ISSN 1020-3435 Annon-woodnon-wood information bulletin on Non-Wood Forest Products NOVEMBER 2011 23

EDITORIAL

Anniversaries are times of reflection, and reflections provide a good opportunity to look back in order to move forward with continued commitment. This edition of Non-Wood News is the twentieth issue I have been involved in: my involvement started with issue 3 in March 1996. Changes have obviously taken place during this time, but important issues still remain. For example, issue 3 included an article on “Bioprospecting or biopiracy?”, covering plant-based pharmaceutical potential, a topic that is still relevant today and a regular feature in our News and Notes section for many years. Much progress has been made in this area since 1996, as can be CONTENTS seen from the recent historic Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing. In acknowledgement of this, in the present issue we have a Special Feature on 3 Special Features “Recognition of traditional knowledge”, which includes articles on bioprospecting % Recognition of traditional knowledge and benefit sharing, as well as information on how countries are developing policies • UN urges greater appreciation of to protect traditional knowledge from biopiracy. culture and creativity of indigenous peoples Over the years, we have strengthened our reporting on • New project in Eastern Europe to the role of people, their communities and their use of protect traditional knowledge in NWFPs. Mindful that “Forests for People” is the theme plant trade of the International Year of Forests 2011, we have • Traditional medicine should be reflected this focus throughout this issue. For example, embraced we provide information on how NWFPs are used in • Bioprospectors probe Amazonian life (Special Feature); how people are using Aboriginal lore rattan in a sustainable way in the Greater Mekong • Botswana to develop policy to (International Action); how a project in Central Africa is protect traditional knowledge helping communities achieve greater food security • Nambia’s indigenous people help (Country Compass, International Action); and how edible draft biopiracy law insects – important food sources in many forest communities – are now being • Developing policy guidelines to considered as an alternative solution to livestock in feeding a hungry world (Products handle genetic resources and and Markets, and Country Compass). traditional knowledge • Micronesia: blending science A strong feature of the 1996 issue was its Country Compass section. This emphasis knowledge with ancient traditions has been maintained over the years and throughout the current issue, which • Green economy needs respect for includes news reports and readers’ contributions from 34 countries: in fact, you indigenous rights will find diverse stories ranging from wildlife in Afghanistan and the economic value • India’s digital library to the rescue of NTFPs in Canada, to the impacts on beekeeping of the earthquake and tsunami of traditional patents in Japan, as well as the ecological and financial impacts of the bushmeat trade in • Indonesia's pledge to forest people Zimbabwe. welcomed % NWFPS in Amazonian life • Amazonía o petróleo NON-WOOD NEWS • Videos on the Amazonian forests of Is compiled and coordinated by Tina Etherington of the FAO Forest Economics, Policy and Products Division. For Ecuador this issue, editing support was provided by Giulia Muir and Sandra Rivero; language editing by Roberta Mitchell, Anouchka Lazarev and Deliana Fanego; design, graphics and desktop publishing by Claudia Tonini. • Forest fund to reward forest- Non-Wood News is open to contributions by readers. Contributions are welcomed in English, French and Spanish dwelling communities and may be edited to fit the appropriate size and focus of the bulletin. • Giant fish help the Amazon rain If you have any material that could be included in the next issue of Non-Wood News for the benefit of other readers, kindly send it, before 31 January 2012, to: forest grow NON-WOOD NEWS – FOEI • Partnership reinforces copaíba oil FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153 Rome, Italy production chain in Brazil E-mail: [email protected] www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/nonwood.htm/ FAO home page: www.fao.org All Internet links cited were checked on 24 October 2011. Articles express the views of their authors, not necessarily those of FAO. Authors may be contacted directly for their reference sources. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The use of the Internet has also brought changes, with more readers now contacting us – and each other – through e-mail ([email protected]). In fact, one of the aims of Non- Wood News is to enable networking among readers. Contributions from readers in this issue cover a variety of subjects, including the potential of nettles in the Indian Himalayas, conservation ethnobotany in the North Atlantic, reconciling selective logging with the livelihood importance of NWFPs, and pine resin extraction in southern Europe. Contacts with readers have also led to joint initiatives; for example, we have entered into a copublishing agreement with CIFOR to produce a book on the Amazon, and our next issue will help the Rainforest Alliance celebrate 20 years of their Kleinhans Fellowships (see Readers’ Response).

So, thank you to all readers for your contributions. Whether it is an article or highlighting an event or publication on NWFPs, these contributions have played an integral part in putting together Non-Wood News. Reader feedback is always useful and much appreciated so please do continue to contact us.

Finally, our reflections on the past 20 issues demonstrate that we here at Non-Wood News need and will take every opportunity to move forward in our efforts to promote the importance and potential income-generating aspects of NWFPs, as well as the recognition that many people depend upon them – whether for their livelihoods, their health or as a source of food. Tina Etherington

• La producción de la castaña % Les experts en produits forestiers % Asia’s real contribution to the global amazónica en Bolivia non ligneux d’Afrique centrale se health of forests • Producción de carbón activado sont réunis dans le cadre de l’Année % Debt-for-nature swaps utilizando los productos forestales internationale des forêts 2011 % Forests plus: looking outside the box no madereros (PFNM) en alianza % Non-profit organizations and NGOs % Leaders define pathway to restoring con comunidades de la Amazonía • Rainforest Alliance 150 million ha of lost forests del Perú • WildlifeDirect % Ministers back binding European % Non-wood goods in European forests forest agreement 9 News and Notes • Status and trends % Plans to protect forests could do more % Barcoding % Reconciling selective logging with the harm than good unless power is in • Barcodes gather evidence to combat livelihood importance of NTFPs local hands illegal trade in Kenya % Reforming forest tenure systems • Mexico: barcoding biodiversity not % World sacred forests mapped out 58 International Action free of risks, activists say % FAO, WWF sustainable rattan project • Wales (United Kingdom) to DNA 18 Products and Markets in the Greater Mekong “barcode” plants % Bamboo, Berries, Bushmeat, % Congo Basin: can’t see the wood for Cinnamon, Ecotourism. Edible insects, 62 Recent and Forthcoming Events the trees? Look again Frankincense, Gnetum spp., Honey and 65 Publications of Interest % Conservation ethnobotany in the bees, Imbe (Garcinia livingstonei), North Atlantic Medicinal plants and herbs, Moringa 70 Web Sites % Elephants, the gardeners of Asian and spp., Natural sweeteners, Nettles, 71 Readers’ Response African forests Resins, Saffron, Sandalwood, Sea % Expansion of people-centred forestry buckthorn, Shea butter, Wildlife % Forests and food security: what we know and need to know 35 Country Compass % Generating income from forests and % Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia, trees Australia, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) are goods of % Herbal cuisine Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, biological origin other than wood, derived from forests, other wooded land and trees outside % In the management of forests, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the forests. Non-timber forest products (NTFPs), gender matters Congo, Ethiopia, Georgia, Haiti, India, another term frequently used to cover this vast Italy, Japan, Lao People’s Democratic array of animal and plant products, also include Republic, Lebanon, Pakistan, small wood and fuelwood. However, these two Philippines, Portugal, Republic of the terms are used synonymously throughout this Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, bulletin. Other terms, such as “minor”, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, “secondary” or “speciality” forest products, are United Kingdom, United States of sometimes used to keep original names and/or America, Venezuela (Bolivarian titles. The mention of specific companies or Republic of), Viet Nam, Zimbabwe products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these 54 Econook have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in % A modest proposal for wealthy preference to others of a similar nature that are countries to reforest their land for the not mentioned. common good

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIAL FEATURES 3

RECOGNITION Ahmed Djoghlaf, and Jan McAlpine, the traditional knowledge base is preserved,” %OF TRADITIONAL Director of the Secretariat of the UN Forum said Timoshyna. KNOWLEDGE on Forests, also highlighted the important The new project is led by Corvinus role that indigenous communities play in University of Budapest (Hungary) and UN urges greater appreciation of culture and global conservation efforts. (Source: UN includes nine partners from the four Central creativity of indigenous peoples News, 9 August 2011.) European countries: Czech Republic, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged Hungary, Poland and Slovenia, which range the world to recognize the right of indigenous New project in Eastern Europe to protect from local authorities to NGOs, agrarian peoples to control their intellectual property, traditional knowledge in plant trade chambers and universities. (Source: TRAFFIC saying they needed help to protect, develop TRAFFIC recently launched a project to gather Web site, 23 May 2011.) and receive fair compensation for their information about the use, harvest and cultural heritage and traditional knowledge. traditional importance of wild plants and their “Indigenous peoples face many challenges significance in the cultural heritage of Eastern in maintaining their identity, traditions and Europe. The project, which will run for three customs, and their cultural contributions are years in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland at times exploited and commercialized, with and Slovenia, is entitled “Promoting little or no recognition,” the Secretary-General traditional collection and use of wild plants to said in a message to mark the International reduce social and economic disparities in Day of the World's Indigenous People. Central Europe”. “I encourage all Member States to take It is supported by the European Regional concrete steps to address the challenges Development Fund and aims to introduce a facing indigenous people – including pilot model by 2012 for the collection, marginalization, extreme poverty and loss processing and use of wild plants that is Traditional medicine should be embraced of lands, territories and resources. socially and culturally acceptable, Traditional medicine needs to be embraced so Countries should also commit to ending economically viable and environmentally that it finds expression through combating the grave human rights abuses that sound. diseases, says South Africa’s Department of indigenous peoples encounter in many “The use of herbs as medicine has been Science and Technology. "If it is to play a parts of the world,” he said. almost universal since ancient times, but strategic role in combating the heavy burden He noted that there were 5 000 distinct collecting the plants requires specific of disease, it will need to be mainstreamed so groups of indigenous peoples in some knowledge of how to identify them correctly that it can benefit from advances in the other 90 countries, who make up more than and where to find them. Such information is sciences," said Director-General Molapo 5 percent of the world's population – often passed down from generation to Qhobela. He was speaking at an African around 370 million people in total. They are generation, but in today’s urbanized society, traditional medicine and intellectual property custodians of valuable and often fast- much of this traditional knowledge is workshop held in Pretoria. Qhobela said disappearing cultural heritage, the unfortunately being lost,” said Anastasiya South Africa should learn from China and Secretary-General said. Timoshyna, TRAFFIC‘s Medicinal Plant India, which had effectively integrated In her statement to mark the Day, Navi Officer, based in Hungary. traditional medicine into their health systems. Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human The lack of knowledge can lead to He further emphasized the need to preserve Rights, noted that indigenous peoples around unsustainable trade in certain species, which African medicine. the world have lost, or are under imminent can affect livelihoods, and remove important "One way of securing the future of threat of losing, their ancestral lands, sources of income from particular groups, indigenous knowledge and research on territories and natural resources as a result including ethnic minorities, women and the traditional medicine is the advancement and of unfair exploitation for the sake of elderly. refinement of regulatory regimes," he said. “development”. She said natural resource Central Europe is still a major exporter of The drafting of ethical guidelines for extraction projects such as mining are both plant products, including medicines and researchers and research institutions had land- and water-intensive and often directly spices to processors in Western Europe. Wild already been completed. The Department affect the collective rights of indigenous collection represents 30–40 percent of planned to conduct research on medicinal peoples to their lands and territories. medicinal drug production. plants, a move that the Traditional Healers Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of In Europe it is estimated that about 2 000 Organization wanted to involve traditional the United Nations Environment plants are traded commercially, of which healers themselves. Its spokeswoman Programme (UNEP), said the agency was 60–70 percent are native species. Up to Phephisile Maseko said that while the partnering with indigenous peoples in 90 percent of these are still collected from the organization was not objecting to research, various places – including the Arctic, Africa wild, creating an important market and healers believed that leaving government to and so-called Small Island Developing genetic base for many essential drugs. do research on its own, and excluding them, States – to highlight the fact that more than “With continued growth in the wild- would undermine their own work done so far. two-thirds of the Earth's biological collected medicinal plant sector, it is She highlighted that 72 percent of South resources are also the traditional important for countries in Central Europe to Africans made use of traditional medicines. territories of most indigenous peoples. join forces to develop a coherent approach to Of the known plant species in the country, The Executive Secretary of the Secretariat plant supply in order to ensure that this 3 000 of them have medicinal potential. of the Convention on Biological Diversity, demand does not exhaust natural stocks and (Source: www.timeslive.co.za, 14 July 2011.)

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 4 SPECIAL FEATURES

Bioprospectors probe Aboriginal lore topical herbal product. (Source: AFP in medical research, will benefit both When Aboriginal elder John Watson was Traditional Knowledge Bulletin, 7 June 2011.) professionals and communities, he added. bitten by a crocodile while fishing in the Botswana has no specific laws on remote Australian Kimberley region, there Botswana to develop policy to protect indigenous knowledge systems. Instead, it was no doctor he could call and no medical kit traditional knowledge has isolated policies on natural resources, on hand to stem the blood. So he resorted to Botswana is developing a policy to protect, such as the National Policy on Natural the traditional knowledge of his people, preserve and promote its indigenous Resource Conservation and Development passed down over the centuries from knowledge and mainstream it into the and the National Policy on Culture, which fit generation to generation, to help stop the country's macro-economic framework. within international frameworks including bleeding from the injury to his hand, which Development of the policy will involve the Nagoya Protocol, an international had removed part of his middle finger. Watson identifying, documenting and gathering local agreement to combat biopiracy and share knew that if he chewed the bark of a native traditional knowledge practices from areas benefits from national resources research tree known as mudjala, and spat the mixture including agriculture, health, culture and fairly. on to his finger it would both numb the pain religious beliefs, and then feeding them into The African Regional Intellectual Property and stop the bleeding. And it did. a legislative framework. Organization is also developing a protocol to The plant is one of many avidly studied by The project, which started in February but protect holders of traditional knowledge researchers and so-called bioprospectors was formally launched in June, has received from any infringement of their rights and the around Australia seeking to derive the next nearly US$1 million from the government. misappropriation, misuse or exploitation of great medicine from the country's unique "The initiative is intended to bring economic their knowledge. flora. empowerment through benefit sharing and "After the development of policy, an As the hundreds of Aboriginal languages [providing] royalties to communities rich in implementation plan will be developed, that were once spoken around the vast nation indigenous knowledge," said Oabona detailing execution of the policy and making quickly fade, and traditional knowledge is lost Monngakgotla, the project's manager. He recommendations," said Monngakgotla. after two centuries of Western settlement, the said that Botswana has realized the Mogodisheng Sekhwela, the project's race is on to preserve native lore, including importance of indigenous knowledge, such team leader, will lead the University of that related to the medicinal use of plants. as using traditional herbal medicines to Botswana's Centre for Scientific Research, "The information is being lost, irrespective improve health and generate income. Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation in of whether it is being used or not," says Creating awareness through education compiling the information, which is due to be Professor Michael Heinrich, a researcher at about the importance of indigenous completed in June 2012. (Source: Australia's Southern Cross University and the knowledge to research, particularly global SciDev.Net, 24 August 2011.) School of Pharmacy at the University of London. "We need ... to find a way where we can pass the indigenous knowledge on to future generations." Heinrich said indigenous communities ANALYSIS OF THE NAGOYA PROTOCOL pitched battles to stem and sometimes were rightly concerned about the handling of ON ACCESS AND BENEFIT SHARING turn the legal tide. their traditional knowledge, some of which is In this context, the authors (Kabir sacred to their beliefs, and worried that their An analysis of the Nagoya Protocol on Bavikatte and Daniel F. Robinson) analyse generosity would not be recognized or Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) – the Nagoya Protocol with the aid of three rewarded. This meant it was very difficult to “Towards a People’s History of the Law: guiding questions: what was the status get information on the plants used by Biocultural Jurisprudence and the quo prior to the Nagoya Protocol; what Aborigines to treat illness and disease, he Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit did indigenous peoples and local said. Sharing” – featured in the July issue of communities seek to achieve through the Australia has a unique plant and animal the Law, Environment and Development Protocol and how did they go about life, some of which has adapted to extreme Journal and comes from an doing this; and what is the outcome of conditions such as drought and it is, to a understanding of the law as a “site of these community efforts in the Nagoya certain degree, unexplored by Western struggle” where different groups lobby Protocol. In answering these questions, scientists – all of which makes it deeply for their interests. Some of these groups they also attempt to map the emerging alluring to bioprospectors. are clearly more powerful than others, biocultural rights of indigenous peoples For elder Watson's Jarlmadangah Burru which explains the reticence of state law and local communities under the community in Australia's remote far regarding the rights of indigenous Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), northwest, ownership has been resolved peoples and local communities. as well as their struggles specifically through an intellectual property arrangement However, the authors consider it critical within the CBD Working Groups on ABS hailed as a breakthrough example for other to acknowledge that power begets and on Article 8(j), aiming to trace the communities. The Australian Government is resistance and that indigenous people trajectory of the activism of indigenous hoping to help other indigenous communities and local communities have not just peoples and local communities in the CBD and businesses protect their intellectual been passive victims of the law but on processes. (Source: Traditional Knowledge property through its Dream Shield project, the contrary have fought strategic and Bulletin, 26 July 2011.) and Watson's community is now seeking to commercialize the treatment, possibly as a

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIAL FEATURES 5

Namibia’s indigenous people help draft Speaking at the opening of the Second biopiracy law Global Summit on HIV/AIDS, Traditional Namibia has kicked off a series of meetings THE ROAD TO AN ANTI-BIOPIRACY Medicine and Indigenous Knowledge in with rural and indigenous communities to AGREEMENT Accra, the Deputy Minister said the feed into the country's first bill on access to guidelines would help foster research and genetic resources and traditional knowledge. A recent book – The Road to an Anti- development, innovations and capacity The first such meeting took place in the south Biopiracy Agreement – is a compilation of building for optimal and sustainable use of of the country from 28 to 30 June. The bill has articles from Third World Network traditional knowledge and plant genetic been in development since 1998. It should be publications following the difficult resources. finalized by the end of the year so that the progress of the CBD negotiations that Dr Ossy M.J. Kasilo, World Health country can sign the Nagoya Protocol before resulted in the adoption of the Nagoya Organization Africa Regional Office Adviser the February 2012 deadline. To be ratified, the Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources on Traditional Medicine, commended Ghana Nagoya Protocol needs 50 nations to sign up, and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of for being the first in Africa to develop a which 38 have done so far. Benefits Arising out of their Utilization on strategic plan for the development of The bill will prevent exploitation of 29 October 2010 during the tenth meeting traditional medicine. She said Ghana was indigenous resources, such as devil's claw of the CBD Conference of the Parties. also the first in developing a traditional (Harpagophytum sp.) a plant used by the San The book contains reports starting from medicine research plant at the Centre for people to treat rheumatism and arthritis, and the early days of the negotiations in Kuala Plant Medicine and developing a Code of hoodia (Hoodia gordonii), which is used for Lumpur in 2004, up to the last round of Ethics in traditional medicine, among other suppressing hunger. talks in Nagoya in 2010, as well as some achievements, and urged other countries Pierre du Plessis, a genetic resources preliminary analyses of the Protocol and participating in the workshop to follow expert and Namibian negotiator for the the extent to which it can effectively Ghana's example. (Source: allAfrica.com, Nagoya Protocol, said that investments made combat biopiracy. (Source: Traditional 6 September 2011.) to bring some of these plants to the market Knowledge Bulletin, 29 June 2011.) have not given much back to local Micronesia: blending science knowledge communities. "In the case of hoodia, an with ancient traditions investment in the region of US$70.7 million On Yap, a Pacific island that is part of over the past 12 years has, so far, yielded Cooperation (GIZ), said that, even if local Micronesia, the native people fish the virtually no sustainable benefits, although communities do not manage to derive traditional way. They construct kites made of some opportunists have enjoyed windfall benefits from the intellectual property (IP) breadfruit leaves, the spines of the Pandanus profits," he said, citing attempts to market relating to their knowledge, they can still plant and coconut fibre rope, and fly them over hoodia products for weight loss. benefit from the spillover effects of the reef, dropping their lines to attract long- "Communities will benefit if their developments and investments surrounding nose needlefish. These are the only fish the associated traditional knowledge is involved, traditional knowledge. (Source: islanders want, and the only ones lured by this or if they are the direct legal providers of the www.SciDev.Net, 15 July 2011.) unusual gear. resources in question," said du Plessis. “It is ecologically sound and sustainable, Namibia was one of the main architects and they have been doing it for generations,” behind the 2010 Nagoya Protocol, which says Robert H. Richmond, a research secured access and benefit-sharing rights for professor at the University of Hawaii at communities under the UN Convention on Manoa. “More importantly, no Western Biological Diversity. "Nagoya is a big step for scientist could teach them a better way.” the conservation and sustainable use of Richmond tells this story to make the point natural resources," said Dietlinde Nakwaya, that marine and environmental science the manager of a programme called training must be relevant to the region, and “Strengthening Capacity Enhancement to Harpagophytum sp. include not just current science and Implement the Global Environmental technology, but an awareness of the unique Conventions” in Namibia, at the Ministry of Developing policy guidelines to handle cultural aspects of the communities that will Environment and Tourism – a project that genetic resources and traditional knowledge benefit, in this case, Pacific Islanders. builds capacity to implement international The Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Richmond directs the Partnership for environmental agreements. Gladys Ashitey, has said that Ghana is Advanced Marine and Environmental Science The meetings are an opportunity to developing policy guidelines for the handling Training for Pacific Islanders, a programme strengthen people's “environmental literacy” of genetic resources and traditional for local students that aims to blend up-to- – knowledge about their natural resources. knowledge. She said the policy guidelines, date scientific knowledge with the ancient "But we also need their expertise to prevent which would give special references to their traditions that have served the islanders well any loopholes in the bill," Nakwaya said. application in health and agriculture, would over thousands of years. The hope is that by "After all, communities have used these also focus on the documentation of traditional training local people in up-to-date scientific resources for a long time." knowledge and the related genetic resources, skills, they will become more invested in their Konrad Uebelhör, biodiversity and conditions of access, benefit-sharing homeland’s environmental future. (Source: sustainable land management expert with the arrangements and institutional arrangements National Science Foundation in US News, German Company for International for administration and enforcement. 7 July 2011.)

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 6 SPECIAL FEATURES

Green economy needs respect for 10 000–12 000 years and is slowly fading away Lombok Island this week that Indonesia indigenous rights because of the lack of documentation, said V. would address the issue by implementing a Nations must pay more than lip service to the Prakash, former director of the Mysore- decade-old land law recognizing the rights of idea of indigenous rights if they seriously hope based Central Food Technological Research forest communities. It will also develop a land to address problems such as species loss and Institute (CFTRI). TKDL has succeeded in tenure map identifying the location and size of climate change, say delegates at the digitizing at least 30 percent of this forests and how they are used, as well as Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, a knowledge. defining the legal status of the country's vast UN body created to safeguard the rights of the CFTRI is one of 19 national science forested areas. world's 370 million indigenous people, at the laboratories in India that are on board the "Indonesia is committed to longer-term Tenth Session of the UN Permanent Forum on TKDL project. Prakash said the project is forest and land tenure reform," he said. "All Indigenous Issues in New York. aimed at scientifically documenting India's should be implemented based on the "They present very good studies and traditional knowledge base. This database principle to recognize, to respect and to information, but not for us," said Marcos will help put an end to the indiscriminate protect customary rights," he added. Terena, a prominent leader of Brazil's rush to patent items. Forest groups hope the government will indigenous people, about the officials running The database compiled so far is made fulfil its obligations to inform and consult UN projects on environment and development available to lawyers in Europe and the United with indigenous groups whose lives could be across the world. In his view, the transition to States of America for a fee, so that they do not dramatically altered by UN-backed a so-called "green economy" will not work as recklessly apply for patents. It is better to measures to prevent deforestation. long as humanity does not respect the rights stop the process before it starts, rather than "We are very pleased with Indonesia's of Mother Earth. challenge it in courts outside India at a later commitment," said Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, a Indigenous peoples' traditional stage, as happened in the case of turmeric, board member of Rights and Resources knowledge has been widely acknowledged he said. Initiative, a global coalition of forest as vital to conservation and efforts to fight Digitizing traditional knowledge for TKDL research groups. "It is not a matter of climate change. "Nature conservation is at is a painstaking effort. But it is worth it, given recognizing who the indigenous people are the heart of the cultures and values of that it is providing leverage to India to defend and their rights, but developing a legal traditional societies," said Ahmed Djoghlaf, itself in case of attempts to patent products framework to recognize their ownership Executive Secretary of the UN Convention that are indigenous to the country. over forests. We are very hopeful that on Biological Diversity, which recognizes Information is digitized in various formats changes will come about." the significance of traditional knowledge – orally, through video – and the gaps in Indigenous Peoples Alliance Secretary- and calls for actions to promote it. knowledge are filled with help from science. General Abdon Nababan said forest people UN researchers note that one-third of Even information given by individuals on were in danger of being forced off their land the world's 370 million indigenous people traditional knowledge backed by scientific and denied their customary livelihoods in are condemned to live in poverty in as many proof is acknowledged. (Source: The Times of the name of conservation. "The basic point as 70 countries around the world. World India, 8 August 2011.) is that if you want to protect the forests, you Bank estimates put their share of global must protect the people who protect the poverty at 60 percent. forests," he told AFP. In reflecting upon UN efforts to enhance The alliance last month demanded a halt understanding between indigenous to conservation schemes worth billions of communities and the outside world to fight dollars on Borneo Island, saying they could climate change and reverse the loss of be a form of "cultural genocide" if not biological diversity, Terena said his people did handled properly. (Source: AFP, 13 July 2011.) not think it was working in a meaningful way. "I hope the UN will understand and listen to the indigenous people, and not only produce NWFPS papers," he said about the UNEP-led session at %IN AMAZONIAN LIFE the forum meeting. (Source: IPS, 21 May 2011.) Indonesia's pledge to forest people Amazonía o petróleo India’s digital library to the rescue of welcomed La deforestación en el mundo se ha traditional patents Forest groups on Wednesday welcomed an reducido en la última década más de un 30 Success achieved in India in staving off Indonesian commitment to protect the por ciento. Es una buena noticia, si no fuera attacks on its traditional knowledge is in part rights of indigenous people who have long porque continúa a un ritmo galopante en due to efforts by the Council for Scientific and complained that their land is being stolen muchos países o en zonas imprescindibles Industrial Research in initiating the in the name of conservation schemes. With para la salud del planeta como la Amazonía. Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) billions of dollars in foreign aid and carbon Una cuarta parte de la población mundial project. offsets potentially on the table, tribal depende de las grandes áreas forestales. TKDL is an Indian digital knowledge groups have accused internationally Pero hay más: en los bosques, entre sus repository of traditional knowledge, backed efforts to tackle deforestation of plantas, posiblemente se hallen remedios a especially medicinal plants and formulations pushing them off their ancestral land. graves enfermedades o la solución al used in Indian systems of medicine. Indian Presidential adviser Kuntoro cambio climático. La necesidad de proteger traditional knowledge dates back a good Mangkusubroto told a forestry conference on estos espacios es acuciante, pero a veces se

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIAL FEATURES 7

cruzan otros intereses amenazantes, como 400 copies of the two DVDs to be used in the eating Amazonian fish, such as the las grandes bolsas de petróleo que yacen programme. weighty tambaqui (Colossoma bajo el manto verde de los bosques. The videos are available from: macropomum), and the diversity and health of Esto es lo que sucede en el Parque www.youtube.com/user/Conservaciony the Amazonian rain forest. In a 2009 study, Nacional Yasuní, en Ecuador, en plena Equidad#g/c/94EA7829C11139B8/ Anderson and her colleagues studied two Amazonía. Sus habitantes viven como hace (Source: Traffic Bulletin, 23(2), April 2011.) species of frugivorous (fruit-eating) fish in siglos y preservan un bien universal. Pero las Peru, the tambaqui and the pirapitinga (both petroleras no están muy lejos. Informe Forest fund to reward forest-dwelling known as pacu fish). Picking through over a Semanal ha navegado por uno de los lugares communities million seeds, they documented 44 species of más conservados del planeta y ha dialogado At the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation seeds, including 36 from trees and lianas, con las comunidades que viven de los (FAS) centre in Tumbira – six hours by boat from the guts of 195 individual fish. recursos de esa selva en la que nacieron y en from Manaus, capital of the Amazonas state in A paper published by Anderson and other la que quieren seguir viviendo. Brazil – Professor Virgilio Viana and his researchers this year outlines that Lamentablemente, la situación económica de colleagues are running a state-wide scheme the tambaqui are truly long-distance diversas poblaciones empuja a las mismas ha called Bolsa Floresta (forest fund). The idea is dispersers. "In our study, fish can carry seeds migrar o extraer recursos con valoraciones to sign up and reward forest-dwelling up to 5.5 km, although it is likely that larger inmediatas sin tener en cuenta las communities for responsible, sustainable use (older) fish can disperse seeds much farther perspectivas de los mismos. of the rain forest. It provides the average than that," says Anderson. According to Es necesario, por lo tanto, una trabajo participating family with BRL1 360 (about research, the older the fish, the more effective conjunto donde se conjuguen los intereses de US$850) of value/year. Nearly half of this is a it is at dispersing seeds; younger fish las comunidades y la protección a la inmensa monthly cash payment to housewives, consume fewer fruits and disperse fewer biodiversidad existente. Se debe unir la another part goes to promote sustainable viable seeds. Of course, this finding has conservación y el respeto por la biodiversidad, harvesting for forest products – Brazil nuts implications for conservation, since older fish el conocimiento de los antepasados junto a being the best known – and part is spent on are vanishing from ecosystems because of los beneficios de prácticas útiles. Este health and education for local communities. A overexploitation by locals. "[Tambaqui] is very proceso lo está desarrollando un proyecto de small amount is spent on building important commercially. Fish is the primary cooperación técnica de la FAO. (Fuente: rudimentary business infrastructures so that source of protein for human populations Programa de la Televisión Española [TVE] forest communities can profit from throughout the Amazon, so it is not surprising Informe Semanal, 18 de junio de 2011.) sustainable business. that people would overfish a massively large So far, over 8 000 families have benefited fruit eater," Anderson says. Videos on the Amazonian forests of Ecuador from this forest fund. It can and should be While humans have likely fished for A series of lectures on the Amazonian forests scaled up. But it is threatened by the faltering tambaqui and other pacu for millennia, rising of Ecuador have been released on video as city economy of Manaus, which may see populations in the Amazon and increasingly part of the educational series “Voices for industry invading the Amazon rain forest. easy access to once impenetrable places have Sustainable Forests”, produced by TRAFFIC. Declining opportunities and competing pushed big fruit-eating fish into treacherous The Spanish-language broadcasts, by 17 subsidies may move money and territory. A significant drop in the population specialists in areas critical to the conservation entrepreneurship back to the old ways, or a loss of older individuals has the potential and sustainable forest management of the seeking resource-extracting profits and jobs. of impacting the diversity and abundance of Amazonian forests of Ecuador, are aimed at The cost of such a reversal would be huge – to the Amazonian rain forest. (Source: Amazon community radio, schools and the media. Amazonas, Brazil and the world. (Source: The News, 12 April 2011.) It is wonderful to hear these experts Guardian [United Kingdom], 28 June 2011.) speaking colloquially about the problems and Partnership reinforces copaíba oil solutions. What dilemmas do people face in production chain in Brazil their forests? What about indigenous July 2011 marked the beginning of a territories, forest governance and the law? promising partnership in the municipality of What ecosystem services do the forests Apuí, 408 km from Manaus, capital of the state provide? The videos cover the key topics, of Amazonas. The Brazilian branch of the including the best policies and programmes Swiss company Firmenich, which of the Government of Ecuador today. manufactures fragrances and aromas, has Moreover, the information contained in the ordered its first purchase of copaíba oil Pirapitinga videos is relevant to countries across the produced in the interior of the municipality region as many of the challenges experienced Giant fish help the Amazon rain forest grow under a regime of sustainable forest in Ecuador are the same in other countries While researchers have studied the seed- management. The agreement, with the where the Amazonian forest is under threat. dispersal capacity of such species as birds, Aripuanã-Guariba Agri-extractive Association, One of the next steps is to produce short bats, monkeys and rodents, fish are often negotiated in the first semester of 2011, was online courses for members of the media who overlooked. mediated by WWF-Brazil. may know little about forests. Another is to Jill T. Anderson, a post-doctoral associate Copaíba is a stimulant oleoresin obtained seek inclusion of the videos in the National at Duke University (United States of America) from the trunk of several pinnate-leaved Teacher Training Programme: the Ecuadorian is one of few researchers who have begun to South American leguminous trees from the Ministry of Education has already purchased connect the dots between massive fruit- genus Copaifera.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 8 SPECIAL FEATURES

Posteriormente, se procede a cortar la abastecimiento de los frutos y demanda de parte superior de cada coco por donde se mano de obra con participación de género. extraen las semillas; el corte se hace a mano El carbón activado, es de origen vegetal, el con la ayuda de un machete. Una vez mismo viene activado a alta temperatura y terminado este proceso se reúnen las retiene por absorción moléculas de castañas con cáscaras y se colocan en bolsas compuestos diversos en su gran superficie para ser transportadas a los payoles, que son interna. Este material se usa en recuperación precarios y rústicos galpones que sirven para de oro, para purificar alimentos, agua, protegerlas de la lluvia. alcoholes, cosméticos, etc. La castaña se transporta por diversos Este carbón se produce usando las medios y lo antes posible a depósitos y silos semillas de las palmeras amazónicas aguaje de las beneficiadoras que reúnan condiciones (Mauritia flexuosa), shapaja (Scheelea sp.) y de almacenamiento controladas. shebón (Attalea sp.), apoyando la La producción de la castaña amazónica en Uno de los principales problemas que conservación de la Amazonía y el desarrollo Bolivia ocasiona la mala recolección y acopio es la sostenible en las comunidades socias. Se El árbol de la castaña (Bertholletia excelsa) contaminación con aflatoxinas que son formalizará el aprovechamiento del bosque es una especie no maderera de alto valor metabolitos del hongo llamado Aspergillus amazónico mediante la formación de una ecológico, cuya altura asciende a más de flavus. Según estudios preliminares se cree cadena productiva sobre la base de especies 20 m. Produce semillas comestibles, las que en ciertas concentraciones son no madereras. cuales se conocen como castaña amazónica o cancerígenos y dañinos para la salud. En el Perú existe demanda de las "Brazil Nuts", mismas que en el país son empresas, especialmente las mineras, las extraídas y exportadas en un 99 por ciento. Áreas de aprovechamiento cuales deben demostrar su compromiso con La actividad de la explotación de la castaña La zona castañera de Bolivia se encuentra la conservación del medio ambiente directa e representa más del 75 por ciento del ubicada en el norte del país, comprende una indirectamente y al comprar carbón activado movimiento económico de la zona norte de superficie aproximada de 100 000 km2, en los almacenes en Lima o en Iquitos Bolivia. La importancia de la castaña no sólo equivalente al 10 por ciento de la superficie adquirirán derecho al uso de los atributos radica en su aporte a la economía de la total del país. Históricamente el Brasil ha sido comerciales del producto como son: apoyar la mencionada región sino también por su el mayor productor de castaña, por lo tanto, el conservación de la Reserva Nacional Pacaya componente ecológico en la preservación de nombre con el que se conoce y comercializa Samiria, el desarrollo sostenible de la selva amazónica, ya que su explotación en el mundo es "Brazil nuts" "paranuss" o comunidades en la Amazonía y el comercio permite frenar la depredación de los bosques. "castaña do Pará". A partir del año 1996, justo en la cadena productiva. Entre los La castaña amazónica es el fruto del árbol Bolivia se convierte en el primer productor compradores se encuentran la minería de la castaña que se encuentra en forma mundial de castaña, superando al Brasil. En aurífera nacional, que consume el 91,5 por natural y silvestre solamente en los bosques 1999, Bolivia exportó 10 880 t contra 2 500 t ciento de la demanda del Perú y que es amazónicos de Bolivia, Brasil, Perú, Guayana del Brasil, representando el 73 por ciento del abastecida por 5 empresas importadoras; la y Colombia; sin embargo, solamente en los mercado mundial de la castaña. industria de purificación de agua, la tres primeros países se encuentra la castaña Prácticamente, el 99 por ciento de la agroindustria y otros que demandan el 8,5 por que se comercializa. En Bolivia existen producción nacional está destinada al ciento restante. condiciones aptas para el desarrollo del árbol mercado de exportación. En términos El total de la demanda nacional es de de la castaña en un área extensa de la monetarios la producción de castaña pasó de 1,354 t, de las cuales se importan el 95 por Amazonía que abarca más de 100 000 km2 15,6 millones de dólares en 1990 a ciento. (Fuente: BiD network foundation.) (un 10 por ciento de la superficie total del 31,3 millones en el 2000. La castaña se utiliza país). Bolivia ha mejorado paulatinamente la también en la industria pastelera como glacé PARA MÁS INFORMACIÓN, DIRIGIRSE A: productividad de la castaña en el mundo. (mazapán). (Fuente: Sitio de Amazonia BiD Network Foundation, De Ruyterkade 107, El árbol de la castaña produce desde el Boliviana: www.amazonia.bo/) 1011 AB Amsterdam, Países Bajos. mes de noviembre, en el que se encuentran Fax: +31 84 83 00022; correo electrónico: los primeros frutos, pero es recomendable Producción de carbón activado utilizando los [email protected]; iniciar la zafra recién en la segunda quincena productos forestales no madereros (PFNM) www.bidnetwork.org/page/135745/ p de diciembre. A pesar de las condiciones en alianza con comunidades de la Amazonía adversas, más de 15 000 familias se internan del Perú en el bosque y no vuelven hasta febrero o Los objetivos de la industria de producción de marzo. Desde marzo hasta diciembre se carbón activado es: producir el mismo procede al beneficiado, la mano de obra que utilizando frutos de palmeras amazónicas que participó en la recolección se traslada a las serán aprovechadas legalmente por plantas beneficiadoras, donde se requiere comunidades organizadas. El If we do not change our direction, we más de 5 000 puestos de trabajo. El proceso aprovechamiento es sostenible a partir de los are likely to end up where we are de recolección consiste en recoger y frutos de las tres palmeras sin valor headed. recolectar los cocos que se encuentran bajo comercial (no incluidas en CITES), en Chinese proverb los árboles, los cuales se desprenden de los asociación con comunidades de la Amazonía, árboles por maduración natural. generando ingresos en las mismas por

