts and crafts that are sold totourists. Indirect benefits include a smallclinic run together with a lodge by anIsraeli non-governmental organization(NGO). The road leading to the village,the condition of which has been seen asa major hindrance for local development,is also being upgraded, which willfacilitate access to the park and hopefullyboost local economies. Most of the lodgeowners see the future positively, withpotential for growth and employmentopportunities.

On the other hand, five out of seven ofthe lodges are owned by foreigners whohave been granted 25-year leases onproperty by the Malawi Government. Thismeans that the biggest gains (or possiblelosses as well) from the business goabroad, a fact that creates doubt aboutthe benefits of tourism among localpeople. With no capital, locals have fewpossibilities to start their own businesses.Another thing to consider is theexceptionally high population density ofthe area; ecotourism usually works well insupporting smaller communities. It can beasked, how many of the hundreds ofunemployed fishermen can the tourismsector realistically employ in the future?

It is vital that developing ecotourism inLMNP should be a participatory processincluding all the stakeholders: localpeople, the state, tour operators andNGOs working in the area. The role of thestate can be seen as supporting thebuilding of sufficient infrastructure fortourism and an effective park

management system, but at the sametime controlling and ensuring thatdevelopment is sustainable. Dialoguebetween traditional authorities, parkauthorities and businesses should resultin the distribution of income fromecotourism to the local community. Inaddition to facilitating the whole processdirectly, NGOs can contribute remarkablyby promoting Malawi in general. Thegeographic location and cost base alonerestrict marketing LMNP for the masses;therefore, the tourism most suitable forthe area can be defined as ecotourism.(Contributed by: S. Rantala, WWF-Finland and T. Tyynelä, MTT AgrifoodResearch Finland.)


Ms Salla Rantala, WWF-Finland,

Lintulahdenkatu 10, 00500 Helsinki,

Finland.


www.wwf.fi

MALAYSIA

Community approach to save forest The joint WWF-Malaysia and WWF-Denmark project “A Community-basedApproach to Conservation andDevelopment in Ulu Padas, Sabah”,launched in January 2002, aims to lay astrong foundation for conservation andsustainable development in the CentralBornean Montane Forests. Ulu Padas,which includes about 85 000 ha of stateand reserve land near the Sabah-Kalimantan border, is part of theseforests. In this area are two villages



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inhabited by about 800 people. The localcommunities depend on the surroundingforest resources for their daily needs,and the scenic areas and culturalheritage sites are the foci of localtourism initiatives.

The project aims to provide theimpetus, expertise and funding supportneeded to improve the capacity ofstakeholders, especially the localcommunity, to address land-use andtenure conditions. It should enhance themanagement and developmentcapabilities of the Ulu Padas community,assist the development of alternativeeconomic uses of forest and promotetransboundary cooperation. (Source:Daily Express News, 4 November 2003,in Community Forestry E-News2003.17.)

Parks get input of villagersPublic participation plays an importantrole in finalizing the management planfor Sabah’s largest park – the 139 191 ha Crocker Range. More than100 people including district officers,village heads and village, security anddevelopment committee membersattended a two-day workshop on“Sociological Issues in and aroundCrocker Range” to work out issues onland, villages, natural resources, waterand the environment.

While the park is gazetted strictly forprotection, villagers living within or nearthe park continue to rely on theresources for their livelihood activities.But the biggest issue facing all partiesconcerned is probably traditionalresource use: native customary rightsversus modern law. (Source: DailyExpress News, 18 December 2003, inCommunity Forestry E-News 2003.18.)

MALI

Mali promotes West African shea industryThe West Africa International BusinessLinkages Program (WAIBL) broughttogether 160 United States and WestAfrican participants in Bamako, Mali todiscuss US-Africa business agreements in

the shea butter industry. The WestAfrica-based conference followed asimilar event held in Washington, DC inJanuary 2003 that attracted nearly 70United States companies. Both served toeducate participants on the sheaindustry as well as to create anenvironment for United States buyersand West African sellers of shea tomeet. WAIBL is a programme of theCorporate Council on Africa (CCA).

The conference featured industryexperts who spoke on commodities asexports, quality control andstandardization, possible means toimprove the industry through regionalcollaboration, marketing, labelling andpackaging tips for the United Statesmarket, and challenges andopportunities for shea in the UnitedStates. Included in the 160 conferenceparticipants were shea producers,distributors and exporters from Mali,Burkina Faso, Ghana, the Niger,Senegal, Guinea, Benin and Togo. FourUnited States companies also attended.

Following the conference, WAIBLarranged site visits to two Malianvillages. Thirty of the conferenceparticipants attended, taking theopportunity to see shea butter producedin the traditional manner by the womenin the villages.

As shea butter quickly gains widerrecognition in the United States, theWAIBL conference served to bring moreattention to the industry and the potentialfor collaboration between United States

companies interested in developing sheabutter market opportunities with WestAfrican shea producers and exporters.(Source: Corporate Council on Africa[Washington, DC] Press Release, 6 March 2003.)

MEXICO

The Sierra Madre AllianceThe Tarahumara and Tepehuan peopleof Mexico’s Sierra Madre have beenunder siege for generations. Their landsand forests have been seized. Tens ofthousands have retreated to remote anddesolate areas, choosing a life of silentsuffering over integration in Mexicansociety. Many have been able to sustaina rich traditional life, but others findthemselves caught between two worlds:the old world which is disappearing withthe forests and the new world wherethey find discrimination, poverty anddepression. Corruption, drug trafficking,and violence all contribute to thesuffering of these indigenous peoples.

Uncontrolled logging has taken 99percent of their forests, destroyed vitalhigh-altitude watersheds and threatenedthe forest plants they depend on forfood, medicine, and ceremonies, as wellas a number of endemic andendangered species.

The Sierra Madre Alliance and ourMexican partners have been working toimprove the environmental and socialconditions in the Sierra for more than tenyears, with indigenous communityparticipation. We focus on conservation-priority areas in the Sierra, where bothendangered species and endangeredcommunities struggle for survival.(Source: SMA Update, 4 December2003.)


Sierra Madre Alliance, 1650 Sioux Dr.

CH44-119, El Paso, TX 79925, USA.

or

Chihuahua, Mexico Field Office.

Fax: +11 52 614 4160861;


www.sierramadrealliance.org/index.shtml


The Corporate Council on Africa(CCA), established in 1992, is a non-partisan 501 (c) (3) membershiporganization of more than 150American corporations dedicated tostrengthening the commercialrelationship between the United Statesand Africa. CCA members representnearly 85 percent of total United Statesprivate sector investments in Africa. (CCA’s Web site is at:www.africacncl.org)


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NAMIBIA

Marula can bear fruit for NamibiaFThe government has recognized theeconomic potential of the marula tree fruitand its by-products. As a result it hasfunded the establishment of communityprojects such as the Eudafano Women’sCooperative in the north.

Addressing a crowd of people from allover the country at the recentOmagongo Cultural Festival 2003,including King Shikongo Taapopi ofUukwaluudhi, President Sam Nujomasaid marula trees, or “omugongo” asthey are known by indigenous people,play a critical role in the lives of manyNamibian communities especially in thenorth. He said the Eudafano Women’sCooperative is involved in thecommercial production and marketing ofseveral kinds of products derived frommarula fruit. These products, Nujomasaid, include various types of cosmeticproducts, refreshments, wine andcooking oil.

The president suggested that inaddition to marula fruit, the economicpotential and viability of other indigenousfruit and plants can be investigated witha view to exporting them on acommercial basis. He said it is importantfor traditional communities to utilize theirknowledge of local natural resources asa way of maximizing benefits fromNamibia’s wealth of biodiversity for allthe people. Omugongo fruit istraditionally used as a source of wine(omagongo), juice (oshinwa) andcooking oil (odjove). The by-productsthat remain after the extraction ofcooking oil and manufacturing ofcosmetics are used to make differenttypes of soap. “I would like to emphasizethe fact that our people can only derivebenefits from our flora and fauna if wecontinue to promote the conservation ofour environment and the utilization of ournatural resources in a sustainablemanner,” he said.

The president called on communitiesto plant many indigenous trees so thatthey can provide the country with fruit,

shade and timber as well as preventfurther desertification which threatensmany areas countrywide. (Source: TheNamibian [Windhoek], 30 April 2003.)

NIGERIA

Jigawa boosts gum arabic production A joint initiative between the UnitedStates-based African DevelopmentFoundation and the Jigawa Stategovernment has raised N 280 million forthe provision of five million seedlings ofAcacia sp. to produce gum arabic toboost the production of the product andreduce the menace of desertification.The joint effort would see to theprovision of 100 ha of land to develop aspecial programme on drought anddesertification protection through theestablishment of gum arabic centres.

Disclosing this to journalists, thedirector-general of the state researchinstitute, Dr Hilton Gommes, said 200farmers were used to nursing the fivemillion seedlings. He said that thefarmers had already been provided withfree seedlings for gum arabic and will begiven N 3 for each seedling nursed. Dr Hilton added that the farmers are alsoprovided with free seedlings to grow ontheir farms.

He disclosed that officials of theAfrican Development Foundation, led byDr Nathaniel Fuse, have already visitedthe state to study the success of theinitiative.

Dr Hilton Gommes described theinstitute’s achievement as arevolutionary idea to improve agriculture

and better the state’s socio-economicwell-being. (Source: Daily Trust [Abuja],19 November 2003.)

Jigawa to spend US$1 million on gumarabic developmentJigawa State government and the AfricanDevelopment Foundation (ADF) are tospend US$1 million to develop gumarabic production in the state. During avisit to the state research institute atKazaure, governor Saminu Turaki saidthat the ADF would provide US$700 000,while the Jigawa government wouldinvest US$300 000 in the project.

The News Agency of Nigeria reportsthat the money from the ADF would befrom a US$5 million grant offered to thestate two years ago, of which only US$1 million were utilized for communityempowerment projects.

Turaki, who led ADF presidentNathaniel Fields to the institute, said theJigawa government had spent more thanUS$300 000 on enhancing gum arabicproduction in the state. The secretary ofthe institute, Malam Ma’amun Aliyu, hadearlier disclosed that some five milliontree seedlings had been raised last yearas part of efforts to boost the economicpotential of communities in the state. Hesaid that while most of the seedlings wereplanted by farmers across the state, theinstitute on its own had set up 100 ha ofgum arabic plantation in three locations inthe state.

Jigawa, which has about 900 ha ofgum arabic plantations, has established alaboratory to process the product, andentered into an agreement with someUnited States companies to export thecommodity. However, inadequate fundshad affected the procurement of thecommodity from the farmers, while staff ofthe Gum Arabic Processing Companyhave been left without salaries for tenmonths. Turaki, however, said he believedthe injection of the capital from the ADFwould facilitate the increased productioncapacity of the farmers and the status ofthe company, as well as provide for agreater expansion of the total productioncapacity of the state. (Source: Daily Trust[Abuja], 20 January 2004.)



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PAKISTAN

Review of non-timber forest products(excluding medicinal plants) in PakistanPakistan’s forest cover is 4.8 percentand comprises four floristic regions,which are rich in floral diversity. About 80 percent of rural people are dependentin one way or another on non timberforest products (NTFPs) for theirdomestic as well as commercial use.

Local people use their traditionalknowledge for the collection, processing,packing, drying, marketing andconsumption of various NTFPs. Themost important NTFPs produced inPakistan are: morels (Morchellaesculenta, M. conica, M. vulgarus, etc.),honey (Apis cerana, A. dorsa, A. forea,A. mellifera, etc.), fruits and nuts (pinenut or chalghoza, walnuts, wildpersimmon, mulberry, wild fig, jujube,pear, gur gura, etc.), vegetables(kachnal), condiments and spices (wildpomegranate), mazri palm, silk cocoonsand many others. These are not only asource that fulfils the domestic needs oflocal people, but are also a source ofincome for their livelihood. About 34 percent of local people are dependenton NTFPs for income generation. Duringthe study, about 131 species were citedin the literature but there are actuallymore than that. Exports of selectedNTFPs, such as morels, fruits and nuts,mazri, silk cocoons, etc., amounted toPRs 1 507.60 million in 2000/01. In1991/92, the total production was89 568.3 tonnes. There is a 60 to 70 percent increase in the prices ofvarious NTFPs from 1991/92 to 2001/02.

These products, after collection andprocessing, are sold to the entrepreneurand then reach the main market. Thereare wide fluctuations in both the supplyand production of these products; 65 percent is lost on its way to the mainmarket and then in exporting. There areproblems, such as lack of awarenessabout collection and processing ofvarious products among local collectors,in sufficient research and development,market trends and monopolies, wastage

and unsustainability during the differentsteps of processing, and thegovernment’s attitude towards NTFPs.

The literature available was studied inorder to compile data related to NTFPs(excluding medicinal plants) and it wasassessed that Pakistan has a greatpotential for NTFPs but that there isneed for research on each individualproduct using a bottom-up approach forproper planning, better levels ofproduction, sustainable income throughsustainable utilization, training andcapacity building of related personneland the community for the conservationof different forest resources. (Source:Abstract of a paper by Abdul Latif,Researcher, Ethnobotany Project, WWF-Pakistan, Peshawar, Pakistan [e-mail:[email protected]].)

PERU

Saving polylepis forests The Andean condor usually takes thecredit as the flagship species for themountain range that runs the length ofSouth America. However, several less-known Andean species can make similarlyimpressive claims to fame. One of these ispolylepis, a group of tree species in therose family, which wins the prize for beingthe highest altitude woody plant in theworld. In many ways polylepis is a retiringtree, growing slowly and quietly insheltered valleys close to the high Andeangrasslands called paramo or puna. In avista that features large open expansespunctuated by towering snow-cappedvolcanoes, polylepis can easily beoverlooked.

However, as a result of a reduction inpolylepis throughout its range, it is nowreceiving significant attention in the CuscoDepartment of southern Peru. One of the

reasons is that the forests in this regioncontain three of South America’sendangered birds: royal cinclodes, ash-breasted tit-tyrants and white-browed tit-spinetails.

Polylepis forests, sometimes called“enchanted forests” because of their lowcanopy, twisted growth pattern and strikingred peely bark, are relicts from pre-Colombian times. Polylepis protects fragilesoils from erosion, replenishes watershedsand harbours plants used by local people.

Outside the ancient city of Cusco,polylepis is a mainstay for existence. Thetrees provide fuelwood, constructionmaterials and medicinal plants toQuechua-speaking people who maintainmuch of their centuries-old lifestyle andtradition. Nevertheless, currentconsumption patterns, along with burningof surrounding grasslands to createpasture for cattle and sheep, arethreatening the resource. Whilecommunity members are well aware thattheir survival depends on maintainingthese forests, they have had few optionsuntil recently.

That is where the American BirdConservancy (ABC) and the PeruvianAssociation for the Conservation ofAndean Ecosystems (ECOAN) come in.The two organizations have teamed upwith support from the Critical EcosystemPartnership Fund (CEPF) to work togetherwith three local villages to protect theforests and develop alternatives forfuelwood and timber. Their PolylepisProject fits perfectly into CEPF’s strategicapproach in the tropical Andes toencourage community-based biodiversityconservation and natural resourcemanagement to offset threats and ensuredurable change.

The key to successful conservation ofthese endangered birds and their habitatsis solving the problem of unsustainablewood consumption. The Polylepis Projectaims to develop a local non-governmentalorganization presence in the communities,provide data on and monitor biodiversity,include indigenous people in conservation,engage villagers and policy-makers inbiodiversity conservation, raise communityawareness of conservation, make rural



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development more compatible withbiodiversity conservation and build aconstituency for conservation.

As part of the CEPF-supported part ofthe project, in the village of Abra Malanga,86 community members, together with 13young British volunteers and members ofECOAN, expanded polylepis forest byreplanting 5 000 saplings. At an altitude of4 200 m above sea level, it was no easytask. In nearby Cancha Cancha, where 3 000 polylepis saplings were planted,residents had to trek more than 11 kmuphill with an elevation gain of 1 000 m toreach their planting site. In another of thecommunities, Huacahuasi, the closestpolylepis forest is more than 12 km awayfrom the village. ECOAN has determinedthat if the 170 families continue theirannual pilgrimage to harvest trees forfuelwood and construction, the entireresource will be gone within 30 years.Other sources of fuel are needed.Through the Polylepis Project residentshave planted 10 000 eucalyptus trees ondegraded lands far from native forestsand close to the community.

One of the major positive outcomes ofthe project is that the villagers arebecoming aware of the need to managetheir lands in order to ensure its productivityinto the future. Previously, some simply cutwhatever they could find, without heed asto where the polylepis were coming from orthe long-term impacts.

ECOAN is also working to help thesecommunities gain title to their traditionallands, an important move towardsproviding incentive for sustainablemanagement. One of the steps in theprocess is the development ofconservation action plans, includinglimiting harvesting, reforestation andfencing replanted forests to protect themfrom grazing animals.

Birdwatchers will travel far to see suchendangered species as the royal cinclodesor the tit-spinetail. If these birds areprovided with the necessary habitat andactive measures are taken to ensure theirsurvival, villagers may eventually be ableto host visitors, taking them to see thefruits of their conservation labours andgaining some income at the same time.

