600 million people in the developing world depend upon forests for their livelihoods
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The phrase Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) refers here to all biological materials (other than timber and firewood) extracted from forests, natural ecosystems, managed plantations and semi-wild trees growing on farmlands. These include a wide range of products such as honey, beeswax, nuts, medicinal plants, herbs, mushrooms, cork, rattan, gum arabic and rubber. These products are used as food, in cosmetics, supplements, pharmaceuticals and furniture, among other uses
Most NTFP are still collected in the wild, with cultivation and domestication limited to those plant species that provide high value products such as rubber and those for which cultivation is feasible and profitable. NTFP are mainly gathered for subsistence or traditional use by hundreds of millions of people in developing countries, though some have been channeled into national and international trade, providing these communities with a vital source of income. In 2001, UNCTAD estimated the total value of world trade in non-timber forest products to be on the order of US$11 billion. This trade is governed by international agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Along with commercialization, national sovereignty over genetic plant resources has become increasingly important.
Greater international trade in sustainably-produced NTFP could help reduce the pressures on forests and conserve biodiversity by bestowing increased value on standing forests. Certification schemes have been developed and are being implemented for wood and agriculture. However, programs that focus on NTFP are still in their infancy. Since 1998, the Forest Stewardship Council ( FSC ) has permitted certification of NTFPs on a case-by-case basis only, with the first in 1999 for chicle in Mexico, followed by over a dozen more completed through FSC -accredited organizations such as Rainforest Alliance SmartWood and the Soil Association Woodmark. Country initiatives have resulted in standards for specific NTFPs, which have then been endorsed by FSC , such as standards for Brazil nuts in Peru and Bolivia.
Some of the main challenges regarding the certification of sustainable-produced NTFPs have to do with the wide diversity of products, the lack of statistical information regarding their production, consumption and trade and oftentimes the lack of ecological information on sustainable harvesting levels. In addition, most harvesters are widely dispersed and do not have tenure rights, making “site-based” certification of forests more difficult.
A number of other types of certifications are relevant for NTFPs. Many wild-harvested NTFPs are considered organic and in order to be marketed as such, organic certification is required. IFOAM provides specific sections on the wild collection of plants. General quality standards dealing with classification, purity, efficacy and safety are also relevant for a range of traded NTFPs in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Social certifications are also being applied to NTFPs, mainly fair and ethical trade initiatives. Private industries have developed their own fair-trade standards, codes of conduct and projects, such as Weleda and Body Shop.
References
(1)UN FAO , www.fao.org/forestry/site/trade/en
(2) World Resources Institute, http://pdf.wri.org/critcons.pdf#search='global%20wood%20consumption'
(3) Metafore, http://www.metafore.org/index.php?p=About+Certification&s=153
(4) Home Depot, http://corporate.homedepot.com/wps/portal/Wood_Purchasing