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALNEWS AND FEATURES NOTES 9

area and herd the animals come. (Source: CIFOR, 13 June 2011.) “Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs) INSTANT TREE IDENTIFICATION IS NOW consist of goods of biological origin Mexico: barcoding biodiversity not free of POSSIBLE other than wood, derived from forests, risks, activists say other wooded land and trees outside As the Barcode of Life project continues the Botanists from the Smithsonian forests.” work of sequencing specific segments of Institution (Washington, DC, United «Les produits forestiers non ligneux genes in Mexican animals and plants, there States of America) have helped develop a sont des biens d’origine biologique are some concerns about how to safeguard smartphone application that can identify autres que le bois, dérivés des forêts, the biological samples collected from the tree species within seconds, using visual des autres terres boisées, et des arbres threat of commercial exploitation. recognition software, and then share the hors forêts.» Supporters of the initiative argue that location with a growing database of tree «Productos forestales no madereros son the information gathered can lead to the populations. After a user takes a photo los bienes de origen biológico distintos discovery of new varieties, and to the better of a leaf with his or her smartphone de la madera derivados de los bosques, protection of biodiversity. But critics say big device, the so-called Leafsnap application de otras tierras boscosas y de los árboles pharmaceutical and synthetic biology (http://leafsnap. com/) searches a library fuera de los bosques.» companies, which produce organisms with of leaf photographs compiled by the (FAO’s working definition) specific functions through genetic Smithsonian Institution and almost engineering, could exploit the data in the immediately delivers high-resolution service of their own economic interests. photographs of the likely species, along “The barcoding project is helping to with information on flowers, fruits, seeds document the country's biodiversity, so and bark. %BARCODING that better conservation management In addition, the geographic data of that plans can be designed. If we do not know query is shared with a community of Barcodes gather evidence to combat illegal what species exist, we will not know what scientists tracking flora across the United trade in Kenya to protect," said researcher Lidia Cabrera States of America. The application will The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is already of the Biology Institute at the state National eventually provide a database of trees stretched thin protecting the elephants and Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), nationwide, said John Kress, a Smithsonian big cats that draw the tourists. But even who is also on the thematic network research botanist who developed the when it does manage to apprehend hunters committee of Barcode of Life in Mexico application with engineers from Columbia and dealers in bushmeat, it is near (MexBOL). University and the University of Maryland. impossible to obtain a conviction without Mexico is one of the five most biodiverse (Source: Yale Environment News 360, irrefutable evidence. “KWS has been getting countries in the world, yet less than 9 June 2011.) increasingly frustrated. It is just their word 1 percent of species have been barcoded. against the suspects who often claim they The project has already produced barcode were only selling goat meat,” Iregi Mwenja, sequences for about 20 percent of fish Kenya Country Director of the Born Free species, 70 percent of birds and close to Wales (United Kingdom) to DNA “barcode” Foundation said. 10 percent of plant species. Mexican plants But now, Mwenja says, DNA technology is scientists barcoded 6 000 samples in 2010. Wales is set to be the first place to produce a being used to create barcodes from genetic "There are no safeguards whatsoever DNA barcode for every one of its native material to facilitate the positive that apply to this area," she complained to flowering plants, scientists claim. The identification of wild meat, and ivory, using a IPS. She was referring to the fact that the “Barcode Wales” project will aim to database with samples of meat, hair or bone 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity catalogue all 1 143 species of native collected from a wide variety of animals in lacks any regulations about artificial flowering plants based on each plant's the region. creations based on biological materials. unique gene sequence. “The direct cause of wildlife decline is (Source: International Press Service [IPS], This would mean that the tiniest fragment illegal hunting due to increasing population,” 28 July 2011.) of leaf or pollen grain could be used to he said. Born Free and KWS recently carried identify any plant in Wales. It would also out a study in butcher shops along a 200-km allow scientists to understand better the stretch of Kenya’s main highway that runs plant’s genetics. The information will help from Nairobi to the Indian Ocean. Through The International Barcode of Life biologists to track the status of pollinating the use of barcodes, they found that between project (www.ibol.org) was launched in insects, such as bees. And the database 5 and 8 percent of the meat on sale was 2003 by the Biodiversity Institute of itself could be used to test the authenticity of bushmeat. Ontario at the University of Guelph, Welsh products, including honey, and help The International Barcode of Life project Canada. The following year, a identify plant fragments in forensic and the University of Guelph in Ontario, consortium for the project was created, examinations. Canada are sponsoring the data banks, and made up of organizations from 43 Dr Natasha de Vere from the National Kenya is supplying samples from its wildlife. countries. Mexico joined in 2009. Botanic Garden of Wales is leading the study Mwenja said the identification is so precise along with her colleagues, Dr Tim Rich from that it is possible to determine from which the National Museum Wales and Professor

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 10 SPECIALNEWS AND FEATURES NOTES

Mike Wilkinson from Aberystwyth University. much larger and remains largely species of lichen. In Iceland, 109 native The team is taking on the substantial task of unquantified. Many of the popular species of species were cited as culturally significant collecting samples from every species of bushmeat traded are not captured either in (CI [Cultural Importance] Index), whereas 57 Welsh flora. Using a combination of freshly national statistics or by international trade were identified in the Faroe Islands. All picked plants and dried specimens housed in conventions such as the Convention on respondents collected some wild species and the National Museum Wales collections, they International Trade in Endangered Species of 50 percent grew some native species in home have gathered examples of all the "floral Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). gardens or commercially. heritage" of Wales. The scientists have Like other hidden forest products, The proportion of all potentially usable extracted and sequenced a section of the bushmeat provides a vital source of nutrition, native species with CI in the Faroe Islands DNA code from each plant. as well as providing significant employment and Iceland could, however, be much greater. By comparing the DNA barcodes of and revenue for those involved in the trade. Nevertheless, some native species of plants modern-day plants with specimens from the These conflicting aspects, however, have are known ubiquitously. Those most Wales Natural History Museum, the team formed a contradictory crisis for commonly used are Angelica spp. and will be able to determine whether plants are conservation and development circles. Betulla spp., traditionally used for food and losing their genetic variation. The results of (Source: CIFOR, 10 May 2011.) medicine and still used today for these the Barcode Wales project are due to be purposes. A strong possibility for sustainable published this summer; the findings will be management of wild collection of these used to establish tailored conservation CONSERVATION native species exists through expansion of programmes for Welsh plants. The scientists %ETHNOBOTANY IN organic certification. hope eventually to extend the project to THE NORTH ATLANTIC The identification of cultural keystone include the rest of the United Kingdom. species is hence paramount in their (Source: BBC News [Wales], 7 April 2011.) A survey was conducted across the Faroe conservation. Looking at ways to increase the Islands and Iceland with wild collectors, cultural importance and the number and gardeners, farmers and chefs, with the types of uses by people living in an area will CONGO BASIN: CAN’T support of the Partridge Foundation's Trans- increase the likelihood that the natural areas %SEE THE WOOD FOR Atlantic Partnership between the College of where these species exist will be preserved. THE TREES? LOOK AGAIN the Atlantic in the United States of America, Culture and knowledge are dynamic, and this the University of Kassel in Germany and the survey attempts to look at cultural uses of Export products such as timber dominate Organic Research Centre in the United native plants while being mindful of the any superficial glance at the forests of the Kingdom. The aim was to determine the dynamism of cultural knowledge and the Congo Basin. Recent studies, however, argue extent, composition and function of uses of changes that are taking place in both ecology that there is more to the forest – in this case native species of terrestrial plants, algae and and culture. of the second largest tropical forest in the fungi in the region through the use of Through the interviews and sample world – than just its trees as export products. quantitative ethnobotanical methodology. By collections, it became apparent that there A spate of recent publications highlight identifying culturally significant native exists a conservation mentality in the culture that massive hidden economies, mainly for species of terrestrial plants, algae and fungi, of native plant collection and usage in the domestic and regional consumption, are researchers in the study hope to show that Faroe Islands and Iceland. People who tend largely hidden or ignored. The latest Forests the potential for conservation also increases. to use native biodiversity also tend to have an of the Congo Basin: State of the Forest 2010, The survey identified a total of 130 native appreciation and a conservation attitude an exhaustive biannual appraisal of the state species with cultural significance from 88 towards that biodiversity. Many of the wild of the region’s forests, ecosystems, genera, including 99 native species of collectors are also activists and politically biodiversity, population and socio-economic terrestrial plants (65 species of annual and active change agents in the Icelandic and situation, devotes a whole section to looking eight species of perennial herbs, 15 species Faroese politics related to natural resources deeper into the forest and uncovering the of perennial shrubs and 11 species of management. large scale of commerce in four hidden perennial trees), 20 native species of algae, A chef in Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands products: fuelwood, bushmeat, NTFPs and ten native species of fungi, and one native said that wild collection by his kitchen staff domestic timber. and others around Scandinavia is leading to a The chapter on NTFPs indicates that the new paradigm of food in the North Atlantic. vast majority of NTFPs used across the Basin The movement is called the “Nordic Kitchen” provide important contributions for and is leading to conservation efforts by household food and medical needs, as well chefs and food enthusiasts around the region as for cultural use and as multiple tools. The to learn, preserve and utilize native species sector is also a major employer, for example for traditional and innovative local dishes. in Cameroon, where more people work in the (Contributed by: Cory Whitney M.Sc., trade of a handful of the major products than International Relations Consultant, Korean in the industrial timber sector. Organizing Committee for the 17th IFOAM Bushmeat is another lucrative trade. OWC, 202 Misung Plaza, 685-1 Guan-dong, While exports to a hungry diaspora in Europe Namyangju City, 472-060, Gyeonggi Province, may previously have been underestimated, Republic of Korea. E-mail: the domestic market in the Basin appears Angelica spp. [email protected]/)

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALNEWS AND FEATURES NOTES 11

ELEPHANTS, THE EXPANSION OF PEOPLE- %GARDENERS OF ASIAN %CENTRED FORESTRY AND AFRICAN FORESTS The Second Regional Forum on Community Recently, researchers have begun to Forestry, Key to Solving Current and Emerging document the seed dispersal capacity of the Challenges, which took place earlier this world's largest land animal, the elephant, month in Bangkok, Thailand, discussed the proving that this species may be among the further expansion of people-centred forestry world's most important tropical gardeners. in the years ahead. A broad range of social and "In our paper we show that African forest community forestry issues were addressed, elephants are the ultimate seed dispersers – from the origins of the movement and they disperse vast numbers of seeds of a high government decentralization to gender equity diversity of plants in a very effective way […] and REDD+. In a keynote speech, the Asian and African savannah elephants also Association of Southeast Asian Nations disperse many seeds […] but seem to be less (ASEAN) Social Forestry Network Secretariat 5 to 6 million tonnes of bushmeat eaten frugivorous [i.e. fruit-eating]," said Ahimsa Chairperson Haryadi Himawan emphasized yearly in the Congo Basin is roughly equal Campos-Arceiz, coauthor of a recent paper in the important role of local people in to the total amount of beef produced Acta Oecologica on African and Asian elephant sustainable forest management and the annually in Brazil – without the seed dispersal. importance of supporting the livelihoods of accompanying need to clear huge swathes Stephen Blake, the other coauthor, says that some of the poorest and most vulnerable of forest for cattle. Globally, forested the behaviour of different elephant species, in populations in Asia. watersheds, wetlands and mangrove this context, has more to do with habitat than Francisco Chapela from Rainforest Alliance ecosystems support the freshwater and species' preference. reported that nearly all remaining forestland coastal fisheries on which many Blake and Campos-Arceiz highlight in their in Mexico and Guatemala is managed by communities depend. And that is in study that some plant species may depend indigenous people, who have an incentive to addition to the many fruits, nuts, grubs, entirely on elephants for their dispersal, much conserve their forest resources. mushrooms, honey and other edibles as some orchids depend wholly on a single A “Knowledge Fair” highlighted local and produced by forests and trees. insect pollinator for propagation. "The best country-specific experiences and lessons Equally important, forests provide an documented case is the relationship of learned in community forestry. Forum essential source of cash income to Balanites wilsoniana and savannah elephants participants drafted a call for action, which purchase food, especially during poor in Uganda. Several studies have found that will be released soon for action at other fora to harvests. Results from CIFOR’s Poverty and elephants consume and disperse lots of mark the International Year of Forests and at Environment Network project – which has Balanites seeds, and that no other animal the Durban climate conference. (Source: recently published a database of income disperses these seeds," explains Campos- Traditional Knowledge Bulletin, 16 August survey results from some 6 000 households Arceiz. 2011.) – confirm that families living in and around However, Blake adds that the "cumulative forests derive on average between one-fifth impact of elephant dispersal" is more and one-fourth of their income from forest- important than their connection to one FORESTS AND FOOD based sources. species: "a few trees declining because an %SECURITY: WHAT WE But my feeling is that the most elephant disappears is of course detrimental, KNOW AND NEED TO underappreciated – and perhaps most but Balanites going extinct will be unlikely to KNOW under-researched – linkages between have a massive impact on the forest forests and food security are the roles that ecosystem. However, elephants going extinct The importance of forest-based emissions forest-based ecosystem services play in means that the competitive balance of many as a driver of climate change is one of the underpinning sustainable agricultural species, arguably over 100 in Central Africa, most indirect and hard-to-prove causal production. Forests regulate hydrological will be tipped in favour of species poor pathways linking forests and food security; services including the quantity, quality and abiotically [i.e. wind-dispersed species]. That is most linkages between forests and food timing of water available for irrigation. the key point from an ecological perspective." security are more direct and more easily Forest-based bats and bees pollinate According to the researchers, Asian grounded in empirical research. crops. Forests mitigate impacts of climate elephants spread seeds from 1 to 6 km, while We know, for example, that forests and change and extreme weather events on the in the Congo, forest elephants are capable of trees make significant direct contributions landscape scale. spreading seeds as far as 57 km. to the nutrition of poor households. A 2008 The nature and significance of many of Despite their ecological importance, review of the literature on bushmeat – these linkages remain contested; one of elephants in Asia and Africa are threatened. conducted by the Center for International the most controversial studies ever While some populations of savannah Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the published by CIFOR was the 2005 report in elephants in Africa are stable, Blake says Secretariat of the Convention on Biological collaboration with FAO that questioned the Africa's forest elephants – the world's biggest Diversity – affirmed that rural communities linkage between forest cover and major frugivores – are in "steep decline due to in Central Africa obtain a critical portion of floods. Tantalizing findings on the impact of poaching ". (Source: www.mongabay.com, protein and fat in their diets through native pollination services on the size, 25 April 2011.) hunting wildlife in and around forests. The quality and/or stability of harvests for 70

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 12 SPECIALNEWS AND FEATURES NOTES

percent of global crops suggest the remoteness and low levels of external %HERBAL CUISINE potential significance of forests on investment. The collection, processing and agriculture at the farm level. Projections of sale of forest products (or activities Few would like the idea of adding medicine to the potentially devastating consequences involving non-consumptive use of forests food but, for the Chinese, sometimes food is of reduced rainfall on Brazil’s booming such as ecotourism) are often among the medicine, and adding natural herbs to dishes agricultural sector because of few income-generating opportunities may mean the creation of a gourmet dish deforestation in the Amazon are sufficient available in these areas. with healthy benefits. to focus the attention of national policy- The creation of small or medium-sized Some of the ingredients often used this makers with or without REDD+ revenues. forest-based enterprises can help secure way include ginger, ginseng and angelica Reports produced by the Economics of better market access and share, or add root. For instance, ginger is often infused in Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) value to harvested products. Many small- boiling water to create a home cure for mild initiative are only the most recent in a scale enterprises are based on NWFPs. throat infections or to prevent the onset of a series of attempts to assign price tags to They are particularly important in arid and cold. Ginseng is slowly stewed with chicken ecosystem services, including those semi-arid areas where agricultural to replenish energy (or qi) deficiency. provided by forests. production is more vulnerable to external Angelica is a popular tonic herb, often added Reasonable people may disagree over threats such as drought or extreme to a ginger and mutton stew to make a the relative priority of further empirical weather events. warming winter soup. Rou cong rong, or valuation studies versus research on The collection and sale of gum arabic cistanche, is a parasitic root plant produced shaping institutions to govern payments for (from Acacia senegal and A. seyal) in 17 in the deserts of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. such services and allowing markets to countries across dryland Africa is an Locals dub it "desert ginseng", and cook it determine prices. And the potential of example of how NWFPs are increasingly with mutton and beef to strengthen the REDD+ payments to improve climate integrated into global markets. Four kidneys, as a natural aphrodisiac for men. security, the focus of much current forestry processors in the United States of America Such healthy cooking has given rise to a research attention, is certainly relevant to and Europe account for about 70 percent of genre of restaurants that specialize in herbal this challenge. Faced with rising food world trade in raw gum, which is then cuisine. At Herbal Cuisine Kitchen, for prices, political instability and the processed and resold as additives for the instance, there is fungus on the menu, impending need to feed an estimated food and drinks industry. Between 2003 and including the celebrated lacy bamboo 3 billion more people by 2050, we also 2007, the European Union imported 200 000 fungus, slowly braised with turtle skirts and urgently need to accelerate the tonnes, valued at close to US$432 million. ganoderma. Ganoderma is credited with all complementary research agenda on the Establishing local processing and value- sorts of health-giving properties from just relationship between forests and food addition measures could help producer good-for-you to anticarcinogenic. It is a tonic security. (Source: Frances Seymour, CIFOR countries realize an increased market soup very suitable for every season. Director-General, 20 April 2011.) share of this lucrative trade. The use of herbs in food has generated Harvesting of NWFPs must be managed some recent controversy. For example, wild and regulated in order to be sustainable. ginseng may be too strong a tonic for some, GENERATING INCOME However, regulations governing the and pregnant women should avoid saffron. %FROM FORESTS AND harvesting of forest products, as well as (Source: China Daily, 17 July 2011.) TREES related permits, licences and taxes, are often complex, and in order to compete Food insecurity is generally related to effectively, small enterprises may be forced poverty and limited opportunities for to operate without the required paperwork. employment or income generation. Income Weak or selective enforcement of existing from forests and from trees on farms can regulations can foster unsustainable make a significant contribution to rural harvesting of NWFPs and create unfair households and their food security. Some competition for small enterprises. households in Mozambique, for example, Small-scale forest enterprises generally obtain 30 percent of their income from operate in the informal sector, and their unprocessed forest products such as contribution to the economy is often fuelwood, fruits, mushrooms, insects, “hidden”, in contrast with larger-scale honey and medicinal plants. private-sector activity such as timber IN THE MANAGEMENT Women play an important role in the harvesting. National reporting and %OF FORESTS, GENDER processing of tree and forest products. statistics on forestry or trade rarely capture MATTERS Given their responsibilities for ensuring the contribution of NWFPs. FAO’s Global food security at the household level in Forest Resources Assessment 2010 At the recent Poverty and Environment many parts of the world, income generated reports that the value of NWFP harvesting Network (PEN) Conference in London, from such activities is often an important was about US$18.5 billion in 2005, but “Counting on the Environment”, some means of providing food for the family. notes that this is probably a significant interesting results related to the gender Ironically, in many cases the tropical underestimation of its true value. (Source: differentiation of roles related to rural areas that are richest in forest resources FAO, 2011. Forests for improved nutrition livelihoods were presented. Aggregating are the poorest, because of their and food security. Rome.) global data from 36 long-term studies of

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALNEWS AND FEATURES NOTES 13

forest-proximate communities in 25 men and women is less marked and in the du Groupe de travail biodiversité de l'Afrique countries, representing more than 8 000 African cases, the value of unprocessed Centrale (GTBAC). households, it was possible to determine just products collected by women is larger than En vue de contribuer à l’Année who does what in contributing to the family’s the value of those collected by men. On all internationale des forêts, à travers le well-being and what value forest products three continents, however, men tend to play a SGT-PFNL/GTBAC et avec l’appui de la FAO, represent in the livelihood strategies of local more predominant role in the processing and la COMIFAC a regroupé du 25 au 28 juillet people. sale of forest products and generate the 2011, à Boali, République centrafricaine, des There are many assumptions about the greatest income. Despite assertions to the acteurs d’Afrique centrale concernés par les role of men and women in contributing to the contrary, the male members of rural PFNL. La rencontre a ainsi rassemblé des household economy in rural societies. The households really are doing their bit for the experts en PFNL provenant du Gabon, du first of these is that men are more likely to be household economy! Cameroun, du Congo, de la République engaged in the generation of cash income So what does this all mean? The regional démocratique du Congo et de la République from NTFPs, while women tend to collect differences suggest there is no neat “one size centrafricaine, affiliés à des institutions de forest products for direct household use. As fits all” policy for gender-oriented research développement et de recherche such, it is therefore assumed that women or NTFP-focused development interventions. gouvernementales et non gouvernementales, rely far more on forest products than do men. The highly specialized gender differentiation telles que la Communauté économique des But is this really the case? evident from this research suggests that États d'Afrique centrale (CEEAC), le Centre In order to understand the importance of locally focused gender-responsive forestry mondial d'agroforesterie (ICRAF), gender, the PEN global data set was used to policies and programmes should explicitly l'Organisation néerlandaise de assess within-household gendered take into account the opinions, needs and développement (SNV), le Centre pour la differences: (i) in the consumption and sale of interests of both genders. (Source: Terry culture en pépinière et la propagation de l'éru forest products; and (ii) in the reliance of Sunderland in CIFOR Forests Blog, 23 July (CENDEP), Bioversity International, TRAFFIC processed and unprocessed forest products. 2011.) ou DONAVAL, ainsi que des producteurs et This was able to be done accurately commerçants locaux, et des représentants because during the data collection process, de populations autochtones. information was gathered on who collected Cette première réunion du Sous-groupe what (e.g. male, female, child) and what de travail PFNL a permis de capitaliser les forest product was actually harvested. To expériences visant à renforcer la contribution check whether patterns of forest product use des PFNL dans la lutte contre la pauvreté et are consistent across regions, the analysis l'accroissement de la sécurité alimentaire, was conducted at the global and regional notamment à travers (i) la domestication des levels. Taken together, the results are espèces, (ii) l’introduction d’un système somewhat surprising. d’information sur les marchés au Cameroun, Almost without exception, the most able- (iii) le développement des petites et bodied members of the household (men, moyennes entreprises forestières, (iv) la women and children) do indeed participate in formulation de Directives sous-régionales the collection and processing of forest relatives à la gestion durable des produits resources. These include a wide range of forestiers non ligneux d’origine végétale en products from rattan to resin, fruits to forage, LES EXPERTS EN Afrique Centrale de la COMIFAC et (v) medicines to matting. However, what is PRODUITS FORESTIERS l’élaboration de stratégies nationales et de surprising is the level of gender NON LIGNEUX D’AFRIQUE plans d’action sectoriels. Les participants ont specialization in the collection and CENTRALE SE SONT reconnu qu'il revient à toutes les parties processing of forest products: put simply, % RÉUNIS DANS LE CADRE prenantes de vulgariser les approches men and women tend to collect different DE L’ANNÉE existantes, afin de les rendre plus visibles et forest products. INTERNATIONALE DES de les mettre en œuvre dans divers pays du Contrary to popular wisdom, the value of FORÊTS 2011 bassin du Congo. forest products collected by men surpasses Dans l'orientation politique définie pour the value of those collected by women. It was «Des forêts pour les populations», tel est le les pays membres, le Plan de convergence de also found that women tend to specialize in thème principal de l’Année internationale des la COMIFAC met un accent particulier sur les the collection and processing of forest forêts, qui met en évidence la relation PFNL et leur importance dans la lutte contre products that are used for subsistence, dynamique entre les forêts et les personnes la pauvreté et l’insécurité alimentaire, et ce à whereas men tend to specialize in the dépendant de celles-ci. Les forêts travers huit de ses 10 axes stratégiques. Or, harvest of forest products for sale. fournissent des produits forestiers ligneux et l’examen critique des Plans de travail annuel There are important regional differences des produits forestiers non ligneux (PFNL), (PTA) des ministères en charge des forêts des in this overall pattern. In the Latin American aussi les dialogues multipartites proposés pays représentés à la réunion a fait ressortir cases, the value of unprocessed forest dans le cadre de cette année à leur enseigne un manque de prise en compte des PFNL products collected by men considerably s'inscrivent-ils dans les missions du Sous- dans la plupart des PTA, ainsi que l'absence surpasses the value of those collected by groupe de travail PFNL (SGT-PFNL), créé en de plans d’opérationnalisation du Plan de women. In the Asian cases, the value of mars 2011 par la Commission en charge des convergence. Les participants ont ainsi unprocessed forest products collected by forêts d’Afrique centrale (COMIFAC) au sein recommandé l'élaboration de ces derniers.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 14 SPECIALNEWS AND FEATURES NOTES

Enfin, l’importance politique des PFNL start-up company. The organization was built other than timber. The socio-economic devrait aussi se refléter dans les to secure efficient conservation management contribution of forests to livelihoods and the organigrammes des ministères, que ce soit in parks, reserves and other conservation impact of their use on the environment are au niveau des Directions comme au Gabon areas throughout the world. essential components of modern concepts ou au niveau des Services comme au In 2004, a group of committed for sustainable forest management. The Cameroun et au Congo. conservationists, led by Dr Richard Leakey, integration of the assessment of non-wood became convinced that current goods (NWGs) in extensive forest surveys POUR EN SAVOIR PLUS, CONTACTER: developments on the Internet provided the causes problems as most NWGs are site Ousseynou Ndoye, Coordonnateur régional best opportunity for securing a future for specific, depend on spatial distributions and du Projet PFNL GCP/RAF/441/GER, wildlife: an approach that could harness the may be of only local importance. FAO B.P. 281 Yaoundé, Cameroun. collective energy of countless good Indicator 3.3 Non-wood goods in the State Courriel: [email protected]; conservationists and combine it with millions of Europe’s Forests 2011 covers the value http://www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/55079/fr/ of individuals around the world who have a and quantity of marketed NWGs from forest (Please see page 59 for more information on this genuine concern for the future of the planet’s and other wooded land. For reasons of project.) wildlife and unique habitats. These people consistency, NWGs harvested for self- would connect through the Internet to create consumption and other forms of uses are a movement powerful enough to produce a excluded, even if they could represent a NON-PROFIT virtual endowment capable of reversing the substantial part of the total amount of %ORGANIZATIONS catastrophic loss of habitats and species. harvested NWGs. In the available data sets, AND NGOS WildlifeDirect was thus established in the main NWGs identified are as follows: 2006 to provide support to conservationists in Christmas trees, mushrooms and truffles, Rainforest Alliancea Africa directly on the ground via the use of fruits and berries, cork, medicinal or The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve blogs, which enable anybody, anywhere to colorant products, ornamental plants, seeds biodiversity and ensure sustainable play a direct and interactive role in the of forest tree species, game products and livelihoods by transforming land-use survival of some of the world’s most precious honey. practices, business practices and consumer species. behaviour. The organization believes that the best way to keep forests standing is by FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: ensuring that it is profitable for businesses WildlifeDirect Inc., 306 5th St SE, Washington, DC, The total value of NWGs reported has and communities to do so. This means United States of America 20003 or Africa almost tripled since the 2007 helping farmers, forest managers and Conservation Fund (Kenya), PO Box 24467, Karen assessment. This is partly because of tourism businesses realize greater economic 00502, Nairobi, Kenya. improved reporting. However, NWGs benefits by ensuring that ecosystems within E-mail: [email protected]; are an important source of income and and around their operations are protected, http://wildlifedirect.org/ their share of the total economic value and that their workers are well trained and generated by forests is increasing. In enjoy safe conditions, proper sanitation, 2010, Christmas trees, fruits and berries, health care and housing. Once businesses NON-WOOD GOODS IN and cork were the most important meet certain environmental and social %EUROPEAN FORESTS NWGs. The total value of marketed standards, the Rainforest Alliance links them NWGs represented 15 percent of the up to the global marketplace where demand Temperate and boreal forests are a traditional roundwood value when comparing for sustainable goods and services is on the source not only for timber but also for many countries reporting both values. rise. products that have been extracted from The Rainforest Alliance supports NTFP forests, including resin, tannin, fodder, litter, research through its Kleinhans Fellowship medical plants, fruits, nuts, roots, for Non-Timber Forest Products, and by mushrooms, seeds, honey, ornamentals and Status and trends certifying a broad range of NTFPs to the exudates. In many parts of central Europe, Quantities and/or values of marketed NWGs standards of the Forest Stewardship Council. forest sites became subject to nutrient were provided by 33 countries. The available imbalance because they were used for data sets are fragmentary for several FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: grazing and for extracting litter. Over time, the reasons: the utilized assessment measures Rainforest Alliance, 665 Broadway, Suite 500, utilization of non-timber products became for quantity are not harmonized and render New York, NY 10012, United States of America. E- marginalized as management objectives it difficult to compare data; collecting data mail: [email protected]; www.rainforest-alliance.org/ shifted to timber production. The shift has on NWGs is costly; and most countries (Please see page 71 for more information on the been driven by different processes: the collect data only for specific NWGs that are Kleinhans Fellowship.) increasing estrangement of local people by an of local significance. As the importance of increasing disregard of subsistence use and NWGs differs among countries, a holistic WildlifeDirect small-scale rural industries, technological view of all types of NWGs across Europe is WildlifeDirect, a Kenya and United States of substitution, intensification of agricultural difficult to obtain. However, the reported America-registered charitable organization, production and prosperity development. data clearly show that NWGs can be an was conceived as a non-profit conservation Today, there is an institutional rediscovery important source of income at the local level organization along the lines of an Internet of the value of forest products and services (see Table 1).

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALNEWS AND FEATURES NOTES 15

TABLE 1. QUANTITY AND VALUE OF MARKETED NWGS: MARKETED PLANT PRODUCTS

Region Christmas Mushrooms Fruits, berries Cork Resins, raw material Decorative foliage, Other trees and truffles and edible nuts for medicine, incl. ornamental plant aromatic products, plants (mosses ...) products colorants and dyes Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Value 1 000 pcs €1 000 tonnes €1 000 tonnes €1 000 tonnes €1 000 tonnes €1 000 tonnes €1 000 €1 000

Russian Federation 6 4 9 332 21 006 49 053 105 501 - - 5 059 7 861 - 2 240 3 North Europe 17 162 132 104 4 428 12 493 52 231 15 107 - - 882 182 400 58 824 - Central- West Europe 38 850 733 900 732 14 550 239 883 1 550 775 145 32 1 581 7 202 55 231 Central- East Europe 1 542 2 830 29 935 10 587 61 362 28 132 - - 957 1 621 350 1 802 106 South- West Europe - 110 828 366 873 124 161 208 236 299 574 167 665 323 850 7 351 2 364 - - 7 997 South-East Europe 631 377 17 398 11 283 5 056 10 296 - - 17 368 12 476 37 921 408 Europe 58 193 980 043 428 699 194 081 376 178 459 494 169 215 324 625 31 762 24 536 2 368 70 989 63 745 Europe without Russian Federation 58 187 980 039 419 367 173 075 327 125 353 993 169 215 324 625 26 703 16 675 2 368 68 749 63 742

Because of the differences in reference 9 percent (€194 million) of the total value units (e.g. weight, volume, number or price), generated by NWGs. Central-East Europe the following remarks relate not to quantity The State of Europe’s Forests 2011: shows the lowest value obtained for but to the value of NWGs. The total value that Status & Trends in Sustainable Forest mushrooms and truffles but the second was reported for NWGs reaches almost Management in Europe provides an highest quantity (30 million tonnes) after €2 763 million for the entire FOREST overview of the status and trends of South-West Europe (367 million tonnes). EUROPE region, of which €2 116 million are forests and sustainable forest Italy is by far the most important producer marketed plant products and €648 million management in Europe in the period of mushrooms and truffles, with a share of are marketed animal products. The need for 1990–2010. The report covers the 46 357 million tonnes or 83 percent of the total further processing differs significantly FOREST EUROPE signatory countries quantity. among individual NWGs; as a consequence, and the European Union. Major parts of Information on the quantity of fruits, for some products, the marketed value of Europe’s forests are located in the berries and edible nuts was reported by 23 NWGs generates only marginal income for Russian Federation, accounting for countries, and on their value by 17 countries. the forest owners as most of the marketed almost 80 percent of the region’s total In the reporting countries, harvested fruits, value is related to processing. forest area. The Russian Federation is berries and edible nuts amounted to “Christmas trees”, “fruits, berries and therefore presented as a separate 376 000 million tonnes, or €459 million. The edible nuts”, and “cork” are the three country group. main producers in quantitative terms were categories of NWGs for which the highest Italy (116 million tonnes), Spain (70 million total values were obtained. In 2010, the tonnes) and the Russian Federatio reported values for these NWGs represented (49 million tonnes); in terms of value, the 83 percent of the total value of marketed for 34 percent of the total reported value main producers were Italy (€187 million), the NWGs in the FOREST EUROPE region. of NWGs; 25 countries reported data on Russian Federation (€106 million), Spain The highest shares in the value generated Christmas tree production. In Croatia, (€60 million) and Portugal (€34 million). by NWGs are tied with the Central-West Denmark and Germany, harvested Data on cork production, which is limited (€813 million) and the South-West Europe quantities exceeded 10 million pieces; the to the Mediterranean region, were provided region (€869 million). Lowest shares are whole production in FOREST EUROPE by France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Portugal reported for the South-East (€35 million) and countries amounted to 58 million was the most important producer of cork and the Central-East (€4 million) Europe region. Christmas trees. Values above €100 reports a production of 100 million tonnes In 2010, €980 million were realized by million from Christmas tree production with a value of €203 million. The production the marketing of Christmas trees, with were realized in Denmark, France, in Spain (62 million tonnes; €111 million), highest values reported for Central-West Germany and Spain. Italy (6 million tonnes; €9 million) and France Europe (€734 million) and North Europe Data on mushrooms and truffles were (1.6 million tonnes, €0.7 million) was (€132 million). Christmas trees account provided by 24 countries and account for considerably lower.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 16 SPECIALNEWS AND FEATURES NOTES

TABLE 2. QUANTITY AND VALUE OF MARKETED NWGS: MARKETED ANIMAL PRODUCTS

Region Game meat Living animals Pelts, hides, skins Wild honey Raw material Other animal and trophies and beeswax for medicine, colorants products Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Value tonnes €1 000 1 000 pcs €1 000 1 000 pcs €1 000 tonnes €1 000 tonnes €1 000 €1 000

Russian Federation 16 945 16 945 16 945 16 945 16 945 16 945 16 945 16 945 16 945 16 945 16 945 North Europe 33 535.2 5 791 - - 47 316 345.5 - - - - - Central-West Europe 42 264 217 505 - - 28 700 6 738 10 150 25 616 - - 1 340 Central-East Europe 23 903.4 15 117 3 117 1 221.2 50 358.6 2 136 - - 160 1 115 2 461.1 South-West Europe 2 634 149 537 - - - - 37 869 101 088 - - - South-East Europe 2 368.31 4 266.5 - - 6 526.3 8 439.16 4 275 3 660 - - - Europe 121 650 409 162 20 062 18 166 149 846 34 604 69 239 147 309 17 105 18 060 20 746 Europe without Russian Federation 104 705 392 217 3 117 1 221 132 901 17 659 52 294 130 364 160 1 115 3 801 EU-27 121 650 394 457 3 117 1 221 126 032 16 679 47 469 119 704 160 1 115 1 366.1

The quantity and value of different types of Forest Europe, UNECE and FAO, 2011. marketed animal products are presented in State of Europe's Forests 2011: Status & Table 2. Trends in Sustainable Forest Management Game comprises all hunted birds and in Europe.) mammals, such as partridge, pheasant, (Please see page 69 for more information.) hare, deer, wild boar and chamois. The figures presented include game whose habitats are forest related or forest RECONCILING SELECTIVE dependent. Excluded is game roaming on %LOGGING WITH THE farms. Data on game harvest, meat and LIVELIHOOD hides were reported by 23 countries for the IMPORTANCE OF NTFPs quantity and 19 countries for the value. In many countries, the commercial sale of The potential for combining timber and non- game meat is an important economic timber forest product extraction has been activity. Among the reporting countries, examined in the context of diversified forest Germany was by far the highest producer of management; a new study reviews this game meat in terms of value (€180 question from the livelihood perspective. Data on the three categories “Resins, raw million). Of the reported value of non-wood Many tropical forests are exploited both material–medicine, aromatic products, products, game made up €409 million commercially for timber and by forest- colorants and dyes”, “Decorative foliage, incl. (14 percent of NWGs) for all responding dependent communities for NTFPs. ornamental plants”, and “Other plant FOREST EUROPE countries. Divergences between these two uses may products” were provided by 23 countries Honey and beeswax production was have significant implications for forest- (“Resins, etc.”: 13 countries; “Decorative mentioned by nine countries for quantities. dependent livelihoods. Existing examples of foliage”: nine countries; “Other plant The other categories of marketed animal conflicts and complementarities between products”: ten countries). The total value of products contributed approximately selective logging and non-timber uses of these three categories comprised 3 percent to the total value generated by forests were assessed from the livelihood approximately €160 million. Among the NWGs. perspective. Case studies from Brazil, countries reporting, the highest values were The value of NWGs has almost tripled Cameroon and Indonesia were also used to generated for decorative foliage in Denmark since the last State of Europe’s Forests examine by what mechanisms, and to what (€58 million), for other plant products in report in 2007. However, this increase is extent, logging impacts forest resources of Germany (€54 million) and for resins, raw partly an artefact due to the rising livelihood importance, as well as to consider material – medicine, aromatic products, information needs on NWGs and respective how factors such as logging regime and colorants and dyes in Turkey (€10.6 million) increase of assessment activities. Thus no forest management system may mediate and the Russian Federation (€7.9 million). trend for NWGs is presented. (Source: such influences. The study identifies four