In the meantime, a survey andmonitoring programme for polylepis forestspecies is underway. It has already paidoff with unexpected and happy news.Recently ECOAN discovered a 6.5 hapolylepis forest fragment with eight pairs ofpreviously unrecorded royal cinclodes.(Source: Extracted from an article byAbigail Rome in September 2003 CEPF E-News [www.cepf.net/xp/cepf/in_focus/current_issue.xml].)

PHILIPPINES

NFTPs in the PhilippinesCamilla Mitchell, a University of EdinburghM.Sc. student, recently explored the useof non-timber forest products (NTFPs) inthe North Negros Forest Reserve in thePhilippines (Negros Occidental). Herthesis revealed a variety of NFTP uses inthe surveyed regions and extensive localknowledge on affected species, despiteminimal economic reliance on them.

The research was conducted incollaboration with the United Kingdom-based Coral Cay Conservation, anesteemed tropical reef and rain forestconservation non-governmentalorganization (NGO), and the NegrosForests and Ecological Foundation Inc.(NFEFI). The project surveyed the use ofNFTPs derived from the area as well astheir subsistence and commercial value.Interest was sparked owing to concernsof prevalent deforestation, especially in areserve that contains a large proportionof the remaining rain forest of NegrosIsland – part of a forest ecoregionidentified by the World Wide Fund forNature (WWF) as the eighth mostvulnerable in the world. NFTP use wasinvestigated in two local communities aswell as species-based information andattitudes towards NFTP use.

Ethnobotanical methodologies wereused in the villages of Campuestohan andPatag, mountain communities of similarforest types (lower montane).Campuestohan, the principal survey site,was selected owing to its strong links withan environmental NGO (Coral CayConservation). Patag, a larger regionoutside the NFEFI project area, waspicked to increase the validity of anyconclusions, having suffered lessecological destruction (i.e. by logging).Data were collected utilizing variousmethods including interviews,questionnaires, workshops and surveysboth in the field and in more formalsurroundings with the village residents.

The uses of species were classified intothe following subcategories:environmental, food, material, medicinaland social. Communities, habitat typesand gender knowledge discrepancieswere also compared for the two regions.All the resulting information on NTFPplants was subsequently shared with theBiodiversity Information Centre of theNational Museum of the Philippines.

One hundred and two distinct taxa wereidentified as NFTPs with 51 different uses(43 percent had more than one use, 27 percent existed in both areas), morethan half of which were medicinal inpurpose. Ornamental plants representedthe largest group in the environmentalsubcategory, reflecting the regions’biodiversity and protective designation.Most species were distinct to either forestor village habitats; knowledge of forestspecies was considerable despiteexploitation of these species being lower.Results also suggest that the informationheld by women was limited to villageplants while men had knowledge onspecies of both habitats; this probablyrelates to the dominance of medicinalplants in the villages, and the explorationof areas beyond tenancy by men.

Significantly it was found that NGO-lededucation has increased awareness of theimportance of forest conservation and thepotential for herbal medicines. The greatermedicinal use is affiliated with socio-economic needs rather than anycommercial exploitation, extended by the



61

involvement of the Dutch AlternativeIndigenous Scheme (AID) foundation.

The vulnerability of this rain forest owingto logging and agricultural clearance hasfurther deterred the promotion of NFTPsas a commercial venture. Although lessenvironmentally intrusive than logging, thethesis acknowledged that sustainableNFTP extraction could not exist withoutyield management initiatives. Instead,sustainable agricultural practices are beingencouraged to protect the area andinhabitants of the North Negros ForestReserve, with support only for NFTPenterprises that complement forestregeneration. The research is the first of itskind in Negros and has set a strongprecedent for future work, which may aidthe development of sustainablemanagement initiatives concerningNFTPs. (Full reference: Mitchell, C. 2002.A survey of non-timber forest product usein the North Negros Forest Reserve,Negros Occidental, Philippines. M.Sc.thesis, University of Edinburgh. Availablefrom Coral Cay Conservation[[email protected]].) (Contributed by:Saritha Visvalingam, Research Intern,Coral Cay Conservation Ltd, The Tower, 125 High Street, ColliersWood, London SW19 2JG, UK [e-mail: [email protected]].)

Market development for non-timber forestproducts: the case of Puerto PrincesaSubterranean River National ParkMarket development for the non-timberforest products (NTFPs) of Palawanprovince, particularly in the PuertoPrincesa Subterranean River NationalPark (PPSRNP), has been identified asone of the thrusts of the Palawan Councilfor Sustainable Development (PCSD).This is implemented through the PalawanTropical Forestry Protection Programme(PTFPP), a special project supported bythe European Union starting in 1995.PTFPP seeks to improve the livingconditions and incomes of ruralcommunities in priority catchment areas.One of these is the Cabayugan RiverCatchment which is part of PPSRNP.

PPSRNP, which is classified within thescope of the National Integrated Protected


Areas System Law of 1992, covers a totalarea of 22 202 ha of terrestrial reservationthat includes the three villages ofCabayugan, Marufinas and Tagabinet. It isrichly endowed with diverse plants andanimals, and protects old growth forestswith more than 800 plant species. Most ofthe area is timberland although the bufferzone portions subjected to humanhabitation and encroachment have beenfarmed, with the inhabitants employingtraditional agricultural practices. Theprimary feature of PPSRNP is the 8.2 kmlong underground river flowing through aspectacular karst formation with the dome-shaped Mount St Paul being the highestpoint. Because of its unique naturalcharacteristic and outstanding universalvalue, it is among those included in theUNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Until2000, park visitors averaged about 30 000annually.

There are several reasons whymarketing of NTFPs is given importance.First is the recognition that NTFPs, whichare currently utilized and marketed, haveconsiderable potential in providinglivelihoods for the buffer communities,given their abundance in the area and thattimber production is prohibited. Second isthat it is through improvement in marketingthat such potential can actually be realizedconsidering the difficulties that thecommunities are experiencing in thedisposal of their products. Third is that theeconomic benefits created through efficientmarketing provide the most tangibleincentives for sustaining productionactivities as well as enrichment, renewaland protection of the natural resource/rawmaterial base. And fourth is that NTFPsprovide opportunities for the local people toparticipate in the development of theircommunities.

NTFPs in PPSRNP include rattan,almaciga resin, bamboo, honey, nipashingles, nito, tikog, pandan, buri, vines,medicinal plants, orchids and ornamentals.Rattan, almaciga resin, honey andbamboo are gathered in commercialquantities and sold by the local peopleindividually through entrepreneurs, largelyin raw, unprocessed forms, hence they donot get the most favourable economic

returns possible. Many kinds of handicraftitems can be made from other NTFPs butcurrently the supply of finished products islimited and irregular while their quality isnot competitive with those madeelsewhere.

The appropriate marketing strategytherefore must be anchored on activitiesthat will i) directly increase the sales andincome of households; ii) direct marketingefforts through strong and reactivatedcooperatives and local associations; andiii) support the enrichment andregeneration of the NTFP raw materialbase. The first criterion is aimed atincreasing the marketable surplus andproduct value through the diversification ofproducts and markets; value-addingactivities via processing/producttransformation, quality improvement andproduct labelling; and having shortermarket channels through direct marketing.The second entails providing thenecessary support services (financial,infrastructure, marketing linkages andprice information) to strengthen andreactivate existing local organizations, thusenabling them to market their productsefficiently and collectively. These areneeded to lower their transaction andmarketing costs as well as minimizeproduct losses and to ensure delivery oftheir products at the right time, place, andform according to the requirements ofbuyers and markets. Eventually, the higheconomic surplus to be gained by thecooperatives will be distributed to themembers according to basic cooperativeprinciples. The third criterion is intendednot only to achieve environmental goalsbut also to ensure the long-termcompetitiveness of PPSRNP NTFPs viathe inherent advantage of having acontinuous supply of quality raw materials.(Contributed by: Isabelita M. Pabuayon,Ph.D., Professor, Department ofAgricultural Economics, College ofEconomics and Management, University ofthe Philippines Los Baños, College,Laguna, 4031 Philippines [e-mail:[email protected]].)[Dr Pabuayon served as NTFP MarketingConsultant for PTFPP for the periodApril–October 2001.]

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RUSSIAN FEDERATION

NTFP small business development projectin the Russian far east Over the past three years the IUCN-CISForest Conservation Programme hasbeen involved with a communityeconomic development project focusedon the Kamchatka Peninsula andSakhalin Island. (This project is onecomponent of the larger project “BuildingPartnerships for Forest Conservationand Management in Russia” funded bythe Canadian International DevelopmentAgency [CIDA] and managed by IUCN-World Conservation Union.)

The activities in the Russian far eastare aimed at assisting remotecommunities of the region to developtheir non-timber forest product resourcessustainably. With 29 active volcanoesand the largest surviving populations ofwild salmon and brown bear, Kamchatkahas a richly deserved reputation as a wildand relatively untouched land. Apart fromthe difficulties presented by living in aremote area with a harsh environment,many of Kamchatka’s residents arefacing new challenges brought on by thecollapse of the Soviet regime. Since theearly 1990s, communities on Kamchatka(and elsewhere in the country) haveexperienced economic decline madeworse by the withdrawal of federalsupport to outlying regions and traditionalresource use such as reindeer herding.

In our project, NTFPs are viewed asone part of a local sustainable livelihoodstrategy (including tourism, culturalactivities, hunting, herding). We provide

business and legal issues training,consultation on small business andcommunity-based enterprisedevelopment, and support forsustainability and monitoringprogrammes. It is the hope of projectparticipants that the successfuldevelopment of these opportunities willdecrease the pressure to move forwardwith potentially damaging resourceexploitation activities, such as goldmining and oil extraction within or close tothe World Heritage Sites.

The project is focusing on groups ofpeople who have not normally had thechance to participate in small business ornatural resource management –indigenous people and women. It is theintention of all involved that, over time,local community groups will take overproduction and marketing activities. Fourfamily and cooperative NTFP-basedbusinesses have already been started bynative communities on Kamchatka withthe assistance of the project. Started fromscratch, these businesses are nowmarketing their products – so far theseare herbal teas, dried wild berries andbirch bark souvenirs within the RussianFederation and abroad. The KamchatkaHerbal Tea Community Associationsuccessfully fundraised for the newdrying equipment.

About 400 people are involved asexperts, trainees and participants of otherproject activities. We hope that theproject will make a contribution to thedevelopment and implementation of theglobal approaches to sustainablecommunity development and povertyalleviation. (Contributed by: NikolayShmatkov, NTFP ComponentCoordinator, IUCN-CIS and Tim Brigham,NTFP Business DevelopmentConsultant, Canada.)


Nikolay Shmatkov, NTFP Component

Coordinator, IUCN-CIDA Project,

IUCN-World Conservation Union,

Office for Russia and CIS,

17 Marshal Vasilevski St, 123 182

Moscow, Russian Federation.

Fax: +7 95 4905818;


www.iucn.ru or www.iucn-cida.ru;

or

Tim Brigham, NTFP Small Business

Development Consultant, 3878

Cowichan Lake Road, Duncan,

BC, Canada V9L 6K1.

Fax: +1 250 7483582;


SOUTH AFRICA

Reaping new medicines from old cures Samson Mvubu’s corner of the bustlingFaraday Market is crammed withbundles of bark, roots, bulbs and animalparts used to treat all manner ofmaladies. Mvubu is an “inyanga”, atraditional herbalist. He spent yearslearning to treat illnesses using plantsfound in the fields and forestssurrounding his village. Visitors to thismarket come to Mvubu for cures fromthe countryside. Among them are a smallbut growing number of scientists, whoshow up armed with notebooks and asklots of questions. “The traders here arenot happy about them,” he says of thescientists. “They just run away with ourplants under their arm and they don’tcome back.”

Five years ago, few scientists botheredto visit Mvubu and his fellow healers.Now, however, it seems the world iswaking up to the vast untapped potentialof biological and indigenous resources.Bioprospecting – searching nature forplants and animals with commerciallyuseful properties – is a booming field.Traditional healers like Mvubu, who tendto come from poor, marginalizedcommunities, are increasingly perceivedas the ones who might lead scientists toimportant discoveries. “Everyone wantsaccess to biodiversity,” says Dr MarthinusHorak, manager of bioprospecting at theCouncil for Scientific and IndustrialResearch (CSIR), which is sponsored bythe South African Government.

With 24 000 plant species, thebiodiversity of this country is almostunparalleled. And with almost 300 000traditional healers nationwide, local




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knowledge of plants and their uses isequally abundant. Increasingly, CSIRscientists tap into the knowledge oftraditional healers, who have helped toidentify hundreds of the plants thatresearchers are studying now. However,in South Africa – where at least 70 percent of people rely on traditionalremedies – no major drug has yet beendeveloped. Dr Namrita Lall, a botanist atthe University of Pretoria, is one of manyhoping to change that. Working with atraditional healer, she has found whatcould be a promising alternativetreatment for tuberculosis.

The potential rewards of this type ofcooperation are considerable for bothscientists and traditional healers, Horaksays. But collaboration also raisestroubling issues. Operating in a legalvacuum, researchers and corporationshistorically have laid claim to indigenousresources without compensatingcommunities or obtaining their consent.

Even now, rich countries have resisteddemands from the developing world thattraditional knowledge be recognizedunder international patent laws. And whilethe 1992 Convention on BiologicalDiversity recognizes the need forstronger regulatory mechanisms, manydeveloping countries rich in biodiversityhave yet to pass their own lawsprotecting biological and indigenousresources.

Meanwhile, Mvubu at the FaradayMarket says he has stopped speaking toscientists because he mistrusts theirmotives.

In a major breakthrough earlier thisyear, however, CSIR announced anagreement with the San of the KalahariDesert to share in the profits of a potentialblockbuster weight-loss drug. However,just how much the San will benefitfinancially remains to be seen. Thepharmacological giant Pfizer recentlypulled out of the deal, and any drug thatmay yet be developed from “hoodia” isstill years away. (Source: Extracted fromwww.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,61090,00.html?tw=wn_techhead_1, citedin GRAIN Los Baños [[email protected]], 11 November 2003.)

TURKEY

Non-wood forest products in the Black Sea regionNon-wood forest products (NWFPs),which provide different possibilities suchas food security, health and employment,are neglected in Turkey, especially in theBlack Sea region. NWFPs have animportant role in the economy of thecountry as well as rural areas. In thisregion, very few NWFPs are used intrade. The social, economic andenvironmental functions of NWFPs arenot taken into consideration in Turkeyand therefore national forestry policydoes not consider these productsimportant enough.

The need for natural resourcesincreases daily owing to a growingpopulation and industrial development.Because of this situation, people are nowundertaking research into non-woodforest products to ascertain theirutilization possibilities. The Black Searegion is rich in natural resources,especially plant species diversity. Forexample, Rosa canina, Digitalisferruginea subsp. schischkinii, Orchistridentata, Thymus pubescens, which aregrown in this region, are NWFPs.Unfortunately, however, in Turkey therehas not yet been an extensive inventoryto realize that potential.

This study will now take place inHamsiköy (located in Trabzon city in thenorthern Black Sea region) and will becarried out as part of my Ph.D. thesis. Infuture phases, we want to spread thestudy to the entire region and then thewhole country.

In this study, our aims are:• to determine which NWFPs have aneconomic value;

• to inventory them;• to research actual and potentialmarket possibilities;

• to stop exploiting nature heedlesslyand to produce a plan;

• to determine alternative plants foragriculture; and

• in this context, to use forest areas inwhich trees do not grow.

(Contributed by: Prof. Dr Zafer CemalÖzkan and Res. Ass. Sefa Akbulut,Karadeniz Technical University,Department of Forest Botany, 61080Trabzon, Turkey [e-mail: [email protected]].)

UGANDA

Uganda’s biodiversity under threatUGANDA’s biological wealth is underserious threat with an increased rate ofdestruction from 10 to 15 percent perdecade, leading to a decline in foodsecurity. This rate of loss of biodiversitywas referred to as “high” by the reportreleased by the Makerere UniversityInstitute of Environment and NaturalResources. The report, The state ofUganda’s biological diversity 2002, claimsthat forests, soils and wildlife locatedoutside protected areas are in danger.

The degradation of biologicalresources undermines the tourismpotential, the availability of medicinalplants and the well-being of the humanpopulation. (Source: New Vision[Kampala], 15 April 2003.)

United States gum arabic buyer eyesKaramoja districtA United States company is in Karamojadistrict to collect samples of gum arabic, atree sap used in the manufacture of softdrinks. President Yoweri Museveni wantsto have the region listed among the topforeign suppliers to the American market.

Jimmy Lomakol, the coordinator ofMoroto’s private sector promotion, said theAtlantic Gum Corporation has takensamples from the acacia trees in different



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parts of Karamoja for analysis. He saidthat the firm, which is funded by theAmerican Soft Drinks Association, hadidentified 20 sites from which the sampleshad been collected and that the process ofsampling could take about two yearsbefore Uganda was allowed to export themuch cherished tree sap to the Americanand European markets.