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALNEWS AND FEATURES NOTES 17

specific mechanisms, with conflict of use In recent years, FAO has carried out Many of the sacred forests are managed by and the indirect impacts of logging being extensive assessments of forest tenure the local community, yet receive no formal those most commonly implicated in negative systems in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin protection. The researchers hope that their effects on livelihood-relevant NTFPs. America and Central Asia and their impact scientific study will help guarantee official The majority of reviewed studies on sustainable forest management and protection from regional and national highlighted negative impacts on NTFP poverty reduction. Based on this analysis, governments. availability with examples of positive impacts the guide offers practical guidance for Initially, efforts were only made to map restricted to light-demanding species that policy-makers involved in forest tenure out land controlled by the large respond to the opening of forest structure. reforms. mainstream religious groups. Teaming up Such species typically represent a small According to FAO, around 80 percent of with the Alliance of Religions and subset of those of livelihood value. the world’s forests are publicly owned, but Conservation (ARC), the Oxford Despite considerable impacts on forest ownership and management by researchers decided to investigate livelihoods, in all three case studies there communities, individuals and private religious land controlled by all groups. The was evidence to support the potential for companies are increasing, more in some new initiative is already under way, since enhanced compatibility between timber countries than in others. the team has planned visits to areas in extraction and the subsistence use of NTFPs. In the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela India, Ghana, Japan and elsewhere. The results of the studies have significant and French Guiana, for example, almost all The first step in the team’s research is to implications for reconciling timber and non- forests are under public ownership, delineate the location of the sacred land by timber uses of tropical forests with whereas in Paraguay, Honduras, investigating the boundary lines. The status recommendations generated for research, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Chile more than of the land and its borders must be known policy and management implementation. 30 percent of forests are under private before a biodiversity assessment can take (Source: L. Rist, P. Shanley, T. Sunderland, ownership. In Peru, Guyana and Costa Rica, place. The researchers will also assess the D. Sheil, O. Ndoye, N. Liswanti and J. more than 10 percent of forests are owned land's value in carbon dioxide absorption Tieguhong. The impacts of selective timber by indigenous people. and its abundance of medicinal plants, as harvest on non-timber forest products of “A more diversified tenure system could well as the value to the local people. livelihood importance. Forest Ecology and result in improving forest management and "We urgently need to map this vast Management. (in press) (Contributed by: local livelihoods, particularly where state network of religious forests, sacred sites Lucy Rist, Ecology and Environmental capacities to manage forests are weak,” and other community-conserved areas to Sciences, Umeå universitet, SE-901 87 Umeå, said Muller. (Source: FAO News, 13 July understand their role in biodiversity Sweden. E-mail: [email protected]; 2011.) conservation," said Dr Shonil Bhagwat, on www.futureforests.se/) the research team. "Such mapping can also allow the custodian communities, who have WORLD SACRED protected these sites for generations, to REFORMING FOREST % FORESTS MAPPED OUT secure their legal status." (Source: %TENURE SYSTEMS Environmental News Network, 1 August A team of scientists from the University of 2011.) p Reforming forest tenure systems and Oxford, United Kingdom, are working on a securing forest ownership rights can world map that shows all the land owned or significantly improve peoples’ livelihoods revered by various world religions. This and enable them to gain income from forest "holy map" will display all the sacred sites products, FAO stated in a newly published from Jerusalem's Western Wall, to Masjid guide, Reforming forest tenure. al-Haram in Mecca, to St Peter's Basilica in “The continuing demand for land, weak the Vatican City. Just as interesting, the governance in many countries, and map will also show the great forests held emerging global challenges such as sacred by various religions. Within these climate change increase the urgency of protected lands exist a wide variety of life addressing forest tenure reform,” said Eva and high numbers of threatened species. Muller, FAO’s Chief Forest Policy Officer. The sacred land mapped out by the The guide was launched at the Forest Oxford researchers is not necessarily Tenure, Governance and Enterprise owned by a certain religious community, Conference taking place in Lombok, but rather contains sacred connotations. Indonesia, from 11 to 15 July. Attended by They estimate that about 15 percent of all around 200 representatives from land on Earth is "sacred land", and international and regional organizations, 8 percent of all land is owned by a religious the private sector, NGOs, civil society and community. Much of the land held sacred is Enthusiasm is the inspiration of researchers, the conference was forest. everything great. Without it no man is coorganized by the Indonesian Ministry of The Oxford researchers – from the to be feared, and with it none despised. Forestry (MOF), the International Tropical Biodiversity Institute in the Oxford Martin Christian Nevell Bovee Timber Organization (ITTO) and the Rights School – are focused on determining the and Resources Initiative (RRI). value of this land in terms of biodiversity.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 18 PRODUCTSSPECIAL AND FEATURESMARKETS

%BAMBOO earthquake (see Box). (Source: INBAR, 8 September 2011.) Regional housing forum hears how bamboo can build disaster-resilient homes and FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: livelihoods Tim Cronin, International Network for Bamboo and A major regional gathering of government Rattan (INBAR), 8, Futong Dong Da Jie, Wangjing, leaders, policy-makers, academics, activists Chaoyang District, PO Box 100102-86, Beijing and community groups has heard how bamboo 100102, China. Fax: +86-10-64702166; e-mail: can play an important role in protecting and [email protected]; www.inbar.int/ safeguarding the homes and communities of those most vulnerable to natural disasters and a changing climate. The 3rd Asia Pacific Housing Forum brought together over 700 HOW BAMBOO IS HELPING TO On 12 May 2008, a massive participants from governments, NGOs, the REBUILD SICHUAN PROVINCE, CHINA earthquake hit Sichuan, leaving 80 000 private sector, academia and civil society to people dead, 5.5 million homeless and share knowledge and best practices. Almost three years to the day since 1.15 million deprived of a means of “Bamboo is highly renewable, immensely China’s Sichuan province was hit by one of agricultural production. Since then, strong, lightweight, pliable and affordable,” history’s most devastating earthquakes, INBAR has been working with partners, said Nripal Adhikary, from the International the President of the European Council, including the Sichuan Provincial Forestry Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), Herman Van Rompuy, has experienced Department (SFD), the Benelux Chamber speaking at the forum in Bangkok, Thailand. “It first-hand the important and innovative of Commerce (BenCham) and the EU is also abundantly available all over the Asia- role that bamboo is playing in helping to Project Incubation Centre (EUPIC), to Pacific region, so bamboo has enormous rebuild shattered communities. harness the social, environmental and potential to provide safe, affordable, disaster- On Sunday 15 May, President Van economic benefits of bamboo. resistant housing for those who need it the Rompuy visited a bamboo production “Sichuan has around 17 percent of most.” forest in Hongguang village, Dujiangyan, China’s bamboo resources, but a much However, Adhikary warned that there are and a bamboo training and lower share of China’s bamboo market. still significant gaps in knowledge and demonstration centre at the Dujiangyan So bamboo has great potential for technical challenges to overcome if bamboo is campus of Sichuan Agricultural University. driving green growth in the region,” to offer a genuine solution to the global Dujiangyan is one of eight sites for the said Guo Hengxiao, Deputy Director- problem of substandard housing. He pointed project, “Eco-Friendly, Pro-Poor Bamboo General of SFD. “After the earthquake, specifically to the need for sustainable Production”, which is strengthening the Sichuan has worked hard to strengthen harvesting, proper treatment, appropriate local bamboo industry in order to build the local bamboo industry, by improving joinery and craftsmanship, and supportive socially and environmentally sustainable bamboo harvesting, processing and policies. economic growth in the region. The marketing, building pro-poor supply But housing is not the only way this woody project aims, moreover, to revive local chains, attracting investment and grass can reduce vulnerability. “Bamboo builds livelihoods in post-disaster Sichuan, promoting improved policies. This livelihoods,” said Adhikary. “It can be cultivated through the promotion of economic, project helps shattered communities with minimal agricultural inputs and be sustainable and ecofriendly consumer build a new way of life for the future. processed into many hundreds of products, goods and construction materials. We will continue to utilize Sichuan's often with little capital investment. So building Because of bamboo’s exceptional abundance of bamboo resources, and to bamboo supply chains can offer a diverse, strength and its shock-resistant make the industry a pillar of sustainable reliable and sustainable source of income for characteristic, the project aims to promote growth and recovery in the region.” farmers, processors, artisans, construction the use of bamboo instead of timber and The project is part of the European workers and entrepreneurs.” other non-renewable building materials in Union’s Switch-Asia programme, which “With nearly 70 percent of people affected the reconstruction of Sichuan. “Bamboo is aims to promote sustainable consumption this year by natural disasters located in the locally available, easy to process and highly and production among small and Asia-Pacific region, and 60 percent of the versatile, so it can provide affected medium-sized enterprises in Asia. (Source: world’s slum population living here, safe and communities in Sichuan with many long- INBAR, 15 May 2011.) secure housing has to be a number one term livelihood opportunities,” said Dr Lou priority,” said Charlie Ayco, Habitat for Yiping, Programme Director for INBAR, For more information, please contact: Humanity International’s Asia-Pacific Director who is leading the project. “It is hugely Lise van den Bos, Switch-Asia Project for Program Development and Support. encouraging for us that President Van Assistant, Switch-Asia Office, Beijing, Rm “Building with bamboo can enable local action Rompuy has seen our work first-hand, as it 1601, Zhongyu Plaza, A6 Gongtibei Road, and provide a good example of the innovative is just this kind of investment in local action Chaoyang District, Beijing 100027, China. thinking that’s needed to deliver quality and innovation that can help communities Fax: +86 (0)10 85236305; e-mail: housing for the poor,” he added. For example, all over the world to prepare for, and [email protected]; www.bencham.org; INBAR has been working with partners in recover from, natural disasters,” he added. www.inbar.int; www.switchbamboo.org/ Sichuan province, China, to strengthen the local bamboo industry in the wake of the 2008

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALPRODUCTS FEATURES AND MARKETS 19

New initiative in Latin America will use Ajiro bamboo bike grown from the ground antioxidant content. It has been termed a bamboo to tackle poverty and climate up “superfruit”, which has led to its use in change The bamboo Ajiro concept bicycle rethinks several food products. INBAR, together with its funding partners, both our means of transportation and the Traditional Chinese medicine makes use launched a major initiative aimed at ways we manufacture our vehicles. Designed of the root, bark, leaves, flowers and fruit of strengthening the use of bamboo in Latin by Australia’s Monash University design the plant. Dried goji berries are traditionally America to enhance economic growth while student Alexander Vittouris, the Ajiro utilizes cooked before consumption. They are added simultaneously adapting to the adverse a production process that removes emissions to rice conjee, jellies and Chinese soups, and effects of climate change that trouble the instead of releasing them into the Earth’s boiled as herbal teas. Goji berries are also region. atmosphere. This is because the bamboo used in wine production along with grapes. INBAR’s Regional Initiative for Economic structure of the vehicle is grown straight out (Source: www.indianexpress.com, 2 July Development and Adaptation to Climate of the ground into a preformed mould. 2011.) Change will focus initially on coastal regions Vittouris envisions fields of bamboo gardens of Ecuador and Peru. These regions are some growing these human-powered bicycles, of the poorest and most vulnerable to the which need only small modifications, once adverse effects of climate change in Latin mature, to hit the streets. THE HIMALAYAN BERRY SEA America and suffer from recurrent floods, “Consumption of raw materials has BUCKTHORN HELPS BOOST BRAIN landslides and other natural disasters. lasting implications – economically, socially FUNCTIONS One major aspect of INBAR’s new initiative and environmentally. This vehicle is about is to help those communities vulnerable to rethinking our approach to both design and The sea buckthorn berry, Hippophae climate change build elevated bamboo ecological sustainability of the products we rhamnoides, which is grown in the houses that can withstand floods, storms, create and use,” said Vittouris. Instead of Himalayan mountains, among other landslides and earthquakes. depending on the energy of factories to shape areas, has hit shop shelves as a new But while the challenges of poverty and material into the form of a car, Vittouris’ superfruit to rival broccoli, apples and vulnerability are immense and complex, the design relies on nature for that energy. blueberries. The berry, which contains solutions do not always have to be. “Simple The Ajiro is not only powered by the driver, vitamins A, B1, B2, E and up to ten times things like elevated bamboo houses can but also has an energy storage system that the amount of vitamin C found in make a real difference,” said Tatiana Garcia allows for excess power to be stored and oranges, is said to boost brain Alfaro, Project Manager at the Delegation of used at a later time. It provides a canopy of functioning. the European Union to Peru. “Ecuador and shelter for the driver and a reclining seat of Antioxidants in the berries help to Peru’s long tradition of building with bamboo woven bamboo stalks. fight obesity, teeth problems, acne, poor provides a strong foundation for local action, After the Ajiro is grown, the skeletal digestion and constipation. The berry is which is highly relevant for the initiative’s structure that was used to form the base can also said to keep the heart healthy. design and implementation. This initiative is be reused to grow future generations of this Aside from the berry, the leaves and an excellent example of how to make local human-powered, low-energy cycle. (Source: stem can be used to treat skin diseases. bamboo houses safer, stronger and more www.inhabitat.com, 23 July 2011.) (Source: The Times of India, 14 June affordable.” (Source: INBAR, 28 April 2011; 2011.) (Please see page 32 for more www.inbar.int) information.) % BERRIES

Go for goji WORLD BAMBOO DAY An overwhelming body of research has now Maqui berry defeats famous açaí berry in firmly established that dietary intake of berry antioxidant battle World Bamboo Day (18 September) is a fruits has a profound impact on human During the official launch of day of celebration to increase the health and disease prevention. As a result, MaquiBerryz.com, recent research that has awareness of bamboo globally. The there has been a surge in the consumption of shown maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis, World Bamboo Organization aims to “berry-type” fruits such as pomegranates, also known as the Chilean wineberry) to bring the potential of bamboo to a blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries, have nearly twice the antioxidant content of more elevated exposure – to protect strawberries, Leh berry (sea buckthorn), goji açaí berry has been discussed. Compiled natural resources and the environment, berries and several others. research from numerous health ensure sustainable utilization, promote While most of these are well known, goji organizations around the world has been new cultivation of bamboo for new berries (Lycium barbarum and L. chinense), put together to share the findings on industries in regions around the world, known as wolfberries, are native to Chilean maqui berries. and promote traditional uses locally for Southeast Europe and Asia. In China, goji is Medical researchers from Chile to Japan community economic development. part of traditional medicine and has been have all had positive results from a variety known in other Asian countries, including of studies. The most notable studies have For more information, please visit: Viet Nam, the Republic of Korea and Japan, recorded the record-breaking antioxidant http://worldbambooday.org/ for more than 2000 years. The popularity of content and similar studies reveal anti- goji has grown globally since the beginning of inflammatory, free radical elimination and the century, owing to its nutritive value and detoxification properties.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 20 PRODUCTSSPECIAL AND FEATURESMARKETS

What made açaí berry so valuable was are being killed across Southeast Asia in its vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. larger numbers than ever for import to Because of these healthy properties and its China, where many believe the scales have taste, it was easy to incorporate into many medicinal properties. The size of the illicit products and develop new ones. Maqui trade is staggering. According to Richard berry tastes great and has more health Thomas of TRAFFIC, one illegal syndicate benefits than the açaí berry. alone in Malaysia sold more than 22 000 Antioxidant values for açaí berry per animals from May 2007 to January 2009. 100 g of fruit are around 16 000, which is a Some Chinese customers, who also eat the very high number. For a while, this put açaí meat and blood, prefer pangolins shipped at the top of the charts for superfruits, until live, but the animals' low stress tolerance now. To put into perspective how much means that many die en route from more powerful maqui berry is, its stomach ulcers. Such is the pressure on antioxidant value is rated at over 27 000 per "Antioxidants are known for aiding the wild populations that many species in the 100 g of fruit, which is almost twice that of immune system which protects the body pangolin family are now endangered or açaí berry. These numbers were completely against germs and viruses. But they are threatened. unexpected. The scientific community had also a viable alternative to botox and other Tigers. It is not tigers' beautiful pelts estimated that there were plants in nature medical procedures thanks to their anti- alone that make them vulnerable, explains that had higher antioxidants than açaí, but ageing properties," added Green. (Source: Thomas. "Some people in East Asia nowhere near what maqui has shown. The Times of India, 21 May 2011.) believe eating tiger meat imparts Maqui berry has even caught the strength," he says. A recent development attention of billion dollar pharmaceutical is using the cat's bones to make tiger- and biotechnology companies. Because of % BUSHMEAT bone wine – a tonic made by steeping tiger the natural chemical composition of maqui carcasses in rice wine. While a number of berries, some companies have invested in Threatened species on the menu tiger farms have been exposed in the research and product development. This worldwide press, many of the tigers used in this way research could be used to develop new Brown bear kebabs, bear meat goulash and come from the wild. According to Thomas, medicines to fight disease and has already bear chops – all were on the menu at an numbers are worryingly high. "Within the been used to develop new natural Italian banquet broken up by police earlier tiger range states, parts belonging to up to supplements. this month. Organized by Italian Prime 1 220 different tigers have been seized in Very few people are aware of the benefits Minister Berlusconi's northern separatist the last decade. This sort of trade pushes of maqui berries; however, maqui berry coalition partner, the Northern League, the species’ decline, with rare animals like the juice has been very popular in Chile where banquet cooked bear meat imported from the berries are also used as a food. Only in neighbouring Slovenia to protest against the the past few years has information on the reintroduction of bears to Italy's Alpine health benefits gone global. With the recent Dolomite region. Some locals blame heavy FRENCH CUSTOMS AGENTS SEIZE success of açaí berry, maqui berry is livestock losses and a new danger on forest BUSHMEAT expected to go much further. (Source: paths, because of the region's 35-strong FreshPlaza.com, 7 September 2011.) bear population, even though bears During an operation from 17 to 26 May generally shun human contact. 2011, customs officials at Paris Charles Mulberry: the new anti-ageing The country's Foreign Minister, Franco de Gaulle airport seized some 460 kg of “superfood” Frattini, commented that the banquet was meat, 260 kg of which came from Experts have indicated that mulberry, the distasteful at a time when Italy's bears are protected species, according to a latest fruit to be hailed a “superfood”, after "almost extinct and we are trying with government statement. Several types of blueberries, blackberries and cranberries, is great effort to bring them back to the bushmeat were discovered, including packed with anti-ageing properties that could mountains that have hosted them for antelope, snake, crocodile and give skin back its youthful bloom and even centuries". pangolin. The French office responsible reduce the onset of wrinkles and grey hair. Unfortunately, Europe's brown bears are for monitoring environmental and Researchers at Brunswick Laboratories not the only threatened animals being public health threats (OCLAESP) said in the United States of America found dished up worldwide. Around the world, flesh from primates, elephants and mulberry juice contains more than twice as animals considered desirable or delicacies desert rats was also seized. many antioxidants as orange and cranberry are regularly poached so their parts can be Trafficking in exotic meat can spread juice, or a handful of blueberries. eaten or used to make medicine. In the serious illnesses, including Ebola, avian "Mulberries have been used since process, they are pushed closer to flu and foot-and-mouth disease as well ancient times to protect people from colds extinction. Here are some of the most as insects carrying vector-borne and other ailments, so I am not surprised vulnerable. diseases, the official statement said. the fruit is a rich source of antioxidants," Pangolins. The unusual skin of this breed (Source: www.expatica.com, 27 May Paul Green, the spokesman of the of anteaters, the only group of mammals 2011.) Progressive Food Company, which known to possess scales, has long been commissioned the research, said. eaten in tropical Africa and Asia. Pangolins

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALPRODUCTS FEATURES AND MARKETS 21

Sumatran tiger now down to a few hundred protecting the livelihoods of rural people the experiment, recently published in the animals." and conserving wildlife in biodiversity-rich PLoS ONE scientific journal, were Apes. While many rare species feed into the areas," said John Scanlon, Secretary- impressive. Fed drinking-water containing African trade in bushmeat – crocodiles, General of CITES. a CEppt solution over four months, elephants and porcupines among them – Legitimate subsistence hunting is being researchers found that the development of few are as vulnerable as the great apes. replaced by commercial hunting and trade the disease in the mice was delayed, with Gorilla, bonobo monkey and chimpanzee in endangered species including elephants additional trials showing that existing carcasses form only 1 percent of the total and primates, said Ahmed Djoghlaf, amyloids had been dissolved. African trade in bushmeat, but their low Executive Secretary of the Convention on Ovadia cautioned against excessive reproduction rates make them especially Biological Diversity (CBD). consumption of cinnamon, which can threatened. (Source: The National [Abu The statement said that replacing damage liver functions, and recommends Dhabi, United Arab Emirates], 16 July 2011.) bushmeat with locally produced beef would consuming no more than 10 g/day. (Source: require up to 80 percent of the Democratic Xinhua [China], 9 June 2011.) Taking action to stop the illegal bushmeat Republic of the Congo to become pasture. trade "Therefore, there is no alternative to Dr Jane Goodall, the renowned making the use of wildlife for food more conservationist, has launched a new sustainable." The Democratic Republic of campaign, Count Me in for Conservation, to the Congo, which is the size of Western fund projects and raise awareness about Europe, is home to more than 150 million the scourge of the bushmeat trade, which ha of forest, one of the largest stretches left is emptying forests of endangered species, in Africa. Experts say overhunting is especially chimpanzees. The multimillion undermining food security and also poses a dollar trade in bushmeat is one of the threat to the forest itself, as 75 percent of greatest threats to tropical wildlife. tropical tree species depend on animals to Chimpanzees are on the front line of this spread their seeds. devastating trade with fewer than 300 000 Measures proposed by the experts animals in the wild. include the promotion of beekeeping to Cinnamon Through the Jane Goodall Institute, produce honey for trade and subsistence, chimpanzee orphans whose parents have the introduction of community wildlife Cinnamon: the spice of life? been killed for food will be rescued and management programmes, and farming Scientists are undertaking an ambitious rehabilitated. The orphans will be used to cane rats for food. Cane rats, also known study to find out whether cinnamon can help educate people about chimpanzees. Dr as grasscutters, are large herbivorous treat multiple sclerosis (MS). The common Goodall said that most locals never eat a rodents that are already farmed in some spice has a long history as a medicine to monkey again once they see chimps parts of Africa. treat a variety of disorders including embracing, holding hands and kissing. Approximately 55 experts representing arthritis and sore throats. It may also help To support the campaign to stop the 43 governments and UN agencies, tame blood sugar in diabetics and reduce illegal commercial bushmeat trade, please international and national organizations the risk of heart disease by lowering bad visit: www.janegoodall.org.uk/count-me- and indigenous and local community cholesterol. It is now being investigated as a in/ (Source: The Ecologist, 1 June 2011.) organizations attended the meeting, which possible treatment for MS. convened from 7 to 10 June 2011. (Source: "Cinnamon powder is decreasing Rats, bees to protect African wildlife Reuters, 10 June 2011.) clinical symptoms of MS in mice," said Beekeeping and breeding animals such as Dr Kali Pahan, a neurological scientist at cane rats for food are needed to help tackle Rush University Medical Center (Chicago, the unsustainable trade in bushmeat in % CINNAMON Illinois, United States of America). With a Central Africa, conservation experts said on two-year, US$750 000 grant from the Friday at a joint meeting of the Convention on Cinnamon may delay, cure Alzheimer's: National Institutes of Health, Rush Biological Diversity (CBD) Liaison Group on Israeli study University Medical Center is evaluating Bushmeat and the Convention on Cinnamon, a spice usually associated with whether cinnamon can stop the International Trade in Endangered Species of sweet foods, contains properties that may destructive process of MS in mice. What Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Central Africa delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease, and they are seeing so far almost seems too Bushmeat Working Group. possibly offer a cure, according to a new good to be true. Researchers provided a Local populations rely on birds, reptiles Israeli study. video of mice with an MS-like disease and mammals, including apes, in the vast A research team, headed by Michael showing the difference in the mice before Congo Basin for food, but overhunting for Ovadia from Tel Aviv University's Zoology and weeks after receiving cinnamon bushmeat is leading to “empty forest Department, recently isolated one of the powder. It is still early days, but Pahan syndrome”, according to a statement issued ingredients in cinnamon, CEppt, and used it says the changes are dramatic. "I did not by a panel of environmental experts following in a series of tests conducted on two- believe initially we would get this result the meeting on the issue in Nairobi, Kenya. month-old laboratory mice that were with just the powder," he said. "Tackling the impact of unsustainable raised with five aggressive strains of Rush University Medical Center and illegal trade in bushmeat is critical for Alzheimer's-inducing genes. The results of neurologist Dr Roumen Balabanov warns

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 22 PRODUCTSSPECIAL AND FEATURESMARKETS

that what may seem to work in animals % ECOTOURISM may do nothing for humans. "Active intake of cinnamon for the purposes of Ecotourism in Africa: the future is bright, controlling the disease – I think that this the future is green would be wrong and a premature thing to Ecotourism has been grossly misunderstood do," said Balabanov. partly because of its vague and ambiguous The hope is that cinnamon can be used definition. Sustainable tourism guidelines alongside traditional medications as an and regulations should be enforced by inexpensive adjunct to help control the government agencies and stakeholders in disease, but there are still a lot of the tourism industry to ensure ecotourism unknowns. (Source: ABC News [United growth in Africa. States of America], 11 August 2011.) Many species in Africa’s varied ecosystem were on the verge of extinction in 1980. Efforts to preserve species such as the mountain gorilla in Uganda, Rwanda and the CINNAMON Chinese medicine records the use of Congo were hampered not only by unstable cinnamon, called dwai, for a wide political systems, but also by tourism and There are two main varieties of variety of ailments, including colds, conservation policies that excluded local and cinnamon. Sri Lankan cinnamon diarrhoea and difficult menstruation. indigenous people. This was solved by the (derived from the Cinnamomum verum Cinnamon has also been used in emergence of many successful community- tree) also known as Ceylon cinnamon or Ayurvedic medicine in India to aid based tourism enterprise models in eastern true cinnamon, has a very thin, smooth digestion and soothe nerves. Cinnamon and southern Africa that have contributed to bark and a highly fragrant aroma. In was used as far back as 100 AD and the drastic improvement in conservation of 2006, Sri Lanka reportedly produced valued 15 times more than silver. The wildlife and other natural resources through 90 percent of the world’s cinnamon. Romans utilized cinnamon for spiritual direct involvement of local people in tourism. The Cassia genus of cinnamon healing powers as well as to treat By 1987, tourism was Kenya’s number one (Cinnamomum aromaticum), also coughs and colds. In religious foreign exchange earner, surpassing both known as Chinese cinnamon, is a close ceremonies, cinnamon was burned to agriculture and the manufacturing relative of Sri Lankan cinnamon; it is purify the air and as an offering. The industries. By the 1990s, no other country native to China, Bangladesh, India and Egyptians utilized cinnamon to embalm was earning as much as Kenya from wildlife Viet Nam. Indonesia produces bodies and also to dry and preserve tourism and Kenya was being hailed as the 40 percent of the world’s Cassia genus meat. “world’s foremost ecotourism attraction”. of cinnamon. While cinnamon trees are Cinnamon is a known antibacterial Since then, Africa has developed a style of native to Southeast Asia, the main and antifungal agent and has anti- ecotourism that plays to its natural exporting countries are Sri Lanka, China inflammatory properties. Additionally, attributes. But poor planning and and Indonesia; the tree is also grown it helps boost brain function and is an management of tourism in popular wildlife commercially in the southern Indian excellent source of the trace mineral parks and reserves has led to environmental state of Kerala, Bangladesh, Java, manganese, as well as a good source of degradation arising from habitat destruction Sumatra, the West Indies, Brazil, Viet dietary fibre, iron and calcium. It also and animal harassment from vehicle Nam, Madagascar and Egypt. has unique healing abilities, thanks to congestion, lodge construction and off-road Cinnamon is harvested by growing three basic components found in the driving. the tree for two years and then essential oils in its bark, which contain Despite the internal political conflicts and coppicing it. In the following year, the active components security problems, Kenya is emerging as a about a dozen shoots will form from cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate leader in ecotourism, with the continent’s the roots. The branches harvested in and cinnamyl alcohol. These first certification programme, the oldest and this way are processed by scraping off components have anti-clotting most successful national ecotourism society the outer bark, then beating the branch properties and antimicrobial benefits and a growing array of innovative evenly with a hammer to loosen the and also help regulate blood-sugar community-run ecotourism developments. inner bark. The inner bark is then prised levels, which is why cinnamon appears The creation of community-owned wildlife out in long rolls, called quills. The bark to help people significantly with type and forest reserves has accelerated is processed immediately after 2 diabetes. Researchers in Sweden have ecotourism development in Africa, where harvesting, while still wet. in fact investigated its healing local people are improving their social, The spice has long been used in both properties in treating diabetes. economic and environmental conditions as cooking and medicine. Since Egyptian Although the study had a small group they benefit directly from tourists attracted times, cinnamon's healing abilities have of participants, further research has by exceptional and pristine natural been recognized and utilized. Chinese continued to show cinnamon's effect resources. In Namibia, for example, medical journals record cures with on lowering blood glucose. (Sources: conservancies that are communally owned cinnamon dating back to 2800 BC. various.) and managed – such as the Okarohombe Campsite in Marienflüss Conservancy and Salambala Campsite in the Salambala

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALPRODUCTS FEATURES AND MARKETS 23

Conservancy – have put structures in place businesses on sustainability issues. (Source: Income-generating opportunities for the that decide how to spend income from Eco-Index Monthly Update, August 2011.) locals include working as tour guides and ecotourism and pay dividends to individual hosting home stay programmes. (Source: households or use the income for Ecotourism to save ethnic group from The Brunei Times, 4 August 2011.) community development projects. extinction in Brunei The growing trend in Africa is The Iban longhouse community deep in the community/private investor management forests of Bukit Teraja in Brunei could % EDIBLE INSECTS partnerships in running community-based disappear in two decades without a necessary tourism enterprises where many community intervention, said members of the Insect diet may be the solution for a groups have entered into management environmental group Panaga Natural History hungry world agreements with private investors. This has Society (PNHS). This was among the reasons Mexicans eat deep-fried grasshoppers. The enhanced ecotourism development, with the group appealed to authorities to classify Japanese love wasp cookies. Leafcutter classic examples from Il Ngwesi in Kenya the forests of Bukit Teraja in Belait as a ants are considered a delicacy in Colombia, and Oliver’s camp in the United Republic of conservation area. "This community might die as are some caterpillars in South Africa. Tanzania, which is a privately owned tented in 20 years if jobs are not provided [there]," said And in Thailand people cook everything camp on the edge of Tangangire National Peter Engbers of PNHS, noting that many have from water beetles to bamboo worms. Even Park that has successfully negotiated written opted to find jobs in other parts of the country. though eating insects has often been agreements with the Maasai communities Gazetting Bukit Teraja forests as a dismissed as a cultural eccentricity, it might that own the land. The owners signed conservation area will allow small-scale soon become one of the answers to pressing agreements with two Maasai villages to pay development that will provide jobs for global problems such as hunger and US$12/night for each overseas tourist and members of the ethnic community. environmental destruction. US$6 for tourists from the United Republic of PNHS carried out a survey last year Eating insects, or entomophagy, is Tanzania. The funds generated go into a within an area roughly half the size of the practised in more than half the countries in wilderness conservation fund and are split adjoining 5 000 ha Teraja Protection Forest. the world. There are an estimated 1 462 evenly between the two villages. Approved recently by Brunei's Heart of species of edible insects worldwide, ranging Ecotourism presents an opportunity for Borneo (HoB) National Council and the from beetles, dragonflies and crickets to ant Africa to support local communities, while Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources eggs and butterfly larvae, according to presenting a highly positive alternative for (MIPR), the new conservation forest boasts research by Wageningen University in the livelihood diversification and economic, 39 waterfalls as well as an array of plants Netherlands. More than 250 species are environmental and social benefit for and animals, some of them potentially eaten in Mexico alone. development in the continent. (Source: undocumented and rare. But more than tasty snacks, insects GTGlobalTrader.com, 20 September 2011.) On the central fringes of the proposed could become a protein-rich, green and area is the Iban longhouse. Many of its global source of food, according to FAO. Certification programme for sustainable occupants are gone on weekdays to find The UN Organization says the projected tourism work in urban areas. growth of the world’s population – around GREAT Green Deal, the sustainable tourism PNHS said that gazetting the currently 2.3 billion more people by 2050 – will certification programme in Guatemala, is an unprotected area as a conservation forest require a significant increase in food independent certification programme that instead of being closed off to development as production. As a result, demand for offers the tourism sector a voluntary, third- an extension of the existing Teraja Protection livestock is expected to double during the party evaluation of sustainable performance. Forest was a more viable option for the locals. next four decades. However, almost This is done through a methodology based He explained that in conservation areas, the 70 percent of the land in use for on continuous management auditing, primary or untouched forests are protected agriculture in the world is for livestock, certification and monitoring, which aims to while controlled activities can be carried out meaning that the need for more grazing recognize businesses whose practices are there for scientific, educational or ecotourism land would bring further deforestation. economically, socially, culturally and purposes. The latter could provide the means Agriculture also contributes significantly environmentally responsible. The name of to keep the Teraja natives living there and to greenhouse gas emissions and puts a the programme has its own meaning: GREAT attract the others to come back. strain on valuable resources such as water. is an acronym for the words Green, Finding alternative protein sources other Responsible, Exclusive, Amazing, Tourism. than livestock is therefore crucial. GREAT Green Deal's certification of tour FAO and scientists around the world are operators is helping to support Guatemala’s suggesting that insects could be a serious tourism strategy in terms of quality of alternative. To begin with, insects have about service, as promoted by the Guatemalan the same nutritional value as beef, chicken Tourism Institute (INGUAT). or fish. They are easily raised in a In Guatemala and in Central America in sustainable way, since they require less land general, the concept of certification in and water than cows, pigs or goats. They tourism is still new and consequently also reproduce more quickly than mammals. voluntary acceptance is low. Major efforts What is more, people in developing countries are still required to raise awareness and can harvest insects without owning vast provide effective training to tourism properties of land or making huge financial

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 24 PRODUCTSSPECIAL AND FEATURESMARKETS

investments. Currently, FAO is promoting cent pour les crevettes et 17 pour cent pour but in Santander eating ants is something sustainable cricket farms in the Lao People’s le porc, la teneur en protéines des you learn as a child,” said Jorge Diaz, who Democratic Republic (please see page 44). sauterelles varie quant à elle de 50 à owns a restaurant in the town of Barichara (Source: France24, 17 August 2011.) 75 pour cent et celle des termites est de that specializes in ant-based dishes. “It is l'ordre de 35 pour cent. Cela illustre bien our version of caviar.” Les insectes comestibles d’Afrique de comment les insectes constituent un Strange as it sounds, caviar is an apt l’Ouest et centrale sur Internet potentiel essentiel dans la lutte contre la comparison. That is because the princess (LINCAOCNET) faim dans le monde, tandis qu'ils sont ants are bloated with eggs and are the ones Le projet LINCAOCNET, qui concerne 10 encore négligés, voire méprisés. people try to snatch, roast and eat. It is not pays d'Afrique francophones, a pour objectifs Les prix des insectes comestibles easy. Wearing ankle-high rubber boots for essentiels: (a) la diffusion accrue diffèrent d’un pays à un autre. L’espèce la protection, people must work fast since d'informations sur les insectes comestibles, plus chère est Rhynchophorus phoenicis F. smaller soldier ants, tasked to protect the notamment via Internet; (b) la production Les autres espèces (Oryctes spp. et princesses, can inflict painful bites that systématisée de données sur le rôle de la certaines grosses chenilles) se vendent à draw blood. consommation d’insectes – considérés partir de 25 francs CFA (0,039 euros) “You can earn a day’s wage by selling a comme PFNL – dans l’apport alimentaire, la l’unité. Les termites, criquets et certaines few pounds of ants,” said Edgar Vargas, 27, protection de la biodiversité, et sa chenilles se vendent à partir de 100 francs as he and his friends worked their way signification culturelle; et (c) la contribution CFA (0,16 euros) le tas. Les chenilles sont through a case of beer purchased with the à une meilleure conservation des insectes également exportées dans divers pays tels proceeds from ants they had gathered that comestibles. que la Belgique ou la France pour répondre morning near the town of Oiba. Six des 10 pays sont en Afrique de l’Ouest à la demande des diasporas africaines. The ants must be either frozen or kept (Bénin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, alive until the moment they are roasted, République de Guinée et Togo) et quatre en POUR EN SAVOIR PLUS, CONTACTER: otherwise they can taste bitter. In the off- Afrique centrale (Cameroun, Congo, Séverin Tchibozo, Centre de recherche pour la season when there are shortages, République centrafricaine et République gestion de la biodiversité (CRGB), 04 BP 0385 aficionados such as Diaz, the restaurant démocratique du Congo). Cotonou, Bénin. Courriel: [email protected]; owner and chef, will pay up to US$40 for a www.crgbbj.org; pound of the insects. Nombre d’espèces d'insectes comestibles www.arccona.com/tchibozo_fr.htm/ Although Diaz has never cooked with any observées dans ces pays other bugs besides ants, he finds the notion The hunt for gourmet ants in Colombia intriguing. “Once you start eating insects,” Pays Nombre Emerging from the soil this time of year is he said, “it is a whole new world to Bénin 19 something Colombian farmers covet more explore.” (Source: www.globalpost.com, Burkina Faso 16 than anything they can grow: “big-butt” 11 May 2011.) ants. Known in Spanish as hormigas Cameroun 17 culonas, the brown, cockroach-size insects Congo 23 are roasted, salted and eaten like peanuts. %FRANKINCENSE Mali 9 Considered a delicacy, they can fetch more Niger 7 than ten times the price/lb (454 g) of Frankincense may help treat arthritis République centrafricaine 14 Colombia’s world-famous coffee. Researchers at Cardiff University in Wales, République de Guinée 15 In the northern Santander department, United Kingdom, say frankincense – long République démocratique du Congo 22 about the only place in Colombia where used in traditional medicine – may help Togo 15 they flourish, the ants are sometimes used alleviate symptoms of arthritis. Study leader as pizza topping. One enthusiastic chef Dr Emma Blain and Vic Duance, both from serves beef tenderloin and pork cutlets Cardiff University, and Dr Ahmed Ali of the drizzled in ant sauce. Compton Group, say England and Wales “The more you eat, the more you want to have a long-standing connection with the eat,” said farmer Miguel Angel Paez, 25, Somali community, whose members have who has been gathering ants since he was used extracts of frankincense as a a boy. traditional herbal remedy for arthritic Colombia’s ants are a species of winged conditions. "What our research has focused leafcutter ants and are divided into castes. on is whether and how these extracts can In March, April and May, when seasonal help relieve the inflammation that causes rains soften up the ground, the princes and the pain," Blain said in a statement. Ces insectes sont riches en fer, zinc, princesses in the colony crawl out of the The Cardiff scientists say they calcium et phosphore, ainsi qu'en ground and fly towards the sun to mate. demonstrated that treatment with an extract vitamines B et D. Leur consommation peut Indigenous groups in and around of Boswellia frereana – a rare frankincense contribuer à réduire des carences en Santander have been eating ants for species – inhibits the production of key protéines. En effet, tandis que la teneur en centuries. They passed on the tradition to inflammatory molecules, helping to prevent protéines n’excède pas 23 pour cent pour le the Spanish conquistadors and the habit the breakdown of the cartilage tissue that poulet, 18 pour cent pour le bœuf, 24 pour stuck. “A lot of people think it is repulsive causes arthritis.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALPRODUCTS FEATURES AND MARKETS 25