He said that penetrating the Americanmarket required that any raw materialused in the manufacture of any productshould be traced to its origin. “They (theAtlantic Gum Corporation) are alsoparticular about the output and behaviourof the trees from where the samples arepicked,” Lomakol said. This was beinghampered by the community who felledsome of the identified trees for theconstruction of huts. He said that in someinstances, the herders also picked and atethe sap before it was gathered foranalysis. “We have therefore embarked onthe sensitization of the community and areusing some of the local leaders in theidentification and preservation of the treessampled for analysis,” Lomakol said.

Museveni introduced the idea ofgathering gum arabic sap for the UnitedStates market during the launching of thedisarmament exercise in December 2001.Museveni informed the community inKaramoja that the region could becomeone of the largest exporters of the sap inthe world. (Source: New Vision [Kampala],15 May 2003.)

Multinational may buy gum arabicA variety of laboratory tests on thesuitability of Uganda’s gum arabic forexport and use in several industries haveturned out to be positive. This was amajor hurdle before Uganda could exportto the United States and particularly tomajor buyers such as the soft drinksgiant, Coca-Cola.

Local gum arabic is mainly grown inKaramoja and a few other parts ofnorthern Uganda. President YoweriMuseveni has been closely associatedwith the efforts of getting an internationalmarket for the rare commodity.

Rosa Whitaker, president of theWhitaker Group (a Washington, DC-based

consultancy firm), said recently thatUganda is to start shipping gum arabic tothe United States market early next year,after functionality tests on its quality,durability and market potential werepositive. She said that Coca-Cola, whichhas been paying for some of the tests, willbe one of the main buyers. “There is a lotof potential in this product, which can beexploited by many people in the northernpart of the country to pull themselves outof poverty,” she said. She added thatgrowing the crop does not need muchinitial capital.

Whitaker, however, strongly objected tothe agricultural subsidies, which are beingimplemented by firms from the West,saying that they are strangling thecommodity prices for products fromdeveloping countries.

However, there are advantages forUganda in developing commercialproduction of gum arabic because it is amajor ingredient in several foods includingsodas, beers, salad dressings and ice-cream. It is also used in thepharmaceutical industry.

The Sudan is the world’s leadingproducer. Another potential leadingsupplier is northern Nigeria, where twoyears ago USAID helped fund a newtesting laboratory in Jigawa state. ImporterServices Corporation, the largest gumprocessing firm in the United States, lastOctober announced that it would buy theentire 2002 gum arabic crop from Jigawastate, valued at US$400 000. (Source:New Vision [Kampala], 30 December2003.)

Norway and the European Union giveforestry U Sh 25 billionThe Norwegian International Agency forDevelopment (NORAD) and theEuropean Union signed a jointmemorandum to support the NationalForestry Authority on Monday. The jointsupport is worth U Sh 25 billion for thenext five years.

The National Forestry Authority wasformed early this year to oversee the 1.4million hectares of forests in 506 centralreserves in the country. (Source: TheMonitor [Kampala], 12 November 2003.)

UNITED REPUBLICOF TANZANIA

Spice industry potentialThe spice industry should be recognizedas a distinct sector with a high fast-trackexport potential requiring only low levelsof investment, says the Board of ExternalTrade (BET).

A spices export development strategyprepared by BET in November 2002 cameup with four strategic objectives to rescuethe spice sector in the country. Amongthem are the creation of an adequateinstitutional structure for sector leadership,increasing the capacity of the sector tomeet technical requirements of the marketand accelerated expansion of the industry.

Achieving recognition for the sectorbeing the major strategic objective, BETdiscovered that this strategy is paramountbecause the perceived underlying problemwould appear to be the awareness andrecognition of the spice industry as asignificant sector with a tremendous exportpotential.

To improve the spice sector, BETintends to create and establish anappropriate institutional framework for thesector to enable it to realize its fullpotential. It will take full advantage of theprivate and public sector smartpartnership. According to BET, thisstrategy can only work if there is theestablishment of the Tanzania SpiceProducers and Exporters Association(TSPEA) and designation of the researchand development responsibility to existingresearch institutions particularly to supportsmallholder producers.

Regarding increasing the capacity tomeet the technical requirement of themarket, BET suggested that Tanzaniaimprove its reputation as a quality supplierin world markets since it has a goodopportunity of capturing markets withinAfrica and overseas, e.g. in the EastAfrican Community (EAC), Southern AfricaDevelopment Community (SADC) andCommon Market for Eastern and SouthernAfrica (COMESA).

Furthermore, in the expandingEuropean Union, Tanzania has tariff-free



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market entry under the Everything ButArms arrangement and the huge UnitedStates market preferential treatmentunder the African Growth and OpportunityAct which the United Republic hasTanzania has now fully ratified.

To acquire success in the strategicobjectives, BET is expected to involve theMinistry of Agriculture and Food Securityand the Tanzania Investment Centre inorder to mobilize and encourage bothforeign and local investment.

The spice industry presents a majoropportunity for Tanzania to exploit andreap economic benefits in the relativelyshort term with only a nominal input ofresources and attention. Among theopportunities within the sectordevelopment are the thousands of smallfarmers that are already knowledgeableabout spices. Thus training would not startfrom scratch. Others are the exchangerate and trade regimes that areliberalized. There is a growing market forderived products such as extracts andoleoresins.

The world market for spices and herbsis valued at more than US$2.3 billion.From 1995 to 1999, imports averaged 500 000 tonnes, growing at an average of8.5 percent per annum.

However, the sector also has problems,e.g. Tanzanian spices are not branded;the majority of the products have notraceability system; and the poor image ofTanzania as a source of supply needsurgent reversal.

The spices currently being produced byTanzania include: cardamom, ginger,turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, black pepper,cloves, chilli, onions, vanilla, cumin,coriander, paprika, mustard, spring onionsand nutmeg. Spice production in Tanzaniais mainly carried out in areas with tropicaland subtropical climate. Normally nochemical fertilizers are used.

Available data of the spice industrysector indicate that overall the sector hasbeen growing by more than 10 percentper annum in value terms since 1997. Theactual export value grew from US$1.148million in 1997 to US$11 million in 2001.(Source: Business Times [Dar-es-Salaam], Tanzania, 11 April 2003.)

UNITED STATESOF AMERICA

Non-timber forest product managementand biodiversity in the United StatesIn June 2002, the Institute for Culture andEcology (IFCAE) received an 18-monthgrant from the National Commission onScience for Sustainable Forestry (NCSSF)to assess the relationships between forestmanagement practices, NTFPs andbiodiversity in the United States. Thisresearch had two objectives: i) synthesizedata regarding the impact of non-timberforest product management on forestecosystem sustainability and biodiversity;and ii) directly support the ability of forestmanagers to assess NTFP sustainability.

The project consisted of five interrelatedcomponents. The first involved theexpansion of IFCAE’s Web-based speciesdatabase used for identifying commerciallyharvested NTFPs in the United States. Thesecond component expanded IFCAE’sWeb-based NTFP bibliographic databasethat catalogues references specific toNTFP conservation, policy, management,culture and ecology (seewww.ifcae.org/ntfp for both databases).The third component consisted of updatingstate and federal NTFP managementsurveys to document managers’ views onhow management activities affect localbiodiversity and to learn more aboutinventory and monitoring efforts. The fourthcomponent involved conductingethnographic interviews in eightecoregions of the United States tosynthesize harvester knowledge aboutmanagement and biodiversity. The finalcomponent consisted of four regionalworkshops designed to bring together landmanagers, policy-makers, scientists,buyers and harvesters to discussmultistakeholder approaches to biologicalmonitoring. Results from this research aresynthesized in the document Therelationship between non-timber forestproduct management and biodiversity inthe United States.

Workshop results are analysed in thedocument Non-timber forest productinventory and monitoring in the United

States: rationale and recommendations fora participatory approach. See also thecompanion report, Workshop guide andproceedings: harvester involvement ininventory and monitoring of non-timberforest products.

All of these documents are availableonline (www.ifcae.org/projects/ncssf1/).(Contributed by: Kathryn A. Lynch, ICFAE,USA.)


Kathryn A. Lynch, Eric T. Jones or

Rebecca McLain, Institute for Culture

and Ecology, PO Box 6688, Portland, OR,

USA 97228.

Tel./Fax: +1 503 3316681;


www.ifcae.org

ZAMBIA

Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiativeembarks on mushroom drying projectsThe Maureen Mwanawasa CommunityInitiative (MMCI) has embarked on twopilot projects to dry mushrooms inKasempa and Ndola rural. First ladyMaureen Mwanawasa, after touring theTechnology Development and AdvisoryUnit (TDAU) of the University of Zambiayesterday, said that the two areas duringthe rainy season had a lot of mushrooms,which could be dried and preserved. Thiswould help people to sell and achievefood security.

Maureen [Mwanawasa] said herorganization had been trying to change theattitude of women’s clubs for them to doactivities that gave them profit and enabledthem pay for health services, send theirchildren to school and attain food security.She said her visit to TDAU followed anenquiry for a mushroom solar drier,manufactured by the unit. (Source: ThePost [Lusaka], 22 October 2003.)



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2003 IUCN RED LIST

IUCN–World Conservation Union hasrecently released its updated Red List,regarded as the world’s most reliableinventory of the conservation status offlora and fauna. With more than 2 000entries added and 380 taxa reassessedsince the release of the previous year’slist, the Red List currently records morethan 12 000 species threatened withextinction; 762 plants and animal speciesare already logged as “extinct”.

The list finds that invasive species arean overriding threat to global biodiversity,threatening to undermine populations ofnative plants and animals on islands andcontinents.

All known conifer species have beenreassessed, and the 2003 list sees newentries of more than 1 000 Ecuadorianplants, 125 Hawaiian plants, more than300 cycads and 35 Galapagos Islandsnails.

IUCN will undertake a major analysis ofthe Red List in 2004, the results of whichwill be presented to the third IUCN WorldConservation Congress in Bangkok inNovember 2004.

For more information, please visit:

www.redlist.org/

THE STATE OF THEWORLD’S ECOSYSTEMS

The World Wildlife Fund Internationalreleased its report on the state of theworld’s ecosystems – as measured bythe Living Planet Index – and the humanpressures on them through theconsumption of renewable naturalresources. The report is available at:www.panda.org/livingplanet/lpr02/

FUNGAL PARTNERS

Palaeontologists theorize that theevolutionary leap of plants from ocean toland was accomplished by plants forminga symbiotic relationship with fungi. Today,90 percent of all plants are associatedwith fungi in the soil, and 80 percentcould not survive without their fungalpartners. The complete article, Corner onecology: partners ... for 500 millionyears!, by Gigi La Budde, is available at:www.forestrycenter.org/news/news.cfm?news_id=284

RAINFOREST ALLIANCELAUNCHES EXPANDEDECO-INDEX

The Eco-Index is an Internet resourcemanaged by the Rainforest Alliance thatcontains detailed information aboutconservation projects in Latin America. Ithas information about more than 550projects of 400 non-governmentalorganizations and government ministriesthroughout the neotropics. The site is inEnglish and Spanish, while profiles ofBrazil-based projects are also availablein Portuguese. The database issearchable by keyword, country,organization, funders and/or by 70different categories.

Project directors submit information onthe Eco-Index via a templatequestionnaire, available on-site (or uponrequest by sending an e-mail to: [email protected]). To ensure the quality ofinformation, Eco-Index staff members,based in New York and Costa Rica,

carefully edit, fact check and translateeach questionnaire.

The Eco-Index’s “What’s New?” page is an online environmentalmagazine, updated each month.(Source: CEPF E-News, November 2004[[email protected]].)

AFRICA – THE MOSTPROMISING ECOTOURISMPRODUCT IN THE WORLD

A passion for Africa, tourism based on acode of ethics, a belief in the power oftourism as an instrument of prosperity,can all be major factors in responding tothe challenges of poverty and inequity,but, most of all, prospects of peace.

These points encapsulated the moodof the Conference on Tourism, Peaceand Sustainable Development, held inLuanda, Angola at the end of May inconjunction with the World TourismOrganization (WTO) Commission forAfrica. The conference was chaired byMr Jorges Alicerces Valentin, Minister ofHotels and Tourism of Angola, andattended by some 40 countries includingmore than 20 ministers of tourism. Theissues discussed includedmacroeconomics, peace dividends,investment, partnerships, economicimpact analysis, aviation liberalizationand interface with New Partnership forAfrica’s Development (NEPAD). Inaddition, related case studies werereviewed from across the continent.

There was also widespread supportfor the view that Africa has theopportunity to use its unique tourismassets – its cultures, traditions, naturalbeauty and wildlife – as a major factor inpoverty reduction and in unlocking peacedividends where conflict is resolved. Themeeting shared the view articulated anddemonstrated by Mr Dawid DeVilliers,WTO Deputy Secretary-General, that“passion for Africa and a belief in thepower of tourism as a change agent canbe a major factor in responding to thechallenges of poverty and inequity.” Italso underscored the value of WTO’sGlobal Code of Ethics as invaluable

E C O N O O K


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guidance for the kind of tourism thatAfrica must seek to pursue. “Africa is themost promising ecotourism product inthe world, we must develop it withpassion, profitably, through partnershipsat all levels and above all with a strategicvision and the commitment from thegovernments of Africa,” said the TourismMinister of Mauritius, Mr NandcoomarBodha.

Peace is fundamental to tourismdevelopment. With peace, tourism canbe a central factor in economic growth,sustainable development and socialprogress. Without it the potentialvanishes. Delegates stressed thatpartnership in tourism must be strongerthan terrorism.

The geopolitical shift towardsdevelopment generally and Africaspecifically was also noted withoptimism. The UN MillenniumDevelopment Goals, seeking to halveextreme poverty by 2015, the Summitsof Doha on Trade Inclusion, of Monterreyon Debt Relief and of Johannesburg onSustainable Development all led in theright direction for positive change.Regionally, the concept of an AfricanUnion and of NEPAD provided newexciting visionary mechanisms forAfrican integration and renaissance – the

AMAZONIA:DEVELOPMENT WITHOUTDESTRUCTION

Every year 1 600 000 ha of forest aredestroyed. In an attempt to revert thissituation, the government is launchingthe Sustainable Amazonia Programme.

Five million square kilometrescontaining a fifth of the planet’sfreshwater and ten million animal andplant species: the vast Amazonian rainforest acts as the planet’s guardian,maintaining the fragile balance in itsclimate. But Amazonia’s problems are asvast as its riches. There are 380 000small rural properties in the region. Ruralproducers clear the forest to prepare thesoil for planting, destroying the treeswhich could serve as an importantsource of income. Each year, the areadevastated is equal to 1 600 000 footballfields.

Gilney Viana, Secretary forSustainable Development, said that thegreatest challenge now facing Amazoniais to modernize it without damaging theenvironment. He said that Amazoniacannot limit its economy to theexportation of raw materials. “One of thealternatives is to diversify production byincorporating technological innovationsand aggregating value to insertAmazonia’s products into the nationaland international markets”, he said. Heemphasized that sustainabledevelopment must be associated withthe generation of jobs, better distributionof income and a reduction inenvironment impact.

The Amazonian rain forest occupiesfive million square kilometres, 61 percentof the territory of Brazil, and covers thestates of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas,Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará,Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins. Theregion’s economy is based on mineralextraction, ranching, logging and exportagriculture (mainly soya and cotton). In2000, the Gross Regional Product was$R 73 billion, 6.5 percent of Brazil’sGNP. In recent years, environmentalistshave criticized government policies

latter now actively developing an AfricanTourism framework and reaching out toother institutions for support andinterface. (Source: Vanguard [Lagos], 13June 2003.)

E C O N O O K

WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION TOBECOME SPECIALIZED UN AGENCY

Among the actions taken at the 15thGeneral Assembly of the WorldTourism Organization (WTO), held from20 to 23 October in Beijing, China, wasthe decision to transform theorganization into a specialized agencyof the United Nations. The UN GeneralAssembly in turn approved thisdecision on 7 November 2003.Delegates also supported theOrganization’s “Sustainable Tourism –Eliminating Poverty” (ST-EP) initiative,a joint project with the United NationsConference on Trade and Development(UNCTAD) to encourage sustainabletourism that aims at alleviating poverty.

For more information, please visit:

www.world-tourism.org/


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which have favoured the advance of theagricultural frontier in the region andoffered incentives for damaging theenvironment. They have also stronglycriticized logging, mineral extraction andthe construction of roads andhydroelectric plants in the region whichhave had a serious environmentalimpact.

The document, published by theMinistry of the Environment, considerssome of the alternatives for thedevelopment of the region. Predatorytimber extraction, for example, could bereplaced by the adoption of certificatedforest management. In the agriculturalsector, incentives could be offered toproducers who increase the productivityof areas which have already beendevastated. Ecotourism has beenflagged as a means of generatingincome without damaging theenvironment. Other alternatives includeinvestment in biotechnology andcharging for environmental services.(Source: Radiobras, in Amazon News,13 November 2003.)

CROSS-BORDERPARKS ON THE WAY

Namibia’s Ministry of Environment andTourism is finalizing a treaty for theestablishment of a transfrontier parkcomprising the Ai-Ais Park in Namibiaand the Richtersveld Park in SouthAfrica.

Motivating his ministry’s budget for2003–2004 in the National Assembly onThursday, Minister Phillemon Malima

said the initiative was recently discussedand supported by the Presidents ofNamibia and South Africa, Sam Nujomaand Thabo Mbeki, and theirgovernments. He said the project wouldimprove the conservation managementof an area with the richest biodiversity inNamibia and provide a new focus fortourism development in the south of thecountry.

Malima indicated that negotiations withAngola were also under way for atransfrontier park consisting of theSkeleton Coast Park in Namibia and IonaNational Park in Angola. (Source: TheNamibian [Windhoek], 14 April 2003.)

PARTNERSHIP FORENVIRONMENTALMANAGEMENT

Brazil and France have approved aproposal to create a working group tohelp the French Government to implant aconservation area in French Guianaclose to the border with Brazil. The 3 million hectare area covers practicallythe whole extension of theTucumumaque Mountains National Park,which – with an area of 3.8 millionhectares – is the largest conservationarea in the world in a tropical forestregion.

France is relying on Brazilianexpertise and the communities living inthe park to create the conservation area.The two countries are planning furthercooperation to develop ecotourism in theregion. They hope to involve Suriname in

the project and transform the region intoa large ecotourism corridor.

The Ministry of the Environment iscreating a Tucumumaque WorkingGroup to develop integrated action in thearea surrounding the national park. Oneof the group’s immediate priorities is toelaborate a management plan and toimplant a basic infrastructure to protectthe park. The region is known as theGuiana Shield and is classified as beingof “extreme biological importance”. TheWorld Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Brazil announced last year that it willmake US$1 million available for thecreation of the new park. The WorldBank and the Global Environment Fundwill also finance the project. (Source:IBAMA, in Amazon News, 10 April2003.)

E C O N O O K

You see things; and you say, “Why?”But I dream things that never were;and I say, “Why not?”

George Bernard Shaw


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• sustainable production technologies(mechanisms of agarwood formationin nature, artificial inducement of resinin plantation-grown trees, chemistry ofagarwood);

• conservation and legal status(protection of natural Aquilaria standsand legal issues, communityparticipation in sustainable agarwoodproduction);

• manufacturing and sale of sustainableagarwood products (world markets foragarwood products, price trends,marketing strategy, extractiontechnology and value-added productdevelopment, packing, labelling andproduct promotion).

Some 30 presentations were made onthe above issues. A field trip to An GiangProvince was organized in order to showparticipants the activities of the TRPproject, with regard to the establishmentof Aquilaria crassna plantations, theresearch carried out on inducementtechniques and the establishment of treenurseries. Finally, working group sessionswere held in order to discuss further thefollowing key issues: i) Management ofagarwood plantations and propagation ofagarwood producing species; ii) Linkingdemands with supplies; iii) Trade andlegislation; iv) Cultivation of agarwoodand impacts of agarwood domestication;and v) International cooperation inagarwood research.

Mr Walter made a presentation on “Theimpact of certification on the sustainableuse of NWFP – Potential implications forthe sustainable use of agarwood” andchaired the working group on “Linkingdemands with supplies”. In addition, MrWalter organized an informal round tablewith experts dealing with agarwoodissues in Papua New Guinea.

For further background information onthe conference and the TRP project, visitthe Web site (www.agarwood.org.vn).Information from experimental agarwoodtrials at NuiGiai Mountain, An GiangProvince, Viet Nam, carried out during theFirst International Agarwood Conferencefield trip, can be found at:http://forestpathology.coafes.umn.edu/agarwoodmeeting.htm

I N T E R N A T I O N A L A C T I O N

FAOFOREST PRODUCTS AND

ECONOMICS DIVISION

Travel of NWFP officersMr Paul Vantomme travelled to Canadaas one of FAO’s representatives at theWorld Forestry Congress [see SpecialFeatures for more information]. During theCongress, Mr Vantomme had the role ofFAO Technical Secretary for threesessions: i) A2C Efficient use andprocessing of resources; ii) A5A Bestmanagement practices, certification; andiii) B4B Management for non-timber forestproducts. He made the followingpresentations: i) Towards improvedclassification of NWFP through theexisting international product classificationschemes; ii) Opportunities and challengesfor non-wood forest product certification(written together with Sven Walter); andiii) Trade opportunities for non woodforest products in niche markets.

Mr Sven Walter travelled to Viet Nam andPapua New Guinea in November 2003 todiscuss issues regarding agarwood. InViet Nam, he attended the FirstInternational Agarwood Conference andin Papua New Guinea he met withnational personnel regarding the FAO-financed Technical CooperationProgramme (TCP) project “EaglewoodManagement Project”, TCP/PNG/2901(A),which became operational in October2003. [Please see FAO in the Field formore information on this TCP project.]

The First International AgarwoodConference “Wood of the Gods” was heldfrom 10 to15 November in Ho Chi MinhCity and An Giang Province. It was co-organized by the Tropical RainforestProject (TRP) Foundation, the NationalUniversity of Ho Chi Minh City, the AnGiang University and the University ofMinnesota; the main sponsor was theEuropean Union.

Some 70 participants from 20 countriesparticipated in the conference andexchanged views on the:

• ecology and cultivation of Aquilaria(botany, geography and ecology ofAquilaria genus, propagation andmanagement of Aquilaria trees);

FAO’S FORESTRY BRANCH LIBRARY

The Forestry Branch Library (FOBL), abranch of the FAO David LubinMemorial Library, provides FAOpersonnel and external users withtimely and accurate information aboutforestry and related areas. It housesmore than 3 500 books and over 600current periodical titles, yearbooksand other serial titles on forestry andrelated areas. It also has a largecollection of “grey literature” –including documentation on FAOforestry projects and papers andreports from various FAO meetings –much of which is not readily availableanywhere else. Additional forest-related publications, including thespecial collections on forestrymeetings, which include WorldForestry Congresses since 1985, areaccessible on request.

The library provides multilingualservice (English, French, Spanish,Italian) including reference andinformation assistance, bibliographicsearches, photocopies and, throughthe David Lubin Memorial Library,interlibrary loan services are provided.


Ms Vanda Ferreira dos Santos,

Librarian, FAO–Forestry Library,

00100 Rome, Italy.

Fax: +39 0657055137;

e-mail:

[email protected]

In Papua New Guinea, Mr Walter metwith the National Project Coordinator andother representatives from governmentaland non-governmental organizations aswell as the private sector, in order todiscuss issues with regard to agarwoodmanagement and utilization in Papua NewGuinea in general, with particularemphasis on the implementation ofTCP/PNG/2901. In addition, Mr Walterassisted in the preparations andparticipated in the 5th Inter-agencyCommittee Meeting on Agarwood. Duringthe meeting, the results of the internationalagarwood conference were shared andthe TCP project presented and discussed.

Mr Walter carried out a backstoppingmission to Cameroon from 8 to 13 December 2003 in the context ofTCP/CMR/2905 “Institutional support andsustainable management of non-woodforest products”, in order to: i) establishcontacts with the implementing agency(Ministry of Environment and Forests[MINEF]); ii) elaborate a work plantogether with the project team; and iii)analyse the information available onNWFPs in Cameroon. [Please see FAO inthe Field below for more information onthis TCP project.]

During the mission, several projectteam meetings were organized in order toinform collaborators about projectobjectives and procedures, to clarify thetasks of each partner (FAO, MINEF andconsultants) and to discuss administrativeas well as technical aspects.

VolunteersReport from Daniela Göhler, who worked as a volunteer with FAO’s NWFP Programme.The FAO volunteer programme is a verygood chance for young people to gain aninsight into the work of internationalorganizations and to have firsthandexperience in the UN system. It is just asimportant to find financial support for suchan internship. An excellent opportunity isthe Carlo Schmid Programme of theGerman Academic Exchange Service(DAAD), which provides scholarships forstudents and graduates.

I worked as an intern in the ForestProducts Service from September toDecember 2003 under the supervision ofOlman Serrano and Paul Vantomme. Themain task was to contribute a paper to theNWFP Programme about the role ofedible forest insects, mainly caterpillars,to food security in central Africa. Based onfour case studies carried out by nationalexperts, I prepared a synthesis thatconsolidates key information andrecommendations, and outlines fields offurther research. Additional literature wasreviewed to complement someinformation to specific topics. Numerousdiscussions with Paul Vantomme andSven Walter, but also remarks andsuggestions of other colleagues, such asentomologists, contributed a lot to mywork. [An article by Daniela on thissubject has been included in SpecialFeatures.]

The final Working Paper, which will bepublished in the spring of 2004, includesthe synthesis as well as the case studies.In addition, an article on the subject will beproduced (ODI Wildlife Policy Briefing)focusing more on policy issues. I also hadthe opportunity to attend severalpresentations and conferences on varioustopics, and to work in another of my fieldsof interest, the international forest regime.Under the supervision of ChristianMersmann, I reviewed a documentsummarizing forest-related institutionsand processes at the global and regionallevels.

I regard the internship with FAO as avery important step in my professional

career and very much appreciate theopen-minded conversations with mycolleagues. (Contributed by: DanielaGöhler, M.Sc. in Forestry [TechnicalUniversity of Dresden].)

NWFP-Digest-LFAO’s NWFP Programme has beenproducing the NWFP-Digest-L since April2000. The goal of this free e-mail journalis to link NWFP interests worldwide,share information, foster discussionpertaining to NWFPs, promote regionallyoriented e-mail lists and Web sites, andcomplement existing NWFP awarenessnetworks. Diverse views and materialsrelevant to NWFPs are encouraged.

To join the list, please send an e-mailto: [email protected], with themessage: subscribe NWFP-Digest-L

To make a contribution once on thelist, please send an e-mail to thefollowing address: [email protected]

Back issues of the Digest may befound on FAO’s NWFP home page:www.fao.org/forestry/foris/webview/fop/index.jsp?siteId=2301&langId=1

FAO IN THE FIELD

Cameroon: sustainable use andmanagement of non-wood forest productsFAO was requested to assist theGovernment of Cameroon in thedevelopment of their non-wood forestproduct (NWFP) sector.

FAO’s Technical CooperationProgramme project “Institutional support


70



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to promote the sustainable use andmanagement of non-wood forest productsin Cameroon” (TCP/CMR/2905[A]) willanalyse the NWFP sector, elaboraterecommendations for the sustainablemanagement and use of selected productsand will contribute to the elaboration andimplementation of a national strategy andaction plan. The FAO NWFP Programmeis the lead technical unit responsible forthe technical implementation of theproject.

Many households in Cameroon dependon NWFPs as a source of food,construction material, medicines andincome. Fruits (e.g. Irvingia gabonensis),leaves (e.g. Gnetum spp.) and spices (e.g.Ricinodendron heudelotii) are among themost relevant edible NWFPs. Otherimportant NWFPs include medicinal plants(e.g. Prunus africana) and rattan (e.g.Laccosperma secundiflorum). Despite theactual and potential benefits of usingNWFPs for both subsistence and trade,various legal and institutional constraintshinder the sustainable use of NWFPs,including the inappropriate managementof resources providing NWFP and uncleartenure systems.

The Government of Cameroonrecognizes the important role of NWFPs inpoverty alleviation, particularly in ruralareas. In 1998, the Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests (MINEF) createda Subdivision for the Promotion andProcessing of NWFPs (Sous-direction dela promotion et de la transformation desproduits forestiers non ligneux [SDNL]) inorder to promote the sustainable use ofNWFPs.

In November 2001, the University ofYaoundé and FAO co-organized a seminaron “NWFP in Cameroon: Potentials,Constraints and Perspectives”(www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y7384F/Y7384F00.HTM), which was followed by anational workshop organized by MINEF inJanuary 2002 on “The Status of the NWFPSector in Cameroon”. These workshopsanalysed the NWFP sector and identifiedkey challenges faced by NWFP producers,consumers and traders. Furthermore, theworkshops acknowledged the effortsmade by governmental organizations and

their partners such as the Center forInternational Forestry Research (CIFOR),the Department for InternationalDevelopment (DFID) and FAO to promotethe sustainable use of NWFPs.

The Technical Cooperation Programmeproject TCP/CMR/2905(A) will build onthese and will support MINEF and SDNL intheir efforts to promote the sustainable useof NWFPs. In this context, the project willcollaborate with key stakeholders andorganizations, including the Forests andEnvironment Sector Programme(Programme sectoriel des forêts et del’environnement [PSFE]).

The project’s main outputs will be:• An assessment of the production and

market chain of key NWFPs, includingeconomic, ecological, social,technical, legal and institutionalaspects.

• Strategies for the sustainablemanagement, consumption andcommercialization of two selectedNWFPs.

• A proposed national strategy for thedevelopment of the entire NWFPsector.

Project activities will start with a rapidappraisal of the NWFP sector inCameroon, followed by the in-depthassessment of two selected NWFPs andtheir production, consumption and tradepatterns.

For further information, please contact:

Ms D. Diallo Ba, FAO Representative,

PO Box 281, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Fax: +237 2204811;


or

Mr Sven Walter, Forestry Officer,

NWFP Programme, FAO, Rome, Italy.


Papua New Guinea: EaglewoodManagement Project Upon request of the Government ofPapua New Guinea, FAO is assisting thePapua New Guinea Forest Authority inthe sustainable management andcommercialization of eaglewood(Gyrinops ledermanii, also known asagarwood, aloeswood or gaharu)through its Technical CooperationProgramme “Eaglewood ManagementProject” TCP/PNG/2901(A).

Eaglewood is a valuable non-woodforest product that has beencommercially exploited in Papua NewGuinea for approximately ten years. Highexternal demand combined with lownational capacities with regard toeaglewood production andcommercialization has resulted inuncontrolled exploitation andinappropriate trade structures whichmarginalize local producers. Roughestimates indicate that if unsustainableharvest and trade continue, eaglewoodresources in certain areas will be totallydepleted by 2005 not only threateningthe tree species but also leading tosubstantial economic losses.

The objectives of the 20-monthproject, which started in October 2003,are: i) to strengthen institutionalcapacities of technical staff fromgovernmental and non-governmentalorganizations at the national level andthe management capacities of localresource owners and producers at thegrassroots level; and ii) to assist thegovernmental organizations concernedin the elaboration of a nationaleaglewood conservation andmanagement strategy. This strategy willbe based on the assessment of theecological and socio-economic impact ofeaglewood production and theidentification of appropriate processingand harvesting technologies, includinginoculation techniques to promoteoleorosin production. Collaborationamong all stakeholders concerned willbe enhanced.

Expected project outputs are:• Sustainable management strategies,

guidelines and policy measures on



72

eaglewood as part of the ecoforestrypolicy are formulated.

• The extension and regulatorycapacity of governmental and non-governmental organizations isstrengthened.

• Effective training and awarenesscampaigns on eaglewoodmanagement are carried out at thegrassroots level.

• Workable community-basedeaglewood management models oncustomary land in three selectedareas are designed and undertaken.

• Promising extraction methods aretested.

• Cost-effective fungal inoculationtechniques adapted to Papua NewGuinea conditions are developed.

As a result, it is expected that theassistance will contribute to sustainingthe management of eaglewoodresources and the livelihoods of peopleusing eaglewood resources.

For further information please contact:

Mr Michael Avosa, National Project

Coordinator, PNG Forest Authority,

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.


or

Mr Sven Walter, Forestry Officer,

NWFP Programme, FAO, Rome, Italy.


[Please see under Products and Markets

for more information on Agarwood.]

CENTER FORINTERNATIONAL FORESTRYRESEARCH (CIFOR)

CIFOR was created in 1993 to promotea different type of forestry research –research that would find solutions to thechallenges facing our forests and those

who use or depend on them. The visionwas for a “centre without walls”, creatingnew spaces for scientists from nationalinstitutions around the world to work witheach other and to build closer ties withthe policy community and with localpeople. To celebrate ten years of activity,CIFOR has produced Forests andpeople: research that makes adifference, which highlights some ofCIFOR’s key achievements in its firstdecade of research. A chapter “Beyondtimber” is dedicated to CIFOR’s workwith non-wood forest products.

For further information, please contact:

CIFOR, PO Box 6596, JKPWB,

Jakarta 10065, Indonesia.

Fax: +62 251 622100;


INTERNATIONALCENTRE FOR HIMALAYANBIODIVERSITY (ICHB)

The Himalayan region is the largest,highest and most populous mountainchain in the world, and it is one of theworld’s richest ecosystems in terms ofbiological diversity. Extreme variations inaltitude, aspect, geology and soils overshort distances have resulted in a wealthof natural ecosystems. The Himalayasare home to hundreds of endemic plantspecies and some of the world’s rarestwildlife species. These rich biologicalresources have traditionally served asthe foundation for the economic andcultural life of mountain people.

Human beings use the environmentheavily. Projected population growth andeconomic activity will mean loss ofbiodiversity at a greater rate. Althoughbiological resources are renewable, theiroveruse is usually associated with loss ofbiodiversity. Among the major threats areoverexploitation of forest and vegetationresources for fuel, fodder, manure,grazing, fishing and hunting, expansion ofagricultural land for an ever-increasingpopulation, and the practice of slash-and-burn agriculture in mountain regions.Biological resources are deterioratingrapidly throughout the world, primarilybecause of unsustainable approachesused in human activities.