"The search for new drugs to alleviate the Gnetum spp. est une liane Centre pour la culture en pépinière et la symptoms of conditions such as sempervirente qui pousse dans des propagation de l'éru (CENDEP – inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis is a habitats forestiers ombragés et grimpe sur www.cendep.org) de Limbe, Cameroun. priority area for scientists," Ali said. "What des arbres suspenseurs. Il n’est pas facile Plus de 80 participants ont ainsi été our research has managed to achieve is to de distinguer les deux espèces, dont les formés sur les techniques de récolte use innovative chemical extraction feuilles opposées varient en couleur et en durables, la construction et l’entretien des techniques to determine the active forme. Afin d’identifier chaque espèces propagateurs et pépinières-écoles et la ingredient in frankincense." (Source: United avec certitude, l’examen des organes commercialisation du produit. Le suivi est Press International, 22 June 2011.) reproducteurs est indispensable. assuré par des organisations locales qui Figurant parmi les aliments consommés ont bénéficié d’une formation approfondie Sustainable production of frankincense traditionnellement par les communautés sur le développement entrepreneurial. Gum olibanum (frankincense) from dépendant des forêts du bassin du Congo, Boswellia papyrifera has been collected Gnetum spp. constitue une source POUR EN SAVOIR PLUS, CONTACTER: and traded for centuries. Although importante de protéines et d'éléments Armand Asseng Zé, Spécialiste ressources production levels in Ethiopia fall far short of minéraux. Les feuilles sont utilisées à des naturelles et produits forestiers non ligneux, the country’s potential, export volume and fins curatives, et sont utiles pour soigner la Coordination régionale du Projet earnings from frankincense have been constipation, les inflammations de la gorge PFNL GCP/RAF/441/GER, increasing significantly since the late et les blessures ainsi que pour faciliter FAO B.P. 281 Yaoundé, Cameroun. Courriel: 1990s. But knowledge regarding the l’accouchement. [email protected]; biology and ecophysiology of the tree, the Les feuilles de Gnetum spp. font l’objet www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/55079/fr/ frankincense collecting process and post- d’une commercialisation non seulement à (Please see page 59 for more information on harvest handling remain largely l’intérieur des pays du bassin du Congo this project.) inadequate. mais aussi entre pays de la région et vers A recent management guide on the l’Europe et les États-Unis, afin de satisfaire sustainable production of frankincense la demande de la diaspora africaine. Les contributes towards filling this gap by récolteurs utilisent quatre techniques pour providing technical information in three la collecte des feuilles, consistant specific areas: how to manage the species notamment à (i) récolter toutes les feuilles better, how to tap the tree properly for en laissant la tige nue, sur laquelle des increased and sustainable production and nouvelles feuilles apparaissent how to improve and maintain product quality rapidement, (ii) couper la partie supérieure through improved collection and handling. de la plante, une nouvelle croissance se Effective use of information in the guide can faisant à partir du bas de la plante, (iii) help in sustaining the supply of frankincense déraciner la plante entière, sans possibilité by increasing the income of producers and de renouvellement de la plante, et (iv) enhancing the responsible management of abattre l’arbre suspenseur de la liane. Boswellia forests in Ethiopia. (Source: Une forte demande et une exploitation % HONEY AND BEES M. Lemenih and H. Kassa, 2011. Management commerciale anarchique et abusive guide for sustainable production of effectuée avec des techniques de récolte Beehives stop elephant crop raids frankincense. A manual for extension non durables ont provoqué un Innovative beehive fences have helped a workers and companies managing dry amenuisement du stock de Gnetum spp. community in Kenya to protect crops forests for resin production and marketing. dans certains pays du bassin du Congo, successfully from elephants, according to Indonesia, Bogor, Center for International notamment au Congo et en République research. Scientists found the hives to be a Forestry Research [CIFOR]. [abstract]) centrafricaine. Les communautés rurales very effective barrier; elephants turned vivant dans les principaux bassins away from them in 97 percent of their d’approvisionnement de Brazzaville, attempted raids. %GNETUM SPP. Pointe-Noire et Bangui parcourent Over the past 20 years, elephant plusieurs kilomètres dans la forêt pour numbers in Kenya have grown to around La domestication de Gnetum spp. avance s’en procurer. Une étude participative 7 500 and the population boost is widely en Afrique centrale menée par la FAO en 2010 a confirmé que heralded as a conservation success story. Sur une trentaine d’espèces du genre les stocks de Gnetum spp. sont épuisés However, conflict between elephants and Gnetum existant dans le monde, deux autour des villages, notamment à Abala humans, especially farmers, is an ongoing espèces sont exploitées dans le bassin du dans la région des Plateaux et à Madingo- problem. Elephants frequently "raid" farms Congo pour un usage alimentaire: Gnetum Kayes dans la région du Kouilou au Congo, searching for food such as ripe tomatoes, africanum et Gnetum buchholzianum, ainsi que dans la Lobaye au sud-ouest de la potatoes and maize. To protect their localement appelés okok ou eru République centrafricaine. Pour répondre à livelihoods, some farmers have resorted to (Cameroun), koko (Congo), fumbwa ce problème, la FAO a organisé en mai et extreme measures including poisoning and (République démocratique du Congo), juin 2011 trois formations sur la shooting elephants. nkumu ou mfumbu (Gabon) et koko domestication de Gnetum spp. destinées Previous research into natural (République centrafricaine). aux communautés de base, facilitées par le deterrents showed that elephants avoided

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 26 PRODUCTSSPECIAL AND FEATURESMARKETS

African honey bees. In 2009, experts from New Zealand beekeepers warn of “honey varieties of Garcinia, imbe is the best- the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, laundering” known relative of the mangosteen in Africa. and the charity Save the Elephants set up a Beekeepers fear "honey laundering" – The fruit is eaten raw, cooked with trial project to test whether beehives could allowing inferior or diseased honey from porridge, seeded and dried, or crushed like prevent conflict on farmland boundaries. around the world into New Zealand – may grapes to create a drink. It can also be After two years of observations, the full jeopardize their industry if new rules allow fermented to make a purplish wine or results of the trial have now been honey into the country through Australia. At soaked in alcohol and mixed with syrup to published in the African Journal of Ecology. present, no overseas honey is allowed into make liqueur. "Finding a way to use live beehives was New Zealand, but the Agriculture and Although the fruit is tasty, the plant is the next logical step in finding a socially Forestry Ministry is close to a decision more often used as an ornamental in and ecologically sensitive way of taking expected to allow Australian honey landscaping than as a source of food. The advantage of elephants' natural avoidance imports. Wellington Beekeepers tree decorates Mozambique’s capital and behaviour to bees to protect farmers' Association spokesman John Burnet said can be seen near Victoria Falls in Zambia crops," said Dr Lucy King, the University of that if Australian honey import rules were and Zimbabwe. Hardy, somewhat salt Oxford biologist who led the study. relaxed, new diseases could be introduced tolerant, and drought resistant, the tree In Kenya, the bees (Apis mellifera by "honey laundering". occurs naturally in landscapes as varied as scutellata) are small with short tongues "The Government is saying we have the sand dunes of the Tana Delta in Kenya, and swarm frequently. Bees cannot sting adequate protection, adequate controls. open woodland in South Africa, the through elephant hide, but they can and do There is no risk of disease coming in," says Okavango Delta in Botswana and termite sting around elephants' eyes and inside Burnet. However, scepticism reigns as mounds in Zambia. The tree provides trunks. memories of the Varroa mite infestation are forage for wildlife such as elephants as The beehives were suspended on wires fresh. Varroa mite is an eastern Asian well as material for building canoes, between posts with a flat thatched roof parasite that has killed large numbers of although the latex produced by the tree can above to protect from the sun in the New Zealand's managed and feral bee make the wood difficult to carve. traditional Kenyan style. The team created population. For food safety, honey must In one of few studies regarding imbe, an boundaries for 17 farms, incorporating 170 meet requirements set by Food Standards antibacterial compound was isolated from beehives into 1 700 m of fencing. "The Australia New Zealand, a binational agency the leaves. The bark and root of imbe are interlinked beehive fences not only that does not require country-of-origin currently used in Namibia to treat various stopped elephants from raiding our study labelling. ailments from cryptococcal meningitis to farms but the farmers profited from selling Codes regulate for purity of honey but tuberculosis, and the fruit contains honey to supplement their low incomes," Wellington beekeeper Frank Lindsay said compounds with potential anticancer Dr King explained. "The honey production that laundered honey could still meet the effects. and consequent income has really standard by using lesser sugars. "Rice The tree is also potentially a good incentivised the farmers to maintain the sugars are very close to natural sugars so candidate for intercropping with other fences." they use that and put some enzymes in and species, and its drought-tolerance and Conservationists now hope to roll out it comes out looking like honey," he said. attractiveness to insects and birds may the scheme to other farming communities. (Source: www.stuff.co.nz, 16 June 2011.) make it useful in ecological restoration of (Source: BBC, 15 July 2011.) degraded landscapes. Despite its potential and current uses, the tree has yet to be Promoting medicinal honey domesticated. Little documentation of A consortium of commercial beekeepers production under cultivated conditions has been formed to promote medically exists, and virtually no studies have been active honeys and hive products from carried out to try to improve plant Tasmania (Australia). The association, characteristics through genetic selection. called the Tasmanian Active Honey Group, (Source: Worldwatch Institute, 9 May 2011.) focuses on honeys with medicinal properties such as those with antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory %MEDICINAL PLANTS activity. AND HERBS Julian Wolfhagen, from the Tasmanian Honey Company, one of the six businesses IMBE (GARCINIA Preserving cures involved, says he wants to build consumer % LIVINGSTONEI) Over half of the world's prescription drugs confidence in Tasmanian active hive are derived from chemicals first discovered products. "Particularly in this case, where The varied uses of Garcinia livingstonei in plants. These include common New Zealand has established itself clearly With sap that makes arrow poison, leaves medications such as oral contraceptives, as the market leader, we need to get some that contain antibacterial compounds, and antibiotics and painkillers, as well as group energy and pooling finances to fruit as tasty as its cousin mangosteen, the lifesaving anticancer treatments and heart launch the existence of a Tasmanian uses of imbe (Garcinia livingstonei) are as disease medications. But these manuka." (Source: www.abc.net.au, 6 June varied as the places visited by its namesake medications and their plant derivatives are 2011.) David Livingstone. One of about 400 at risk of disappearing.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALPRODUCTS FEATURES AND MARKETS 27

Overharvesting, habitat degradation and According to Susan Leopold, Executive agricultural expansion all threaten these Director of United Plant Savers, a non- valuable plants; their loss is especially profit group dedicated to raising awareness devastating for those who depend on them about plant extinction: "A lot of populations for their livelihoods and health-care needs. are still very dependent on herbal It is estimated that there are 10 000 plant medicine". For those living on less than species throughout the world with US$2/day, pharmaceutical drugs are not an medicinal properties. While some of them option. The World Health Organization are rare, others are common garden plants (WHO) estimates that 80 percent of the such as Vinca (Vinca rosea or world's developing populations rely on Catharanthus, the English periwinkle), traditional, plant-based medicine as their which is used to make chemotherapies that primary form of health care. In an effort to treat leukaemia, lymphoma and other meet a growing demand for traditional varieties of cancer. Many drugs such as remedies, grassroots organizations are these can still only be derived from the promoting organic agricultural practices to Development (NIPRD), said: "This is a very original plant. secure the future of medicinal crops. good development … The issue of curricula Although many programmes advocate in medical and pharmacy schools is responsible cultivation and harvesting (e.g. fundamental as this would provide the right Well Earth), an estimated 70–80 percent of orientation and sensitization of younger ENDANGERED PLANTS the medicinal plants being traded are people to begin to develop career lines in collected from wild populations, according this direction". Prunus africana, Pygeum, African cherry. to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) The WHO Regional Director for Africa, The bark of this tree is harvested and and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring Luis Gomes Sambo, who presented the used to treat malaria, fever, kidney network. (Source: University of Oregon report, stressed that having national disease, urinary tract infections and [United States of America] in policies on traditional medicine placed the prostate enlargement. The medicinal www.campusprogress.org/, 14 June 2011.) conservation and sustainable use of retail trade for P. africana is estimated to medicinal plants in the arena of public be roughly US$220 million per year. One Traditional medicine gains ground in health. He called on African institutes to tree can yield up to US$200 worth of African universities compile inventories of medicinal plants and bark. The number of African countries with to conduct research on the safety, efficacy Hoodia gordonii, hoodia. A slow- national policies on traditional medicine and quality of medicinal plants. growing, spiny, succulent plant found increased almost fivefold between 2001 and Tamunoibuomi Okujagu, Director- throughout southern Africa, 2010, according to a report on a decade of General of the Nigeria Natural Medicine traditionally used by the San bushmen as traditional medicine on the continent. The Development Agency, told SciDev.Net that an appetite suppressant. Today, it is used report, launched at a meeting of the WHO the decision to introduce traditional to treat obesity. Of the 12 known types, Regional Committee for Africa (29 August–2 medicine into medical schools would only one is found in abundance. The September), also found that the number of reduce the cynicism expressed towards the other 11 can be found in small, scattered countries with strategic plans for traditional practice in Africa, counteract “quackery” populations under threat from medicine increased from zero to 18 in the and ensure professionalism. "A number of overcollection and illegal trade. same period, and those with national our health challenges require traditional Gentiana lutea, yellow gentian. This regulatory frameworks rose from one to 28. medicines," he said. "Traditional medicine plant, which is found in the mountains In 2010, 22 countries conducted policies are good for Africa."(Source: of central and southern Europe, has research on traditional medicines for SciDev.Net, 15 September 2011.) been used since the time of the ancient malaria, HIV/AIDS, sickle-cell anaemia, Egyptians as an appetite stimulant. diabetes and hypertension, using WHO United States of America-Namibia Today, its extremely bitter root is used guidelines. According to WHO, roughly 80 research partnership against malaria for the treatment of anorexia and to percent of people in developing countries The University of Namibia (Unam) has strengthen the digestive system of depend on traditional medicine for their received a donation worth N$700 000 for its patients suffering from chronic diseases. primary health care. malaria research project from Rutgers G. lutea is harvested in the wild and is Some African universities had University in the United States of America. now listed as endangered or critically incorporated traditional medicine into the Included in the donation are endangered in the European regions curricula for medical and pharmacy pharmacological kits. where it is found. students, the report found. Health Rutgers University donated 24 Artemisia Podophyllum hexandrum, Himalayan ministers and the WHO African regional annua plants with eight different varieties that mayapple. Found in Nepal and the office agreed at the meeting to promote contain compounds used to treat malaria. western Himalayas, this plant contains this integration as a way of increasing These plants do not exist in Namibia and podophyllin, a resin used to treat research in the field. Unam will plant them in its greenhouse for ovarian cancer and warts. Karniyus Gamaniel, Director-General of research purposes. Dr Martha Schulz, Dean Nigeria's National Institute for of the Faculty of Science at Unam, said the Pharmaceutical Research and agreement would also allow Unam

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 28 PRODUCTSSPECIAL AND FEATURESMARKETS

researchers to work as part of the N$1.6 Oregano. Origanum vulgare has long been say, where it can prevent diseases and million Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)- recognized by herbalists as having malnutrition and even boost development Namibia research project as partners with antioxidant and disease-preventing by creating job opportunities. Rutgers University and the National Botanical properties. The leaves and flowering stems In Sierra Leone, President Ernest Research Institute (NBRI), whose researchers are antiseptic. In one United States of Koroma himself regularly takes moringa are also part of the training workshop. America study, oregano was found to have oil, one form of the plant, boasts Jonas “This research opportunity will be crucial in 42 times more antioxidant activity than Coleman of the country's Moringa building capacity at Unam to conduct research apples, 30 times more than potatoes and 12 Association. into indigenous products with potential for times more than oranges, making it one of In a recent interview with AFP, commercial goods as well as social benefits the most powerful herbs at tackling Agriculture Minister Sam Sesay described for Namibian people through the health, chemical damage to the body. moringa as "the most nutritious plant on veterinary and food sectors,” Schulz explained. Thyme. The main constituent of Thymus Earth, and each and every part of it has Plants with medicinal or food vulgaris, thymol, can destroy bacteria and nutritional and medicinal values that have applications such as antibacterials, some fungal infections. “Thyme is hugely the propensity to cure over 300 diseases, antivirals, antimalarials and antifungals antibacterial and studies have including hypertension and diabetes". can be screened for use, while foods can be demonstrated its effects on killing In Sierra Leone, where some 70 percent evaluated for nutriceutical (medical) and Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which cause of the population lives on less than a dollar nutritional properties. stomach ulcers,” says Philip Weeks, an a day, only one in four children live to see Meanwhile, Dr James Simon, a professor expert in natural medicine. “An extract of their fifth birthday, according to UN in the Department of Plant Biology and thyme in honey has been used for centuries figures. The country, which was ravaged by Pathology at Rutgers University who is for bronchitis and chest infections.” a decade-long war that ended in 2002, has heading the visiting delegation, said they Sage. Salvia officinalis has been used in one doctor for every 17 000 people and one will develop kits to screen plants and see if natural toothpaste for many years for its nurse for every 8 000, according to health they have activities to treat a range of antiseptic properties. It has also been ministry statistics. diseases. “This year we expect to screen included in skin creams to treat bites and The Catholic NGO Caritas recently led a 100 Namibian indigenous plants within ten shingles because of its anti-inflammatory campaign to popularize the use of moringa different screens. We hope the kits will benefits. A study by the University of Exeter by distributing samples in the northern city provide valuable information that can be (United Kingdom) revealed that sage of Makeni, urging some 2 000 residents to used to protect and preserve plants while extract significantly reduced the frequency, replant them in their backyards and farms. Namibians seek to generate income and duration and severity of hot flushes in Coleman said "a total of 250 000 seeds improve health as well as nutrition at local menopausal women. (Source: The Mail on were distributed to people across the level,” said Simon. (Source: New Era Sunday, 26 June 2011.) country last year to engage them in some [Namibia], 24 May 2011.) form of economic venture". Makeni, however, remains the hub of Herbal remedies moringa production where a factory has It is estimated that £126 million is spent on been established and is marketing the herbal medicine in the United Kingdom commodity to other parts of the country. each year, and a poll in 2008 revealed that District Forest Officer Fomba James, who 35 percent of the British have tried shop- has over 15 years of herbal experience, bought natural remedies. describes moringa as "a powerhouse of Peppermint. A powerful muscle relaxant, nutritional values". peppermint (Mentha piperita) can help with "It contains seven times the vitamin C stomach cramps and relieving the found in oranges, four times the calcium in symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. The milk, four times the vitamin A in carrots oil can be used as a topical remedy for pain, and three times the potassium in while a study by the University of bananas," he told AFP. Heidelberg in Germany found that Salvia officinalis According to the Web site of the United peppermint can also help treat cold sores. Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Rosemary. From the Latin word % MORINGA SPP. the plant contains some 46 antioxidants rosmarinus (dew of the sea), rosemary and is loaded with phytonutrients, which (Rosmarinus officinalis) has long been “Miracle plant” boosting health in Sierra flush toxins from the body, purify the liver associated with its ability to aid memory. It Leone and bolster the immune system. is said that scholars in the past wore fresh A tropical plant said to be nutritional In the northern town of Port Loko, tribal rosemary springs in their hair to help recall dynamite is being plugged by Sierra headman Jimmy Lagbo told AFP by their studies. In addition, a study carried Leone's Government as a natural cure-all telephone: "We see it as a cure-all and out at the National Institute of Agronomic in the country, which has some of the many folks in my community are no longer Research in Dijon (France) demonstrated worst health indicators in the world. visiting the local clinics as they are now that rosemary stimulates the production of The moringa plant, native to northern using either moringa teabags or sprinkling cytochrome P450, an enzyme that enables India, has been called the "tree of life" and the powder on their daily meals." (Source: the liver to clean toxins out of the blood. its use is spreading in Africa, advocates Medicalxpress.com, 17 September 2011.)

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALPRODUCTS FEATURES AND MARKETS 29

Plans for “tree of life’ plantation in South are used as animal fodder; and the seeds Africa serve to purify water. KwaZulu-Natal (a province of South Africa) For its nutritious and drought-resistant may soon be home to a plantation of what properties, M. stenopetala has become the research shows to be one of the most object of a study that aims to extend its useful trees in the plant kingdom. Moringa cultivation to areas affected by severe oleifera, commonly referred to as the “tree periodic droughts and famines. of life” or “mother’s best friend” in many The first national conference on the cultures, is native to northern India and cultural and agro-economic heritage of the ancient Ayurveda medicine claims that it Konso people – “Konso Cultural prevents 300 diseases. Landscape: Terracing and Moringa” – will The iLembe District Municipality and Dr be held this month in Karat, Ethiopia. The Samson Tesfay, a post-doctoral student at meeting, organized by the newly formed the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Konso Cultural Centre, the NGO CISS- discipline of horticultural science, are Ethiopia and its local partner (Konso planning a plantation project for the plant. Development Association), follows the The project will harvest moringa pods for inclusion of this landscape linked to the Betulla papyrifera biodiesel processing, using small-scale cultivation of moringa as a UNESCO World emerging farmers in the area. Heritage Site. Xylitol: a natural sweetener Moringa seeds are extremely high in oil The conference is part of a series of Xylitol is a molecule found widely in nature. It and “the tree can survive in relatively initiatives at national and international is typically extracted from birch bark (Betulla unfavourable conditions and does not levels that will focus on moringa and the papyrifera or B. populifolia), and also found require sophisticated and expensive agroforestry of the Konso. (Source: in a variety of fruits and vegetables. Xylitol is farming methods or inputs,” Tesfay said. SlowFood.com, 17 August 2011.) a naturally occurring sugar substitute, and The tree has also been used for water has been used as a sweetener since the purification in southern and East Africa. 1960s. It is slowly absorbed and only partially “The seeds are effective in removing about %NATURAL SWEETENERS utilized, thus amounting to a reduced calorie 98 percent of impurities and microbes from intake. The molecule is more or less as contaminated water,” Tesfay added. Stevia rebaudiana: EU members approve sweet as sucrose, yet it has 40 percent fewer In addition to the plantation project, stevia sweeteners for food use calories and 75 percent fewer carbohydrates Tesfay plans to conduct community-based Natural sweeteners derived from the stevia than sugar. research trials on the plant’s antioxidant plant could be authorized for EU-wide use Xylitol was discovered by a German compounds. “I hope to create an awareness by the end of the year, after governments chemist in 1891. Yet it was not until acute of the value of the plant which will help to approved their sale in certain foodstuffs, sugar shortages after the Second World War mitigate malnutrition in the community,” the EU’s executive said on Tuesday. – when researchers were forced to look for he said. “People today are more focused on Concern over rising levels of obesity and an alternative sugar supply – that Finnish antioxidants.” Antioxidants have a wide diabetes has spurred the development of scientists “rediscovered” xylitol. Only then range of purposes, such as anti-ageing and new sweeteners, and food consultancy did it become widely recognized as a cancer prevention. (Source: Daily News Zenith International expects the global sweetener as well as an energy source for [South Africa], 17 August 2011.) market for stevia-derived products to reach patients with impaired glucose tolerance and US$825 million by 2014. insulin resistance. “No life without moringa” "The text will now be subject to the Xylitol also has proven medical benefits “Without moringa there is no life” goes the scrutiny of the European Parliament. At the because of its effects on many types of saying of the Konso people who inhabit the end of the procedure, steviol glycoside bacteria. It is a cavity fighter – reducing tooth lowlands of southern Ethiopia, expressing could be authorized in the EU by the end of decay – and effective in clearing nasal the ancient link that unites them to the the year," the European Commission said passages, thus reducing the risk of infection. Moringa stenopetala plant. Called the in a statement. (Source: S. Sellman, 2003. Xylitol: our sweet “miracle tree” in the local language, it is The Commission proposed a cut in the salvation? in Nexus Magazine.) known for its capacity to withstand maximum usage levels for steviol prolonged periods of drought. Its glycosides requested by manufacturers, cultivation, intercropped with tubers, after a safety evaluation found that they %NETTLES legumes, cereals and shade plants such as could exceed the "acceptable daily intake" coffee, allows the creation of an agro- level of 4 mg/kg of body weight. Nettle (Urtica dioica Linn.) – a potential ecological system able to preserve the Zero-calorie steviol glycosides, which wild resource for socio-economic properties of the land and prevent soil are between 40 and 300 times sweeter than upliftment in the Indian Himalayas erosion, with the construction of terraces, sucrose, are derived from the Stevia The genus Urtica (Urticaceae) is known by creating a unique landscape in the region. rebaudiana plant – also known as 30–45 species, of which the most used The Konso throw nothing away from this sweetleaf or sugarleaf – native to Central dietary supplement is the nettle (Urtica plant: the edible leaves are rich in protein, and South America. (Source: Reuters, dioica Linn). It is native to Asia, Africa, iron and vitamins; the more bitter leaves 5 July 2011.) Europe and North America. In the

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 30 PRODUCTSSPECIAL AND FEATURESMARKETS

Himalayas, this stinging perennial herb material using scientifically based grows in forests, thickets, grasslands, population studies in different Himalayan stream banks, floodplains and newly terrains and habitats would help disturbed moist areas at altitudes of conservation planning and management. 1 200–3 000 m from Pakistan to southwest Propagation/cultivation technologies need China. With good humus, the plant innovation and standardization before a produces a robust stem reaching up to 3 m mass cropping is encouraged in the rural in height. Flowering in June-August and sectors of the Indian Himalayas. fruiting during August-October, the one- (Contributed by: Dr Hemant K Badola, sexed flowers produce flattened achene. Scientist ‘E’– Conservation of Biodiversity, In the Indian Himalayas, the species has G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment many vernacular names, such as Bichu & Development, Sikkim Unit, PO Box 40, buti in Hindi, Sisnoo in Sikkim and Ahan in Gangtok [Campus: Pangthang], Himachal Pradesh (HP). Sikkim 737 101, India. The plant is used for various purposes as cuttings. A high heterogeneity in seeds may E-mail: [email protected]; food, fodder, medicine and cosmetics; and in result in declining fibre content more than the [email protected]/) agriculture and industry (industrial plants developed from vegetative propagation. chlorophyll production is known). Research and field trials are limited. Domestically and commercially, the plant Unfortunately, in the Indian Himalayas, % RESINS offers great socio-economic potential. The industrial entrepreneurship has yet to be dried leaves used as tea and the fresh leaves established. Commonly, in Sikkim, HP and Reviving pine resin extraction in southern as juice are considered haemostatic, diuretic, Uttarakhand, traditional nettle clothing is Europe antiarthritic, antirheumatic, anti-itch and anti- made by beating, drying and boiling the nettle The extraction of resin in the pine forests of inflammatory. Soups and curries are common stems. In Dzongu (Sikkim), natives still southern Europe has generated revenue for dishes and are routine meals in Sikkim, HP traditionally extract the quality nettle fibres; woodland owners since the end of the and Uttarakhand. The plant also offers a however, the younger generation is reluctant. nineteenth century. It has also created feeding ground to caterpillars of abundant The young shoots/leaves of the nettles are employment in rural areas, supplying butterflies and moths. highly marketed NTFPs almost all year, with renewable, natural raw material in demand Research in Dzongu valley of north Sikkim April-September being the peak season for by the large chemical industry of the by the author with his student (published in quality and quantity. Growing markets have southwest. Its effect on the conservation of the Journal of Ethnobiology and encouraged people to harvest nettles the pine forests and fire prevention has also Ethnomedicine, 2008) found that nettle root perennially. Villagers in Sikkim and HP sell been notable, with less frequent and intense paste is applied on minor bone fractures and the shoots/leaves in bunches of 300–500 g for fires where resin workers are active. dislocations; a decoction of roots and seeds 8–15 rupees/bunch. During the season, a These benefits, however, are disappearing cures diarrhoea and coughs; and curry vendor (in Sikkim and HP) may earn 200–500 because of the decline of resin extraction prepared from shoot tips is given to females rupees/day. A large number of vendors in activity; the work is no longer attractive to during childbirth. Beating cows that are not Sikkim market the nettle frequently, along youth since it is not particularly profitable lactating with nettles is held to stimulate with many other NTFPs. and involves demanding physical work. In milk production. Shamans believe that evil Cultivation and varietal development in fact, extraction requires intense labour, skill spirits can be driven out of humans by Europe has been well researched; the and long periods of training which, together beating them with nettles during exorcism experience can be utilized for ex situ with its seasonal nature (currently 7.5 rituals, and this is a common practice. cultivation-based commercial months/year) and its limited profitability, Different curries (routine food) are made entrepreneurship in the Indian Himalayas. explains why the activity is gradually delicious by boiling young leaves with added Nettle domestication, as organic farming and disappearing in developed countries. The condiments and frying them with butter; they by plantation in wastelands and fringe abandonment of the activity has led to the are also good for the stomach. In habitats, will substantially raise the socio- degradation of the forests, mainly as a result Uttarakhand and HP, the seeds are crushed economic situation of the community. of forest fires. to make chatni, a tasty appetizer. Moreover, planting nettles as hedge plants However, current European rural Furthermore, the leaves make good fodder. and fencing will protect crops and animal development policies based on the use of Before the Second World War in central husbandry from wildlife. Nettle cultivation will endogenous resources, such as resin, and Europe, nettles were cultivated as a fibre plant strengthen in situ species conservation and, the social and legislative recognition of using wild stock for the production of textiles. thus, of the associated biodiversity as part of a natural, sustainable products, together with The nettle stem contains around 30 percent carbon sink combating climate change. the current employment crisis; the protein and 10 percent fibre. Breeding helped Planting nettles is relatively cost effective and seriousness of forest fires; and the instability increase the fibre content from 5 percent stalk environmentally friendly. and price increases of resin products dry matter (wild) to 17 percent (cultivated). The domestic market for fresh supported by European industries have Planting cuttings may yield pure nettle fibre; leaves/young twigs is huge within the Indian created a scenario that is favourable for the the organically produced fibres are highly in Himalayas and value addition and commercial revival of the sector. demand in textiles. Wild nettles can be production need further exploration. An In 2007, in the hopes of reviving resin domesticated by sowing seeds or by stem assessment of the quantum availability of raw extraction activity, the Fundación Centro de

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALPRODUCTS FEATURES AND MARKETS 31

Servicios y Promoción Forestal y de su A substantial business has grown out of a Glacier range, the birthplace of the Rhone Industria de Castilla y León (Cesefor), Spain’s spruce resin salve River and the unlikely home of these Ministry of Science and Innovation, A Finnish company has turned spruce resin precious purple flowers. OurémViva-Gestão de Espaços e into a pharmaceutical salve. At the turn of the The region was designated a UNESCO Equipamentos Municipais and the Institut millennium, physician Arno Sipponen at the World Heritage site in 2001 for its stunning Polytechnique de Bordeaux, among others, outpatient clinic in Kolari, Western Lapland, Alpine beauty. Saffron was harvested in the initiated a project (set to run until 2013), was treating patients with bedsores so bad Mund area as long ago as the fourteenth aiming to mechanize the method of tapping that nothing seemed to help. He was told by a century. Then, in the 1950s, as and investigate the different applications and nurse that there was one more method worth industrialization spread throughout uses of resin, in order to raise the value of the trying – the traditional Lappish spruce resin Switzerland, farmers gradually abandoned resource. (Picea abies) salve. However, it could not be the practice. But when state authorities The primary goal of the project is to bought at a pharmacy but from a local decided in 1979 to build a road through what transform the extraction of resin into a farmer, Mr Timo Kyrö, who made it himself. remained of the saffron fields, hundreds of profitable activity that contributes to rural Sipponen decided to give the salve a try. villagers rebelled. Led by the village priest, employment, the conservation of the large Within six months, even apparently they rose up to protect the crucial 4 acres Pinus pinaster pine forests of the southwest hopeless bedsores of several years’ standing (1.6 ha) historically under cultivation. More and the prevention of forest fires. Other were healed. Now a company called Repolar important, their fervour reignited the objectives include: Oy, headed by Arno’s father, physician and tradition of saffron cultivation in the area. • the mechanization of the process as an Professor Pentti Sipponen, produces the Mund has 529 residents today, and 60 of alternative to manual extraction, which resin salve industrially in the city of Espoo. them own a piece of the saffron fields in has higher costs and cannot easily Called “Abilar,” the salve can be bought at all parcels ranging from 376 to 2 368 ft2 compete with less developed countries Finnish pharmacies and is used by several (35–220 m²). “We formed an old-fashioned where labour costs are lower; primary health-care and specialized medical guild in 1979. Year after year, the amount of • obtaining scientific and economic care units. cultivated land grew, and more inhabitants evidence of the role played by the resin The resin salve is a good example of what got involved,” said former Mund mayor Leo industry for the conservation of the pine can be made out of a natural product by Albert. By 2004, the guild had obtained an forests of the southwest and performing refining it. The price of the resin in a tube of Appellation d’origine controlée (AOC), the a market analysis and revaluating a salve is much higher than the price paid to its stamp of approval from the Swiss differentiated product – European resin; gatherer – and so it should be. The increase Government, and official Mund saffron was • demonstrating the role played by human in price is based on value added, and it born. activity in the conservation of European means work and well-being: the resin is Last year’s harvest yielded a grand total forest ecosystems and its compatibility gathered, purified, turned into a salve, of about 9 lb (4 kg) – a small amount, with the natural values they hold; and packaged and delivered to the consumer. perhaps, but enough to re-energize a • using cross-sector participation to “Scientific evidence is important.” Seeing village and put it on the international foodie design a strategy that is common to and the effects of the resin salve on bedsores, the map. assumed by every player, coinciding with Sipponens wanted to research its properties Today, experts consider Mund saffron the objectives of the main European scientifically: were the bedsores getting superior to any in the world. Neither Spain policies on the conservation of nature better just by accident or was the salve really nor the Islamic Republic of Iran, with their and rural development, taking into effective? Both microbiological laboratory massive outputs can compete with Mund consideration the different tests and comprehensive clinical tests were saffron for flavour. (Source: The characteristics of each territory on a carried out. The results were published in Washington Post, 3 June 2011.) local scale. 2008 in the British Journal of Dermatology, a (Contributed by: Félix Pinillos Herrero, Jefe leading publication in the field of skin Concern over saffron price drop in de Área, Fundación Centro de Servicios y diseases. “The key word is scientific Afghanistan Promoción Forestal y de su Industria, Pol. evidence. That is my advice to those who are Saffron prices in western Afghanistan have Ind. Las Casas, calle C, parcela 4, 42005 launching other Finnish natural products,” reportedly declined sharply over the past Soria, Spain. Fax: +34 975 23 96 77; e-mail: emphasizes Pentti Sipponen. (Source: year, raising fears that some people may [email protected]; www.cesefor.com; www.forest.fi, 15 April 2011.) resume opium cultivation. Saffron has www.sust-forest.eu/) been promoted as an alternative to opium and a profitable crop for rural peoples. But % SAFFRON growers in the province of Herat, which borders the Islamic Republic of Iran, told Switzerland’s sweet saffron BBC Pashto that prices have dropped by as It takes 390 stigmas, gathered by hand from much as 60 percent as supply has 130 Crocus sativus flowers, to produce 1 g outstripped demand. of saffron. This, however, is not the Islamic Afghanistan, in particular Herat, has the Republic of Iran or Spain, countries known ideal climate for growing saffron. Afghan for their bountiful saffron fields. This is tiny officials say that last year Herat produced Mund in Switzerland, a town tucked more than 2.5 tonnes; this year they expect between Geneva and Zermatt in the Aletsch more than 3.5 tonnes to be produced.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 32 PRODUCTSSPECIAL AND FEATURESMARKETS

Last year, pure saffron sold at The trees are covered in vicious spines US$4 500/kg but now the price stands at and the berries are impossible to remove US$1 500. The high prices of saffron, the from the branches without bursting and world's most expensive spice, have benefited spraying you with bright, orange-coloured cultivators around the world over the years. juice. A fantastically sour berry, sea The Head of the Chamber of Commerce in buckthorn is ideal for cooking and for use in Herat, Gholam Jailani Hamidi, told the BBC a champagne cocktail. (Source: The that production increase is key to the price Guardian [United Kingdom], 13 July 2011.) drop. "We need balance in our productivity and demand and we need to find new Sea buckthorn berries markets," he said. But correspondents say Sea buckthorn berries, grape-sized orange that some are afraid the price drop could fruits from a hardy bush that grows in leave farmers considering whether to revert Europe, Asia and the Americas, are being to growing poppies. tapped as the next superfood with "huge" Afghanistan is estimated to produce potential, scientists say in a new report. Sandalwood around 90 percent of the world's opium. While the berry juice – tart and acidic – is Farmers are still willing to cultivate saffron, There are also plans to introduce the consumed in the Russian Federation and saying they do not want to go back to poppy sandalwood to protected reserves and to other parts of Europe, it is still underutilized cultivation as long as the government the home gardens of rural villagers in Sri in North America. But in a study published in provides them with financial help, Lanka. Dhanushka says this will benefit the this month's issue of Food Research correspondents say. But Afghan businesses community because “sandalwood is one of International, researchers from the have been demanding new processing and the most expensive timbers in the world – University of Saskatchewan in Canada and packaging systems in order to open foreign it’s considered an asset to have a tree that the Indian Institute of Technology in New markets for their product. (Source: BBC could provide 100 kg of quality heartwood”. Delhi found the berries to be nutrient rich,

News, 17 June 2011.) “It’s a huge boost to the villages as not packed with vitamins A, K, E, C, B1 and B2, many crops could yield such an income. fatty acids, lipids, organic acids, amino acids, Also it’s seen as a long-term investment by carbohydrates, folic acid and flavonoids. %SANDALWOOD many people. It’s also common practice in Sea buckthorn oil is currently used to Western Australia and southern India that alleviate eczema, sunburn, mouth dryness Scientists “knock on wood” to keep sandalwood trees are added to the value of and ulcers, gastric ulcers, urinary tract species popular a land in estimating the land value.” inflammation, genital ulcers, sinus A collaborative team of Western Australian (Source: Science Network Western inflammation and eye dryness. and Sri Lankan scientists have been awarded Australia, 21 September 2011.) Although the fruits are loaded with a Sri Lanka National Research Council Grant nutritional potential, researchers also noted to help continue their international study to that one significant drawback is the short protect and repopulate the highly threatened %SEA BUCKTHORN harvesting season and the high moisture sandalwood tree Santalum album. content of the fruits, which make them less Curtin School of Pharmacy Ph.D. student Sea buckthorn in the United Kingdom flexible to work with. Dhanushka Sugeeshwara Hettiarachchi says Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a Recently, Dr Mehmet Oz, Vice-Chair and the team will use silviculture to set up a shrub-like tree from which the berries are Professor of Surgery at Columbia University healthy sandalwood population in Sri Lanka. collected. It is native to the United Kingdom (New York, United States of America) also He says that seeds will be selected from and, until recently, was largely restricted to touted the berries for their wide-ranging high-quality sandalwood trees, rather than a the southern part of the east coast of health benefits. The berries were featured single tree and that these seeds will be England. It is an excellent stabilizer of sand as a weight loss supplement and recognized planted in nurseries. Being a semi-parasitic dunes and has been planted all around the for their ability to aid constipation and species, sandalwood taps the roots of coast for this purpose. Unfortunately, it has prevent acne. (Source: The Independent, surrounding trees for water and nutrients done its job too well and, spreading by 7 August 2011.) but photosynthesizes independently. Using suckers, has come to dominate and (Please see page 19 for more information.) the study results, seedlings will be effectively destroy many of these sensitive established with a proper host tree species habitats; it is now considered an invasive in pots, and then transferred into the ground. species in the country. % SHEA BUTTER Dhanushka says that determining the It is an easy plant to identify, with its quality of sandalwood is simple because narrow grey/green leaves and bright Empowering Nigerian women via shea standards have been established for many clustered orange berries. It looks a little like butter production years, but one of the challenges arose when a willow tree and indeed one of its old names “I have five children and I am training dealing with seedling sample sizes. “It is a was "sallow thorn". This coastal plant has them with the proceeds I make through challenge because the seedling heartwood recently become something of a favourite the sales of shea butter,’’ says Hajiya [sample] size is less than 1 g. The main with highway authorities and can be found Fatima Ibrahim, Leader of the ENA- challenge is to use a database to identify the on bypasses and dual carriageways all over Ekokpara Shea Butter Cooperative quality of essential oils,” he says. the United Kingdom. Association in Assanyi, Katcha local

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALPRODUCTS FEATURES AND MARKETS 33

government area of Niger state, Nigeria. lot of income for the people but there is a scenarios, a hefty markup is added with “If the government provides modern shea growing need to empower the women none of the profits trickling down. butter processing equipment for us, it will traders through educational schemes Dr Samuel Hunter of the American Shea go a long way in reducing the about the product to enable them to make Butter Institute says some NGOs “claim backbreaking efforts we put in to produce proper investment decisions,” he adds. that they are in the villages to help the the butter. We will also be able to make While efforts are on the rise to people when, in actuality, their application extra money,’’ she adds. modernize shea butter processing in some of fairtrade versus a living wage is often the Ibrahim is one of several women who parts of the country, courtesy of GIZ, the biggest enabler of poverty for the women solicit improved shea butter production in Government should look into how to throughout this region”. the country because of the myriad establish small training centres to train The money generated from shea butter economic benefits that can be derived these women and improve their skills in production is desperately needed. It pays from the venture. shea butter production, says Ogunsanmi. for food, clothing, children’s school fees Shea butter, an abridged form of (Source: Nigerian Observer, 7 July 2011.) and the like; therefore, fairtrade “sheanut butter’’, is a kind of margarine compensation equates survival. extracted from the nuts of the shea tree, How moisture involves big money and But, have no doubt, the women popularly called the karité tree (tree of exploitation recognize – based on its many uses life) because of its numerous therapeutic Shea butter is coveted by global cosmetic throughout the generations – that shea properties. The tree is native to Africa, and companies for its amazing moisturizing butter is a precious substance. They, as Dr in the dry savannah belt of West Africa, the properties. As an increasingly sought- Hunter stressed, just lack the resources to tree is found growing wild. In the northern after ingredient in everything from produce a superior product on their own parts of Nigeria, shea butter is referred to soothing and nourishing hair and skin care that can be traded on the world market. as kadanya and in many areas in the products to lip balms and exfoliating (Source: The Atlanta Post [United States of south, it is commonly known as ori. creams, the benefits of shea butter are in America], July 2011.) In Nigeria, shea butter can be procured great demand across the globe. across the country at extremely cheap, The connotation of shea butter, Ghana may target China as a new market affordable rates and is widely used by however, is drastically different for the for shea nut exports, group says women for hair and skin treatment. women of sub-Saharan Africa who harvest Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa Mr Thompson Ogunsanmi, the the nut of the karité tree (Vitellaria producer, may target China as a new Programme Officer (for shea butter paradoxa), from which shea butter market for exports of shea nuts as the West production) of the German Society for originates. They are among the 1.2 billion African nation seeks to boost the industry, International Cooperation (GIZ), maintains people who live in extreme poverty. To according to the Integrated Social that Nigeria has the potential to supply the them, shea butter is deemed to be Development Centre (ISODEC), an Accra- entire world with adequate shea butter for “women’s gold” for the few extra dollars based NGO. people’s various needs. He says that 22 its yield affords. In this region, it is the Ghana’s annual exports of about 60 000 out of the 27 local government areas of women who manually collect, sort, crush, tonnes of the nuts, which are used in foods Niger state have shea trees in abundance, roast, grind, separate the oils from the and cosmetics, could increase to 130 000 adding, however, that shea butter butter and shape the finished product. The tonnes with access to Chinese buyers, said production is largely misconstrued to be a work is all carried out during the ISODEC, which conducted research into the women’s occupation in the communities. scorching late spring/early summer arid shea nut sector that was funded by United “For the communities, everything about heat of the savannah – and most of it is Kingdom-based advocacy group Oxfam shea butter is about women; starting from sold at “so-called” fairtrade prices. International. its name, the process of picking shea nuts Processing of shea nuts often takes The nuts are currently sold to Europe, to their crushing – all is perceived as place within local cooperatives where the United States of America and Japan, women’s work. Shea butter can generate a between 100 to 800 women work every and earn about US$30 million for Ghana season. Cooperatives are mainly operated each year, said Yakubu Zakaria, Director of by NGOs or are small local businesses. Programmes at ISODEC. “China alone can The women employed via the cooperative absorb all our produce and we can make either sell the nuts they collect from the about US$70 million,” Zakaria said. communal lands where the karité tree Shea trees, which produce the nuts, grows or they process them into unrefined grow across the Sahelian regions of Africa, shea butter. It takes 3 kg of shea nuts to including in northern Ghana. Global create 1 kg of shea butter. exports of shea nuts and butter were worth Shea processing takes two routes. The US$120 million in 2010, according to the raw nuts are sold in bulk to Asian oil United States Agency for International companies, which extract, refine and sell Development. the oil to Europe for cosmetic purposes. Ghana plans to establish a development Alternatively, the shea butter is processed board for shea that will set the prices paid locally, certified organic, graded for purity to farmers for their crops and also carry and then pushed on to the world market out research. (Source: Bloomberg, Karité tree by upper-level distributors. In both 9 August 2011.)