Against this background, theInternational Conference on HimalayanBiodiversity (ICHB-2003) was organizedfrom 26 to 28 February 2003 inKathmandu, Nepal, on the occasion ofthe International Year of Mountains (IYM,2002). The participants at the conferencerecognized that:

1. The Himalayan range is a uniquechain of mountains with fragileecosystems and high endemic, rareand endangered species of wild floraand fauna that fulfil basic daily needsfor millions of people living inmountains and plains.

2. These mountain ecosystems arelargely neglected and are greatlythreatened by human pressure.

3. Exploration of flora and fauna andtheir habitats and mechanisms formaintenance of biological diversityare inadequate at present.

4. Degradation and loss of biologicaldiversity are at high levels.

5. Appropriate approaches needed toaddress these issues are lacking, butrecent developments (e.g. large-scale conservation) appear positive.

6. Traditional practices (forestry,agriculture) and indigenoustechnology are disappearing.

7. There is a lack of coordination andcommunication among scientists anda lack of partnership amongscientists, planners and managers.

8. A comprehensive Red Data Book islacking.



73

9. There is a need for habitat mappingusing geographic informationsystems and global positioningsystem techniques.

10. There is a lack of appropriateteaching curricula andinfrastructure and researchcapabilities in the area ofbiotechnology to assign and usebiodiversity for the betterment ofsociety.

As a result, the conference passed aseries of resolutions in the KathmanduDeclaration of the InternationalConference on Himalayan Biodiversity(ICHB-2003). In considering themandate of the ICHB-2003, as well asthe ways in which governments andlocal, national and regional/global levelorganizations could help achieve abetter understanding of biologicaldiversity and its related issues andgreater cooperation in ensuring thesustainable development and povertyalleviation of Himalayan regions, theInternational Centre for HimalayanBiodiversity (ICHB) was created by theHimalayan Resources Institute (HIRI) inclose coordination, collaboration andcooperation with institutions andindividuals working in education,research and training in the field ofconservation and sustainable use ofbiological diversity supportingHimalayan people in their search forsustainable development. The centrewill run as an autonomous project ofHIRI.

The centre is committed to attractingstudents from Himalayan countries whowill play leadership roles in futureconservation efforts, as well as graduatestudents from Nepal and abroadseeking expertise in Himalayanbiodiversity, systematics andconservation biology. Studentsassociated with the centre study boththe Himalayan and tropical ecosystemswith particular strengths in Himalayanplant-herbivore dynamics, populationbiology and conservation of birds in theHimalayas, ecology of forest fragments,systematics of flowering plants,evolution of genes and genomes,

population genetics of Himalayan andtropical flora and fauna. The centre infuture will not only maintain state-of-the-art equipment, laboratories andHimalayan greenhouses to conductbiochemical, molecular, ecophysiologicaland ecological research, but will alsodevelop research and internationaltraining programmes and activitiesthroughout the Hindu Kush-Himalayan(HKH) and other mountain countries inthe world.

The centre’s major programmes andactivities include the following aspects.

The centre will:• actively establish an information

management system with thesupport of the various national andinternational organizations to meetthe needs of non-governmental,rural and indigenous organizationsand individuals working onbiodiversity conservation in both thedeveloped and developing countries;

• store and plot information aboutgeographical areas and record orattach area attributes such asspecies’ distribution, habitats,management plans, surveys andreports;

• keep track of information onindigenous peoples, cultures andethnic groups;

• catalogue scientific and traditionalknowledge of plants and animals –species distribution, references tosource materials, bibliographies,surveys, taxonomy, research,management, protective status andexperts;

• publish and disseminate anewsletter of Himalayan biodiversity;

• publish a yearly International Journalof Himalayan Heritage;

• organize regular internationaltraining courses, workshops,seminars, conferences andcongresses on Himalayanbiodiversity;

• develop and maintain a regional andinternational network for futurecooperation, collaboration andcoordination on Himalayanbiodiversity;

• develop and maintain thebiodiversity Web site.

In this way, the centre will maximizethe impact on “Himalayan biodiversity”by bringing together all stakeholders ina common forum to exchange expertise.


Ram Bhandari, Coordinator,

International Centre for Himalayan

Biodiversity, ICHB Secretariat,

Himalayan Resources Institute,

GPO Box 13880, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Fax: +977 1 4484328;


[email protected]


You will find something more in woodsthan in books. Trees and stones will teachyou that which you can never learn frommasters.

Saint Bernard(1090–1153)


74

TREASURES OFTHE CARIBBEANLONDON, UNITED KINGDOM6–7 APRIL 2003

The Caribbean stretches along the humidcoasts of nine Latin American countries tothe tip of Florida. The extraordinarybiodiversity of the ecosystems of the 20 ormore nations of the “Land of the Caribs”offers an incredible wealth of medicinaland aromatic plants, many of them littleknown in Europe.

Equally diverse are Caribbean culture,religion and economy. The Caribs followedthe Arawaks, both bringing plants,medicines and implements from theirnative lands along the Amazon. Europeaninfluence arrived with Columbus in 1492,paving the way for a continued exchangeof trade, people and technology with thenewly discovered “West Indies”.

Every wave of newcomers brought theirown traditional medicines and sacredplants, which also had to adapt to thespecial conditions of their newenvironments. Over the centuries,Caribbean herbs and spices have thusoften developed differing characteristics tobotanically identical plants grown in otherparts of the world.

“Treasures of the Caribbean” was oneof the first attempts to promote Caribbeanherbal products on the European market.The special exhibition providedinformation on some of the Caribbean’smost important medicinal plants and theiruses and was prepared with contributionsfrom nine leading herbal companies fromthe region. The exhibition includedproduct samples and technicalinformation on many of the Caribbean’smost important herbal products as well asmaterial on its herbal medicine andbotanical heritage. Some of the productsincluded in the exhibition, such as Aloevera and nutmeg, are well known. Others,such as Santa Maria, quassia andfitweed, are relative newcomers toEurope. The exhibition and accompanyingposter formed part of the awarenesscampaign to highlight the importance ofthe Caribbean as a potential source for

new plant-based materials and naturalremedies.

Treasures of the Caribbean wasdesigned by the British European DesignGroup (www.bedg.org) and organized byDenzil Phillips International(www.denzil.com), CDE associateconsultant for pharmaceuticals.

The companies represented come fromTrinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia,Grenada, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines, Barbados, Belize andJamaica. They have recently formed theCaribbean Herbal Products Association.


Denzil Phillips International, CDE

Associate Consultant Pharmaceuticals,

25 Stanmore Gardens, Richmond,

Surrey TW9 2HN, UK.

Fax: +44 20 89482673;


www.denzil.com;

www.naturalproducts.co.uk or

www.caribbeanherbs.net

INVOLVING HARVESTERSIN INVENTORYING ANDMONITORING OF NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTSPORTLAND, OREGON, USA4 SEPTEMBER 2003

This participatory workshop was builtaround small group activities andinteractive discussions on: a) currentinventory and monitoring efforts ofNTFPs; b) potential barriers to includingharvesters in inventory and monitoringand how to overcome them; and c)participants’ recommendations on thedesign and implementation of a pilotprogramme that would involve harvestersin inventory and monitoring.

This workshop was part of a nationalstudy funded by the National Commissionon Science for Sustainable Forestry(www.ncssf.org).

The project’s goal is to assess therelationships between forestmanagement practices, NTFPs andbiodiversity in the United States.

For more information please contact:

Katie Lynch, Institute for Culture and

Ecology, PO Box 6688, Portland OR

97228, USA.


www.ifcae.org or www.ifcae.org/ntfp/

INTERNATIONALCONFERENCE ONBAMBOO RESOURCEUTILIZATION ANDPROCESSINGTECHNOLOGYYIYANG, CHINA8–10 SEPTEMBER 2003


The Bureau of Scientific and Technical

Science and Technology of Yiyang City,

No. 31, South Kangfu Road, Yiyang City,

Hunan Province, China 413000.

E-mail: [email protected] or

[email protected]

RECENT TRENDS INPHYTOMEDICINE ANDOTHER ALTERNATIVETHERAPIES FOR HUMANWELFARE – GLOBALSUMMIT ON MEDICINALPLANTS (GSMP)MAURITIUS25–30 SEPTEMBER 2003


Dr Anita Menon, Organizing Secretary,

Global Summit on Medicinal Plants, c/o

Century Foundation, No. 35, 3rd Cross

Road, Vignannagar, Malleshpalya,

Bangalore 560 075, India.

www.cenfound.org/global/global.html

R E C E N T E V E N T S


75

THE 4TH CHINANATIONAL BAMBOOCULTURE FESTIVALXIAN NING, CHINA9–11 OCTOBER 2003

This meeting was organized by the State Forestry Administration of China,the Hubei Provincial Government and the International Network for Bambooand Rattan (INBAR). The co-organizerswere the China Bamboo IndustryAssociation and the Forestry Bureau of Hubei Province, Government of Xian Ning.

An international training workshop onbamboo furniture processing was heldimmediately after the festival and showedthe innovative Chinese products that aremade from bamboo – from furniturethrough panelling and flooring tohandicrafts and edible shoots.

INBAR held a one-day seminar on the utilization of bamboo during thefestival.


Fu Jinhe, Ph.D., Program Officer,

International Network for Bamboo and

Rattan, Beijing 100101-80, China.

Fax: +86 10 64956983;


SYMPOSIUM ONINDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIPFOR THE PRESERVATIONOF MEDICINAL ANDAROMATIC PLANTSPHILADELPHIA, USA14–15 OCTOBER 2003

This symposium explored supply,demand and natural inventory issuesfacing the medicinal and aromatic plants(MAP) industry and laid the foundation foraddressing sustainability, environmentaland human rights issues on an industry-wide basis and determined appropriatemodels. The symposium demonstratedthat models for sustainability alreadyexist and illustrated how much of theMAP supply comes from supply chains

that are not sustainable or that still needassistance to make the transition to fullsustainability.

The symposium was organized bymembers of the Medicinal Plant WorkingGroup, which is part of the PlantConservation Alliance, a consortium often federal agencies and more than 145non-federal cooperators workingcollectively to prevent plant extinction andto encourage natural habitat restoration.


Natasha Hall, AHPA, 8484 Georgia,

Avenue, Suite 370, Silver Spring,

MD 20910, USA;

or

Lori Diamond, Aveda Corporation.


www.plantconservation.org/mpwgconf

erence/ or www.nps.gov/

plants/medicinal/index.htm

NATURAL FORESTS INTHE TEMPERATE ZONEOF EUROPE – VALUESAND UTILIZATIONRAKHIV, TRANSCARPATHIA (UKRAINE)14–18 OCTOBER 2003

The objectives of the conference were to: • review the status quo and the state of

knowledge about natural (old growth)forests in the temperate zone ofEurope;

• show the value of natural forests fromdifferent points of view and to analyseconflicting interests and aims on alocal, national and international level;

• assess the economic potential ofnatural forests and forest reserves;

• intensify the international andinterdisciplinary cooperation inresearch on natural forests;

• promote and support the long-termprotection and conservation of old-growth forests.


Brigitte Commarmot, Swiss Federal

Research Institute, Zürcherstrasse 111,

CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.

Fax: +41 1 7392215;


www.wsl.ch/forest/waldman/

rakhiv_2003/;

or

Dr Fedir D. Hamor, Carpathian

Biosphere Reserve, PO Box 8,

UA-90600 Rakhiv, Zakarpatska Oblast,

Ukraine.

Fax: +380 3132 22054;


NON-TIMBER FORESTPRODUCTS CONFERENCE:WORKING WITH ALLTHE FORESTDUNCAN, BC, CANADA4 AND 5 NOVEMBER 2003

Subjects covered included:• What is happening with NTFPs in

Canada? • Potential employment and business

opportunities • Information on how NTFPs can be

used • New ways of looking at the forest as

a whole ecosystem • Reclaiming traditional practices

through NTFPs


Stella Johnny, NTFP Coordinator,

Cowichan Tribes, 5760 Allenby Road,

Duncan, BC V9L 5J1, Canada.

Fax: +1 250 7481233.



76

MONITORING ANDINDICATORS OF FORESTBIODIVERSITY – FROMIDEAS TO OPERATIONALITYFLORENCE, ITALY12–15 NOVEMBER 2003

This international conference wasarranged by IUFRO, together with itscollaborators. The conference had fourmain themes:

1. Validation and further developmentof indicators of forest biologicaldiversity.

2. Pan-European Foreststratification/Forest types forassessing biological diversity.

3. Pressures on forest biodiversity andcauses for biodiversity loss inEuropean forests.

4. Emerging user needs and creating adialogue for successfulimplementation.


Ms Brita Pajari, European Forest

Institute, Torikatu 34, FIN-80100

Joensuu, Finland.

Fax: +358 13 134393;


www.efi.fi/events/2003

WORLD HERBOEXPO 2004BHOPAL, MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA12–14 JANUARY 2004

The World Herbo Expo 2004 was the firstof its kind and was an attempt towards theeradication of poverty from India throughthe utilization of the US$62 billion marketfor botanical medicines. The World HerboExpo 2004 was sponsored by the Ministryof Tribal Affairs, the Ministry of Environmentand Forests and ISMH (Ministry of Healthand Family Welfare, Medicinal PlantsBoard), Government of India.

The aims of the World Herbo Expo2004 were the development ofcommercial and novelty products that willhave high value added, so that ruralcommunities achieve sustainable

economic growth through marketdevelopment. These biodiversityproducts have a high potential to offerrealistic gains and the World Herbo Expo2004 explored new investment and tradeopportunities for biodiversity-friendlyproducts to benefit the rural poor in India.


Dr R. Sugandhi, President, People For

Animals, “Vasundhara Bhawan”, E-4

Patel Nagar, Bhopal 462021, M.P., India.


www.thegreenearth.org

REGIONAL CONFERENCEON SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT OFRATTAN IN ASIALOS BAÑOS, THE PHILIPPINES21–23 JANUARY 2004

The emergent pressure on theecosystem and the environment broughtabout by deforestation and increasingdependence on timber has beeninfluential in the shift towards NTFPs.Rattan is second only to timber in manyASEAN countries in economicimportance. The significance of NTFPsas a source of livelihood and capitalinputs is now being realized.


Mr Celso P. Diaz, Director, ERDB,

Overall Project Coordinator,

ITTO Pre-Project, College,

Laguna 4031, the Philippines.

Fax: +63 49 5363481/5362850;



[email protected];

www.erdb.laguna.net

[Please see also under News and Notes for

more information on Rattan.]

BORNEAN BIODIVERSITYAND ECOSYSTEMCONSERVATIONINTERNATIONALCONFERENCE 2004KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA23–25 FEBRUARY 2004

This conference was organized by theBornean Biodiversity and EcosystemsConservation Programme and had for itsmain theme “Biodiversity Conservation:Now or Never”.


Ms Kertijah Abd. Kadir, BBEC IC 2004,

Science and Technology Unit,

7th Floor, Block B, Wisma MUIS,

88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Fax: +60 88 249410;


[email protected];

www.bbec.sabah.gov.my/announcement.

htm

VII WORLD BAMBOOCONGRESSNEW DELHI, INDIA28 FEBRUARY–4 MARCH 2004

The seventh World Bamboo Congressconvened under the theme “Bamboo forDevelopment: Prosperity for People andthe Environment”.


Congress Secretariat, B-66 (Basement),

Shivalik, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi, India.

Fax: +91 11 26163085;


www.worldbamboo.org



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PEOPLE IN PARKS: BEYOND THE DEBATENEW HAVEN, USA2–3 APRIL 2004

Achieving conservation in human-inhabited protected areasThe debate over people in parks hasbeen a fiery one, yet one thing hasbecome clear: human-inhabitedprotected areas (HIPAs) are a reality ofthe conservation landscape. Protectedarea managers and policy-makersacknowledge that areas of highconservation value are already a homeand subsistence base for localcommunities, and are attempting toincorporate these communities inconservation planning. The challengethat remains is how to achieveconservation in HIPAs.

Although formally HIPAs are a relativelynew phenomenon, some preliminaryconclusions about what works and whatdoes not can now be drawn. Major effortsto integrate communities within protectedareas have been under way for the lastdecade, providing time for reflection andanalysis of empirical data. Other protectedareas that incorporate local communityparticipation may also prove highlyinstructive for identifying the effectiveelements to conservation in HIPAs.

The Yale Chapter of the InternationalSociety of Tropical Foresters will conveneall sides of the debate to identifyconstructive lessons in the effort to createhuman-inhabited protected areas oflasting conservation value. Social andnatural scientists, resource managers,policy-makers, community leaders andother interested parties will cometogether to share their experiences indealing with this challenge.


Yale ISTF Conference, c/o Tropical

Resource Institute, Yale School of

Forestry and Environmental Studies,

210 Prospect Street, New Haven,

CT 06511, USA.


www.yale.edu/istf/

MANAGEMENT OF TROPICALDRY FOREST WOODLANDSAND SAVANNAS:ASSESSMENT, SILVICULTURE,SCENARIOSBRASILIA, BRAZIL12–14 APRIL 2004


Prof. Dr José Imaña Encinas, University

of Brasilia, Forestry Department, CP

04357, 70919-970, Brasilia, DF, Brazil.

Fax: +55 61 3470631;


INTERNATIONALWORKSHOP ON SOLITARYBEES AND THEIR ROLE INPOLLINATIONCEARÁ, BRAZIL26–29 APRIL 2004

The workshop is promoted by theBrazilian Pollinators Initiative andorganized by the Universidade Federaldo Ceará, with the support of theBrazilian Ministry of Environment and theBrazilian Council for Scientific andTechnological Development.

The purpose of the workshop is toupdate knowledge on solitary bees,especially their use for crop pollination.Subjects such as rearing, building uppopulation techniques, standardizedmethodologies, losses of speciesdiversity, population declining andmanagement practices, assessment ofthe economic value of their pollinationservices and the economic impact of the

decline of pollination services will becovered and discussed.


Breno M. Freitas, Organizing

Committee, CP 12168 Campus do Pici,

60.021-970 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.


www.solitarybees.ufc.br

2ND INTERNATIONALSYMPOSIUM ONGENDER AND FORESTRY:CHALLENGES TOSUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODSAND FORESTRYMANAGEMENTARUSHA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA1–10 AUGUST 2004

The conference is being organized by theGender and Forestry Research Group ofInternational Union of Forest ResearchOrganizations (IUFRO), in collaborationwith ENVIROCARE, University of Dar-es-Salaam, Sokoine University, Morogoro.

The aim of the symposium is to identifyareas in which women and men haveaccess to forest resources in the effort ofimproving the livelihoods of resource-poor people and sustainable forestrymanagement locally and globally. Thesymposium focuses on such themes aswomen and forestry, gender, poverty andsustainable development, forest resourceutilization and income-generatingactivities for local people, ideology,religion and environmental responsibility.

The objectives include:• To identify non-wood forest products

for medicine and food and see howbest women can use such resourcesfor poverty reduction withoutdamaging the environment.

• To address forestry gender issues ofnational, regional and globalimportance.

• To promote transparentmultistakeholder verification ofcompliance with forestrymanagement standards that protectthe livelihoods of the poor andvulnerable groups such as women.

F O R T H C O M I N G E V E N T S


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• To discuss the implementation ofnational, regional and global laws,conventions and agreements for thesustainable management of forests.

• To enhance women’s support forforestry ownership, control and rightsof use of forests and sharing ofbenefits.


Prof. Elizabeth Ardayfio-Schandorf,

Chair, Technical Committee,

Department of Geography and

Resource Development, University of

Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.


www.metla.fi/org/nmh/gender-

symposium-2003-1ann.pdf

INTERNATIONALCONFERENCE ONREGENERATINGMOUNTAIN FORESTSKLOSTER SEEON, BAVARIA, GERMANY12–16 SEPTEMBER 2004


Prof. Dr R. Mosandl, Lehrstuhl für

Waldbau und Forsteinrichtung,

RMF 2004, Am Hochanger 13,

85354 Freising, Germany.

Fax: +49 8161 714616;

e-mail:

[email protected]. tu-muenchen.de;

www.forst.tu-muenchen.de/events/

rmf2004/

MONITORING SCIENCEAND TECHNOLOGYSYMPOSIUM: UNIFYINGKNOWLEDGE FORSUSTAINABILITY IN THEWESTERN HEMISPHEREDENVER, COLORADO, USA20–24 SEPTEMBER 2004

Efforts of natural resource professionalsthroughout the Western Hemisphere inthe twentieth century have led to anumber of revelations regarding the wayin which human beings interact with thenatural world and how to (and how not to)

F O R T H C O M I N G E V E N T S

manage resources sustainably. Bysustainability, we mean to leave futuregenerations with as many managementand utilization options as the currentgeneration enjoys.

The twenty-first century is beingmarked by a number of convergingscientific, technological and societalfactors that advance the possibility ofimproved concurrent sustainability ofnatural resources and human institutions.These factors provide the principles uponwhich this symposium is organized.


Dr Sidney Draggan, Senior Science

and Science Policy Advisor, Immediate

Office of the Assistant Administrator for

Research and Development, US

Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel

Rios Building, Mail Code 8101R, 1200

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington,

DC 20460, USA.

Fax: +1 202 5652431;


www.monitoringsymposium.com

MULTIPURPOSE TREESIN THE TROPICS:ASSESSMENT, GROWTHAND MANAGEMENTJODHPUR, INDIA22–25 NOVEMBER 2004

The Arid Forest Research Institute(Jodhpur, India), in collaboration with theInternational Union of Forest ResearchOrganizations (IUFRO) Divisions 1, 2 and4, is organizing this internationalconference. Although the meeting will

deal primarily with tropical andsubtropical tree species, the organizersare very interested in experiences fromnon-tropical regions in relation toassessment and management of treespecies for multiple products (in particularnon-timber forest products).


Dr V.P. Tewari (Forest Resource

Management and Economics Division,

Arid Forest Research Institute,

PO Krishi Mandi, New Pali Road,

Jodhpur 342005, India.

Fax: +91 291 2722764;


[email protected];

www.afri.res.in/iufroconf2004/index.htm

17TH COMMONWEALTHFORESTRY CONFERENCE:FORESTRY’S CONTRIBUTIONTO POVERTY REDUCTIONCOLOMBO, SRI LANKA28 FEBRUARY–5 MARCH 2005


Libby Jones, Secretary, Standing

Committee on Commonwealth Forestry,

Forestry Commission, United Kingdom.

Fax: +44 131 3164344;


[email protected]

FORESTS IN THE BALANCE:LINKING TRADITION ANDTECHNOLOGY – XXIIIUFRO WORLD CONGRESSBRISBANE, AUSTRALIA8–13 AUGUST 2005


Dr Russell Haines, Queensland

Forestry Research Institute, PO Box

631, Indooroopilly 4068, Australia.

Fax: +61 7 38969628;


http://iufro.boku.ac.at


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Abuzinada, A.H. 2003. The role ofprotected areas in conservingbiological diversity in the kingdom ofSaudi Arabia. J. Arid Environ., 54(1):39–45.

Adams, W.M. 2003. Future nature. Avision for conservation. London,Earthscan. ISBN 1853839981.

Aguilar-Støen, M. & Dhillion, S.S.2003. Implementation of theConvention on Biological Diversity inMesoamerica: environmental anddevelopmental perspectives. Environ.Conserv., 30(2): 131–138.

Aguirre, A.A., Ostfeld, R.S., Tabor,G.M., House, C. & Pearl, M.C., eds.2002. Conservation medicine:ecological health in practice. NewYork, NY, Oxford University Press.432 pp.

Al-Eisawi, D. 2003. Effect of biodiversityconservation on arid ecosystem witha special emphasis on Bahrain. J. Arid Environ., 54(1): 81–90.

Alongi, D.M. 2002. Present state andfuture of the world's mangrove forests.Environ. Conserv., 29(3): 331–349.

Al-Sayed, M. & Al-Langawi, A. 2003.Biological resources conservationthrough ecotourism development.J. Arid Environ., 54(1): 225–236.

Altan, Y. 2001. Some interestingendemic plants collected from theeast and northeast of Turkey andtheir threatened categories. PakistanJ. Bot., 33(2): 157–166.

Andelman, S.J. & Willig, M.R. 2003.Present patterns and future prospectsfor biodiversity in the WesternHemisphere. Ecol. Lett., 6(9):818–824.

Angelsen, A. & Wunder, S. 2003.Exploring the forest poverty link: keyconcepts, issues and researchimplications. CIFOR OccasionalPaper, No. 40. viii + 58 pp. Jakarta,Indonesia, Center for InternationalForestry Research.

Araújo, M.B. 2003. The coincidence ofpeople and biodiversity in Europe.Global Ecol. Biogeogr., 12(1): 5–12.

Aubertin, C. 2002. Les produitsforestiers non-ligneux, outil de larhétorique du développementdurable. Natures Sciences Sociétés(France). (avril–juin 2002), 10(2):39–46. P4494.

Badola, R. & Hussain, S.A. 2003.Conflict in paradise – women andprotected areas in the IndianHimalayas. Mtn. Res. Dev., 23(3):234–237.

Balick, M.J., Arvigo, R., Shropshire,G., Walker, J., Campbell, D.,Romero, L., Iwu, M.M., ed. &Wootton, J.C. 2002. The BelizeEthnobotany Project: safeguardingmedicinal plants and traditionalknowledge in Belize. Ethnomedicineand drug discovery, pp. 267–281.Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA, NewYork Botanical Garden Institute ofEconomic Botany.

Barrera, C.P. & Peredo, S.F. 2002.Importancia de la socialización delconocimiento local para laconservación de la diversidad bio-cultural: el caso de Armerillo (Chile).Dapena de la Fuente, E. y PorcunaCoto, J.L. (Eds.). Servicio Regionalde Investigación y DesarrolloAgroalimentario, Villaviciosa(España). La agricultura y ganaderíaecológica en un marco dediversificación y desarrollo solidario.Gijón, 16 al 21 de septiembre de2002. Actas del 5° Congreso de laSociedad Española de AgriculturaEcológica – 1er. CongresoIberoamericano de Agroecología,

Villaviciosa (España). SERIDA, 2002,2 Vol. Vol. 1, págs. 251–257.

Becker, C.D. & Ghimire, K. 2003.Synergy between traditionalecological knowledge andconservation science supports forestpreservation in Ecuador. Conserv.Ecol. [Online], 8(1): 1.(www.consecol.org/vol8/iss1/art1)

Beckley, T. et al. 2002. Indicators offorest-dependent communitysustainability: the evolution ofresearch. Forest. Chron., 78(5):626–636.

Bengwayan, M. 2003. Intellectual andcultural property rights of indigenousand tribal peoples in Asia. May 2003.40 pp. London, Minority Rights GroupInternational. (Download from:www.minorityrights.org/OnlineReports/OnlineReport.asp?ID=31)

Benítez-Malvido, J. & Martínez-Ramos, M. 2003. Impact of forestfragmentation on understory plantspecies richness in Amazonia.Conserv. Biol., 17(2): 389–400.

Bennett, E.L., Milner-Gulland, E.J.,Bakarr, M., Eves, H.E., Robinson,J.G. & Wilkie, D.S. 2002. Hunting theworld’s wildlife to extinction. Oryx,36(4): 328–329.

Bertin, R.I. 2002. Losses of native plantspecies from Worcester,Massachusetts. Rhodora, 104(920):325–349.

Bhatt, Kailash Chandra. 2003.Planning for forest resource andbiodiversity management: principles,organisations and methodologies.New Delhi, Concept Publishing Co.ISBN 81-7022-879-4.

Bosch, C.H., Siemonsma, J.S.,Lemmens, R.H.M.J. & Oyen, L.P.A.,eds. 2002. Plant resources of tropicalAfrica/Ressources végétales del’Afrique tropicale. Basic list of

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species and commoditygrouping/Liste de base des espèceset de leurs groupes d’usage.Wageningen, the Netherlands,PROTA Programme. 341 pp. ISBN90-77114-01-7.

Bowkett, L.A. & Kirkpatrick, J.B. 2003.Ecology and conservation of remnantMelaleuca ericifolia stands in theTamar Valley, Tasmania. Aust. J. Bot.,51(4): 405–413.

Bradbear, N., Fisher, E. & Jackson, H.,eds. 2002. Strengthening livelihoods:exploring the role of beekeeping indevelopment. Monmouth, UK, Beesfor Development. ISBN 1-8988707-01-9.

Brendler, T. & Gurib-Fakim, A. 2003.Medicinal plants of Indian OceanIslands: Comores, Madagascar,Mauritius, Réunion and Seychelles.Medpharm Scientific Publishers.Hardback 700 pp. ISBN 3-88763-094-7.

Brink, M. & Escobin, R.P., eds. 2003.Plant Resources of South-East Asia.No. 17. Fibre Plants. Leiden, theNetherlands, Backhuys Publishers.456 pp. ISBN 90-5782-129-X. Thehardback edition is distributed by:Backhuys Publishers, PO Box 321,2300 AH Leiden, the Netherlands. Apaperback edition will be available inMarch 2005 (€45). For developingcountries, a cheaper paperbackedition (ISBN 979-8316-46-0) will beavailable by mid-2003 from thePROSEA Network Office, PO Box332, Bogor 16122, Indonesia. (Formore information, please contact: DrJ.S. Siemonsma, Head, PublicationOffice, PROSEA, WageningenAgricultural University, PO Box 341,6700 AH Wageningen, theNetherlands; fax: +31 317 482206; e-mail: [email protected])

Bruenig, E.F. 2003. Maintaining forestbiodiversity – comments. J. Environ.Manage., 67(1): 1–2.

available at: www.iied.org/docs/gatekeep/GK108.pdf)

Chistyakova, A.A. & Leonova, N.A.2003. The state of protected forestcommunities in the European forest-steppe zone of Russia and prospectsfor their reconstruction: a case studyof specially protected areas of PenzaOblast. Russian J. Ecol., 34(5):285–291.

CIFOR. 2003. Forests and people:research that makes a difference.Celebrating a decade of CIFORresearch (1993–2003). Bogor,Indonesia, Center for InternationalForestry Research.

Conte, R., Nodari, R.O., Vencovsky, R.& dos Reis, M.S. 2003. Geneticdiversity and recruitment of thetropical palm, Euterpe edulis Mart., ina natural population from theBrazilian Atlantic forest. Heredity,91(4): 401–406.

CSIRO. 2003. Carbon accounting inforests. Canberra, Australia,Commonwealth Scientific andIndustrial Research Organization.These proceedings are based on aninternational workshop held inCanberra in February 2003.(Download from: www.ffp.csiro.au/fap/Carbon%20Accounting%20in%20Forests.htm)

Dachang, Liu, ed. 2003. Rehabilitationof degraded forests to improvelivelihoods of poor farmers in SouthChina. Bogor, Indonesia, CIFOR.

Danell, E., Hall, I., ed., Yun Wang, ed.& Zambonelli, A. 2002. Currentresearch on chanterelle cultivation inSweden. In Edible mycorrhizalmushrooms and their cultivation.Proceedings of the SecondInternational Conference on EdibleMycorrhizal Mushrooms,Christchurch, New Zealand, 3–6 July,2001. (For more information, pleasecontact the authors at: Department of

Buchanan, P.K. & May, T.W. 2003.Conservation of New Zealand andAustralian fungi. New Zeal. J. Bot.,41(3): 407–421.

Bunyard, B.A. 2003. A survey of fungaldiversity in northeast Ohio. Ohio J.Sci., 103(2): 29–32.

Burke, A. 2003. The role of Namibianinselbergs in contributing to local andregional plant species richness.Biodivers. Conserv., 12(3): 469–486.

Burnett, C., Fall, A., Tomppo, E. &Kalliola, R. 2003. Monitoring currentstatus of and trends in boreal forestland use in Russian Karelia. Conserv.Ecol. [Online], 7(2): 8.(www.consecol.org/vol7/iss2/art8)

Bystriakova, N., Kapos, V., Lysenko, I.& Stapleton, C.M.A. 2003.Distribution and conservation statusof forest bamboo biodiversity in theAsia-Pacific Region. Biodivers.Conserv., 12(9): 1833–1841.

Camargi-Ricalde, S.L., Dhillion, S.S. &Jiménez-González, C. 2003.Mycorrhizal perennials of the“matorral xerófilo” and the “selva bajacaducifolia” communities in thesemiarid Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley,Mexico. Mycorrhiza, 13(2): 77–83.

Campbell, B.M. & Luckert, M.K., eds.2002. Uncovering the hidden harvestvaluation methods for woodland andforest resources. London, Earthscan.ISBN 1853838098.

Carey, A.B., Colgan, W. III, Trappe,J.M. & Molina, R. 2002. Effects offorest management on truffleabundance and squirrel diets.Northwest Science, 76(2): 148–157.

Carter, J., Steenhof, B., Haldimann, E.& Akenshaev, N. 2003. Collaborativeforest management in Kyrgyzstan:moving from top-down to bottom-updecision making. Gatekeeper SeriesNo. 108. London, IIED. (The report is



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Forest Mycology and Pathology,Swedish University of AgriculturalSciences, Box 7026, SE-750 07Uppsala, Sweden.)

Davenport, T.R.B. & Ndangalasi, H.J.2003. An escalating trade in orchidtubers across Tanzania’s SouthernHighlands: assessment, dynamicsand conservation implications. Oryx,37(1): 55–61.

De Winter, W.P. & Amoroso, V.B., eds.2003. Plant resources of South-EastAsia. No. 15(2). Cryptogams: fernsand fern allies. Leiden, theNetherlands, Backhuys Publishers.268 pp. ISBN 90-5782-128-1. Thehardback edition (€75) is distributedby: Backhuys Publishers, PO Box321, 2300 AH Leiden, theNetherlands. A paperback edition(€40) will be available in May 2005from the same address. Fordeveloping countries, a cheaperpaperback edition (ISBN 979-8316-45-2) will be available by mid-2003 fromthe PROSEA Network Office, PO Box332, Bogor 16122, Indonesia.