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 34 PRODUCTSSPECIAL AND FEATURESMARKETS

% WILDLIFE kill hundreds of elephants a year in a protected park on their common border, Trade in animals and skins worries ILLEGAL IVORY OPENLY ON SALE IN ministers from both nations said. experts at UN CITES meeting CHINA These Central African countries suffer At the 25th meeting of the Convention on from rampant poaching of elephants and International Trade in Endangered Species The long-held desire for elephant ivory other species for ivory heading mainly of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Animals has fuelled an industry that has placed towards Asian markets and for the Committee in Geneva, over 200 animal both of the Earth’s two species of bushmeat trade. Observers say the rising experts – from 50 countries – expressed elephants – Asian and African – on the wealth of East Asian countries has caused concern about the sustenance of the International Union for Conservation a jump in the price and demand for ivory in current trade scenario of snake skins used of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the former recent years. in luxury products and another 20 animal listed as endangered and the latter as The protected area is more than species used in biomedical research, the vulnerable. 300 000 ha, including Cameroon's Bouba food industry or as pets. The event, backed In China, a deeply rooted cultural Ndjida park and Chad's Sena Oura park, by the UN, saw technical recommendations emphasis on ivory as a status symbol, Cameroon Forestry and Wildlife Minister to control animal trade in several species coupled with the recent exponential Elvis Ngolle Ngolle said late on Tuesday, as surfacing as a solution. growth of the consuming class, has he signed the deal with Chad's Three snake species – the oriental rat created a demand for ivory that is the Environment Minister Hassan Terap. Of this snake, the reticulated python and the highest in the world. area, the Chadian side makes up only about Indonesian cobra – were prime concerns. Despite a 1989 CITES ban on the 70 000 ha but has most of the elephants, Recommendations were endorsed to international sale of new ivory, there numbering around 3 000, Terap said, tighten controls on snake breeding and are still several types of ivory that are adding that armed poachers had reduced logistics for the skin trade. Snakes from the considered legal in China, when elephant numbers from 5 000 five years Asian forests and jungles are crucial within accompanied by proper ago. Cameroon's Government says Bouba their ecosystems. For example, if snakes documentation: antique ivory, or that Ndjida has just 300 elephants left. were to disappear from the agricultural which is already carved and in Measures include better cooperation landscapes of Asia, their prey, left behind circulation; mammoth ivory, which between authorities running the parks and with no predator to control their numbers, comes from the extinct relatives of boosting numbers of armed rangers. could have devastating effects on modern elephants; and ivory that was Conservationists say poaching is rife and agricultural production, food security and included in one of two CITES-certified worsening in both countries. national economies, according to CITES. “one-off” sales in 1999 and 2008. As well as elephants and the rare black Apart from being sold as pets or found in In both the CITES internationally rhinoceros, the parks are also home to luxury leather goods and accessories all approved sales, the ivory came from monkeys, buffaloes, porcupines and two across Europe, snakes are used for food, as southern African nations, that insisted dozen species of antelope, all of which are traditional medicines and for skins. it was sourced from natural mortality poached for their meat. Biomedical research, especially in China, or culling, and not from poaching. The "We are ... very determined to preserve Indonesia and Cambodia, which resulted in intent of these sales was to provide the ... them for the economic and cultural a rapid surge in trade in 2004, has led the Asian markets with a legitimate source, benefits of our people," Ngolle said. "We committee to examine the quantum of thereby reducing the demand for will do everything to protect them, international trade in the long-tailed poached ivory. especially the elephants that are under macaque. Several endemic species from Esmond Martin, an expert on the serious threat from illegal poachers. We Madagascar, including chameleons and ivory trade who coauthored a recent will need a large number of well-trained frogs, and seahorses from Southeast Asia, report by the NGO Elephant Family, and well-armed ecoguards so that they can were also identified as a priority under the expressed concern over China’s be able to face the illegal poachers who are CITES Review of Significant Trade. appetite for ivory. In the city of operating all over the protected area. Very Most of the individual species reviewed Guangzhou, for example, 61 percent of often, they are well armed." (Source: and considered at the meeting live in the nearly 6 500 retail ivory items Reuters, 4 August 2011.) p Southeast Asia, a territory that has become surveyed were illegal and lacked a hotspot for wildlife trade. This is because legitimate ID cards. In addition, it is a region abounding in biodiversity, with there were many cases of mammoth an increasingly prosperous population, as ivory being mixed with elephant well as countless people dependent on ivory, the latter being smuggled in wildlife for their livelihoods. (Source: and then passed off as the former. Institute for International Trade, 25 July The impact this has on elephants is 2011.) devastating, decimating both populations and habitats, Cameroon, Chad sign pact to fight Martin says. (Source: The Ecologist, Change alone is unchanging. elephant poaching 17 August 2011.) Heraclitus Cameroon and Chad have signed an accord to ramp up efforts to fight poachers who

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 COUNTRY COMPASS 35

% AFGHANISTAN en la importancia del manejo sostenible de %ARMENIA los mismos, los beneficios que pueden Afghanistan’s wildlife is surviving conflict reportar a las comunidades indígenas y Armenia Tree Project begins propagation Afghanistan's wildlife is surviving years of locales en pro de la preservación de las of rare and endangered species conflict, according to a new survey. Asiatic masas forestales nativas. Armenia’s Ministry of Nature Protection black bears, gray wolves, markhor goats and • Los objetivos del Programa son: released its Red Book of Plants and leopard cats are all continuing to survive • recopilar y sistematizar la información Animals of the Republic of Armenia in despite deforestation, habitat degradation sobre los PFNM de los bosques nativos, 2010. “The production of the Red Book is and decades of unrest. con el fin de llevar estadísticas de su another step forward in the preservation The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) producción; and recovery of the region’s biodiversity,” team used camera traps, transect surveys, and • efectuar su adecuada valoración y writes Aram Harutyunyan, Armenia’s DNA identification of scat samples in the first valorización como generadores de Minister of Nature Protection, in the wildlife update in the conflict-plagued eastern desarrollo y como herramienta preface to the publication. province of Nuristan since 1977. The surveys, indispensable para el manejo sostenible; e There are approximately 3 600 plant conducted between 2006 and 2009, covered an • incentivar la investigación y el manejo species in Armenia, and 123 are endemic area of 1 100 km², confirmed the presence of vinculados a los mismos y su apropiada or found nowhere else on the planet. several important species in the region's comercialización. According to the authors, these plants may montane deciduous and coniferous forests, Entre los PFNM se encuentran los become endangered because of including the first documented sighting of the siguientes productos alimenticios: plantas deforestation, the overuse of resources common palm civet in Afghanistan. silvestres, cultivadas y "semidomesticadas" such as water, and development of land “This ongoing work in Afghanistan by hierbas aprovechables y sus raíces, which provides habitats for plants and WCS, supported by USAID, ensures the tubérculos, bulbos, tallos, hojas, brotes, flores, animals, among other factors. The new Red protection of wildlife and has a long-term frutos, semillas, etc. Comestibles para Book includes information about 452 plant positive effect on local communities,” said obtener cereales, hortalizas, hongos, grasas y and 40 fungus species that are rare, along Steven Sanderson, WCS President and Chief aceites comestibles, especias y aromatizantes, with information on 223 plant species that Executive Officer. “The surveys confirm the sucedáneos de la sal, edulcolorantes, are in danger of extinction. presence of globally important species in the sucedáneos del cuajo, productos para “In response to the concern over the loss area, despite indications of habitat loss and ablandar la carne, bebidas, tonificantes e of native plants, the Armenia Tree Project uncontrolled hunting. This highlights the infusiones, productos para apagar la sed, etc. (ATP) has a policy of growing only need for targeted conservation programmes También se denominan PFNM al forraje tales indigenous trees in its three nurseries,” to protect forest resources, including como los alimentos para el ganado y los explains Samvel Ghandilyan, ATP’s Nursery wildlife, that provide livelihoods for people.” animales silvestres, inclusive aves, peces e Programme manager. The only exception to WCS has had a full-time presence in insectos. Productos farmacéuticos como this is “naturalized” trees, which were Afghanistan since 2006 and continues to be drogas, anestésicos, bálsamos, ungüentos, introduced long ago, and have not been the only conservation NGO operating there. lociones, purgantes, etc., tanto para uso observed to have a negative impact on the It works on community conservation, humano como veterinario. Toxinas, productos local ecosystem, but provide an added conservation education, institution building, aromáticos, productos bioquímicos, fibras, benefit of food security (fruit and nut trees). training, capacity building and wildlife trade productos ornamentales y animales silvestres. “ATP started to pay special attention to issues. (Source: www.wildlifeextra.com, (Aportación hecha por: Ing. Cristina Résico y the propagation of endangered species of 4 July 2011.) (Please see pages 31–32 for Lic. Mariana Burghi, Dirección de Bosques, plants at our nursery in Karin. These more information about Afghanistan.) Secretaría de Ambiente y Desarrollo include nine trees and shrubs that are Sustentable de la Nación, San Martín 451, registered as rare in the Red Book and two 3° of. 335 (1004) Cap. Fed., Argentina. that are in danger of extinction,” % ARGENTINA Fax: +54-(011) 4348-8486; correo electrónico: Ghandilyan says. “These are alpine maple [email protected]/) (Acer trautvetteri) and halfsphere rose Programa de productos forestales no (Rosa gaenuspherica).” madereros en Argentina “Our nurseries serve the communities of La Dirección de Recursos Forestales Nativos Armenia by providing fruit and decorative ha encarado una serie de trabajos para trees to more than 900 planting sites,” evaluar la situación actual y la potencialidad explains Areg Maghakian, ATP Deputy de los productos forestales no madereros Director of Operations. “As a result of this (PFNM) en la República Argentina, creándose work, we will soon be able to observe some al efecto el Programa de productos forestales of the species included in the Red Book in no madereros. La tendencia creciente del the parks, churches and schools mercado de los productos llamados throughout Armenia.” "naturales" que se está produciendo y se ha “As part of our mission to re-green puesto en evidencia en los últimos años, Armenia, ATP has a commitment to muestra la necesidad de desarrollar las preserve our precious biodiversity by estructuras productivas y comerciales de planting native and endangered trees all estos nuevos productos, haciendo hincapié over the country,” adds Maghakian.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 36 COUNTRY COMPASS

(Source: Armenia Tree Project press desperately required a good strategic plan materials are sawdust (16 kg), wheat bran

release, 19 September 2011.) to sell that export quantity successfully to (8 kg), rice straw (2 kg), CaCO3 (2 percent) the northern hemisphere. (Source: and water (46 percent). After two to three FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: www.perthnow.com.au, 22 July 2011.) days, pin-head flushes appear. Although up Armenia Tree Project, 65 Main Street, to six flushes may be obtained from each Watertown, MA 02472, United States of bag, the first three are the most important America. E-mail: [email protected]; for commercial production. Mushrooms www.armeniatree.org/ can be harvested within five to seven days. They should not be watered the day before collection since this decreases their %AUSTRALIA preservation capacity. The packets are kept at rest for one day after harvesting and Truffle trouble despite boom crop in 2011 then rubbed gently by spoon and sprayed. The head of Australia's biggest truffle Mushrooms can be collected again after producer, which is located in Western ten to 15 days. Consequently, within three Australia (WA), says the multimillion dollar months and from one spawn packet, industry is facing some serious mushrooms can be collected seven to eight challenges. WA is the nation’s largest times and produce 200–250 g mushrooms producer of truffles, or more precisely, the each time. sleepy southwest hamlet of Manjimup is Pleurotus spp. Fresh spawn or mushrooms and considered to be the epitome of Australia’s mushroom dry powder are the main truffle industry, churning out about products that are traded in markets both 70 percent of the annual crop. %BANGLADESH locally and throughout the country. The Wine and Truffle Company chairman, Mushroom-based fast food, snacks and Alf Salter, told PerthNow that this year’s Potential and emerging economic benefits drinks (mainly coffee) are the most Australian harvest, currently under way of mushroom cultivation in the profitable businesses in the area. Raw nationwide, will yield about 3 500 kg of the northeastern region of Bangladesh material from mushroom residues is used deliciously rare fungi. With wholesale prices Mushrooms are one of the fleshy lower- by agrifarmers and fishery farmers as ranging between AUD$1 800 and class parasitic fungi with a distinctive fertilizer in their vegetable gardens or AUD$2 000/kg, the industry is valued at fruiting body. They are delicious, nutritious agriculture fields, and in ponds as fish food. around AUD$7 million, although the retail and have medicinal value when cultivated Recently, many Chinese restaurants and price is currently a staggering AUD$3 scientifically from seeds. Seven types of fast food shops have been serving various 000/kg, with the majority of the annual crop mushroom species are common in delicious and popular mushroom-based destined for overseas markets. Bangladesh: Pleurotus spp., Calocybe food items to their customers. The existing Mr Salter explained that reporting on indica, Volvariella volvacea, Lentinus marketing channel of mushroom and the industry was always overwhelmingly edodes, Agaricus spp., Ganoderma lucidum mushroom products in SCC reveals that the positive, when in reality the key challenge, and Auricularia polytricha. Among these, entrepreneurs and/or processors are more among many facing the industry at Pleurotus spp., locally called oyster or less dependent on intermediaries. In present, was establishing, developing and mushroom, is cultivated the most because most cases, the entrepreneurs are not retaining lucrative foreign markets such as its cultivation method is very simple and it obtaining real prices because of France, elsewhere in Europe and even the can be grown within a temperature range intermediaries or retailers. Sometimes United States of America. of 15–30° C throughout the year. they sell their mushrooms directly to He said the Australian market only At present, mushrooms are one of the retailers and local consumers or consumed 600–800 kg/year and, primary sources of income for the poor, but neighbours. When they sell directly to considering the national haul may hit the rich are also engaged in mushroom wholesalers they obtain comparatively 3 500 kg this year, almost 2 tonnes will cultivation as a subsistence income and as better prices than through the existing need to head offshore. a leisure pursuit in Bangladesh. Mushroom market channel. “The reality is that we all thought the cultivation has opened up a new The average annual expenditure of the world would be clamouring for truffles from opportunity to earn additional income for a surveyed enterprises was calculated at the southern hemisphere because we are good number of large to small Tk144 995 (US$2 071.36), whereas the growing truffles when the northern entrepreneurs in the Sylhet City average annual income from mushrooms, hemisphere is not,” he added. “At this time Corporation (SCC) area of Bangladesh. The residues and spawn packet sales were of year they are growing autumn-summer greatest advantage for the entrepreneur is about Tk410 874 (US$5 869.63), Tk15 960 truffles (Tuber unicinatum), and we are that mushroom cultivation does not require (US$228) and Tk17 357 (US$247.96), growing winter truffles (T. melanosporum).” a large area: mushrooms can be grown respectively. However, the average total He indicated that the long-established inside a house, even in an unusual place and net revenue of the surveyed and highly traditional industry that exists (such as under the bed). enterprises were calculated at about in France and neighbouring European Generally, entrepreneurs follow the poly Tk432 909 (US$6 184.4) and Tk287 914 countries meant that the local trufferies bag and shelf cultivation method. For 100 (US$4 113.06) respectively, indicating a (the name given to a truffle orchard) spawn packet production the required raw profitable production system. The average

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 COUNTRY COMPASS 37

benefit-cost ratio of mushroom enterprises Satkhira in the western Sundarbans. "Then Marantaceae leaves,” says Akom. “It takes was calculated at 2.90 in SCC. there are venomous snakes inside the a few hours. We had everything we needed The mushroom enterprises of SCC also forests. In these muddy waters, crocodiles on site. The poto poto home can take faced various problems. The entrepreneurs lie in waiting," he adds. Tiger attacks several months. To be done fast, the owner raised issues such as the lack of financial happen throughout the year but the may have to prepare food for those working and technical facilities, storage, number of incidents goes up during the and provide the locally brewed alcohol, preservation, effective marketing facilities honey-gathering season. At least 80 people called odontol.” and skilled labour. For example, oyster are killed by the tigers every year in the Akom lives there with her six children mushrooms cannot be preserved for a long Sundarbans. and her late husband’s cousin, plus various time; sometimes they do not remain fresh Fishers normally go from island to visitors who stay with her because her for more than one day and consequently island for about three weeks in their creaky husband was a community leader. “Our buyers are not interested in them. boats collecting honey, made by some of staple meal is based on bushmeat and Moreover, the entrepreneurs identified the the largest and most aggressive bees in the forest spices, tubers and vegetables. Now it lack of support in mushroom cultivation by world. is difficult to have bushmeat as there are so the extension service of the Bangladesh They travel through muddy saltwater many poachers coming from the cities and Forest Department. It gave training and rivers, creeks and narrow channels that taking advantage of the logging tracks for encouraged entrepreneurs to cultivate criss-cross the Sundarbans forests. easy access to game. Once in a while we mushrooms, but did not take any further With no other jobs on offer, it seems eat porcupine, deer, hare, duikers steps to publicize and popularize these fishers from the Sundarbans have [antelopes], grasscutters, rats, pigs, mushrooms as a food with consumers. little option than to carry on with one of the antelope. It is more and more difficult to Moreover, no NGOs have yet come forward most dangerous professions in the world. have elephant meat, which used to be a to establish a training centre and obtain a (Source: BBC News, 20 May 2011.) ceremonial meat,” says Akom. financial loan for mushroom cultivation, The Baka tend to hunt old, usually male, given that farmers often face a lack of animals in order to preserve their food proper training, as well as technical and source, unlike poachers, who hunt financial problems. (Contributed by: Most. indiscriminately. Jannatul Fardusi and Md. Habibur Rahman, “Life in the forest was very good,” says Department of Forestry and Environmental Akom. “When the hunting expedition was Science, School of Agriculture and Mineral very successful we have enough food for a Sciences, Shahjalal University of Science couple of days and sing and dance all night, and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh. chanting praises to Enjenqui, the god of the E-mail: [email protected]/) forest.” “Honey remains very precious to us. We Wild honey: the terrain in the Sundarbans have different types of honey collected from forests is one of the most treacherous in the forest. NGOs are now teaching us how the region to produce honey from our backyard. I still For generations, poor fishers and villagers doubt the honey from hives will taste like around Bangladesh's Sundarbans, the %CAMEROON the forest honey. Honey is very important as largest mangrove forests in the world, have it is part of the wedding dowry.” been collecting wild honey from April to Cameroon via Chelsea “Our problems are many,” says Akom. June every year. The annual honey- The journey south from Cameroon’s Douala “We were the first inhabitants of the forest gathering season brings many expectations International Airport to Marguerite Akom’s but do not have any rights there. Where we in the southwest of the country, as it home in one of Africa’s largest rain forests used to live in the forest has now been sold provides people with much needed extra takes around seven hours in a 4x4. It was a for logging and made into national parks income. On average, fishers earn journey that Akom made this time last year and we are not allowed to go back and live US$70–80 each during the season. They when she came to London to help create a there. This makes me sad.” use this extra money to repay their debts or garden at the Chelsea Flower Show and to Mongulu-building is one of the to repair their boats. raise awareness about the threats faced by traditional skills that keeps Akom and Honey gathering may sound like a indigenous people in sub-Saharan Africa. other women in touch with the forest and, normal rural occupation but here it is Akom, 46, who is a pygmy from the Baka more bizarrely, with the Chelsea Flower perhaps the most dangerous job in the community, lives in a poto poto, or mud Show. Last year, she and two other pygmy world. As the fishers move about in search home, in the village of Cyrie. It is very women from Cameroon built a mongulu at of beehives in the wild, they run the risk of different from the mongulu, or leaf house, Green & Black’s rain forest garden to meeting a deadly foe – the Royal Bengal in which she grew up. Back then, her family highlight the fact that hunter-gatherers can tiger. "During this period, the biggest lived deep in the forest as hunter- be excellent guardians against activities danger comes from the tigers. They are gatherers, until local officials persuaded such as illegal logging, if they are allowed always on the prowl and they can kill us them to swap their traditional life for a to continue their traditional way of life. instantly," says Abdus Salam, an permanent community built along a track. The garden won a gold medal and a visit experienced honey gatherer from “It is the work of women to make from the Queen, who spent some time Burigoalini village, in the district of mongulus from small lianas and talking, through a translator, to Akom.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 38 COUNTRY COMPASS

The meeting with the Queen, and Akom’s The meat can be found for sale at a mushrooms and native understorey presence at Chelsea have given her clout in market close to the park. Roger Fotso, plants such as wild ginseng and Cameroon. She says: “This visit has from the Wildlife Conservation Society, fiddleheads. By-products of the forest empowered me and enabled me to position says most of the meat for sale comes from industry can also be converted into myself as a community resource person. the rain forest he is trying to protect. As prepared foods (e.g. lignin, a natural Chelsea has helped organizations working soon as he arrives at the market a group of constituent of wood, which is used to with us to push forward our efforts to have meat sellers runs away with everything. make artificial vanilla). our land rights recognized”. But Fotso still finds animals such as • Ornamental products from the forest. “Since being at Chelsea we have seen monkeys for sale there. "Monkeys These include horticultural species small changes. The council has started reproduce really slowly and it is really bred from wild species (such as cedars extending forest fees and royalties to the serious to have people taking away that and maples); and decorative or artistic Baka. What we want is our informed many of them," Fotso explained. products such as Christmas trees and consent on all initiatives that affect us.” In local markets, bushmeat can fetch wreaths, fresh or dried floral greenery (Source: S. Nnah Ndobe, J. Mougou and J. between US$10–15 but in urban centres (e.g. salal), and speciality wood Owen in The Financial Times, 20 May 2011.) such as the capital Yaoundé, sellers can products and carvings. charge double. And, as Cameroon • Forest plant extracts used to make continues to urbanize, the problem is pharmaceuticals and personal care getting worse. Fotso says there is a new products. These include paclitaxel breed of consumer in the city who buys the (commonly known by the trade name meat for prestige instead of sustenance. "It Taxol®), which is most often extracted is quite expensive, so it is more about from yews such as the Canada yew luxury than really having the need for that (ground hemlock). Taxol is widely used as bushmeat," he said. "This is taking away a chemotherapy agent. Other forest plant from the people in the rural areas where extracts, particularly conifer essential bushmeat is for local consumption but this oils, are used in a wide range of creams is commercial." and other personal care products. "Very often people tend to point the Maple products represent a $354 million finger at the rural poor, but they are not the dollar industry in Canada. In 2009, the Rangers put bushmeat poachers in their problem. The problem is the middlemen country produced over 41 million litres of sights who come from the cities with money, with maple products, including maple syrup. In the dense rain forest of eastern cartridges, with guns and professional Canada produces 85 percent of the world’s Cameroon a team of rangers is on the hunt hunters," Fotso continued. (Source: CNN, maple syrup. for poachers. The group is cracking down 17 August 2011.) More than 1.8 million Christmas trees on the commercial trade of bushmeat, a were sold in Canada’s domestic and export problem that now extends beyond the markets in 2009. This seasonal industry is country's borders. "It is the main problem % CANADA worth about $39 million annually. we face, but with time we will succeed," Furthermore, Canada is the world’s said Deng Deng National Park ranger, The economic value of NTFPs largest producer of wild (low-bush) Julius Tanyi. The economic wealth of Canada’s forests blueberries. It exported $127 million of The bushmeat trade in Cameroon is has long been measured in terms of the fresh and frozen berries in 2009. Most wild illegal, but enforcement is low and profits trees used to make conventional forest blueberries are planted commercially in are high. Animals caught in the rain forest products, notably softwood lumber, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces as field by poachers are often smuggled by train newsprint and wood pulp. In fact, numerous crops. from the rural areas to the cities. But the forest-derived resources make a significant Research by the Canadian Forest Service threat to wildlife is becoming greater as the contribution to many rural communities and (CFS) on opportunities related to NTFPs meat is sent further afield. households across Canada through sales has focused on treatments to increase the A study published last year estimated revenue and seasonal employment. levels of paclitaxel and related compounds that each week around 5 tonnes of illegal The range of NTFPs is very diverse and (taxanes) in Canada yew before harvesting. African bushmeat is smuggled through includes those that are: (i) gathered from New methods to extract taxanes from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport in France the wild, in either timber-productive or non- Canada yew have also been researched. (please see page 20). timber-productive forests and lands (e.g. As part of Forest 2020, CFS also The rangers scour the forest for clues mushrooms); (ii) produced in forests under conducted research on other wood left by poachers looking to turn threatened varying levels of management intensity (e.g. perennials that have medical uses. These species into bushmeat. "On these types of maple syrup); and (iii) produced in species include larch, willow and expeditions we look for bullets, we look for agroforestry systems (e.g. forest species hawthorn. Another focus of CFS research traps that people set and animals too," such as wild ginseng planted as field crops). has been on the sustainable harvest and Tanyi explained. "We see if they [animals] The types of NTFPs that are found in cultivation of forest-based foods, such as are curious or if they are still running away Canada consist of the following. mushrooms and several wild berries. from us – if they run away from us, it • Forest-based foods. These include (Source: Natural Resources Canada, means they are threatened." maple syrup, wild blueberries, wild 20 September 2011.)

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALCOUNTRY FEATURES COMPASS 39

A forest full of opportunities There are many examples of NTFPs among FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: the more than 860 woodlot licences around Centre for Livelihoods and Ecology, Royal Roads the province of British Columbia (BC). A University, 2005 Sooke Road, Victoria, BC V9B woodlot licence outside Quesnel taps birch 5Y2, Canada. Fax: +250 391 2563; e-mail: and alder trees for producing syrup and [email protected]; www.royalroads.ca/cle/ fudge, while a woodlot near Campbell River taps big-leaf sugar maple trees. A Chilliwack nursery selling only natural %CENTRAL AFRICAN plants finds its vine maple and REPUBLIC salmonberry shoots from the neighbouring woodlot licence. Another woodlot is used as La découverte d’un nouveau produit a source for bows for making wreaths and forestier non ligneux pour la Ricinodendron heudelotii salal for floral decorating. commercialisation – les amandes de These are but a few examples. Beyond Ricinodendron heudelotii développer les capacités locales relatives syrup, birch trees can be a source of toffee, La région de la Lobaye au sud-ouest de la aux étapes de transformation des amandes marinades, ice cream toppings, sauces, République centrafricaine contient d’essessang. Le processus comprend les basketry, weaving, paper from bark, bowls, d’importants peuplements d’essessang étapes suivantes: la collecte, la platters, cutlery, serving utensils, twig (Ricinodendron heudelotii), dont les fermentation visant à faciliter la pourriture furniture, canoes, paddles, shoe insoles, amandes sont inexploitées du fait d'une de la pulpe, le lavage et la préparation sur sleds, snowshoes, oils for cosmetics, méconnaissance de la part des le feu afin de fragiliser la coque, le medicines, sweeteners (e.g. xylitol), and the communautés locales des potentialités du concassage et, enfin, le séchage list goes on. marché en Afrique centrale et de l’Ouest permettant de conserver les amandes One example of a forest managed for comme des techniques de valorisation. pendant plusieurs années. La formation se more than timber lies outside the village of L'essessang, appelé nzoko en ngbaka et propose de montrer les avantages de la Kaslo. The Kootenay Agroforestry Society bomboko en issongo, est un arbre de la fermentation accélérée en sachet holds this woodlot licence and Peter famille des euphorbiacées présent dans les polyéthylène, qui ne dure que quatre jours, McAllister manages the multitude of forêts secondaires avec lumière abondante; comparée à la fermentation à l’air libre, qui resources in addition to trees. He harvests il peut atteindre 40 m de hauteur et jusqu’à requiert deux semaines. and processes culinary and medicinal 120 cm de diamètre. La plante est protégée Par ailleurs, des acheteurs grossistes en mushrooms for sale and teaches lors des défrichements agricoles en raison provenance du Cameroun seront mobilisés workshops on behalf of the society about de ses multiples usages. En effet, son bois et des ventes groupées organisées, ce qui “alternative foods” and NTFPs. Peter refers est employé en menuiserie et son écorce devrait permettre aux populations locales to the many NTFPs as GFTF – “gifts from comme produit médicinal, et son ombrage d’obtenir un revenu minimum de 50 000 the forest”. est apprécié; il sert également d’arbre hôte francs CFA par sac de 50 kg vendu (109 “We have grown a lot of food on pour des chenilles et des champignons dollars EU). Les autorités nationales et underutilized wood,” McAllister said, comestibles (voir Eyog Matig, O. et al. 2006. locales seront sensibilisées sur ces “mainly on deciduous species.” Woodlots Les fruitiers forestiers comestibles du activités de développement de la filière provide many other foods in addition to Cameroun. IPGRI). essesang, de façon à ce qu'elles assurent berries. Pine mushrooms, for example, are Les fruits d’essessang contribuent à une leur soutien administratif à cet égard. harvested and sold to buyers in Japan. nourriture équilibrée car ils fournissent Popular shiitake mushrooms are gathered des graines oléagineuses riches en lipides, POUR EN SAVOIR PLUS, CONTACTER: and then dried using a method that causes glucides, protéines et calcium et Bruno Bokoto de Semboli, Coordonnateur them to secrete maximum amounts of renferment entre 49 et 63 pour cent d’huile, national du Projet GCP/RAF/441/GER, FAO B.P. precious vitamin D. qui peut être consommée directement ou 2157, Bangui, République centrafricaine. McAllister said the society’s workshops utilisée en pharmacie. Les amandes Courriel: [email protected]; have introduced subjects and skills such as transformées en poudre entrent dans la www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/55079/fr/ dyeing natural fabrics with lichens; pine préparation des poissons braisés et des (Please see page 59 for more information on needle and cedar basket weaving; culinary sauces, car elles servent à épaissir et sont this project.) and medicinal mushroom growing; native appréciées pour leur goût. La potentialité plants, yew bow-making and edible and économique de ce produit est largement poisonous mushroom identification. ignorée par les populations de la Lobaye, %CHILE Opportunities abound for the many alors même qu'un sac de 50 kg d’amandes NTFPs that have yet to be developed. The se vend aujourd’hui entre 120 000 et Exportaciones Forestales de Productos no Centre for Livelihoods and Ecology (CLE) at 150 000 francs CFA (260-326 dollars EU) Madereros 2010 Royal Roads University is working to provide sur le marché camerounais. Las “Exportaciones Forestales de information to understand the potential of C’est à ce titre que, à travers son projet Productos no Madereros 2010” comprende these species more fully. (Source: Barriere régional sur les produits forestiers non el último boletín que alude a las Star Journal in www.bclocalnews.com ligneux, la FAO a programmé une exportaciones chilenas más recientes [Canada], 25 July 2011.) formation dans les villages pour incluyendo los países de destino, así como