DeYoe, D.R., Noland, T., Buse, L.J., ed.& Perera, A.H. 2003. Addressingresource sustainability and marketuncertainty through businessdiversification: a case for bio-productsand non-timber forest products. InMeeting emerging ecological,economic and social challenges in theGreat Lakes region: popularsummaries. Great Lake ForestAlliance’s Second Annual SustainableForest Management Summit, SaultSte. Marie, Ontario, Canada, June2003. Forest Research InformationPaper, No. 155, pp. 27–29. Sault SteMarie, Canada, Ontario ForestResearch Institute.

Diamond, D.D. et al. 2003. Anecoregion-based conservationassessment and conservationopportunity area inventory for thelower midwestern USA. Nat. Areas J.,23(2): 129–140.

Dick, C.W., Etchelecu, G. & Austerlitz,F. 2003. Pollen dispersal of tropicaltrees (Dinizia excelsa: Fabaceae) bynative insects and African honeybeesin pristine and fragmented Amazonianrainforest. Mol. Ecol., 12(3): 753–764.

Dixit, R.D. & Ramesh, K. 2003. Plantsused by local people in humanwelfare. J. Economic and TaxonomicBotany, 27(1): 53–59.

Dold, A.P. & Cocks, M.L. 2002. Thetrade in medicinal plants in theEastern Cape Province, South Africa.S. Afr. J. Sci., 98(11-12): 589–597.

Dovie, D.B.K., Shackleton, C.M.,Witkowski, E.T.F., Benjaminsen,T.A., ed., Cousins, B., ed. &Thompson, L. 2002. Accessingnatural resources: implications forsustainable management andlivelihoods. In Contested resources:challenges to the governance ofnatural resources in Southern Africa.Papers from the InternationalSymposium, University of theWestern Cape, Cape Town, SouthAfrica, 18–20 October 2000. pp.336–348. Cape Town, South Africa,Programme for Land and AgrarianStudies (PLAAS).

Fa, J.E., Currie, D. & Meeuwig, J.2003. Bushmeat and food security inthe Congo Basin: linkages betweenwildlife and people’s future. Environ.Conserv., 30(1): 71–78.

Fabbio, G., Merlo, M. & Tosi, V. 2003.Silvicultural management inmaintaining biodiversity andresistance of forests in Europe – theMediterranean region. J. Environ.Manage., 67(1): 67–76.

FAO. 2003. Biodiversity and theecosystem approach in agriculture,forestry and fisheries. Rome, FAO.ISBN 92-5-104917-3.

FAO. 2003. FAO Conservation Guides.Double CD-Rom. Rome, FAO. ISBN92-5-004907-2.

Felton, A.M., Engström, L.M., Felton,A. & Knott, C.D. 2003. Orangutanpopulation density, forest structureand fruit availability in hand-loggedand unlogged peat swamp forests inWest Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biol.Conserv., 114(1): 91–101.

Firn, R.D. 2003. Bioprospecting – why isit so unrewarding? Biodivers.Conserv., 12(2): 207–216.

Gallen, J. 2002. Kava and forests: thechallenge of sustainable upland forestmanagement in Pohnpei, FederatedStates of Micronesia. In Proceedingsof the Eighth Annual Conference ofthe New Zealand Agricultural andResource Economics Society (Inc.),Blenheim, New Zealand, July 2002.Canterbury, New Zealand,Agribusiness and EconomicsResearch Unit, Lincoln University.

Ganeshaiah, K.N., ed., Shaanker, R.U.,ed. & Bawa, K.S. 2001. Globalchange and tropical forest ecosystems.Harnessing market forces forbiodiversity conservation. In Tropicalecosystems: structure, diversity andhuman welfare. Proceedings of theInternational Conference on TropicalEcosystems: Structure, Diversity andHuman Welfare, Bangalore, India,15–18 July 2001. Enfield, USA,Science Publishers, Inc.

Ganeshaiah, K.N., ed., Shaanker, R.U.,ed. & Bawa, K.S. 2001. Globalchange and tropical forestecosystems. Indigenous knowledgeand its relevance to conservation andmanagement of tropical forestecosystems. In Tropical ecosystems:structure, diversity and humanwelfare. Proceedings of theInternational Conference on TropicalEcosystems: Structure, Diversity andHuman Welfare, Bangalore, India,15–18 July 2001. Enfield; USA,Science Publishers, Inc.

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in North Sumatra, Indonesia: effectsof management on tree diversity.Conserv. Biol., 17(3): 829–836.

Garland, L. 2003. Diffusion vertical soakfor bamboo preservation. Bali,Indonesia, Environmental BambooFoundation.

Gaston, K.J. 2003. The how and why ofbiodiversity. Nature, 421(6926):900–901.

Gautam, K.H. & Watanabe, T. 2002.Silviculture for non-timber forestproduct management: challenges andopportunities for sustainable forestmanagement. Forest. Chron., 78(6):830–832.

Gera, P. 2002. Women’s role andcontribution to forest-basedlivelihoods. New Delhi, India, HumanDevelopment Resource Centre,UNDP. (For more information, please contact: Human Development Resource Centre,UNDP, 55 Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110 003, India.)

Gordon, J.E., Barrance, A.J. &Schreckenberg, K. 2003. Are rarespecies useful species? Obstacles tothe conservation of tree diversity inthe dry forest zone agro-ecosystemsof Mesoamerica. Global Ecol.Biogeogr., 12(1): 13–19.

Gossling, S., Hansson, C.B.,Horstmeier, O. & Saggel, S. 2002.Ecological footprint analysis as a toolto assess tourism sustainability. Ecol.Econ., 43(2-3): 199–211.

Götmark, F. & Thorell, M. 2003. Size ofnature reserves: densities of largetrees and dead wood indicate highvalue of small conservation forests insouthern Sweden. Biodivers.Conserv., 12(6): 1271–1285.

Goulson, D. 2003. The conservation ofbumble bees. Bee World, 84(3):105–106.

Griffiths, A.D., Philips, A. & Godjuwa,C. 2003. Harvest of Bombax ceiba forthe Aboriginal arts industry, centralArnhem Land, Australia. Biol.Conserv., 113(2): 295–305.

Grossberg, R., Treves, A. & Naughton-Treves, L. 2003. The incidentalecotourist: measuring visitor impactson endangered howler monkeys at aBelizean archaeological site. Environ.Conserv., 30(1): 40–51.

Guangwei, Chen, ed. 2002. Biodiversityin the eastern Himalayas.Conservation through dialogue.Kathmandu, Nepal, InternationalCentre for Integrated MountainDevelopment. ISBN 92-9115-555-1.

Gullison, R.E. 2003. Does forestcertification conserve biodiversity?Oryx, 37(2): 153–165.

Hachfield, B. 2003. Ecology andutilisation of Harpagophytumprocumbens (Devil’s Claw) inSouthern Africa. Bonn, Germany,Federal Agency for NatureConservation. ISBN 3-7843-3842-9.

Hamilton, L. & Dama, A. 2003. Genre etgestion des conflits liés auxressources naturelles à Nioro duSahel, au Mali. London, IIED. ISBN 1-84369-471-9.

Hansen, D.M., Olesen, J.M. & Jones,C.G. 2002. Trees, birds and bees inMauritius: exploitative competitionbetween introduced honey bees andendemic nectarivorous birds? J.Biogeogr., 29(5-6): 721–734.

Hardy, Y. 2003. Canada's forestbiodiversity: a decade of progress insustainable management. Forest.Chron., 79(3): 385–386.

Headland, T.N. & Blood, D.E., eds.2002. What place for hunter-gatherersin millennium three? Dallas, Texas, SILInternational and International Museumof Cultures. ISBN 1-55671-132-8.

Henne, G., Liebig, K., Drews, A. &Plän, T. 2003. Access and benefit-sharing (ABS): an instrument forpoverty alleviation. Proposals for aninternational ABS regime. Bonn,German Development Institute (GDI).

Hirt, Lindsey, K. & Balagizi. 2003.AIDS and natural medicine: aresource book for carers of AIDSpatients. Germany, Anamed. 40 pp.(For more information, pleasecontact: Keith Lindsey, Anamed[Action for Natural Medicine],Schafweide 77, 71364 Winnenden,Germany; e-mail: [email protected]; www.anamed.net)

Hobohm, C. 2003. Characterization andranking of biodiversity hotspots:centres of species richness andendemism. Biodivers. Conserv.,12(2): 279–287.

Howard, P., ed. 2003. Women andplants: gender relations in biodiversitymanagement and conservation.London, Zed Books. ISBN 1-84277-156-6.

Hyde, B., Belcher, B. & Xu, Jintao, eds.2003. China’s forests, global lessonsfrom market reforms. Copublished byResources for the Future and CIFOR.ISBN 1-891853-67-8.

Hypolite, E., Green, G.C. & Burley, J.2002. Ecotourism: its potential role inforest resource conservation in theCommonwealth of Dominica, WestIndies. Int. For. Rev., 4(4): 298–303.

Indian Institute of Economic andMarket Research. 2003. Medicinalplants in India: report and directory.(For more information, pleasecontact: Indian Institute of Economicand Market Research, 16Dakshineshwar, 10 Hailey Road, NewDelhi 110001, India.)

International Institute for SustainableDevelopment. 2003. Traditionalknowledge and patentability. IISD


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Trade and Development Brief, No. 7.Winnipeg, Canada, IISD. 4 pp.(Download from: www.iisd.org/publications/publication.asp?pno=555)

Jain, N. & Triraganon, R. 2003.Community-based tourism forconservation and development:manual. Thailand, RECOFTC. (Formore information, please contact:Regional Community ForestryTraining Center for Asia & the Pacific[RECOFTC], PO Box 1111, KasetsartUniversity, Bangkok 10903, Thailand;e-mail: [email protected])

Janse, G. & Ottitsch, A. 2003. Factorsinfluencing the role of non-woodforest products and services.ScienceDirect, Amsterdam, ElsevierBV.

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Johnson, T. n.d. Herbage EthnobotanyDatabase CD-ROM. Third Edition.Price US$70. The Herbage CD-ROMcontains a database of more than 28 000 concise monographs ofmedicinal plant speciescharacteristics – and an inventory ofclaimed attributes and historical usesby cultures throughout the world. (Formore information, please contact: Tim

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Kasali, A.A., Adio, A.M., Kundayo,O.E., Oyedeji, A.O., Adefenwa,A.O.E.M. & Adeniyi, B.A. 2002.Antimicrobial activity of the essentialoil of Boswellia serrata Roxb. (Fam.Burseraceae) bark. J. Essential OilBearing Plants, 5(3): 173–175.

Kasera, P.K. & Shukla, J.K. 2003. Bio-medicinal properties and cultivation ofLeptadaenia reticulata (Jivanti) – anendangered plant of the Thar Desert,India. Curr. Sci., 84(7): 877–879.

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Wulf, M. 2003. Forest policy in the EUand its influence on the plant diversityof woodlands. J. Environ. Manage.,67(1): 15–25.

Yadav, M.M., Vijay Kumar, C.V.R.S. &Mishra, M. 2003. Research study onwood craft and wood carving Industryat Bastar (Chattisgarh) and Jodhpurin Rajasthan. IIFM-funded researchproject. (Status: ongoing)

Yadav, M.M., Sing, R.K., Vijay Kumar,C.V.R.S. & Mishra, M. 2003.Promotion of medicinal plantsmarketing: developing marketinformation system (MIS), marketnetworks and policy framework.Project sponsored by the NationalMedicinal Plant Board, New Delhi.



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The following new working papers havebeen produced by FAO’s Non-WoodForest Products Programme:

• FOPW/03/4 Expert Meeting fordevelopment on inventorytechniques to assess non-woodforest product resources in AfricanACP countries. Lusaka, Zambia.15–17 October 2001.

• FOPW/03/5 Réunion des expertsdes pays francophones d’Afrique surle développement des techniquespour l’évaluation des produitsforestiers non ligneux. Yaoundé,Cameroun. 15–17 février 2002.

• FOPW/03/6 Summary of six casestudy reports as a contribution todevelopment of practical techniquesto assess non-wood forest productresources.

• FOPP/03/1 La collecte et l’analysedes données statistiques sur lesproduits forestiers non ligneux. Uneétude pilote à Madagascar. [Please see under Madagascar in Country Compass for moreinformation.]

Electronic versions of thesepublications are available at the NWFPhome page: www.fao.org/forestry/foris/webview/fop/index.jsp?siteId=2301&langId=1&geoId=0&sitetreeId=13473

Hard copies of these working

documents are available free

of charge from: Non-Wood Forest

Products Programme,

Forest Products and Economics

Division, Forestry Department,

FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla,

00100 Rome, Italy.

Fax: +39 0657055137;



NEW WORKING PAPERS FROM THE FAO NWFP PROGRAMME

NO. 16. RATTAN GLOSSARYAND COMPENDIUM GLOSSARY

WITH EMPHASIS ON AFRICA

This volume contains a glossaryon terms and terminologies used inthe rattan sector. The glossary isstructured according to thefollowing major sections: rattanresources (biology, management,plantations, harvesting); rattan asa raw material (transport, storage,grading and post-harvest handling,rattan trade); rattan processing (forlocal artisanal use and forindustrial-level furnituremanufacture); and trade in rawrattan, furniture and otherproducts. In order to give specialemphasis to the emerging rattansector in Africa, a separatecompilation of terms specificallyfocusing on those used in Africa isprovided.

NEW PUBLICATIONS IN THE FAO NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS SERIES PUBLICATIONS IN FAO’S

NWFP SERIES

No. 1. Flavours and fragrances ofplant originNo. 2. Gum naval stores – turpentineand rosin from pine resinNo. 3. Report of the InternationalExpert Consultation on Non-WoodForest ProductsNo. 4. Natural colourants anddyestuffsNo. 5. Edible nutsNo. 6. Gums, resins and latexes ofplant originNo. 7. Non-wood forest products forrural income and sustainable forestryNo. 8. Trade restrictions affectinginternational trade in non-woodforest productsNo. 9. Domestication andcommercialization of non-timberforest products in agroforestryNo. 10. Non-wood forest products –tropical palmsNo. 11. Medicinal plants conservationand health careNo. 12. Non-wood forest products from conifers

No. 13. Resource assessment ofnon-wood forest products.Experience and biometricprinciples/Évaluation desressources en produits forestiersnon ligneux. Expérience etprincipes de biométrie/Evaluaciónde los recursos de productosforestales no madereros.Experiencia y principiosbiométricos.No. 14. RATTAN. Current researchissues and prospects forconservation and sustainabledevelopmentNo. 15. Non-wood forest productsfrom temperate broad-leaved treesNo. 16. Rattan glossary andcompendium glossary withemphasisi on Africa.

To purchase copies of any of the

publications in this series, please

contact: Sales and Marketing Group,

Information Division, FAO,

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla,

00100 Rome, Italy.

Fax: +39 06 5705 3360;



90


STRATEGIE NATIONALE DERELANCE DE LA PRODUCTIONET DE LA COMMERCIALISATIONDE LA GOMME ARABIQUE AUNIGER

Dans le cadre du Projet «Appui àla Relance de la Production et dela Commercialisation de laGomme Arabique»(TCP/NER/0066), la FAO a aidé leGouvernement nigérien dansl’élaboration d’une stratégienationale afin d’améliorer et derenforcer le secteur national de lagomme arabique. Cette stratégieest basée sur les trois axesprioritaires: • la création d’emplois et

l’augmentation des revenus parune production soutenue d’unegomme de qualité;

• le développement et la gestiondurable des ressourcesgommières par l’aménagementcommunautaire des gommeraiesexistantes et la création d’autresgommeraies villageoises;

• l’organisation et le renforcementdes capacités de tous lesacteurs de la filière gommearabique à travers la mise enplace et le financement desstructures viables de productionet de commercialisation de lagomme.

MEETING REPORT: EXPERT CONSULTATION ON DEVELOPING AN ACTIONPROGRAMME TOWARDS IMPROVED BAMBOO AND RATTAN TRADE STATISTICS

As part of its overall mandate tocollate and improve global statisticson production and trade in forestproducts, and particularly to improvemethodologies and country reportingmechanisms on NWFPs, FAOtogether with the InternationalNetwork for Bamboo and Rattan(INBAR) organized the ExpertConsultation on Developing anAction Programme towards ImprovedBamboo and Rattan Trade Statisticsat its Headquarters in Rome from 5 to6 December 2002. The consultationwas organized in close collaborationwith relevant international agencies:the United Nations StatisticalDivision (New-York); the WorldCustoms Organization (WCO,Brussels); the EuropeanCommission – Taxation and CustomsDirectorate (Brussels); customsagencies of member countries suchas the Customs GeneralAdministration of China (Beijing);and staff from the Economic andSocial Department of FAO.