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 40 COUNTRYSPECIAL FEATURESCOMPASS

las industrias de mayor producción de los No es fácil determinar hasta donde es 4. Biodiversidad y manejo sustentable de productos forestales no madereros. sostenible el manejo de las fibras, ya que plantas aromáticas. Es muy importante En este número se hace referencia entre en su análisis se mezclan elementos poder conocer los procedimientos los PFNM más destacados, a las hojas de biológicos, culturales y de mercado. La racionales que aplican estas culturas y que boldo como planta medicinal utilizada en el investigación no ha hecho hincapié en el les han permitido explotar las riquezas mundo y menciona algunas empresas aprovechamiento, limitándose éste al naturales de sus entornos sin amenazar involucradas en la comercialización del aprovechamiento de la fibra para uso sus subsistencias. Lógicamente las mismo. También se describe el bambú del utilitario, por lo tanto, al incentivarse el técnicas difieren mucho según la región y género Chasquea así como los segmentos aprovechamiento con otras finalidades, la según las circunstancias sociales, de mercado actual y sus potenciales de uso. situación entra en conflicto con el geográficas y climáticas. Se exponen a Ambos productos se analizan teniendo en concepto de sostenibilidad, esto es lo que continuación algunos ejemplos de cómo el cuenta los antecedentes técnicos y la sucede con el ratán. recurso genético natural puede ser recopilación bibliográfica especializada. explotado, sin ejercer el simple (Fuente: Grupo de Información y Mercado, 2. Etnobotánica y etnofarmacología, extractivismo, y garantizando su Sede metropolitana de Chile, Instituto disciplinas de valor en la domesticación permanencia y diversidad natural. Forestal [INFOR].) de plantas. Es importante rescatar el Básicamente son dos los caminos que se conocimiento que aportan ambas pueden seguir: la domesticación de la PARA MÁS INFORMACIÓN, DIRIGIRSE A: disciplinas sobre elementos de manejo especie para su manejo agrícola, o la Daniel Soto Aguirre, Investigador, Instituto tradicional, ecológicos, de protección y explotación sustentable de las poblaciones Forestal – INFOR, Sucre 2397 – Ñuñoa. Santiago, domesticación para la evaluación técnica naturales. Chile. Correo electrónico: [email protected]; de los recursos. La importancia que ha www.infor.cl/ tomado la etnobotánica en las últimas 5. Aprovechamiento de los PFNM del décadas, es producto del interés de bosque tropical. El aprovechamiento de diferentes organismos por buscar los diferentes PFNM por parte de % COSTA RICA alternativas para la conservación y el comunidades locales no ha sido objeto de desarrollo de la biodiversidad tropical. estudio, específicamente lo relacionado Los productos forestales no madereros con el aprovechamiento y generación de (PFNM) de Costa Rica 3. Extractivismo y domesticación de ingresos de las familias locales. No existen Un reciente estudio sobre un manejo plantas medicinales nativas. estadísticas de mercado local. Otro tradicional de plantas de Costa Rica se divide Actualmente, el extractivismo continúa en problema es la capacidad técnica, referida en seis capítulos, a saber: el Petén pero en otras regiones de a la falta de conocimiento biológico. Este Guatemala y en países como México, problema ocasiona que no se conozcan 1. Manejo tradicional de lianas y otras fibras Honduras y Costa Rica se ha promovido el cuales son los productos que provienen del vegetales. Los recursos del bosque tropical proceso de domesticación a través de su bosque y cuales de cultivos agrícolas son productores de diferentes tipos de fibras. cultivo en condiciones de mayor avance convencionales. Finalmente, debido a De acuerdo con la estructura y resistencia de tecnológico. A pesar de la preocupación de normas internacionales que restringen el los tejidos, las fibras se clasifican en: (i) los expertos, organismos internacionales y comercio internacional de flora y fauna fibras suaves: provienen del floema público en general sobre el futuro de este silvestre, se evaden las normativas secundario, como sucede con los géneros ecosistema, las consecuencias del aduaneras, precisamente para lograr las Corchorus, Sida, Abutilom, Apeiba y deterioro de los bosques tropicales exportaciones. Cecropia; y (ii) fibras duras: conformadas por húmedos apenas empieza a dilucidarse. células de mayor resistencia, presentes en La biodiversidad vegetal útil ha 6. Comercio de los PFNM del bosque en los tejidos internos de las plantas; algunos constituido desde la colonia hasta la América Latina. Es evidente que el ejemplos son los géneros Agave, Furcraea y actualidad un bien codiciado, tanto en el comercio de plantas medicinales está en Ananas. ámbito local como internacional. Su aumento en la región latinoamericana y en aprovechamiento indiscriminado se ha el mundo. La prioridad en la región denominado “extractivismo” y “minería latinoamericana radica en caracterizar el forestal”. El extractivismo campesino o el estado de desarrollo de las plantas de comunidades indígenas más medicinales. Existe un mercado regional aculturizadas tiene en general un fuerte importante que debe fortalecerse con componente de comercialización, medidas políticas. El mercado centrándose para tal fin en un menor internacional debe mejorar los precios de número de productos. La presión del la materia prima y/o promover la mercado a través de su gran demanda y producción de extractos. elevados precios para bienes escasos puede estimular un cambio en las técnicas PARA MÁS INFORMACIÓN, DIRIGIRSE A: de extracción y una sobreexplotación por Sr. Rafael Ocampo, Jardín Agroecológico, encima de la tasa de renovación del Bougainvillea S.A., Apartado Postal 764-3100, recurso haciendo, a largo plazo, la Santo Domingo, Heredía, Costa Rica. Correo Agave actividad insostenible. electrónico: [email protected]/

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALCOUNTRY FEATURES COMPASS 41

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC ailments such as fever, malaria, diarrhoea Nevertheless, research on sustainable % OF THE CONGO and skin problems. Planting local medicinal utilization of these edible and medicinal wild plants in home gardens helps in the plants is inadequate in Ethiopia. Plantes médicinales de traditions: domestication process of some species, and Consequently, an ethnobotanical study province de l’Equateur at the same time protects wild populations aiming to identify key nutraceutical wild A recent book (Plantes médicinales de from unsustainable harvesting. plants and document associated indigenous traditions: province de l’Equateur, R.D. knowledge was conducted in six study sites of Congo) contains a wealth of information on FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: semi-arid east Shewa, Ethiopia. The study local medicinal uses, including the different Augustin Konda Ku Mbuta, ANAMED, Kinshasa, analysed local use and management plant parts used and the way of preparation Democratic People’s Republic of the Congo. practices and implications for the food and of the medicine, of more than 350 medicinal E-mail [email protected] health security of people living in semi-arid plants of the Equator province in the or Paul Latham, Croft Cottage, Forneth, areas. Twenty nutraceutical plants were Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Blairgowrie, PH10 6SW, United Kingdom. identified: 35 percent shrubs, 6 percent trees Congo). All this information was documented E-mail: [email protected]/ and 5 percent lianas for human food, livestock by a team of 25 research workers from the (Please see page 69 for more information.) feed and medicine. Results showed that local Institut de recherche en sciences de la santé, people have diverse indigenous knowledge on who held interviews with 537 traditional the use and management of nutraceuticals. healers belonging to 51 tribes in 255 villages % ETHIOPIA Transhumant pastoralists used 95 percent and four towns throughout the province. In nutraceuticals and settled farmers addition, each medicinal plant has a brief Wild plants and contributions to food and 65 percent. Twenty nutraceutical wild plants description, some information on its ecology health-care security were used to treat 11 human and nine and a list of vernacular and French names. Wild food consumption is common in rural livestock ailments/health problems. There Vernacular names have been noted in more areas of Ethiopia. Wild plants are also are a large number of nutraceutical plants than 50 languages in total, and at the back of important as food supplements and a means that can be used for the nutrition and health the book these names have been indexed by of survival during times of drought and care of people in semi-arid areas. Since language and also alphabetically. Where famine. Wild food plants are of special transhumant pastoralists are more intimate possible, the medicinal plants are illustrated, nutritional importance as sources of with nature and more knowledgeable, they adding more value to the book. vitamins, minerals, trace elements, dietary have been able to adapt to climatic changes This publication can be considered as one fibre and protein. They contribute to by using locally available nutraceuticals for of the steps towards a complete improved local food security and income, and themselves and their livestock. Climate pharmacopoeia of DR Congo. There are help overcome a number of health problems change adaptation strategies can be built on several other books and articles on the associated with nutrient deficiency. In parts this indigenous knowledge for the medicinal plants in DR Congo, but most of of southern Ethiopia, the consumption of wild sustainable use of nutraceuticals for them focus on specific diseases or are much food plants is one of the most important local nutrition and health security. less detailed in their uses. A database with survival strategies. In recent times, their The study revealed, however, that the the documented information on the consumption and use have intensified as a clearance of vegetation for crop production is medicinal plants of DR Congo, with samples result of repeated climatic shocks threatening the survival of wild plants and stored in a herbarium for verification, would hampering agricultural production. hence undermining the health, food and be of immense help to a diverse group of Nutraceuticals – foods or naturally financial security of local people. Moreover, users, including traditional healers, students occurring food supplements with beneficial the environmentally friendly resource use and researchers, pharmacists, chemists, effects on human and livestock health – play and conservation practices over generations biologists, rural development agencies, an important role in health and nutritional of the transhumant pastoralists of east conservation agencies and even private security in Ethiopia. Over 80 percent of Shewa are also eroding. In short, enterprises. medicines for primary health care in the nutraceutical wild plants are declining with More information concerning species that country are in fact derived from plant the natural vegetation of the area. There is are useful for cultivation in home gardens products. Among the illnesses that are most thus an urgent need for the sustainable would also be welcome, so that people can often treated with medicinal plants are utilization, documentation and management have plants close at hand to treat common internal parasites, skin ailments, tapeworm of these wild edible plants. (Source: D.H. infections, snake poisons, dog bites and liver Feyssa, J.T. Njoka, M.M. Nyangito and Z. diseases. Asfaw, 2011. Nutraceutical wild plants of Indigenous fruits and seeds of trees and semiarid east Shewa, Ethiopia. Contributions shrubs are commonly consumed fresh in to food and healthcare security of the many parts of Ethiopia by children, herders semiarid people. J. Forestry, 5(1): 1–16.) and hunters. This helps to maintain their nutritional and medicinal content and value. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Wild fruits in particular contribute greatly to D.H. Feyssa, Department of Land Resources the nutrition and health security of rural and Agricultural Technology, College of people because of the many major elements Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University such as proteins, vitamins and minerals they of Nairobi, PO Box 29053, Nairobi, Kenya. possess. Fax: 254-020-632121.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 42 COUNTRYSPECIAL FEATURESCOMPASS

% GEORGIA project, led by Foré Bamboo, aims to tackle Under the scheme, launched jointly by both of these massive problems head on. the National Medicinal Plants Board and The Georgian Society of Nature Friends So far, it has planted over 15 000 ft² (1 393.5 the Quality Council of India, any The Georgian Society of Nature Friends m2) of bamboo nursery with four Haitian producer/collector or group of (GSNF) is an organization that serves to community partner organizations, and is producers/collectors can obtain educate the community about our natural planning to expand ambitiously in the certification from a designated certification environment and protect it. We have a coming year. body and will be under its regular strategy of raising public environmental The goal is to develop bamboo as a surveillance. (Source: The Times of India, awareness and institutional development of multipurpose crop to build disaster- 6 June 2011.) community and organizational networks for resistant houses, slow down deforestation the creation of the necessary actions related and erosion, and develop the local economy. Campaign to make India the land of spice to environmental conservation. The strategy is to partner with local Haitian Veda In support of these strategies, in October organizations that can provide land and India, which is known as the land of this year the organization plans to conduct social capital, and help them with the Ayurveda, might soon acquire another a three-day training programme for 17 technicalities of growing bamboo and distinction globally as the “land of spice employees and volunteers covering areas building safe houses. All the profits, both Veda” if the proposed Spices Board of fundraising, project writing, public economic and environmental, go directly to campaign yields the targeted impact. communication and organizational capacity the Haitians in the community. The Spices Board is working on a development. Participants will learn useful Why bamboo? Bamboo is a phenomenal campaign focusing on the health benefits of and important information on the above construction material. Over 1.5 million spices as part of efforts to promote issues, and will then be able to assist their Haitians are in desperate need of shelter. exports, the Board Chairman, Dr A. local communities in the implementation of Bamboo is a cheap, sustainable and locally Jayathilak, said during an interaction environmental activities, as well as raise sourced building material that can be used programme with The Times of India awareness of environmental issues in to build earthquake- and hurricane- journalists here recently. Georgia. resistant houses. Spice exports from India doubled from Bamboo will also help the economy. US$0.52 billion in 2005 to US$1.17 billion in Because it is incredibly versatile, it can 2010. In 2010–11, they had shot up to increase farmers’ incomes and create jobs US$1.20 billion and the target is to jack in construction, agriculture and energy, etc. exports up to US$10 billion in 2025, he said. This economic incentive is incredibly The elimination of pesticide content will important to ensure that the project is be a prerequisite for promotion of exports sustainable in the long term. and the Spices Board is launching various Furthermore, bamboo is extremely initiatives to ensure that Indian spices are beneficial to the environment. Erosion, free from pesticide residue, the Chairman deforestation and mass extinction are all added. (Source: The Times of India, enormous problems in Haiti. Bamboo 20 September 2011.) reduces soil erosion, provides a multitude of environmental services and takes the stress Contribution of NTFPs to the rural FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: off natural forests, protecting the threatened economy in Chhattisgarh Georgian Society of Nature Friends (GSNF), species within. It is one of the best plants for A recent research-based study was Chadari Street #9, Telavi 2200, Georgia. carbon sequestration, which is extremely conducted in Chhattisgarh (CG) state with E-mail: [email protected]; important as the impacts of climate change the overall objective of understanding the [email protected]/ become more catastrophic. (Source: World status of NTFPs and their contribution to Bamboo Organization, 11 July 2011.) the rural economy. Detailed surveys and interviews were carried out at the % HAITI household level in the six forested districts % INDIA selected in north Surguja, Manendragarh, Bamboo project Dharamjaigarh, Kawardha, east The Foré Bamboo initiative is partnering with Medicinal plants to get “good quality” tag Bhanupratappur and Jagdalpur. In each Haitian community organizations to plant India's wonder plants with medicinal district, ten representative villages were and maintain non-invasive construction- properties will now come with a special selected for an intensive survey and in each grade bamboo. This bamboo can then be "good quality” tag with the Government selected village, 20 households belonging used to relieve the housing and putting in place a voluntary certification to different socio-economic strata were environmental crises in Haiti. scheme for medicinal plant produce based surveyed. Thus, a total of 1 200 households On the World Bamboo Organization’s on good agricultural and field collection were interviewed/surveyed from 60 first trip to Haiti, two huge problems were practices. This, it said, will enhance selected sample villages. very striking: the urgent need for housing confidence in the quality of India's medicinal The state of Chhattisgarh has a total and the barren, deforested hillsides. In an plant produce and make good-quality raw forest area of 59 772 km2, which is about effort to contribute to Haiti’s long-term material available to the Ayurvedic and 44 percent of the total area; it also has the sustainable development, this bamboo herbal drugs industry. highest percentage (31.8 percent) of

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALCOUNTRY FEATURES COMPASS 43

Trade of NTFPs in Chhattisgarh state the family. At household level, people do not have separate facilities to store the Category of NWFP Major component Total species Trade in crores (Rs) NTFPs collected from the forests. Generally, NTFP items are stored in the Nationalized tendu leaves, sal seed, narra and gums, kullu, dhawda, babul, khair 7 375 traditional way, using earthen pots, sacks, containers and bamboo baskets. Non-nationalized, kusum, palash, mahul, karanj, non-medicinal thikhur, baichandi, imli, mahua, The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act lac, mahul leaves, chirinji, etc. 30 275 in India and thereby enactment of PESA Non-nationalized, honey, bel, kalijiri, dhavai, shatawar, (Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas medicinal nagarmotha, bahera, malkangani, Act 1996), have bestowed ownership of bhilawa, marodfali, baibaring, NTFPs to Gram Sabhas (village councils). vanjeera, kalmegh, aonla 42 50 As a result, the state Forest Department Total 79 700 decided that all net receipts from tendu leaves (used for wrapping country Source: CG MFP Federation; US$1= Rs48 at time of study; 1 crore = 10 million rupees. cigarettes) should be distributed to primary cooperative societies for the scheduled tribes (STs), i.e. 20.83 million. remaining 11.3 percent households primary collectors of tendu leaves. Since The Government considers that collected more than 1 000 kg of NTFPs 2008, the profit earned from the trade of unemployment in tribal areas could be over the last year. This indicates that the nationalized NTFPs is distributed by the addressed by central government through quantity of NTFPs collected for sale varied Department in the following manner: 80 NTFP-based activities. There is per household and location of village. percent as incentive wages to the tremendous scope and relevance in the Household NTFP collection varied, from collector; 15 percent used for collection, 2006 Forest Rights Act and the NTFP 80 to 166 days in Jagdalpur, Dharmjaigarh sale and value addition of non-nationalized access benefit, but there is a long way to go and north Surguja forest divisions. In CS, NTFPs; and 5 percent for the temporary as far as the implementation of the Act is NTFP collection (excluding fuelwood and reimbursement of losses (if any). concerned. fodder) is the second largest contributor The pricing mechanism practised by the Income from NTFPs goes towards (average 23 percent) to the household Federation is more or less based on investment in agriculture, serves as a risk- economy of the sample population after current prevalent market rates of NTFPs, hedging instrument in crop loss years, and the agriculture sector (44 percent). The which are decided by the big traders. The meets emergency health requirements average time spent by rural households on small processing units have been and major consumption expenditures such NTFP collection is around five hours every developed and handed over to local self- as clothes and festivals. day. The average monetary value of NTFPs help groups. At the time of this study Over 625 NTFP species are reported to gathered overall by the sampled (2010), 65 processing/production centres be available in CG forests, with an annual households is Rs8 142 (approximately (including 15 for lac production and one for potential of around Rs1 000 crore. The CG US$1 700), whereas in tribal areas the processing; four for honey collection; 11 MFP (Minor Forest Products) Federation highest was Rs9 358 (approximately for collection of raw MFPs; nine for mahul estimates the trade in NTFPs at around US$1 950) annually, which shows a higher leaf processing and for aonla processing; Rs700 crore. Assuming a simple dependence on NTFPs by tribal people. three for making herbal products; two for correlation with proportionate forest area The average distance travelled to collect processing chirinji; one for cashew nut and tribal population as per all India NTFP NTFPs is 4.3 km. Women’s participation in processing; three for oilseed processing; employment potential figures, it is NTFP collection was found to be higher five for tamarind processing; two for estimated that at least 100 million person than men’s in households of all social collection of herbal medicines; and one for days of employment are generated by categories. Women gather NTFPs alone as processing herbal foods) had been NTFP collection and trade in Chhattisgarh. well as with male members and children of established in various parts of the state The major NTFPs available and collected with financial support of Rs20 lakh from in the state are tendu leaves, narra, palash the European Commission for each flower and seed, mahua flower and seed, processing/production unit. Innovative sal seed, kusum seed, mango kernel, programmes adopted by the Forest babul gum, neem seed and charota seed. Department with its funding include: Over 200 species of medicinal, aromatic training for non-destructive harvesting; a and dye plants are found in abundance. herbal processing unit; introduction of a The study shows that 73.9 percent of the minimum support price for selected sample population was found to be below NTFPs; and establishment of an organic the poverty line. In all villages, local people certification body. (Contributed by: gathered various NTFPs for commercial Professor P. Bhattacharya, NRM, Dean, purposes. Of the total number of University School of Environment households studied, 31.1 percent gathered Management, GGS Indraprastha up to 100 kg of NTFPs, 29.8 percent University, Block-A, Sector 16 C, Dwarka, gathered 100–300 kg, 27.8 percent New Delhi 110075, India. E-mail: gathered 300-1 000 kg, while the [email protected]/)

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 44 COUNTRYSPECIAL FEATURESCOMPASS

%ITALY used in the pharmaceutical industry – disease-free certificates on site. JBA some US$118 million. understands that there are still 1 500 Unusual and local beers “Worldwide, many wild plant species colonies within the power plant evacuation The latest Italian craft beers are inspired by are threatened through overexploitation, zone. (Source: Bees for Development local ingredients and require the same and Japan is a major consumer of wild plant Journal, 99, June 2011.) attention generally reserved for quality resources,” said Anastasiya Timoshyna, wine. In Italy, grapevines cast long TRAFFIC’s programme leader for medicinal FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: shadows. But brewers embrace them, and aromatic plants. “A long-term Hitomi Enomoto, Asian Apicultural Association infusing their beer with the complex commitment by Japanese industry to adopt Coordinator, Honeybee Science Research Center, flavours of local bounty such as chestnuts sustainable sourcing practices would have a Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo 194-8610, and thyme, as well as grapes, of course. significant impact on the conservation of Japan. E-mail: [email protected]/ Plus, while a ginseng ale would never fly in, medicinal plants in the wild.” say, Germany, Italian breweries can play The project will encourage implementation freely. "We do not have a heavy beer culture of the international best practices for on our shoulders, so we are free to sustainable plant harvesting laid down in the experiment," says Leonardo Di Vincenzo of FairWild Standard, and is supported by the Birra del Borgo, one of only about 280 Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF) breweries in the country. New-wave Italian as part of TRAFFIC’s work on medicinal and restaurants love the beer because it is aromatic plants. (Source: TRAFFIC Web site, typically lighter and less sweet than many 23 June 2011.) high-end American brews. (Source: Wall Street Journal, 21 May 2011.) Beekeeping in Japan hit by disaster As a result of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on 11 March 2011, damage caused LAO PEOPLE’S %JAPAN to the Fukushima nuclear power plant has %DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC led to a 20-km evacuation zone around the Sustainable sourcing sought for wild plant plant. The exclusion of traffic and the FAO celebrates first cricket harvest in the industry breakdown in petrol supplies have Lao People’s Democratic Republic TRAFFIC has launched a new project to prevented many beekeepers from gaining Within the framework of the project promote sustainable production and access to their bees. “Sustainable insect farming and harvesting consumption of wild medicinal and Mr Mizuhisa Fujiwara is the third for better nutrition, improved food security aromatic plants traditionally used in generation of a beekeeping family in Akita and household income generation,” which Japan. Prefecture and is a regular supplier of kicked off in January 2011, FAO began “Wild plants are hugely important in honey to Tamagawa University bookstore. introducing small-scale cricket farming at Japanese culture for a variety of purposes, Mr Fujiwara’s colonies are currently in the School for Gifted and Ethnic Students, including traditional ‘Kampo’ medicine, as several out-apiaries for overwintering and National University of Laos (NUoL). traditional ‘Kodo’ incense, in cosmetics ready to start up early for fruit-tree The pilot project held "Saep E Li [very and as ornaments and, more recently, pollination including apple, cherry and tasty] – the Celebration of the first cricket they have been imported as ingredients in peach. A major nectar flow from Robinia harvesting" last Saturday, gathering herbal teas and as cooking spices,” said pseudoacacia will begin in late May. Many between 300 and 400 students from Kahoru Kanari of TRAFFIC East Asia’s beekeepers want to know what to do with different schools at the School for Gifted office in Japan. “As environmental their bees as the beekeeping season and Ethnic Students, Lao news agency awareness and the demand for a healthy begins. Japan’s Beekeepers’ Association reported. This event provided an lifestyle grow among Japanese (JBA) has received many enquiries from opportunity for the students involved in the consumers, it is now more important than members, while the Ministry of Agriculture, pilot activity to share and exchange their ever to promote sustainable use of these Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) had nothing experiences on cricket farming. The event resources.” to refer to on honey bees and radiation involved insect cooking demonstrations, The new project, “Saving Asian when this serious incident occurred. tasting sessions of free edible insects and medicinal and aromatic plant species Professor Jun Nakamura, Secretary- lessons on insect breeding and the through involvement of the Japanese General of the Asian Apicultural nutritional benefits of insects. private sector”, will help Japanese Association (AAA), at the Honeybee Science FAO, together with the Faculty of companies to introduce responsible Research Center at Tamagawa University Agriculture, NUoL, has thus far worked production and sourcing practices for wild was consulted by both MAFF and JBA on with four different species of insects: the plant ingredients. At the same time, this unexpected situation. With a house cricket, the mealworm, the palm consumers will be encouraged to seek scintillation counter he visited Iwaki city to weevil (which is bred) and the weaver ant sustainably sourced products. meet Mr Fujiwara and check his colonies. (semi-bred in trees). According to The State of Wildlife Trade Professor Nakamura reports that the For the project, students aged 16 to 18 in Japan, a TRAFFIC report, in 2007 Japan Livestock Hygiene Service Center of south years were taught the techniques of cricket was the fourth largest importer (in terms Soma is helping beekeepers to evacuate breeding at their schools. They were also of value) of medicinal and aromatic plants their colonies and providing them with taught about the nutritional benefits of

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALCOUNTRY FEATURES COMPASS 45

insects, especially as complementary food in Douze produits à l’honneur the Lao diet. (Source: BERNAMA [Malaysian La collection de timbres émise en 2010 se National News Agency], 30 May 2011.) décline en deux séries : une série de PRODUITS FORESTIERS NON LIGNEUX plantes aromatiques (le bois d’agar DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE DÉMOCRATIQUE Deux séries de timbres en l’honneur de la Aquilaria crassna, la verveine exotique POPULAIRE LAO diversité des produits forestiers non Litsea cubeba et le gingembre rouge ligneux dans la République démocratique Zingiber sp.) et une série de plantes populaire lao pharmaceutiques (l’aliboufier à benjoin Les produits forestiers non ligneux (PFNL) Styrax tonkinensis, la barbiflore de la République démocratique populaire Orthosiphon stamineus et la noix vomique lao ont été mis à l’honneur par deux séries Strychnos nux vomica). de timbres, à l’occasion de l'Année internationale de la biodiversité 2010 et de l'Année internationale des forêts 2011. Une contribution du secteur privé forestier PLANTES DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE Ces deux séries de timbres sont le fruit DÉMOCRATIQUE POPULAIRE LAO d’un partenariat entre le Ministère des À USAGES INDUSTRIELS AROMATIQUES L’année 2011 a été proclamée Année postes et télécommunications, le Ministère ET PHARMACEUTIQUES internationale des forêts par les Nations de l’agriculture et des forêts et Agroforex Unies. La République démocratique Company. Cette société, établie en populaire lao, dotée d’un domaine République démocratique populaire lao forestier vaste et composé de différents depuis 20 ans, est spécialisée dans la types de forêt, s’associe à cet événement production et la valorisation sur le marché et rappelle, parmi les différentes fonctions international des PFNL issus d’une gestion des forêts, l’importance des produits non durable des écosystèmes forestiers. Les ligneux. partenaires de la société en aval sont les Les produits non ligneux peuvent être des leaders mondiaux de l’industrie fruits, des fleurs, des résines, mais aussi aromatique et pharmaceutique. des produits animaux (cire, miel, gomme Un double hommage: à l’action des laque, etc.). Six produits figurent dans hommes sur la préservation de la cette nouvelle collection et sont illustrés biodiversité, et à la place de la forêt dans par les essences forestières auxquels ils la vie des hommes sont associés. En valorisant les produits naturels Depuis près de 20 ans, Agroforex forestiers, la société reconnaît la richesse Company promeut la pérennisation du des connaissances traditionnelles des L'année 2010 a été proclamée Année marché international des produits communautés forestières, grâce internationale de la biodiversité par les forestiers non ligneux du pays. Il s’agit auxquelles ces produits et les essences Nations Unies. A cette occasion, et après d’une exploitation renouvelable qui forestières dont ils sont issus ont pu être 18 ans de travaux sur la biodiversité génère des revenus monétaires protégés et conservés depuis des végétale en République démocratique complémentaires aux communautés décennies. Inversement, l’existence et la populaire lao, Agroforex Company a le forestières, directement attachées à la valorisation de ces produits procurent aux plaisir de s'associer à cet événement. Parmi conservation de ce domaine forestier. familles rurales soit des usages ces ressources, les plantes aromatiques et (alimentaires, médicinaux, techniques, pharmaceutiques tiennent une place toute etc.), soit, s’ils sont commercialisés, un particulière: leurs propriétés et leur revenu monétaire complémentaire à leur potentiel industriel sont tels qu'elles sont La collection 2011 est dédiée aux économie vivrière. Les deux séries de convoitées par les plus grandes industries essences forestières sources de quatre timbres portent ce double message. internationales. Les six plantes proposées autres PFNL de la République Confirmer à la population lao l’usage sont natives du pays et gérées depuis des démocratique populaire lao: Cinnamomum industriel de ces produits naturels, et aux générations par les communautés Loureiris, qui produit la cannelle royale, industries internationales l’origine lao de villageoises, qui ont une responsabilité Scapium lychnophorum, dont est issue la ces matières premières dans leur maintien au sein de cette noix de malva, Shorea spp., à l’origine de la Ces deux séries de timbres s’adressent biodiversité végétale. Leur exploitation gomme dammar, et Dipterocarpus alatus, tant à un public national qu’international : raisonnée et leur commercialisation qui donne le gurjum et deux produits les Lao découvrent les usages (bien représentent un moyen non seulement de inféodés à plusieurs espèces forestières, vivants!) de ces produits traditionnels dans pérenniser la conservation de ces espèces la cire d’abeille et la gomme laque. l’industrie aromatique et pharmaceutique. végétales, mais surtout d'apporter un (Auteur: F. Chagnaud, DG, Agroforex Ces industries, pour leur part, se voient complément de revenu monétaire à de Company, PO Box 6682, 43-45 Piene Morin confirmer l’origine géographique de ces nombreuses familles rurales. Road, 01000 Vientiane, République matières premières qu’elles intègrent dans démocratique populaire lao. Courriel: leurs formules au quotidien. [email protected]/)

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 46 COUNTRYSPECIAL FEATURESCOMPASS

% LEBANON overharvest its roots for these local % PHILIPPINES remedies and collect roots before seed Cedar forests ecotourism boom setting. Moreover, there is heavy grazing Philippines' tribes try to save their forest Lebanon's 2 000 ha of cedar forest are a by livestock in the area. Over 40 000 ha of land, including vast peaceful oasis for hikers, mountain bikers In order to conserve muruk and other swathes of forest of Occidental Mindoro, is and bird-watchers, a world away from the valuable species in the forests of Chitral, claimed by the Mangyan people as their hustle and bustle of Beirut. In the Shouf the Directorate of Non-Timber Forest ancestral domain. The land is believed to Cedar Reserve, the country's largest natural Products, Khyber Pukhtunkhaw Forest be rich in gold, natural gas and minerals forest, villagers make a living selling home- Department Development Office Chitral worth many millions of dollars. The stakes made jam, honey, pickled olives and wine to has initiated a special in situ conservation are high and the Mangyan are fighting tourists. The area was declared a UNESCO approach along the following lines. against all odds. They are an ethnic and Biosphere Reserve in 2005. • A Medicinal Plant Conservation linguistic minority group of fewer than While sustainable tourism is booming, committee has been formed in Chitral’s 25 000 in number. the ancient forests are under threat from Momy valley involving the local A Mangyan family earns on average just climate change. Nizar Hani, manager of community, especially graziers US$0.34/day. Historically nomadic and Shouf Cedar Reserve, said: “Right now we (nomadic people). This committee has forest gatherers, the tribes often struggle have a new challenge for the cedar forest in 20 members (15 men and five women) to feed themselves. The consequences are Lebanon, which is climate change”. belonging to various villages and castes obvious as 60 percent of Mangyan children The reserve is trying to raise awareness in the valley. are malnourished and infant mortality of biodiversity among its visitors and the • An area of about 10 acres (4 ha) has rates are so high that a child is considered local community, including schools and been declared a Conservation Area of fortunate to reach the age of ten. decision-makers. It had 40 000 visitors last Medicinal Plants (CAMP) and, by According to government regulations, all year, with 65 percent Lebanese and 35 involving the local community, grazing indigenous peoples such as the Mangyan percent foreigners. This year, it is here has been banned for a period of tribes must prove their ownership of the land expecting to receive 50 000 visitors. five years in order to ensure the they claim as rightfully theirs through title Villagers in the forest benefit from a regeneration of muruk. deeds and legally valid documentation. Given sustainable tourism programme to sell 42 • A chowkidar (watchman) from the local that the majority of Mangyan are illiterate different home-made products, from honey community of Momy has been hired to with limited contact with the outside world, to walnut jam, herbs and olive oil, to look after the area and three village their ability to support their claim is fraught tourists. Hani said: "About 40 women volunteers have also been engaged to with tremendous challenges, rendering benefit from this programme. We increase control grazing there. them even more vulnerable. their income and they work on a seasonal • One acre (0.4 ha) of degraded They rely on support from local and basis to prepare all the products. In communal range land has been international community development addition to the women, we have the replanted with liquorice roots. organizations such as Plan International. beekeepers. They can put their bees in the • Through a valley gathering, 56 local For their title claim, the organization – with reserve and at the end of the season plant collectors have been trained in support from the EU – is assisting the promote their honey here." sustainable harvesting of medicinal Mangyan to survey their land, create 3D Cedar trees have a fond place in plants. maps of their domain and document their Lebanese history as well as in the centre of (Contributed by: Mr Iftilhar Ahmad and oral history, which is replete with the country's flag. (Source: CNN, 10 August Ajaz Ahmad, Directorate of Non-Timber references to geographic landmarks. 2011.) Forest Products, KPK Forest Department, (Source: Aljazeera, 14 September 2011.) Shami Road, Peshawar, Pakistan. E-mail: [email protected]/) % PAKISTAN %PORTUGAL

In situ conservation of medicinal plants in Portugal’s traditional cork industry fights Chitral modern challengerss Glycyrrhiza glabra (liquorice root, known In the centuries-old cork forests of southern locally as muruk) is a species found in the Portugal, locals who for generations have Karimabad and Mustuj areas of Chitral and harvested the bark that caps billions of grows on marginal lands, usually field bottles around the world do not think much boundaries of agricultural lands. This of the rival plastic stoppers and metal undershrub plant starts sprouting in April, screwcaps threatening their livelihoods. develops flowers in May and the pods “Cork is a safer bet,” says João Simões, a mature in July. 64-year-old, as he peels the bark off a cork The roots are used locally as remedies oak – a job he has been doing for the past 40 for throat infections, stomach problems years. “It seals [bottles] better.” and coughs. The population of this Some of the world’s leading valuable species is rapidly declining in the winemakers disagree. Since the turn of the

district because the local communities Glycyrrhiza glabra century they have used more and more

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALCOUNTRY FEATURES COMPASS 47

alternative stoppers in an unprecedented and the United States of America, have Afin de développer les filières PFNL, threat for the economy of Portugal, the converted to synthetic closures and deux formations à l’approche de l'Analyse world’s largest cork producer and one of screwcaps. Some producers on other et du développement des marchés (ADM) Western Europe’s poorest countries. The continents have followed suit. Wine ont été organisées par la FAO et le competition compelled Portuguese cork experts gave their endorsement for the Ministère en charge des forêts à companies, accustomed to a long- switch. One anti-cork group staged a Abala et à Madingo-Kayes en août 2011. standing near-monopoly, to embark on a mock funeral in New York featuring a cork Cette approche développée et do-or-die makeover. Now, producers say, stopper in a casket. appliquée par la FAO depuis plus de 20 their modernization and diversification The Portuguese Government, aware ans en Asie, en Amérique latine et en programme is paying off. that the industry is too big to fail, declared Afrique est une méthodologie They say they have checked the steep its survival “a national cause”. participative conçue pour aider les drop in the market share for cork In a key victory, the cork business populations locales à créer des stoppers, holding it at around 70 percent earned green credentials from the World entreprises rémunératrices tout en for the past two years. And last year, cork Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which conservant les ressources forestières. La exports improved for the first time in a applauded the industry for being méthode comprend trois phases: la phase decade with a growth of more than 8 renewable, sustainable and 1 consiste à identifier les entrepreneurs et percent, according to the National environmentally friendly. The cork oak’s les produits potentiels, la phase 2 à Statistics Institute. bark is pried off about every nine years, sélectionner les produits les plus “For the first time in 250 years, the cork when the inner lining is able to withstand prometteurs, à identifier les marchés industry was actually challenged,” says exposure. This happens in a regular cycle potentiels et à examiner les moyens de Antonio Amorim, Chairman and Chief for more than a century with each tree. commercialiser les produits, et la phase 3 Executive Officer of Amorim, Portugal’s (Source: Associated Press in The à préparer la stratégie et le plan oldest and largest cork company. “We Washington Post, 31 July 2011.) d’entreprise et à faire démarrer les would like to ... think that the worst times entreprises forestières. for the cork industry are behind us.” Les études de base menées dans le Portugal supplies about half of global %REPUBLIC cadre du Projet ont permis de se cork production, and the spongy bark is a OF THE CONGO faire une idée sur les éléments des major export earner for a national phases 1 et 2 de l’ADM. En conséquence, economy that is floundering. Développement des petites et moyennes les formations ont mis l’accent sur la Cork’s recovery illustrates the kind of entreprises basées sur les PFNL phase 3, élucidant les flux de overhaul that officials say Portuguese Le secteur des produits forestiers non commercialisation, soulignant les businesses need to become more ligneux (PFNL) au Congo est porteur de avantages de la collaboration en groupe competitive. Modernization “is the path we nombreuses opportunités, notamment au niveau des villages, et amenant les must take with the utmost urgency”, dues à une grande diversité de ces participants à déterminer leurs objectifs Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva ressources. Le Gnetum, les marantacées, financiers et à élaborer des stratégies said last month. les asperges (comme Laccosperma pour les atteindre. The cork industry ensures the secundiflorum), le miel, les fruits Au total, 48 participants ont été formés livelihoods of some 10 000 Portuguese comestibles (Aframomum stipulatum, durant cinq jours dans les deux sites, et workers and their families, most of them Landolphia spp., Coula edulis, neuf plans de développement d’entreprise in rural areas where jobs are hard to come Pseudospondias longifolia) et les (PDE) pilotes ont été développés. Les by. “The economic importance of the cork champignons sont les PFNL les plus activités après la formation prévoient une industry and of the cork forest is utilisés à Abala, dans la région des restitution dans les villages, suivie de absolutely critical,” says Carlos de Jesus, Plateaux, et à Madingo-Kayes, dans la l’élaboration et de la mise en œuvre de operational director of APCOR, the région du Kouilou, sites pilotes du projet PDE pour d'autres groupes de ces Portuguese cork association. PFNL de la FAO et du Ministère en charge villages. The challenge to Portugal’s dominance des forêts. La demande commerciale de À la suite et dans le cadre du même came from the other side of the globe. PFNL est forte et il existe des marchés au projet, la FAO organise des formations Winemakers in Australia and New Zealand niveau local, national, sous-régional et similaires au Gabon et en République were unhappy about what they said was international pour ces produits. centrafricaine. the inconsistent quality of cork stoppers Toutefois, ces opportunités coexistent and occasional “cork taint” – the sour, avec des carences: production irrégulière POUR EN SAVOIR PLUS, CONTACTER: musty taste that spoils a wine and is de PFNL; connaissance insuffisante des Armand Asseng Zé, Spécialiste ressources widely blamed on chemical interaction techniques durables de récolte, naturelles et produits forestiers non ligneux, with the cork. It is what people refer to conservation, emballage et transport; Coordination régionale du Projet PFNL when they say a bottle of wine is “corked”. faible promotion de la qualité des PFNL; GCP/RAF/441/GER, FAO B.P. 281 Yaoundé, On top of that, a cork stopper costs absence d’organisation des producteurs et Cameroun. Courriel: between €0.25 and €2; its synthetic rival des commerçants, et besoins en [email protected]; comes in at €0.15–€0.40. renforcement des capacités des acteurs www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/55079/fr/ Most New World producers, who export des petites et moyennes entreprises (Please see page 59 for more information on much of their wine to the United Kingdom forestières (PMEF). this project.)

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 48 COUNTRYSPECIAL FEATURESCOMPASS

%RWANDA up scale-processing equipment to upgrade Matar Cisse, Director-General of the the quality standards and produce," she Senegalese Great Green Wall Agency, said Facilitating honey business said. She added that they have received efforts were in place to maintain the plants Honey dealers in Rwanda are set to receive international demand for Rwandan honey after harvesting. "The World Food Programme better rewards after the Rwanda Bureau of because of its naturalness, thanks to the provides food for work to the communities Standards (RBS) established quality country’s well-endowed forests and that are hosting the programmes where the standards to boost the product in the ecosystems. (Source: www.allafrica.com, walls are being planted. These communities market. 23 June 2011.) were given the responsibility to maintain these Rwandan honey has seen tremendous trees that are being planted. We have small demand both locally and internationally. irrigation systems that these communities The Managing Director of RBS, Mark % SENEGAL use to water the plants and [they will also] Bagabe Cyubahiro, says that the recent protect them from animals." (Source: increase in the demand for honey has Great Green Wall project gathers pace SciDev.Net, 12 August 2011.) called for standards and checks to ensure Senegal is planting its latest batch of quality. "We have taken a multipronged seedlings for Africa's “wall of trees” approach to make sure that Rwandan initiative this week – the first planting since honey meets international standards a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for compliant by offering training to farmers the project was signed in May. and dealers," he said. The Great Green Wall project involves Cyubahiro said that demand for honey planting a living wall of trees and bushes has increased because of the growing more than 7 000 km long and 15 km wide, tourism sector. "We have a big market here from Dakar, Senegal in the west to Djibouti locally, in the Middle East and Europe. The in the east, to protect the semi-arid Sahel challenge is for beekeepers to go for high region from desertification. volumes by acquiring big beehives to The project is in its fourth year in increase production." Senegal, with planting taking place in Cyubahiro added: "Market demand Labgar, Mbar Toubab, Tessekere and requires certain standards that we could Widou. The 1 500-strong workforce began not meet because the international market planting this week (8 August) and hopes to demands organic products that are plant 1.65 million seedlings by 15 %SOUTH SUDAN pesticide free," he said. He noted that September. Since 2008, Senegal has honey collected in agricultural areas where planted nearly 8 million seedlings for the Resource curse or wild wonder? pesticides are sprayed normally contains wall. After the people of South Sudan voted copper, a metal that is dangerous to a Pape Sarr, Technical Director for the overwhelmingly for independence, the work human body's functions. Such metals, Senegalese project, told SciDev.Net that of building a nation begins. One of many tasks including the carcinogen found in smoke the species selected for planting are facing the nation's nascent leaders is the that is used by many famers to harvest economically viable and drought resistant. conservation of its stunning wildlife. In 2007, honey, are the critical elements that lower They are also protected by law in Senegal following two decades of brutal civil war, the quality, making the product harmful. and cannot be felled without government Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) surveyed However, efforts are under way to create permission, he said. South Sudan. What they found surprised awareness among honey farmers against The wall was initiated by the African everyone: 1.3 million white-eared kob, tiang using smoke. Florida Uwamariya, the Union (AU) in 2007, through its New (or topi) antelopes and Mongalla gazelles still Accounts Administrator of Rwanda Partnership for Africa's Development roamed the plains, making up the world's beekeeping services centre, said farmers (NEPAD). In June last year, AU created the second largest migration after the Serengeti. have been trained in safe extraction, post- Pan African Agency of the Great Green Wall The civil war had not, as expected, largely harvest honey management and packaging, to monitor and coordinate the project in the diminished the Sudan's great wildernesses, which has improved quality. "We are different countries, and provide and share which are also inhabited by buffaloes, looking at how we can maintain hygiene information. giraffes, lions, bongo antelopes, and quality honey processing and setting Marcel Nwalozie, Director of NEPAD's chimpanzees and some 8 000 elephants. West Africa Mission, told SciDev.Net: "One However, with new nationhood come tough of the things we are trying to do [through decisions and new pressures. Multinational the MoU] is [create] a scientific advisory companies seeking to exploit the nation's vast panel, because the Great Green Wall is not natural resources are expected to arrive in going to be just a wall of trees". The project South Sudan, tempting the people with could also help improve livelihoods of the promises of development and economic communities around the wall, he said. growth, promises that have proven uneven at His office, Nwalozie added, is currently best across Africa. Dubbed the resource looking into different initiatives to improve curse, many poor nations have seen their rich, the soil, which would also help improve natural resources plundered for the world local livelihoods. market, but instead of reaping the financial

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALCOUNTRY FEATURES COMPASS 49

rewards, money is lost in poorly made deals be the country’s miracle commodity, with a % TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO or commodity swings, or ends up in the thick belt of the trees stretching from one pockets of foreign corporations or corrupt end of the Sudan to the other. Beekeeping activities officials, leaving the nation's people not with The resource-rich African country Available data indicated that in 2008 there education and opportunity, but with exports tens of thousands of tonnes of raw were around 300 beekeepers and 6 000 environmental degradation and social unrest. gum arabic each year, feeding 80 percent of honey-bee colonies in Trinidad, and 16 Dependent on oil (98 percent of the global demand. The Sudan's output has beekeepers with 450 colonies in Tobago. Government's revenue comes from oil) and dropped to nearly half of what the nation This represents a decline in beekeeping in shockingly poor (90 percent of the people live produced in its heyday. As the once both islands, clearly suggesting that new on less than US$1/day), the South Sudan is abundant belt of A. senegal trees across strategies must be found to secure the perfectly situated for a resource-curse repeat. the Sudan shrinks, climate change appears sector’s future to enable it to realize its full One way to avoid the resource curse is to to be one of the culprits. potential. expand the economic portfolio from non- The humanitarian crisis in Darfur and Since 1997, the Government has agreed renewable resources, such as oil and mining, now in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile to designate areas of forest reserve lands to opportunities that will not stagnate. Here is are having a negative impact by sullying the to be used for beekeeping activities but, to where the nation's vast wildlife – and its still Sudan's reputation to the point that many date, the agreement remains unfulfilled. intact ecosystems – comes in. companies do not want to admit that they This potentially fruitful policy decision "There is a historic opportunity, perhaps buy a Sudanese commodity. could, if implemented, significantly improve unprecedented, for wildlife conservation, For example, Coca-Cola, which uses the sector’s history. This is because a sustainable natural resource management gum arabic to keep the sugar from recent survey revealed that beekeepers on and environmentally friendly ecotourism to precipitating to the bottom of its sodas, will both islands considered lack of suitable be integrated into the nation-building not say where it gets the emulsifier. The raw apiary sites as their major constraint to process," wrote Steven Sanderson, Chief sap is sent to Europe for processing and enterprise development. Executive Officer of WCS. then it is disseminated to customers Government policy, as reflected in With some of the continent's biggest worldwide. Referenced in the Qur'an, Bible statements by Food Production Minister herds – and therefore some of the best and Torah, modern research has proved its Vasant Bharath, is one of support for the wildlife viewing in the world – South Sudan role in fighting diseases including diabetes, resurgence of beekeeping. Local could become an ecotourism hub. Tourism kidney disease, colon cancer, heart disease beekeepers hope the Minister will in such a place is nothing to sniff at: Kenya and high blood pressure. recognize that unless a structured estimated it would make over US$1 billion Ly Hoang, Quality Manager of Alan and mechanism for the support of beekeeping in revenue from tourism in 2010. And unlike Robert, one of the companies working in the is appropriately resourced, mobilized and oil, tourism does not run dry, so long as the Sudan, admits that the commodity is used in mandated, attempts to develop the sector South Sudan makes forward-thinking an unimaginable number of commodities. Ly are likely to be short lived. Due conservation a priority. (Source: Hoang said that a forum in Khartoum consideration must be given to the fragility www.mongabay.com, 11 July 2011.) recently took place "to exchange ideas and of the national beekeeping environment, research topics on gum arabic by different which is threatened by new and exotic universities and professors and students and pests and diseases, and subjected to %SUDAN to review the future of gum arabic". In the denudation by untamed bush fires, slash- same context, she said Sudanese gum arabic and-burn agriculture, creeping Gum arabic: the Sudan’s miracle is the most important gum in volume in the urbanization, “fogging” for mosquitoes and commodity world. (Source: SudanVision Daily, large-scale industrial sites being Vital to human manufacturing, gum arabic is 19 September 2011.) established in rural communities. used in a wide variety of industries including Complementarity between beekeeping pharmaceuticals, soft drinks, paints, on the two islands may also be explored: a detergents, chocolates, textiles, metal significant market exists for European corrosion inhibition, glues, pesticides and queen bees in Trinidad, which could be much more. This sap, from the branches of satisfied by developing commercial queen- Acacia senegal trees, is a natural emulsifier, rearing capacity in Tobago. Of course, there which means that it can keep together is also the need to ensure that Tobago substances that normally would not mix well. remains free from Africanized bees. Given The WWF project in the Bikin River area the probability that these bees will aims to demonstrate that harvesting and eventually arrive in Tobago, action must be utilization of wild NTFPs, providing the taken, both to forestall and yet prepare for major source of income for local people, is that eventuality. a viable alternative to timber logging (often Beekeepers must exploit to the fullest illegal and unsustainable). These efforts their collective potential as a “cluster” of lead to the conservation of Korean pine socio-economic interests, and enjoy the forests and Amur tiger habitats. benefits of cooperation rather than Since most of the world's gum arabic competing within their community. There is comes from the Sudan, it is considered to Gum arabic significant scope to expand and diversify

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 50 COUNTRYSPECIAL FEATURESCOMPASS

the production and marketing of bee “We have an alternative, start a bee leaves are inedible, but the flowers can be products. The bottom line is that apiculture project and have honey instead of sugar. deep fried in batter and are readily must be tweaked to emphasize its The bees will act as security to the trees in transformed into a delicious cordial with the api-business component. Finally, and of the forest,” said Beatrice Anywar, Member help of sugar, lemon juice and citric acid. critical importance, is the need to recognize of Parliament for Kitgum. Elder is the preferred home of one of our that twenty-first century beekeeping is not a Conservationists have warned that in the strangest fungi, jelly ear (Auricularia auricula- simple vocation. The perception of aspiring event that the ecology of Mabira is judae). Emerging from trunks and branches beekeepers, investors, advisers, policy disrupted, the future of Ugandan dams throughout the year, especially following rain, analysts and planners that there is “money such as Bujagali and Nalubaale would the ear-shaped, translucent brown fruits have in honey” and that the transformation equally be at stake. the consistency of tough jelly babies. Finely process is as figuratively straightforward as “A rain forest like Mabira is simply too sliced, they make a tasty addition to a stir-fry changing the “h” in honey to the “m” in intricate and delicate a body to slice apart. It or risotto and, after stewing and blending, the money, must give way to the reality that will be unable to perform these functions resultant glutinous soup is flavoursome and sustainable beekeeping is as complicated an amputated,” said Tony Otoa, a researcher filling, if a rather odd colour. activity as the bees we are working with. with Advocates Coalition for Development April is high season for a much-prized (Source: Bees for Development Journal, 99, and Environment Uganda (ACODE-U). and odd-looking woodland fungus known June 2011.) (Source: The Ecologist, 20 September 2011.) as the morel (any of various species of edible mushrooms of the genera Morchella FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: and Verpa). Its tan-coloured cap is covered Gladstone Solomon, President of the Tobago % UNITED KINGDOM with honeycomb-like pits and resembles an Apicultural Society, 11 Farm Road, elongated brain on a stalk. Morels grow to Hope Village, Mesopotamia, Tobago, West Indies. Foraging in the spring 10 cm on well-drained soil in open E-mail: [email protected]/ One of the most versatile of our spring- woodland. They are easily preserved by flowering woodland plants forms vivid green drying and can be rapidly reconstituted in patches in damp shady places on the alluvial warm water; the resulting taste and texture % UGANDA soil beside woodland streams. Ramsons, are every bit as good as with fresh ones. Allium ursinum, or wild garlic, requires no A woodland plant that is more common Ugandans mobilize to save Mabira forest searching for: if trodden on, it is instantly in the north of England and in parts of from sugar-cane plantation identified by a strong aroma of onions. There Scotland, sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata) One of Africa's last remaining tropical is no need to uproot the narrow bulbs; flowers can be found as early as April. Good forests, Mabira is home to precious wildlife instead, collect a handful of the bright green, news for people suffering from diabetes: and is an ecotourist attraction. But it is lily-of-the-valley-like leaves. Better still, pick the sweetener found in this plant is not now under threat from sugar-cane a few clusters of the white flowers with their sugar and can be enjoyed by all. production. six narrow petals – their al dente texture and Woodland foraging can even provide the In July this year, when sugar prices subtle taste, when eaten raw, puts the leaves ingredients for some unusual wines. You will tripled, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in the shade. have to wait until next year to make birch sap took the opportunity to try to convince the For those requiring more solid wine, as the peak collecting season is in public that the only way to bring down prices sustenance, the underground tubers of early March, when the sap is rising. was to increase sugar production. To do this, pignut, Conopodium majus, a small plant However, the end of May is the best time to Ugandans would give away 7 100 ha of that grows in ancient woods, are worthy of collect young oak leaves, from which you can Mabira Central Forest Reserve to the Sugar the search, especially in May. At this time, make a simple white wine with the help of Corporation of Uganda Limited (SCOUL) to the finely divided, carrot-like leaves are produce more sugar. topped by thin stalks bearing tiny clusters In 2007, the Government attempted to of white cow-parsley-type flower heads. In give away Mabira but backed down after former times, free-range pigs found facing strong resistance from civil society autumn nourishment from uprooting the organizations and the public. plant. The hazelnut-like tuber lies at least Mabira forest is a core conservation area 8 cm under the soil surface, so a penknife for critical biodiversity; a hub for ecological or trowel is useful. The sliced "nuts" can be and environmental conservation; a habitat eaten raw in salads or cooked as part of for many animal and plant species; a water- stews and stir-fries. catchment protector for the many rivers and Elder, also called elderberry, is a genus of streams that feed the lakes in East Africa; a between five and 30 species of shrubs or recharger for underground aquifers; a small trees constituting the genus crucial component of microclimate Sambucus of the moschatel family, moderation in the region (which aids Adoxaceae. In the eyes of a forager, elder agricultural production); a necessary has the status of a weed but, as May gives catalyst for carbon sequestration in the way to June, this small, multibranched tree, region; and an economic boon for Uganda's with its fissured, corky bark, is transformed ecotourism industry. by clusters of creamy, fragrant flowers. Elder Myrrhis odorata

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALCOUNTRY FEATURES COMPASS 51

sugar, oranges and yeast. Once bottled, it % UNITED STATES can be drunk immediately, preferably on a OF AMERICA hot summer's day. (Source: The Observer US FOREST SERVICE REPORT ON [United Kingdom], 10 April 2011.) NTFPs in the United States of America SUSTAINABLE FORESTS RELEASED In partnership with 11 other countries, the Honey is at the heart of a beneficial United States of America participates in the The United States of America has 751 partnership Montreal Process. Each country assesses million acres (304 million ha) of forests One of the most impressive features of the national progress towards the sustainable that have remained remarkably stable London office of the Nomura global management of forest resources by using a during the past 50 years, according to the investment bank, located in the City on the set of criteria and indicators agreed on by US Forest Service's 2010 National Report banks of the River Thames, is its 36 155 ft² all member countries. on Sustainable Forests that was released (3 359 m2) flowering sedum-covered roof. Several indicators focus on NTFPs. In today. The report, the second edition Even more impressive is that an inner city the United States of America, permit and since 2003, provides a comprehensive organization is seeking corporates to help the contract data from the US Forest Service picture of current conditions and trends floundering United Kingdom bee population and the Bureau of Land Management, in in the nation's forests, forest industries by hosting beehives in their offices. addition to several other data sources, and forest communities, and also gives The Golden Company is a London- were used as a benchmark to assess details on forest conditions as they relate based organization working with at-risk harvest, value, employment, exports and to sustainability. 16–21 year-olds from inner London who imports, per capita consumption, and Forests in the United States of develop business skills through producing, subsistence uses for many NTFPs. America continue to face a number of marketing and selling honey and related The retail value of commercial harvests threats, ranging from fragmentation products. The social enterprise, founded in of NTFPs from United States forest lands is and loss of forest integrity caused by 2009, has offered services to London estimated at US$1.4 billion annually. development and an increase in the area businesses since last year. The partnerships NTFPs are important to many people and severity of forest disturbances provide young people with training, income throughout the country for personal, including destructive insects, and work opportunities for 12 months. cultural and commercial uses, providing development and fire. The economic and Nomura offered the Golden Company the food security, beauty, connection to culture social environment surrounding forests is rooftop of its recently completed 11-storey and tradition, and income. (Source: S.J. also changing rapidly. Data from the European headquarters. Its roof provides Alexander, S.N. Oswalt and M.R. Emery, report indicate ongoing shifts in where plenty of opportunity for pollination and 2011. Nontimber forest products in the and how wood products are made and adheres to a strict no-pesticide policy. The United States: Montreal Process indicators the emergence of new markets for honey bees feel welcome, which encourages as measures of current conditions and environmental services. Some of this wild pollinators to thrive. The hives are sustainability. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR- social change includes the growing located in their own purpose-built area, 851. Portland, OR, US Department of ecotourism industry and a return to surrounded by a timber enclosure to protect Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific wood as a building material in smaller- them from strong winds and London's Northwest Research Station.) (abstract) scale structures. (Source: US Department unpredictable weather. of Agriculture, 7 July 2011.) This partnership is not just helping the A forager's delight: seeking out secret 150 000 bees: the Golden Company is able to harvests in the city provide work and training for two young For about three weeks each summer, people who will visit the bees regularly with mulberry trees are impossible to miss, if to harvest, because they are so plentiful an experienced beekeeper to monitor and you know what to look for. That is when the and are not likely to be confused with any maintain the hives. trees' sweet, ripe berries, which look a lot killer berries. Yet despite a plethora of new It is also an opportunity for Nomura to like blackberries, fall from the branches books on urban foraging and a growing help the City towards a sustainable future. and leave telltale bluish-black stains on the interest in eating local, swallowing With an emphasis on collaboration and pavement or ground below. It is happening something that does not come from a teamwork, bees serve as a great metaphor right now in New York City. market or restaurant can be just too scary for a large corporation. Since most city folk do not even know for most city dwellers. "The initiative with the beehives on our that the berries can be eaten, more often It does not help that city officials often roof is a perfect partnership for Nomura," than not the spoiled fruit winds up as frown on foraging. Health officials shut says Dominic Cashman, the Managing pigeon feed. down an underground market of foraged Director. "We can use our building's With supermarket berries averaging foods in San Francisco last year, and the environmental credentials – the roof garden about US$3/pint (0.5 litre) at the moment, New York City Parks Department recently and sedum roof – to give something back to it is hard to see why more people do not uprooted a rogue farm in Manhattan's the City by supporting the pollinators and take advantage of this annual harvest, Highbridge Park on the grounds that the inner-city young people." available for free in cities from crop was not safe for consumption. Nomura has agreed to purchase all the Sacramento, California to Baltimore, Some foraged food is actually easier to honey produced in 2012, which will be used at where the trees are also found and the find in cities than in the country. Dandelions, client events and for breakfasts. (Source: The berries are in season. Mulberries are one whose leaves are the least bitter in spring Guardian [United Kingdom], 25 July 2011.) of the easiest foods for would-be foragers and autumn, as well as other greens such as

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 52 COUNTRYSPECIAL FEATURESCOMPASS

purslane and lamb's quarters, thrive in dry, after only a couple of weeks. In 2009, The breeding programme, which each sunny spots where less-hardy plants would producers in the state made 439 000 year sees around 200 young crocodiles perish. Caleb Malcom of Kansas City gallons (11 810 hectolitres). released into the rivers of Venezuela's recently spied a flowering elderberry bush Whetstone said the number of taps in Llanos, or Great Plains, takes place on a in an empty lot near his home as he was New York increased this year. There were private reserve about six hours drive from driving by one day and saw the bush's white 2.01 million taps, up 6 percent from 2010. the capital, Caracas. flowers. Once the berries ripen later this He said that this is the largest number of Over the years, state-run national parks summer, he plans to make elderberry wine. taps since 1950. have proved ineffective at preserving To make sure he does not harvest anything An overwhelming majority of maple wildlife and the task fell to private ranchers from a toxic brownfield or Superfund site, producers in the state reported a who kept reserves and created ecotourism Malcom says he researches the sites he is favourable season. The weather was with lodges. The challenge is for productive interested in online before foraging them. producers this year, as temperatures farming to coexist with conservation The biggest dilemma for new foragers is began to warm above freezing in March and programmes. But now these reserves are figuring out what's actually edible. Rule stayed in the 40s during the days and in the an endangered species themselves. Since number one: if you are not sure what it is, 30s at night, allowing sap to run for a 2006, three of the four farms that hosted do not eat it. To get started, free Web and month or more. biological research programmes have been field guides (such as Nature's Garden or Only Vermont produces more syrup than expropriated by the Government, to the Urban Foraging) abound. There are also New York. Its producers made 1.14 million dismay of environmentalists. some iPhone apps, such as Steve Brill's gallons (43 154 hectolitres) this year. Yet at one expropriated farm, ecological Wild Edibles. Park tours guided by long- (Source: www.syracuse.com [New York, programmes are continuing. El Cedral, a time foragers can also help ease the United States of America], 15 June 2011.) 53 000-ha ranch, keeps 90 percent of its learning curve. land as a nature reserve, while still raising The biggest challenge faced by cattle for meat and buffalo for dairy experienced city foragers is the competition products. Its ecotourism lodge remains for some of the more coveted harvests. open and continues to attract bird- "Sometimes I stake out my favourite gingko watchers who come to see the more than trees, and I am too late," says Leda 300 species found at the ranch. The Meredith, author of The Locavore's approach at El Cedral seems to suggest Handbook, who often finds that others have that all is not lost for the wildlife of the collected the stinky tree's nuts, which can be Great Plains, but neither is its future roasted or used in tea. guaranteed. (Source: BBC News, 13 June Avid foragers say their hobby can shave 2011.) up to 40 percent off their grocery bill. But that is rarely the main motive. Caleb Malcom likes the health benefits: "Wild % VIET NAM vegetables and wild greens have a higher VENEZUELA (BOLIVARIAN nutrient level than things you find in the % REPUBLIC OF) Agarwood in Viet Nam grocery store." (For example, amaranth, In Viet Nam, agarwood is naturally also known as Chinese spinach, is high in Venezuela's wildlife conservation sees distributed in the north, central highlands many vitamins and minerals, including mixed results and southeast of the country, and is widely vitamin C, folate, calcium, iron and Young crocodiles cry plaintively for their grown in the north-central regions, magnesium.) (Source: Time Magazine, mother as they are hooked in a trap and especially across Ha Tinh and Thua Thien 6 July 2011.) pulled, splashing frantically, from the Hue provinces. water. But their mother is nowhere to be Agarwood can provide valuable products A banner year for New York's maple syrup seen. These one-year-old Orinoco such as highly valued paper pulp (agarwood industry crocodiles are part of a captive breeding chips), agarwood incense and agarwood oil Maple syrup production in New York programme designed to put the brakes on for perfume and traditional medicines. increased 81 percent this year, compared their slide towards extinction. This Prices vary from US$10 (for fragrant with the dismal season in 2010, according crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius ) is the agarwood) to US$1 000 (for perfume and to statistics from the state Department of biggest in South America, present only in oils), up to US$20 000–30 000/kg (for best- Agriculture and Markets. Venezuela and Colombia. Researchers quality perfume and medicines or Ky nam in New York maple producers made measure population by the number of adult Vietnamese). 564 000 gallons (21 350 hectolitres) of females and say there are now around 100 Depending upon the extent of the resin maple syrup, said King Whetstone, Director in Venezuela, far fewer in Colombia. accumulation, the heartwood is generally of the US Department of Agriculture’s "In the 1930s and 1940s, they were classified into four categories: grade 1 (grade National Agricultural Statistics Service overexploited for their skin," said Omar A), black or true agar; grade 2 (grade B), office in New York. It is the highest Hernandez, Director of Venezuela's Science bantang; grade 3 (grade C), bhuta or phuta; production since 1947. Last year, 312 000 Development Foundation. "Now people are and grade 4 (grade D), dhum. True agar is gallons (11 810 hectolitres) were made eating these crocodiles, they are hunting mainly exported to the Middle East countries after an early warm-up stopped the sap run them for their meat." where it is used as incense. Bantang is brown

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALCOUNTRY FEATURES COMPASS 53

products in HCMC on 4 000 city dwellers and Lowveld of Zimbabwe. Dramatic loss of 3 600 secondary school students between wildlife populations followed settlement of Agarwood (or agar) is a dark resinous August 2010 and April 2011. game ranches during land reform and, heartwood that forms in Aquilaria trees The survey, released on Monday, reveals without realignment of land uses or efforts to (large evergreens native to Southeast Asia that men consume more wild animal enable resettled farmers to engage in and Viet Nam) when they become products than women, and restaurants in wildlife-based land uses, the prospects for infected with a type of mould. Prior to HCMC are the most common place for conservation on private land are bleak. infection, the heartwood is relatively light people to eat the meat. A study published in Oryx in 2011 and pale coloured; however, as the The majority of polled people say they eat highlights several management and land-use infection progresses, the tree responds by bushmeat because others invite them, or planning steps required to maximize the producing a dense, dark aromatic resin. they want to try new experiences or they feel efficacy of antipoaching efforts and to reduce The resin-embedded wood is commonly the meat is more delicious. According to the the likelihood of high impacts of illegal called gaharu, aloeswood, agarwood or survey, people of 36–45 years old, state hunting. It provides a number of widely oud and is valued in many cultures for its workers and those with high educational applicable insights for the prevention and distinctive fragrance, which is used in levels have a tendency to consume wild management of illegal bushmeat hunting. incense and perfumes. One of the reasons animal products more than other groups. As Recommendations include: (i) for the relative rarity and high cost of for secondary school students (aged antipoaching efforts need to be aligned with agarwood is the depletion of the wild between 11 and 14), 28.2 percent of them say the regular temporal and spatial patterns of resource. Since 1990, the Aquilaria tree they have eaten bushmeat, and their illegal hunting; (ii) leases for hunting and has been listed in CITES Appendix II consumption is influenced by their parents tourism concessions should ensure adequate (potentially threatened species). and other adults in the family. Unlike adults, investment by tourism operators in these teenagers usually eat the meat during antipoaching; (iii) in conservancies and trips to other provinces or at family events hunting concessions minimum standards of such as birthday parties. per capita investment in antipoaching should in colour without any black tones. Bhuta is The survey reveals that most polled be met for landowners to qualify for legal also brown but interspersed with 50 percent people think that hunting and trading of hunting quotas; (iv) reserve designers should or more of yellow-coloured wood. These two wild animal products is the biggest threat minimize the perimeter-to-area ratio of grades are usually used in incense. Dhum is to wild species. In fact, consumption of parks; (v) fences should not be constructed the lowest grade, which is mostly yellow with wildlife products is the biggest threat using wire that can be made into snares; (vi) scattered streaks of brown or black resin. It because it promotes illegal hunting and land reform involving game ranches should is typically distilled for oil. trading, putting wild animals at risk of integrate communities in wildlife-based land Agarwood is one of the ecologically and extinction. uses and ensure spatial separation between economically valued timber trees in Viet According to WAR, communication and land for wildlife and human settlement; and Nam, and it is widely used to reforest education programmes need to be designed (vii) means are required to enable barren land on hilly and mountainous for residents and students in order to prevent communities to benefit from wildlife, create regions of some north-central provinces. endangered wildlife consumption. It says disincentives for illegal hunting and provide The tree is best grown in home and forest animal products from legal farming should for more efficient use of wildlife resources. gardens, with a combination of agricultural be introduced as a substitute. (Source: (Source: P.A. Lindsey, S.S. Romañach, C.J. crops. (Source: Quang Hoang Ha and Huu www.thanhniennews.com, 24 May 2011.) Tambling, K. Chartier and R. Groom, 2011. Tran Nghi, 2010. Agarwood in agroforestry Ecological and financial impacts of illegal systems in North Central Provinces, bushmeat trade in Zimbabwe. Oryx, 45(1): Vietnam. Vietnam’s Forestry Network and % ZIMBABWE 96–111.) Tropenbos International [Viet Nam].) Ecological and financial impacts of illegal FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: bushmeat trade Mammal Research Institute, Department of Quang Hoang Ha and Huu Tran Nghi, In West and Central Africa, bushmeat hunting Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, No. 6/1 Doan Huu Trung Street, Hue City, is a survival strategy for large numbers of Pretoria 0002, South Africa; and African Wildlife Viet Nam. Fax/Tel.: 84 53 3852573; people, sometimes comprising most animal Conservation Fund, 10564NW, 57th Street, Doral, e-mail: [email protected] or protein consumed and contributing FL33178 Florida, United States of America. [email protected]/ significantly to household incomes. Finding E-mail: [email protected]/ p solutions to address unsustainable offtake is Half of city residents have eaten crucial from both conservation and bushmeat development perspectives. More than half of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) In Zimbabwe, illegal bushmeat hunting has residents said they have eaten bushmeat, of emerged as a serious conservation threat, The game of life is not so much in which 48 percent have consumed it more given the conditions of political instability and holding a good hand as playing a poor than three times/year, according to the latest economic decline. Widespread poverty, hand well. findings by Wildlife At Risk (WAR). unemployment and food insecurity have H.T. Leslie The HCMC-based NGO carried out the compounded the threat to wildlife populations survey about the consumption of wild animal and wildlife-based land uses in the southeast

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 54 SPECIAL FEATURESECONOOK

A MODEST PROPOSAL CoFCCLoT points out that nature in Eduardo Rojas-Briales, Assistant FOR WEALTHY wealthy nations needs urgent attention. Director-General of the FAO Forestry % COUNTRIES TO "Large areas are degraded. Soils are Department, noted at the report’s launch REFOREST THEIR LAND compacted, soil faunas depleted, and their that the tree-planting spree in Asia over FOR THE COMMON hydrology disrupted and contaminated." the last decade did not happen at the GOOD The coalition says that if wealthy expense of natural forest. nations restore their forests, they can help However, emphasis on the expanding The Coalition of Financially Challenged slow climate change by absorbing coverage of plantations still masks the Countries with Lots of Trees, known as atmospheric carbon and provide people fact that in Asia, as elsewhere, natural "CoFCCLoT", representing most of the with clean water and healthy soils. It also forest area continues to shrink. world's remaining tropical forests, is highlights the benefits for species Natural forests deliver quite different asking wealthy nations to share global diversity and environmental services. benefits from plantations. Plantations act responsibilities and reforest their land for CoFCCLoT notes the opportunities to as “carbon sinks”, absorbing greenhouse the common good of stabilizing climate reintroduce bears, lynx, wolves, beavers gases from the atmosphere, while mature and protecting biodiversity. and other threatened animals that have natural forests serve as “carbon "We are willing to play our part, but we been decimated or driven to extinction by reservoirs”, preventing the release of the require a level playing field in which we all rampant exploitation of natural forests in carbon that they have accumulated over commit to equal sacrifices," a coalition much of the industrialized world. the centuries. Plantations are easier to spokeswoman says. "Returning forest It says, too, that in the longer term, design and manage for regular income. cover in the G8 countries and the EU back ongoing climate change and reforestation Natural forests, however, bring a wealth of to historic levels will benefit all of us in may permit tropical megafauna to thrive in services essential to the livelihoods of 450 the long term." temperate countries. Lions could be million indigenous and forest-dependent Seventy-five percent of Europe was reintroduced to Greece, CoFCCLoT people in the Asia-Pacific region alone. once forested. Now it is 45 percent. Some suggests and gorillas might thrive in Nevertheless, there is growing countries such as Ireland saw their forest Spain. Both countries face economic consensus that we need to open much of cover reduced to near zero. Most forest challenges that could be reduced by the the forest up, rather than fence it off, so cover in the developed world is now often revenues from ecotourism. that it can be managed and valued for the planted with stands of alien trees, turning The coalition acknowledges that their services it provides. This means giving the them into deserts for biodiversity. demands will meet some resistance. people who depend on forests for their Remaining natural forests are often highly People might be scared to live near large everyday needs a greater say in their fragmented and have few native species. forests with wild animals and may be management. "For all the forests we in Indonesia, resentful of not being allowed access to A recent report by the Rights and Brazil or Central Africa do not cut down, forest resources. "But people will get used Resources Initiative shows that forest G8 countries should reforest a similarly to it," explains the spokeswoman. "It is dwellers and local people have sized area," says the CoFCCLoT time to share these global consistently done a better job of managing spokeswoman. "Too many agricultural responsibilities," she adds. "The G8 and protecting forests than the centralized areas in Europe and the United States are cannot have their cake and eat it too." management structures that most only kept in business because of tariffs (Source: www.mongabay.com, 11 August governments favour. and subsidies." 2011.) Nepal’s community forestry CoFCCLoT members also ask why they programme, in which self-identified are criticized for developing oil-palm ASIA’S REAL groups of local forest dwellers assume full plantations, even though oil-palms % CONTRIBUTION management responsibility for the forests produce much more biofuel and oil per TO THE GLOBAL HEALTH that they have traditionally used, is a fine unit area than temperate crops such as OF FORESTS example to other countries in the region maize, and thus require much less land to and beyond. In areas right across the satisfy global demands. As the UN International Year of Forests country, degradation of natural forest has kicked off this spring, there was good not only stopped, but has been reversed. news from Asia. New planting in China, Cambodia’s experience is another India, Viet Nam and other countries in the promising example. In essence, region is helping to slow down the rate of successful examples of people-centred forest loss worldwide, according to the forest management tend to entail a State of the World’s Forests 2011 report wholesale paradigm shift in a from FAO. government’s approach to forest policy. Many environmental lobby groups are Asia also holds cautionary tales. The unhappy that the FAO report includes Philippines was one of the first countries plantations at all, considering them in the region to enact legislation giving undeserving of the title “forests” because local communities and indigenous peoples of their limited social and environmental the rights to own and manage forest value when compared with the natural areas, but these rights became hostage to kind. Recognizing these concerns, the whims of subsequent governments.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALECONOOK FEATURES 55

Across the region, there is a precarious US$20 million in debt owed by cannot address the full suite of forest balance between the incentives to hand Madagascar to help the biodiversity-rich issues. A key requirement in this regard is resources back to the people, and the nation triple the size of its protected areas more frequent and effective cross- instincts of governments to centralize and to protect its native flora and fauna better. sectoral and cross-institutional regulate forest use and management. In 2010, the United States of America integration. (Source: RECOFTC, 10 May 2011.) waived US$21 million in Brazilian debt to Approaches to forests at the policy and fund several ecosystem protection institutional level are often fragmented, a initiatives in Brazil’s still vanishing tropical fact exacerbated by the reality that threats rain forests. So while debt-for-nature to forests most often come from outside swaps are not as popular as they once the forest sector. In this regard, the notion were, they are still a key tool in the toolbox of “forests-plus” as an approach of environmentalists looking to promote embracing forests' intersectoral and conservation in tropical countries. inter-institutional complexity has received (Source: The Environmental Magazine, support at Forum discussions, including in 31 July 2011.) particular at a recent high-level round table held at the Ninth UNFF session in February. FORESTS PLUS: “Forests for People” is the theme of this % LOOKING OUTSIDE year, the International Year of Forests THE BOX 2011, which celebrates the central role of people in sustainably managing the Can you picture life without forests? world’s forests. People are ultimately at Within their branches and trunks, forests the heart of all forest issues. However, in record the history of life on Earth. Forests order for forests to be truly a sustainable can be seen as a mirror of evolving human natural resource to improve the well- needs, dynamic and ever-changing. They being of people, the economy and the have the unique ability to sustain and environment effectively, countries will DEBT-FOR-NATURE revitalize us, through a multitude of need to devise programmes on a range of %SWAPS services from food and shelter to issues, from governance to tenure biodiversity and clean water. security, access and benefits to local The debt-for-nature swap concept, Over a decade ago, the United Nations participation, as well as increased funding whereby a portion of a developing nation’s Forum on Forests (UNFF) was established at all levels, based on well-informed foreign debt is waived in exchange for to promote the management, conservation policy decisions, social dialogue and local investments in environmental and sustainable development of forests. coordination among different ministries. conservation measures, dates back to the The Forum addresses all cross-sectoral Increased attention towards the mid-1980s. Since the first swap was aspects pertaining to forests, using a 360- multiple values of forests through the brokered with Bolivia by the non-profit degree perspective. Most people are International Year of Forests has provided Conservation International in 1987, many aware of the economic values of forests, a unique opportunity to strengthen national governments and conservation particularly timber production, and more implementation at the national level, by groups have engaged in similar types of recently the focus has been on climate supporting national governments, debt-for-nature swap negotiations. Costa change mitigation values through forest international and regional organizations, Rica has exchanged tens of millions of carbon sequestration. and other interested stakeholders, to work dollars in debt to protect some of its most However, the full picture of what forests together in a cross-sectoral and cross- pristine and biologically productive rain offer is much more than simply economic institutional manner. (Source: Jan L. forests. values and carbon. Forests provide a McAlpine, Director, UNFF Secretariat [in But far fewer deals are occurring today healthy environment for people, secured IISD RS], 2 August 2011.) because debt restructuring and livelihoods, shelter and sustenance. cancellation have reduced developing Forests are central to achieving nations’ debt significantly more than by sustainable development, yet they are not debt-for-nature swaps. Some experts also addressed in a holistic and integrated argue that the financial benefits are manner by the mechanisms and overstated, that funds are misdirected to institutions created by the Rio Earth less needy countries, that external debt is Summit. not a primary driver of deforestation and A holistic approach to forests is clearly other environmental ills, and that funding needed, one that takes into account does not necessarily equate to effective economic, social and environmental implementation of conservation values, as well as cultural and spiritual strategies. dimensions of forests. Looking at Criticism aside, some deals are still sustainable forest management through a getting done. In 2008, France waived biodiversity lens alone, for example,

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 56 SPECIAL FEATURESECONOOK

LEADERS DEFINE assessment,” says Stewart Maginnis, PATHWAY TO IUCN’s Global Director of Environment and %RESTORING 150 Development. “What is needed urgently is MILLION HA OF LOST a country-by-country assessment of how FORESTS this commitment could be achieved in line with national economic development and A core commitment to restore 150 million conservation priorities, something we ha of lost forests and degraded lands have already started doing in Ghana and worldwide by 2020 is being launched today Mexico.” at a ministerial conference in Bonn. New The 150 million ha restoration target analysis by the International Union for directly relates to existing international Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates commitments on climate change and Earlier this year, IUCN expressed its that restoring 150 million ha would be biodiversity. It will contribute to the support of Rwanda’s historic worth US$85 billion per year to national biodiversity convention target calling for announcement to restore the country’s and global economies. restoration of 15 percent of degraded degraded landscapes border-to-border, At the Bonn Challenge Ministerial ecosystems by 2020, and the climate predicting that it could be the beginning of Roundtable, a select group of ministers change convention goal on REDD+, which the biggest restoration initiative the world and chief executives of international and calls for countries to slow, halt and has ever seen. With similar bold non-governmental organizations and reverse the loss and degradation of commitments expected to be announced companies are discussing how to benefit forests. at the Bonn event, cochaired by IUCN and biodiversity and the fight against climate Forest landscape restoration can be the German Government, an change through concrete restoration seen as offering the world a highly cost- unprecedented global initiative is clearly activities. effective way to combat climate change, gathering momentum. (Source: “The restoration of lost forests will create new jobs and contribute to rural International Union for Conservation of increase carbon stocks and result in development and livelihoods. Nature, 2 September 2011.) healthy and resilient ecosystems, which will provide the multiple goods and services people need, and lead to an increase in biodiversity,” says Ashok NEW PARTNERSHIP ESTABLISHED TO Tunisia, Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon Khoshla, President of IUCN, which acts as ADDRESS THREATS TO FORESTS IN and Turkey. The new partnership offers coordinator of the Global Partnership on THE MEDITERRANEAN a way for stakeholders in the region to Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR). address the mounting challenges facing The landmark commitment in Bonn A new partnership for Mediterranean Mediterranean forests and draw greater comes as new analysis shows that more forests has been established to address attention to their value and the urgent than 2 billion ha of the world’s deforested major threats to the region's forests need to protect them. and degraded landscapes – equivalent to being exacerbated by the severe impact The partnership is designed to half the size of Asia – offer opportunities of climate change. The partnership was integrate policies and investments at the for restoration. This new global estimate announced at the Second Mediterranean country level in order to adapt forests to is almost double the area previously Forest Week, which took place in climate change; this would involve considered restorable, thanks to Avignon, France, from 5 to 8 April. sectors such as forestry, agriculture, improvements in the precision of mapping "The Collaborative Partnership on urban development, water, zones where climate and soils allow Mediterranean Forests will help raise environment, land-use planning, forests to grow. awareness on the wealth of vital education and tourism. It is also aimed “Recognizing that national functions Mediterranean forests at developing a joint regional approach circumstances vary enormously, this core provide. These include soil and water to forest management and, in commitment to restore 150 million ha is a protection, landscape values, carbon particular, to wildfire prevention, robust and realistic response to the global sequestration and biodiversity through the sharing of expertise, conservation. It is urgent that we join knowledge and best practices. At a local efforts to restore and preserve their level, the partnership will help to functions for future generations," said promote sustainable forest Eduardo Rojas-Briales, Assistant management among all stakeholders, Director-General of the FAO Forestry including local communities, forest Department. owners and managers, farmers, herders, The partnership involves 12 environmentalists, protected area institutions and organizations including managers and researchers. FAO and will focus primarily on six (Source: UN Regional Information countries in the southern and eastern Centre for Western Europe, 6 April Mediterranean: Morocco, Algeria, 2011.)