The purpose of the expertconsultation was to: i) elaborate andagree on a proposed set of newHarmonized System trade codes forbamboo and rattan products; and ii)elaborate a plan of action for

improving bamboo and rattanstatistics at the national and globallevels, with a programme of workand with the roles of the differentagencies discussed and agreedupon during the meeting.

The meeting focused on bambooand rattan products, since they canbe considered among the mostimportant NWFPs at the global levelregarding production and tradevalues, and involve in one way oranother almost all countriesworldwide. The meeting furtherfocused on the WCO HarmonizedSystem, as it is now the most widelyused product classification andcoding system for traded products.The intention was to learn from theexperiences gained by improvingbamboo and rattan trade statistics inorder to apply these lessonsgradually on other major groups ofNWFPs that are not yet adequatelycovered by the national andinternational product classificationand coding systems used at present.

The meeting resulted in theelaboration and endorsement of a setof new Harmonized System codesfor 17 different bamboo and rattanproducts (currently only two codesexist). For each code a set ofrequired actions and timetables wassuggested for submission to WCO.

This proposal was submitted byINBAR, in collaboration with FAOand with the support of nationalcustoms agencies, to the WCOReview Subcommittee Meeting ofSeptember 2003. [See News andNotes for more information on thisprocess.]



[email protected]

The report can be downloaded from:

www.fao.org/forestry/FOP/

FOPw/nwfp/new/doc/rep.htm


91


Le document, Stratégie nationalede relance de la production et de la commercialisation de lagomme arabique au Niger, estdisponible sur le site Web de laFAO (www.fao.org/forestry/site/6367/en).

Pour plus d'information, contacter:

Mme M.H. Semeda, Représentante

de la FAO, BP 11246, Niamey, Niger.

Télécopie: +227 724709;

mél.: [email protected]; ou

M. S. Walter, NWFP Programme,

Forest Products and Economics

Division, Forestry Department, FAO,

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100

Rome, Italy.

Fax: +39 0657055618;


[See also Non-Wood News 10 for

more information.]

STATE OF THE WORLD’SFORESTS 2003

State of the world’s forestsreports every two years on thestatus of forests, recent majorpolicy and institutionaldevelopments and key issuesconcerning the forest sector. This is the fifth edition of thepublication, the purpose of whichis to provide current and reliableinformation to policy-makers,foresters and other naturalresource managers, academics,forest industry and civil society.

Copies are available from: FAO,Viale delle Terme di Caracalla,00100 Rome, Italy; or at:www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y7581E/y7581e00.htm

OTHER RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Bamboo cookery bookInspirations is the world’s first cookerybook for bamboo shoots. It offers a hostof fresh and imaginative cooking ideasusing bamboo shoots. Price: US$36.www.inbar.int/publication/cookbook.htm

Old historical textsCornell University Library’s HistoricalAgriculture Monographs contains anonline collection of old forestry andagriculture documents.http://historical.library.cornell.edu/neh/

The Overstory bookAvailable as a book or CD, Theoverstory book contains the first threeyears of The Overstory, revised,formatted and indexed: www.agroforestry.net/overstory/ovbook.html

Portugal botânico de A a Z plantasportuguesas e exóticasThis book is an easy-to-use lexicon ofPortuguese and Latin names of plants. Itdeals with more than 11 000 scientific andvernacular names of native and exoticplants from Portugal, Brazil, Angola,Mozambique, Cape Verde, GuineaBissau, Sao Tome and Principe, formerPortuguese states of India (Goa, Damanand Diu), Macao and Timor.

This is the first book written about thissubject that has ever been published inPortugal. Besides having the Portugueseand Latin names, it also lists the family towhich the plant belongs and the correctabbreviation of the author of the plant’sname, following the recommendedconventions on abbreviations for theseauthorities.

The authors of the lexicon are:Francisca Maria Fernandes and LuísMendonça de Carvalho, both from theBeja Polytechnic Institute, Portugal([email protected]). The preface hasbeen written by two eminent scientists:Prof. Dr David Mabberley (University ofLeiden, the Netherlands and RoyalBotanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia) andProf. Dr Vernon Hilton Heywood (EmeritusProfessor, University of Reading). Thebook is published by Lidel EdiçõesTécnicas, Lisbon, Portugal (www.lidel.pt).The book has 365 pages and costs €25.


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W E B S I T E S

AmazonAmazonlink.org, a Brazilian NGO based in the state of Acre,has developed a special section of its Web site focusing onlocal problems of biopiracy. The pages are available inPortuguese and English.www.amazonlink.org/biopiracy/index.htm

Anamed (Action for Natural Medicine)Anamed is a small independent NGO based in Germany thatconducts training seminars in Natural Medicine. The seminarsaim to equip both traditional healers and formal health workers incountries in Africa to use medicinal plants for health and healing.www.anamed.net

Association Technique Internationale des Bois Tropicauxwww.atibt.com

Bees for DevelopmentThe Bees for Development Web site provides an insight intotheir work and activities. There is a possibility to download acomplimentary copy of their journal.www.beesfordevelopment.org

BugwoodThe Bugwood Network has more than 11 000 images andphotographs of insect pests, invasive organisms, weeds, IPMimages and other forestry images available online.www.bugwood.org

Cancer PlantsThis Web site is for those who are interested in sustainability ofthe world’s natural medicine chest.www.cancerplants.com/

Center for Plant ConservationComprehensive information about the United States’ native,imperilled plants. www.centerforplantconservation.org

Chile: Red Chilena de Productos Forestales no Madereros www.redpfm.cl

Community-Based Natural Resource Management Network(CBNRM Net) www.cbnrm.net/index.html

DatabasesECOLEXECOLEX is a database providing the most comprehensive,global source of information on environmental law.www.ecolex.org

FAOTERMFAOTERM, a terminological database covering FAO’sspecialized subjects in a multilingual format, has beenredesigned and enhanced to give online users:

• faster access• improved overall performance • more user-friendly interface• advanced search facilities• filters by subject and categories• an e-mail feedback system ensuring transparency and

interaction between FAO and its users. www.fao.org/faoterm/default.htm

Gender and Sustainable Development Resource DirectoryThis database places a focus on resources produced in theglobal South. Subjects include Agriculture, Fisheries andForestry, Environment and Health.http://xel.stfx.ca/coady-library/intro.htm

Earth from the Air www.earthfromtheair.com/

EarthwireUK www.earthwire.org/uk

FAO Forestry Department’s new sitesGenetically modified trees and biosecurityA new site has been linked in on the Forestry home page. Itaddresses the issues of genetically modified organisms from aforestry point of view and is available in English, French andSpanish. www.fao.org/biotech/sector5.asp

Environment and utilizationForest utilization is, of course, what Forestry is all about. Onthe golden path towards sustainable forest management,environmental aspects of all kinds of forestry must be takeninto consideration. This site covers this subject in detail andoffers much further reading. www.fao.org/forestry/foris/webview/forestry2/index.jsp?siteId=3285&langId=1

The Web site of FAO’s NWFP Programme has been completelyupdated and revamped and has a new URL: www.fao.org/forestry/foris/webview/fop/index.jsp?siteId=2301&langId=1Any comments are welcomed and can be sent to: [email protected]


93

W E B S I T E S

Focus on Forestswww.focusonforests.org

Forest and Poverty Mapping in South Asia www.wcmc.org.uk/forest/poverty/

Forestry and Land Use Programme, IIEDThe Forestry and Land Use Programme seeks to improvepeople’s livelihoods from forest and land use on the basis ofequity, efficiency and sustainability.www.iied.org/forestry/about.html

Forestry ImagesA joint venture by the US Forest Service and the University ofGeorgia, Forestry Images holds nearly 4 500 colour JPEGimages of forest plants, insects, silvicultural practices, invasiveorganisms, and general natural scenes.www.forestryimages.org/

GenderNet This World Bank site summarizes knowledge and experience,provides gender statistics, and facilitates discussion on genderand development. www.worldbank.org/gender/index.htm

Global Trees CampaignA Global Tree Conservation Atlas will be one of the main outputsof the Global Trees Campaign. The Campaign is a partnershipbetween Fauna & Flora International and UNEP-WCMC. www.globaltrees.org/

Geographic Aspects of Inequality and Povertyhttp://wb.forumone.com/poverty/inequal/povmap/

Idealist.org Idealist.org is a portal for everyone interested in non-profitorganizations and issues, non-profit careers, and volunteering.Idealist provides numerous services to the global community(almost all of them free of charge) in an effort to connectpeople, resources and non-profits around the world. www.idealist.org

Instrumentos institucionales para el desarrollo de dueños depequeñas tierras forestalesEste sitio presenta los resultados de un estudio que revisó lasexperiencias de integración horizontal y vertical que involucrandueños de pequeñas tierras forestales en el Brasil, Chile,Honduras, México y Nicaragua, y que adecuó instrumentos ymetodologías disponibles en la literatura aplicable a la integración. www.iadb.org/en2/home-in.html

Manejo campesino de recursos naturales y productos forestalesno maderableswww.manejoypfnm.org.mx

FAO FORESTRY DATABASES

FAO has prepared a small database on sources of funding foractivities in support of sustainable forest management. Inresponse to the many positive comments we received on this pilotproject, we have been working to expand this further and a muchfuller version of the database is now available(www.fao.org/forestry/finance-sources).

The database contains links to the Web pages of agenciesthat present clear guidelines and procedures for applying fortheir funds. The database can be queried by type of activity,country, type of applicant and the amount of funding required. Inaddition, in recognition of the digital divide, we have a facility toprint-on-demand a complete database extraction for any countryin the world and we will be disseminating some of these hard-copies to our partners in developing countries.

Forest valuation database. Another area where FAO isfrequently asked for advice is the subject of forest valuation. Inresponse to this, we have created a small database of forestvaluation studies, with about 30 examples each from Africa, Asiaand Latin America (www.fao.org/forestry/valuation).

The database contains short summaries of each study andinformation such as the location of each study, the forestoutputs valued, the valuation methodologies used and thevalue estimates produced in each study. The database iscurrently restricted to studies that can be obtained online in fulland we have focused on developing countries. The databasecan be queried by country, type of output and valuationmethodology used.

These databases will be updated periodically and FAO wouldbe happy to receive comments, new information or updates toexisting information on the databases. Any such information canbe sent to Adrian Whiteman ([email protected]).


Adrian Whiteman, Senior Forestry Officer, Forest Economics

Service, Forest Products and Economics Division, Forestry

Department, FAO, Rome, Italy.



94

W E B S I T E S

“Medicinal Plant Working Group” – Green Medicinewww.nps.gov/plants/medicinal/index.htm

Megadiverse – “The biologically richest countries in the world”The Link-Minded Group of Megadiverse Countries – Bolivia,Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia,Kenya, Mexico, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa andVenezuela – operate a Web site about the group’s work. The siteis available In Spanish and English. www.megadiverse.org

Networks or newslettersRevista Bosques Amazónicos VirtualBosques amazónicos virtu@l, es una publicación quincenal deBosques Tropicales S. R. Ltda.


Juan Mateluna Florián, Director, A.P. 556, Iquitos, Perú.

Fax: +51 65 223039;

correo electrónico: [email protected]

Caucasus Environmental NGO NetworkThe Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN) is avoluntary effort of more than 6 000 members to foster regionalcooperation by improving communication amongenvironmental organizations in the Caucasus hotspot. Visitorsto its Web site can subscribe to free daily news and monthlybulletins and find links to environmental organizationsthroughout the region.www.cenn.org/

Forest biometry, modelling and information sciences (FBMIS)FBMIS is a peer-reviewed Internet journal which provides freeaccess to original research and review articles. www.fbmis.info/

Forestry and Society Newsletterwww.cfnetwork.com.cn

Forests-LThe International Institute for Sustainable Development,providers of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, in collaborationwith the secretariat of the UN Forum on Forests, has created anew e-mail list for news and announcements related to forestpolicy issues. To sign up to Forests-L, go to:www.iisd.ca/email/subscribe.htm

RAinforest REport (RARE)RARE, a quarterly e-zine, packed with exciting rain forestnews, reviews, expedition updates and student researchopportunities. www.coralcay.org/news/rare.html

Red chilena del bambu www.bambu.cl

SAMPDA (Samagra Adivasi Medicinal Plants DevelopmentAssociation) Herbal research, extension and education. www.sampda.org

Scirus A search engine for scientific information. www.scirus.com

Small Grants Programme for Operations to Promote TropicalForests in Southeast Asia (SGP PTF) The SGP PTF aims to enable civil society organizations toimplement forest-related projects in nine Asian countries,including the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. Ii includesdetails on recent calls for proposals and application guidelines.www.sgpptf.org/

Techno Tree Biology Dictionarywww.treedictionary.com

The Guiana Shield Initiative (GSI) www.guianashield.org/ie/index.htm

Trees outside forestswww.fao.org/forestry/tof

Urban Forestry Forumwww.nufu.org.uk


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R E A D E R S ’ R E S P O N S E ""The dissemination of our “family of NWFP information materials”– Non-Wood News, the NWFP-Digest-L and the publications inour NWFP series – is proving to be very successful and hasresulted in our reprinting many of our publications. In addition,we received many messages of congratulations for our tenthanniversary edition (a selection of them is printed below). So,thank you to all our readers for their interest in our work and forbeing part of the NWFP network.

Greetings from Kampala Uganda, East Africa. This messagecomes to appreciate the work you’ve done in the last ten yearsof the Non-Wood News information bulletin, and above allkeeping me on your mailing list. May Non-Wood News growfrom strength to strength and succeed in all its missions. (EvanKalungi, Kampala, Uganda)

Thank you for many interesting issues we have been able toread in Non-Wood News during the ten years! (Tapani Tyynelä,Finland)

Hace poco, uno de mis colegas tuvo la magnífica idea dealcanzarme su última publicación correspondiente al 2003, yquedé gratamente sorprendido por la labor que Ustedes vienenhaciendo y por la calidad de su publicación, y sobre todo por suespecialización hacia los no maderables. (Alberto GarcíaMauricio, Iquitos, Perú)

I would like to thank all of you for bringing out such a wonderfuljournal that I found extremely useful, informative, updating andattractive. I hope your efforts will have more and more success.(Ghada Abou Ammar, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic)

Request for assistance

Rhynchophorus palmarum and Carapa guianensisI am looking for information on:

• Rhynchophorus palmarum. The larvae of this insect arecooked with their own oil; these cooked larvae areconsumed since it is said they have antibronchial properties.The larvae are known locally as suri. Oil is also obtainedfrom these larvae. I am also looking for cooperation toinvestigate the possibility of their industrial use.

• the oil extraction of Carapa guianensis – especially theequipment needed for the extraction and marketing of the oil.

(If you can help, please contact: Victor Acosta Avila, RomuloEspinar 117, Iquitos, Loreto, Peru; e-mail: [email protected])

Bamboo cultivation and utilization awareness creationprogramme in GhanaTo arrest the dwindling forest condition of Ghana and its associatedenvironmental degradation, a reforestation programme whichincludes bamboo cultivation has been adopted. I would therefore bemost grateful to have the following donations to help establish abamboo nursery:

• Élite bamboo seeds and seedlings • Educational materials on bamboo • Films on bamboo cultivation and processing • Equipment – mist systems, projectors etc. (both used and

new) (If you can help, please contact: Abraham A.A. Allotey, PO BoxGP 3752, Accra, Ghana; e-mail: [email protected])

Bamboo in MadagascarI am seeking information on bamboos in Madagascar. I can onlyfind some scientific articles about bamboo in Madagascar,especially from Kew Botanical Gardens. Recent work aboutMalagasy bamboo has been carried out, especially by thetaxonomist Soejatmi Dransfield, Kew Gardens. But what I amlooking for is also information about the ethnobotanical valueand economic uses of Malagasy bamboos.

Does anyone know about small- or large-scale bambooplantations in Madagascar, about charcoaled bamboo, aboutthe general bamboo market there, about bamboo speciesintroductions to Madagascar, about master’s or doctoral theseson Malagasy bamboos? (If you can help, please contact:Norbert Drese [Landscape Architect], Belgium; e-mail:[email protected])

Boreal foodsI would like to take the opportunity to ask: What do you do withall those mushrooms? Indeed, what do you do with all NTFPsfrom the boreal?

At the Winnipeg meeting in 2002, a decision was taken toproduce a Boreal Cookbook. I offered to collect recipes andcompile the initial booklet. It would be wonderful to have itready for the next biannual meeting in September 2004. I knowthere are a vast number of recipes. Please send recipe ideasto me. If you have any photos/illustrations or humorous storiesrelating to your experiences with boreal foods please sendthose too. (Feja Lesniewska at: [email protected])

He that plants trees loves others besidehimself.

Dr Thomas Fuller (1654–1734)

PRINTED ON ECOLOGICAL PAPER M/X--1--1/4/00/3000

Forest foods

Forests house an abundance of edible NWFPs, such as nuts, fruits, berries, mushrooms, leaves,herbs, spices and condiments, insects and bushmeat.

These forest foods have an important role in food security. NWFPs supplement the daily diet of ruralcommunities and provide a wider variety of food types.

editorial contents f · 2006. 5. 9. · case studies showing not only the important roles of nwfps,...

Documents