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALECONOOK FEATURES 57

MINISTERS BACK PLANS TO PROTECT Cameroon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, % BINDING EUROPEAN FORESTS COULD DO Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, the FOREST AGREEMENT % MORE HARM THAN United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and GOOD UNLESS POWER Viet Nam. For each country, the report Ministers have agreed to back plans to IS IN LOCAL HANDS describes successes from the past year introduce a legally binding agreement and plans for activities between now and (LBA) to protect Europe's forests. Tropical countries that seek a share of 2013. Delegates also agreed to adopt billions of dollars of climate finance in The project has been steered by IIED resolutions that would help shape forest return for protecting their forests risk since it began in 2003 and has been policy over the next decade. On Tuesday, a creating strategies that fail to bring social funded by the United Kingdom and report concluded that sustainable forestry and environmental benefits, according to a Netherlands governments and the management was essential if the EU was report released today by the International European Commission. (Source: IIED, to reach its emission goals. Institute for Environment and 25 August 2011.) p The ministerial agreement was signed Development (IIED). at the Sixth Forest Europe Conference in The report draws on the work of Forest Oslo, Norway. As well as signing the Governance Learning Group (FGLG) teams declaration to begin negotiations to in ten nations in Africa and Asia to establish an LBA, delegates also agreed to promote decision-making about forests set a number of targets to be achieved by that is fair and sustainable. It highlights 2020. These included all European success stories at the national level, in countries implementing a national forest which FGLG teams have influenced policy programme, which needed to contain processes to promote outcomes that climate adaptation and mitigation benefit forest-dependent communities strategies. Ministers also agreed to cut that have been marginalized. the rate of biodiversity loss within forest On the international stage, the FGLG habitats by half, and take steps to teams have focused on how their eliminate illegal logging. countries are preparing for REDD+, a Poland's minister, Janusz Zaleski, said system being developed to reward that nations needed to ensure that any countries that maintain or increase their agreement would need the legal weight forest to limit emissions of greenhouse required to deliver progress on the gases from deforestation. FGLG teams in ground. Sweden's Rural Affairs Minister Ghana, Indonesia, Mozambique, the Eskil Erlandsson told the conference that United Republic of Tanzania and Viet Nam while he supported the concept of report that national plans for REDD+ could sustainable forest management, he do more harm than good. favoured a voluntary approach rather than In many countries, top-down, an LBA. "I do not believe in common government-led plans for REDD+ have legislation for forests across the Pan- been rushed through and focus more on European region. Put simply, one size how to count carbon stored in trees than does not fit all," he said. "We need to on how actually to implement a system recognize the different geoclimatic and that brings real benefits for communities, socio-economic conditions.” (Source: BBC biodiversity and the climate. News, 15 June 2011.) "REDD remains forestry’s best hope yet but it must be built from the bottom up," says James Mayers, head of IIED’s Natural Resources Group and coauthor of the FGLG report. "Strategies are difficult to turn around once they head off in the wrong direction – and the costs of bad strategy for forests are extremely high. To realize justice in the forests, policy-makers must turn REDD on its head and put control of the A nation that destroys its soils destroys forests into local hands." itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, The FGLG teams bring together purifying the air and giving fresh strength representatives of communities, to our people. governments, civil society organizations, businesses and the media, to explore the Franklin D. Roosevelt drivers of poor forest governance and to influence policy-making. They operate in

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 58 INTERNATIONALSPECIAL FEATURES ACTION

% FAO "In terms of supporting livelihoods for local Southeast Asia was released to coincide communities, forests are very important," he with a summit in the Republic of the José Graziano da Silva of Brazil elected told BBC News. Congo bringing together delegates from FAO Director-General Speaking at the end of the first UN Africa 35 countries occupying these forests, with José Graziano da Silva of Brazil was elected Drylands Week, he added: "Desertification a view to reaching a global deal on Director-General of FAO on 26 June 2011. poses a very serious challenge to the world. management and conservation. Graziano da Silva, who is 61, received a The pace of land degradation and the impact The Amazon and the Congo host the total of 92 votes out of 180 votes cast, winning of climate change are threatening food world's first and second biggest forests, over former Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel security, exacerbating poverty and respectively; the third biggest, the Borneo Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé, who received impeding sustainable development". Mekong, is in Indonesia. These forests sink 88 votes. There were no abstentions. Acacia trees can offer vulnerable villages billions of tonnes of carbon and house two- The election took place on the second a steady income, as well as fuel and fodder thirds of the world's remaining land day of the biennial 191 Member Nation for animals. species. Conference of FAO. Mr Rojas-Briales explained that people The study found that annual rate of As Brazil's Extraordinary Minister of living in dryland ecosystems were most deforestation across the three regions, Food Security and Fight against Hunger, exposed to the risk of desertification, which account for more than 80 percent of Graziano da Silva was responsible for especially rural and pastoral communities. the world's tropical forests, was implementing the country's highly Globally, an estimated 2 billion people depend 5.4 million ha between 2000 and 2010, successful "Zero Hunger" ("Fome Zero") on ecosystems in dry land areas, 90 percent of down a quarter from 7.1 million ha in the programme, in whose design he played a whom live in developing countries. previous decade. leading role. The programme helped lift The UN says that about 30 percent of dry Statistics showed that forest destruction 24 million people out of extreme poverty in lands are degraded, with particular in the Congo Basin had remained stable but five years and reduce undernourishment in susceptibility to desertification. In Africa low over the last 20 years, while in Brazil by 25 percent. alone, it is feared that two-thirds of arable Southeast Asia the rate of deforestation Since 2006, he has served as FAO land is expected to be lost by 2025. more than halved. Countries that had Assistant Director-General and Regional Projections show that more than half of previously had high levels of forest loss, Representative for Latin America and the the cultivated agricultural area could be such as Brazil and Indonesia, have had Caribbean. unusable by the year 2050, leaving the region some success tackling the problem Graziano da Silva is FAO's eighth struggling to feed just 25 percent of its through better conservation awareness and Director-General since the Organization population. government policy said the report's author, was founded in Quebec City, Canada on This was one of the reasons why FAO had Mette Wilkie. 16 October 1945. The term of the new developed the Acacia pilot project, Mr Rojas- But she suggested this was no cause Director-General, who will succeed Briales continued. "Forests and trees in arid for complacency, especially of the threat Senegal's Jacques Diouf, will start on zones are central to understanding the from farming. "Deforestation is higher 1 January 2012 and run through 31 July process of desertification – they provide local than it ought to be," Wilkie told Reuters. 2015. (Source: FAO Newsroom, 26 June communities with sustainable livelihoods but Indonesia's forests in particular have 2011.) also fodder for livestock, fuelwood, medicine, been ravaged by clearing for palm-oil timber, resin and gums.” crops in the past, although the FORESTRY DEPARTMENT Extracting gum from acacias allows government last month signed a two-year people to earn money from alternative moratorium on forest clearing, part of a FAO project shows how trees help halt revenue streams. "They are also invaluable carbon offset deal with Norway worth desertification for carbon storage and for the provision of US$1 billion. Ecuador, Burundi and A FAO-led pilot scheme hopes to highlight clean water and for soil protection." Cambodia had the highest rates of forest how trees can help people in arid zones, As well as providing foliage for animals loss while Rwanda, Viet Nam and the considered to be one of the most hostile and fuel for cooking, the trees produce gum Philippines were among countries that habitats on the planet. FAO’s Acacia arabic, a product that is used in the food and had seen their forests grow in recent project's goal is to show how trees provide pharmaceutical industries. (Source: BBC years, according to the study. food, fuel, shelter and income during times News, 20 June 2011.) Wilkie said growing global demand for of hardship. (Please see following page for more food, expected to rise by 70 percent by So far, six nations, including Senegal information.) 2050, would put more pressure on these and the Sudan, have hosted tree-planting ecosystems. (Source: Reuters, 1 June schemes for at-risk communities. Destruction of world's biggest rain forests 2011.) Drylands cover 30 percent of the Earth's down 25 percent, says FAO report land area, and are found in 100 nations. The rate of destruction of the world's three FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: "People do not often associate forests largest forests fell 25 percent this decade Ms Mette Loyche Wilkie, Principal Officer, with arid areas, yet they are critical in compared with the previous one, but Forest Assessment, Management terms of soil protection, mitigating climate remains alarmingly high in some countries, and Conservation Division, Forestry change, maintaining biodiversity, etc," said FAO said. Department, FAO, Viale delle Terme Eduardo Rojas-Briales, Assistant Director- A report entitled The State of Forests in di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy. General of the FAO Forestry Department. the Amazon Basin, Congo Basin and E-mail: [email protected]/

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALINTERNATIONAL FEATURES ACTION 59

FAO releases forest health guide Bonn et à plusieurs autres événements, and video en vue de présenter les activités du Our world has become more global, with Projet, les PFNL clés d’Afrique centrale et FAO’S ACACIA PROJECT greater access to world markets from leur contribution à la sécurité alimentaire AT A GLANCE more places on Earth. But with it comes an sur la base d'une gestion durable, ainsi increase in the transport and introduction que le développement du secteur; Region. Africa. of invasive bugs. Such pests can lead to • la validation de la stratégie nationale et Subregion. Sahel countries, namely agricultural and economic disaster if left des plans d’action pour le développement Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, the Niger, unchecked and unmonitored. du secteur PFNL au Gabon et en Senegal and the Sudan. FAO works on a global scale with nations République centrafricaine; Objective. Strengthen analytical and and organizations to stem the movement of • le développement des capacités des operational capacity of six pilot countries these bugs and pests. Recently, using an communautés locales et des to address food security and desertification integrated approach to deal with forest organisations de base et de la société problems through the improvement of health problems, FAO produced a Guide to civile, à travers des formations sur la agrosilvopastoral systems and sustainable implementation of phytosanitary standards domestication de Gnetum spp. au Congo development of the gum and resin sectors. in forestry (www.fao.org/docrep/ et en République centrafricaine (cf. Activities. The long-term objective of the 013/i2080e/i2080e00.htm). page 25), sur l’approche Analyse et project is to reinforce and rationalize the An amusing short rap video is also développement des marchés (ADM) au production methods, processing and available at: www.youtube.com/ Congo, au Gabon et en République marketing of gum and resin products, by watch?v=9-0ighGsrUE/ centrafricaine (cf. page 47), et sur la identifying and developing methods of valorisation de Ricinodendron heudolotii production in order to promote their FAO IN THE FIELD (essesang/njansang) dans la Lobaye, integration in rural economic activities and République centrafricaine (cf. page 39), their contribution to a sustainable Mise à jour sur les activités 2011 du Projet ainsi qu'à travers des actions de improvement of food security and the GCP/RAF/441/GER «Renforcement de la sensibilisation sur le droit à struggle against desertification. sécurité alimentaire en Afrique centrale à l’alimentation. Achievements travers la gestion durable des produits 1. Agrosilvopastoral systems in arid and forestiers non ligneux» POUR EN SAVOIR PLUS, CONTACTER: semi-arid lands were established, and gum Financé par le Gouvernement allemand et Ousseynou Ndoye, Coordonnateur régional and resin production improved through a mis en œuvre depuis octobre 2009 par la FAO du Projet PFNL GCP/RAF/441/GER, methodological approach based on the et les ministères en charge des forêts au FAO B.P. 281 Yaoundé, Cameroun. availability of an innovative technology Gabon, au Congo et en République Courriel: [email protected]; supporting local communities. centrafricaine, le Projet contribue à www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/55079/fr/ 2. A ten-year long-term programme was l’amélioration des moyens d’existence des elaborated with the African Union communautés dépendant des forêts du The Acacia project in Senegal Commission for associated member bassin du Congo à travers le développement From 2004 to 2007, in partnership with the countries of the Network for Natural Gums du secteur des PFNL et la gestion durable de Senegalese forestry service, FAO provided and Resins in Africa (NGARA), in order to ces ressources forestières. Les activités sont seeds and seedlings and taught women in improve socio-economic conditions in rural mises en œuvre au niveau international, Thiékene Ndiaye village in Senegal's drylands areas, strengthen institutional capacity and régional, national et local et comprennent to sow and plant acacia trees, and how to enhance the value and sustainability of notamment pour l’année 2011: extract and market the gum they produce. In local resources. • la création du Sous-groupe de travail the last year, the trees finally reached 3. Exchange of information, training, PFNL au sein du Groupe de travail maturity and gum extraction became transfer of technology and quality control biodiversité en Afrique centrale de la possible. of the gum and resin sector were made COMIFAC, comme plate-forme According to Nora Berrahmouni, FAO possible, by strengthening the d’échanges sur le secteur, et Forestry Officer, "Acacia offers many benefits. organization and management of the l'organisation de la première réunion de It feeds the soil by capturing nitrogen that NGARA regional network. ce sous-groupe en République restores fertility. It is a shelter for crops. It Donor. Government of Italy. centrafricaine (cf. pages 13–14); also provides gum arabic, which has an Duration. 2003–2010. • l’organisation des réunions des comités international market, and so it is good for the (Source: GTFS/RAF/387/ITA, Acacia consultatifs nationaux sur les PFNL au economy. Not only that, but it is also a source Operation, www.fao.org/) Congo, au Gabon et en République of fodder for livestock and food for local centrafricaine, relevant du Sous-groupe communities." de travail PFNL de la COMIFAC; Fatou Seye, her husband and their six • la participation au Forum des Nations children live in the village and confirm that the fodder at market. With the money, we are Unies sur les forêts (FNUF 9), au Forum acacia has already dramatically improved planning to build a mill so we can make flour international sur les peuples autochtones their living conditions, "because now we are and bread". d’Afrique centrale (FIPAC 2), au Sommet producing hibiscus juice and millet, peanuts Harvesting of the gum itself has only just des trois bassins forestiers tropicaux, aux and beans, which we can eat. Production of begun as, at seven years of age, the plants journées internationales sur les forêts à fodder for livestock has increased and we sell are only just mature enough. In the coming

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 60 INTERNATIONALSPECIAL FEATURES ACTION

years, the plants will provide further income "The success of the Gambia's Community Programme Facility hosted by FAO and for these women. Forest Policy proves that even in the world's received help with expanding community The gum is sold via intermediaries to the poorest countries, with the right policies and forestry areas and enhancing the capacity of Valdafrique processing plant close to legal framework in place, rural populations stakeholders to derive economic benefits from Senegal's capital, Dakar. From there, it will be can benefit economically from forests and community forestry. A recent FAO-supported sold on international markets. significantly improve their food security and project provided assistance to the revision and The Chief Pharmacist at Valdafrique, Dr environment," said Eduardo Rojas-Briales, popularization of the forest policy. Madiagne Sakho, says: "the gum arabic Assistant Director-General of the FAO Forestry It is intended that, by 2016, nearly half of the industry is great business because the gum is Department. forests in the Gambia will be under community in demand from many industries, including the "The Gambia's experience has shown that management. Communities have established pharmaceutical and food industries where it's the challenge of sustainable forestry can be producer groups, generating income from used in a wide variety of products ranging from attained through the Government's forest management. bakery and dairy products to soft drinks". willingness to empower rural populations," he Based in Hamburg, the World Future According to Sakkoudia Thiam of the added. Council is a political advocacy group led by 50 Network for Natural Gums and Resins in The Gambia has managed to buck a strong leading personalities from all five continents. It Africa (NGARA), "great potential exists to deforestation trend in Africa, with over 350 focuses on environmental and social issues provide income for these communities and villages managing 12 percent of the country's with the aim of safeguarding the rights of also to help diversify the economy because forests and a net increase in forest cover of 8.5 future generations. (Source: FAO, these days the peanut market is in crisis so percent over the last two decades. 21 September 2011.) the gum arabic sector can help make up for FAO Goodwill Ambassador and Olympic losses there". track legend Carl Lewis, who attended the A total of 44 villages have benefited from awards ceremony, said that "the Gambia's WWF SUSTAINABLE the Acacia project in Senegal so far. (Source: people-centred approach has been highly %RATTAN PROJECT FAO Media Centre, 10 June 2011.) successful and represents a model to replicate IN THE GREATER MEKONG in other countries with a similar forestry FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: environment". The project Ms Nora Berrahmouni, Arid Zone Forestry Officer, Between 2000 and 2004, FAO has facilitated The sustainable rattan project “Establishing a Forestry Department, FAO, Viale delle Terme di the introduction of economic incentives in the sustainable production system of rattan Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy. community forestry concept. In 2009, the products in Cambodia, the Lao People’s E-mail: [email protected]/ Gambia joined the National Forest Democratic Republic and Viet Nam” of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) kicked off FAO-supported forest policy in Gambia in 2007. It aims to make at least 50 percent of wins award rattan processing in these countries Gambia's Community Forestry Policy, put in 2011 FUTURE POLICY AWARD: sustainable by 2015, leading to environmental place with support from FAO, has won silver CELEBRATING FOREST POLICIES AND improvements, strengthened competitiveness, in the 2011 Future Policy Awards as one of FOREST FOOD poverty alleviation and other national the world's most inspiring and innovative economic benefits. forest policies. The Future Policy Award celebrates A key aspect of switching towards Three policies that most effectively policies that create better living sustainable rattan involves adopting cleaner contribute to the conservation and conditions for current and future production techniques in the manufacture of sustainable development of forests for generations. The aim of the award is to rattan products. This is because technologies current and future generations were chosen raise global awareness for these and equipment for rattan processing are often as prizewinners today by the World Future exemplary policies and speed up policy outdated. Cleaner production helps to open up Council at UN Headquarters in New York. action towards just, sustainable and new market opportunities and produce better- Rwanda's National Forest Policy was peaceful societies. The Future Policy quality products. This can be achieved through proclaimed the first prize winner while the Award is the first award that celebrates optimized management, increased materials US Lacey Act with its amendment of 2008 policies rather than people at the and energy efficiency, and with more effective and the Gambia's Community Forest Policy international level. Each year the World equipment, among others. shared the silver award. Future Council chooses one topic where The project focuses on the three The Gambia, with the support of FAO and policy progress is particularly urgent. neighbouring countries as this region is rich in other development partners, has developed This year, forest policies were on the rattan resources, with more than 50 species. and implemented the first policy and agenda and forest food on the menu. This forms the basis for a growing rattan legislation in Africa to provide local Caterpillars, mushrooms and other processing industry, particularly in Viet Nam, populations with secure and permanent forest foods were sampled during the which has recorded an average increase of forest ownership rights. Transferring forest Award ceremony. Pictures of the event more than 30 percent per year in rattan tenure from state ownership to can be seen on FAO’s Washington blog: product exports. management by local communities enables http://faowashington.org/celebrating- The growing international and domestic them to reduce illegal logging and forest forest-policies-and-forest-food.html/ market demand for rattan products, combined fires, slow desertification and benefit from with uncontrolled and unsustainable using forest products. harvesting practices, has led to the

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALINTERNATIONAL FEATURES ACTION 61

overexploitation of rattan resources and forest introduced villagers to sustainable ways of company, we can earn more than 3 million degradation. The rattan processing industry is rattan management and harvesting, kips/month.” falling short of minimum, internationally established rattan permanence plots, a Lao PDR currently exports raw rattan to its accepted production standards and market rattan nursery, and a rattan plantation in neighbouring countries, particularly Viet Nam, requirements, resulting in environmental the community. Moreover, the project and is aiming to be seen as a global leader of pollution, health risks for workers and less provided training sessions on rattan sustainable and certified rattan exports among competitiveness in the global marketplace. processing techniques to enable the traders, global retailers and consumers. Poor ethnic minority communities in rural community to manufacture more profitable (Source: WWF Web site, 27 June 2011.) Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic rattan products independently. Republic (Lao PDR) and Viet Nam rely heavily Additionally, a study on rattan value Viet Nam on rattan as an income source. Rattan sales chains was undertaken, and a rattan field In Viet Nam, the rattan sector employs up to account for up to 50 percent of cash income for guide for sustainable rattan production was 400 000 people. Although the country is an many villages. developed. important exporter of finished rattan products Following the establishment of a model in with almost 60 percent of its total production Where WWF is headed Prek Thnot, the project has been scaled up to going to the EU in 2005, the rattan sector By 2011, 40 percent of all targeted small and other villages, involving a total of 4 900 cannot yet compete with other rattan medium enterprises in the supply chain will be families in five provinces, namely Kampot, Koh manufacturing countries such as China, actively engaged in cleaner rattan production. Kong, Preah Sihanouk, Kampong Thom and Indonesia and the Philippines. Fifteen percent of processing industries will Preah Vihear. (Source: WWF, 2010. Research According to WWF’s recent study, there are provide environmentally friendly products to and case studies: potential assessment and currently 238 enterprises working in different European and worldwide markets. proposing cleaner production solution for the processes of the rattan sector (exploitation, By 2015, 50 percent of the rattan processing rattan sector in Cambodia.) processing, exporting) in Viet Nam, mostly in industry in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam the Hong River delta. Rattan manufacture will be environmentally cleaner and more Lao People’s Democratic Republic trade villages, located all over the country, competitive within regional and worldwide Rattan collection is an important source of especially in the delta, play an important role markets, generating better economic returns. income for many communities in the Lao in creating jobs and incomes in rural areas. People’s Democratic Republic. Forest Recently, under WWF’s sustainable rattan FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Stewardship Council (FSC) certification project, 26 members of ethnic minority Sabine Gisch-Boie, Leader Rattan Project, increases the incentives to protect forests communities from Thanh My town in the WWF Austria, Vienna. from conversion and other unsustainable land central province of Quang Nam underwent a E-mail: [email protected]/ use. ten-day rattan product-making course. Earlier this year, the Leudnilan Agriculture WWF is planning to carry out six more Promotion Co. Ltd received an FSC Chain of courses in the near future, saying in a Custody (CoC) certificate with support from statement that strengthening the villagers' RATTAN TRADE the WWF sustainable rattan project. This role as rattan preprocessors/traders in the certificate shows that the company has a value chain would result in more benefits and Rattan is a growing, US$4 billion/year proper production chain that ensures better livelihood security for them. "The industry. Village communities in sustainable traceability and legality of rattan specific objective is that by the end of the Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam rely products. “Lao rattan companies need to action, at least 40 percent of all targeted small heavily on the rattan trade. Sales account switch their conventional production methods and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the supply for up to 50 percent of cash income in to a more systematic, documented and chain are actively engaged in cleaner villages, making rattan a major innovative process,” said Bouaphet production of rattan products in Viet Nam and contributor to poverty alleviation in rural Bounsourath, WWF Sustainable Rattan at least 15 percent of targeted processing areas. Project Manager. “Sufficient documentation of SMEs are providing sustainable products to (Source: WWF Web site.) inflow and outflow in rattan production shows European and other markets," the statement efficient processing and facilitates access to said. This would deliver a "measurable the global market.” improvement of this sector's environmental Such a certification is an incentive for performance," it added. (Sources: Viet Nam Country updates communities and forest managers as they News, 6 July 2011; WWF, 2010. The potentials Cambodia receive a higher income from selling FSC and unsustainability of rattan sector in The most common rattan product in rattan compared with non-certified Vietnam.) p Cambodia is furniture, accounting for companies. approximately 70 percent of total rattan “If we compare the new rattan model to products; other products are handicrafts, seasonal jobs we have had in the past with such as baskets. what we are doing now we can see a big Have patience. All things are difficult In the Prek Thnot community protected difference,” said Mr Kensy Milamith, Vice before they become easy. area (Kampot province), WWF recently Village Head of Thaveng village, Bolikhamxay worked with local communities, guiding province. “We used to earn a few hundred Saadi them towards sustainable rattan thousands kips per month, but now when we harvesting and production. The project weave baskets and sell them to the Leudnilan

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 62 RECENT AND FORTHCOMINGSPECIAL FEATURES EVENTS

INTERNATIONAL environmental, economic and social The event further explored natural CONFERENCE ON drivers. The time is right for taking stock of products on the continent, under the theme % SILVICULTURAL where community forestry stands today “Natural products from African MANAGEMENT FOR and for committing to efficient and biodiversity”. FOREST PRODUCERS practical solutions that work for both OF EDIBLE MUSHROOMS people and forests. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: CASTILLA Y LEÓN, SPAIN In collaboration with Thailand's Royal Prof. O.J. Midiwo, Department of Chemistry, 9–11 JUNE 2011 Forest Department, RECOFTC (the Center for University of Nairobi, PO Box 30197, 00100 GPO, People and Forests), the ASEAN Social Nairobi, Kenya. E-mail: [email protected]; This conference was organized by the Forest Forestry Network, FAO and the Japan www.napreca.net/14symposium/ Research Centre Valonsadero (government International Cooperation Agency organized of Castilla y León), with the aim of the Second Regional Forum for People and contributing to the promotion in Europe of a Forests. The International Year of Forests INTERNATIONAL multifunctional and sustainable forest calls for a people-centred approach to %SYMPOSIUM ON management, integrating and enhancing sustainable forest management. The forum MEDICINAL AND ecological and socio-economic functions of promoted community forestry as a vital tool AROMATIC PLANTS edible wild mushrooms. for solving current and emerging challenges PETÉN, GUATEMALA in Asia and the Pacific. 16–19 AUGUST 2011 FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Consejería de Medio Ambiente de la Junta de FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: This International Society for Horticulture Castilla y León, C/ Rigoberto Cortejoso 14, 47014, Ms Somying Soontornwong, RECOFTC Science international scientific symposium Valladolid, Spain. E-mail: [email protected]; Headquarters, PO Box 1111, Kasetsart Post (History of Mayan Ethnopharmacology) www.pfcyl.es/evento/SimposioMicologico/ Office, Pahonyonthin Rd, Bangkok 10903, aims to provide a unique opportunity for Thailand. Fax: 66-2-561-4880 or understanding and appreciating indigenous 66-2-562-0960; e-mail: [email protected]; medicinal plant use in current and "EL BOSQUE SIN www.recoftc.org/site/resources/Second- historical Mayan culture. % FRONTERA PARA TODOS Regional-Forum-for-People-and-Forests.php/ Scientific sessions in Y POR EL BIEN COMÚN" ethnopharmacology focused on indigenous MANAGUA, NICARAGUA practices and market development. 29, 30 DE JUNIO Y 1 DE JULIO DE 2011 Additional sessions included medicinal plant cultivation, biodiversity, and essential El objetivo principal de este evento fue oils. Pharmacognosy sessions explored the destacar la importancia estratégica de los physical, chemical and biological ecosistemas forestales para la properties of medicinal plants. conservación de la biodiversidad, el desarrollo socioeconómico y cultural de la FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: región centroamericana. www.imaps2011-peten.org/

PARA MAS INFORMACIÓN DIRIGIRSE A: Representación de la FAO en Nicaragua, Km. 8,5 RESTORING FORESTS Carretera Masaya, Costado Oeste MAGFOR FOR COMMUNITIES, Central, Reparto Santo Domingo, Managua, % BIODIVERSITY AND Nicaragua. Fax: +505-22551193; correo 14TH SYMPOSIUM ECOSYSTEM SERVICES electrónico: [email protected]; OF THE NATURAL BOGOR, INDONESIA www.septimocongresoforestalca.com.ni/ PRODUCT RESEARCH 12–13 SEPTEMBER 2011 %NETWORK FOR EASTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA Indonesia has tens of millions of hectares COMMUNITY FORESTRY: (NAPRECA) of degraded land resulting from KEY TO SOLVING KASARANI, NAIROBI, KENYA unsustainable land-use practices. From % CURRENT AND 8–12 AUGUST 2011 colonial times onwards, the Government EMERGING CHALLENGES has implemented a wide variety of BANGKOK, THAILAND NAPRECA has the mandate to mobilize reforestation projects, but typically with 8–9 AUGUST 2011 scientists in the relevant fields in the East limited success because of an array of and Central African subregion to contribute technical, social and institutional Many Asia-Pacific countries have made effectively to the development of the problems. considerable strides in giving local people a science of natural products. The necessity This conference examined some of the greater stake in managing their forest of NAPRECA was borne from the more innovative reforestation approaches resources. However, pressure on forests is realization that Africa was rich in being conducted in Indonesia and across high, and decision-makers often must biodiversity but poor in research and the Asia-Pacific region and looked at their revalue forest land as a result of changing development in natural products. (wider) applicability to Indonesia. The

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALRECENT ANDFEATURES FORTHCOMING EVENTS 63

conference was followed by a small INTERNATIONAL workshop designed to determine how best CONFERENCE ON to facilitate the adoption of more MANAGING NON WOOD ecologically and socially sound forms of %FOREST PRODUCTS FOR reforestation in Indonesia. SUSTAINABLE Conference objectives included: (i) LIVELIHOODS increasing awareness of the need for forest BHOPAL, INDIA reforestation as a means to benefit 17–19 DECEMBER 2011 communities, conserve biodiversity and restore environmental services; (ii) The importance of NWFPs contributing to introducing different forest restoration rural livelihoods and alleviating rural approaches with reference to initial social poverty is well known. It is estimated that and ecological site conditions and GREATER MEKONG about 60 million highly forest-dependent management objectives; and (iii) examining %SUBREGION people in Latin America, West Africa and the obstacles to and opportunities for more CONFERENCE 2020 Southeast Asia, with an additional 400 to effective forest restoration in Indonesia. BANGKOK, THAILAND 500 million people especially in those 15–16 NOVEMBER 2011 communities living inside and on the FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: fringes of forest areas, depend on NWFPs Environmental Leadership and Training The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) for food, shelter, medicine, cash income, Initiative, Yale School of Forestry & countries, through the GMS Working etc. Apart from meeting subsistence and Environmental Studies, 205 Prospect Street, Group on Environment and the Asian cash income needs of the dependent New Haven, CT 06511, United States of America. Development Bank are organizing a communities, NWFPs also support a large E-mail: [email protected] or conference to benchmark economic number of small- to large-scale [email protected]/ developments of the decade spanning enterprises engaged in processing and/or 2001–2010. The conference will look at the trading of NWFPs and NWFP-based decade’s impact on growth, the wider products. 2ND ASIA-PACIFIC distribution of economic benefits to the While there is growing appreciation of FORESTRY WEEK: poor in the subregion, and its overall the importance of NWFPs for rural %NEW CHALLENGES, effect on the environment in order to take households, especially the very poor, there NEW OPPORTUNITIES a hard look at the next ten years are also concerns about the potential BEIJING, CHINA 2011–2020 on emerging challenges of impacts of NWFP collection on biodiversity. 7–11 NOVEMBER 2011 climate change and the need for The Madhya Pradesh Minor Forest Produce appropriate responses. (MPMFP) Federation, Indian Institute of FAO and its partners are inviting the Forest Management (IIFM) and Madhya forestry sector to participate at the 2nd FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Pradesh Forest Department (MPFD) have Asia-Pacific Forestry Week, expected to be Dr Hasan Moinuddin, Conference Lead long been involved in providing livelihood the largest and the most important Facilitator, Greater Mekong Subregion, opportunities for forest dwellers and rural forestry-related event in the region in 2011. Environment Operations Center, Asian households through direct interventions, The event will bring together some Development Bank, Offices at Centralworld, and research and development initiatives. 1 500–2 000 participants from 999/9 Rama 1 Road, Patumwan, 10330 Yet it is strongly felt that there are many governments, NGOs, research institutions, Bangkok, Thailand. Fax: +66 2207 4400; grey areas where a lot still needs to be regional and international networks, UN e-mail: [email protected]; www.gms- done. Furthermore, many good things are agencies and the private sector. High-level eoc.org/WGE/Meeting/GMS2020Conf.aspx/ happening around the globe concerning forestry officials from throughout the Asia- NWFP management-related issues. There Pacific region will attend the event. It will are plenty of success stories about provide a unique opportunity for diverse 2011 INBAR BAMBOO sustainable livelihoods as a result of NWFP stakeholders and forest managers to share % INDUSTRIAL TOUR marketing and trading. Madhya Pradesh perspectives and seek solutions to the ZHEJIANG, CHINA wishes to learn from such experiences. most challenging issues facing forests and 18–24 NOVEMBER 2011 It is with this background in mind that forestry today. the MPMFP Federation is organizing an The objective of the annual bamboo study international conference on NWFPs. The FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: tours is to share the experience of Chinese theme of the conference is Management of Mr Patrick Durst (Senior Forestry Officer), bamboo development and to promote NWFPs for sustainable livelihoods. It will FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, bamboo development in other countries. be organized in commemoration of the 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand. International Year of Forests and the Fax: +66 2 697 4445; FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: completion of 150 years of scientific e-mail: [email protected]; Dr Fu Jinhe, INBAR, No. 8, Fu Tong Dong Da Jie, forestry. In Madhya Pradesh, the main www.fao.org/forestry/ap-forestry-week/en/; Wang Jing Area, Chaoyang District, Beijing organizer of the event is the MPMFP www.fao.org/forestry/27710- 100102, China. Fax: +86-10-6470 2166/3166; Federation with IIFM as copartner. MPFD is 09ce6fb8776cc27587da58017ba67e4d7.pdf/ e-mail: [email protected]; www.inbar.int/ the sponsor of the event.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 64 RECENT AND FORTHCOMINGSPECIAL FEATURES EVENTS

performances, field trips, oral presentations Institute of Landscape Development, and poster sessions. The congress is Recreation and Conservation Planning. designed to be highly interactive and participatory, and to foster a commitment by FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: participants to building understanding and Prof. Dr Ulrike Pröbstl, Institute of Landscape trust. Development, Recreation and Conservation Planning, Univ., Peter-Jordanstr. 65, A-1180 FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Wien, Austria. Fax: +43 1 47654-7209; e-mail: Congress ISE 2012, UMR5175 CEFE, Campus [email protected]; http://ffp2012.boku.ac.at/ CNRS, 1919, route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier cedex 5, France. Fax: (33) 467613336; FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: e-mail: [email protected]; 11TH ASIAN R.R. Okhandiar, CEO MFP Federation Secretary, http://congress-ise2012.agropolis.fr/ APICULTURAL NWFP Conference Secretariat, MFP Processing % ASSOCIATION and Research Centre (MFP-PARC), Barkheda CONFERENCE Pathani, BHEL Township, Bhopal, MP India. IUFRO "FORESTS KUALA TERENGGANU, TERENGGANU, Fax: +91 755-2417670; FOR PEOPLE – MALAYSIA e-mail: [email protected]; INTERNATIONAL 28 SEPTEMBER–2 OCTOBER 2012 www.nwfpcon.com/ %EXPERIENCES AND THE VITAL ROLE The Asian Apicultural Association (AAA) FOR THE FUTURE" assists communication and the exchange of CONGRESS OF THE ALPBACH, AUSTRIA information between bee scientists and %INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY 22–24 MAY 2012 beekeepers in Asia. We need to coordinate OF ETHNOBIOLOGY 2012 bee research, extension and diversity of MONTPELLIER, FRANCE The conference is one important part of the beekeeping promotion and to make efforts 20–25 MAY 2012 new strategy of the International Union of relevant to the business community and Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO). The people everywhere. aim of this conference is to build a The conference committee has identified systematic body of knowledge about "forests the following areas as special areas of for people" and its various facets, including focus for the scientific presentation and possible future trends and challenges. discussion: bee biology, behaviour, The conference and the follow-up diseases and pests; bee pollination and bee process aim at integrating not only the plants; bee products; beekeeping and knowledge across all IUFRO divisions, but honey-hunting equipment and also include the knowledge outside IUFRO. technologies; apitherapy and The main themes of the conference are pharmaceuticals; and environment and the following. conservation. • Livelihoods – issues of agroforestry, food security, fuels, poverty alleviation and FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: human dislocation. Dr Makhdzir b Mardan, Local Organizing For two decades, the International Society of • Health, Recreation and Tourism – issues Chairman, Honeybee Science Research Center, Ethnobiology (ISE) has actively promoted and of human health, recreation and nature- Tamagawa University, Machida, supported the inextricable linkages between based tourism. Tokyo 194-8610, Japan. biological and cultural diversity and the vital • Urban and Rural Landscapes – issues of E-mail: [email protected] or role of Indigenous and local people in the ecosystem services, economic benefit [email protected]; stewardship of biological diversity and and development, spaces and places for www.asianbeeconference.org/ cultural heritage, which includes recognition living. 11thaaaconference/ p of land and resource rights, as well as rights • Culture and Education – issues of and responsibilities over tangible and perceptions of forests, spiritual intangible cultural and intellectual properties. character, education, historical tradition Building on the traditions of past ISE and practice, communication and congresses, the 13th International Congress governance. of Ethnobiology in Montpellier, France, will The IUFRO conference is addressed bring indigenous and non-indigenous towards forest managers, scientists, participants from around the world to tackle science administrators, policy-makers and the key issues of our times. The congress will the interested public audience. include a wide range of formats for people to It is organized by the University of share their knowledge, ideas and Natural Resources and Life Sciences experiences, ranging from talk circles, to film (BOKU) Vienna, Department of Landscape, viewings and discussions, cultural Spatial and Infrastructure Sciences,

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST 65

Awe, F., Osadebe, C.O., Imoagene, E., FAO. 2011. Reforming forest tenure: Fashina, A.Y., Eniola, T.S. & Adeleke, E.O. issues, principles and process. Rome. 2011. Assessment of rural households' (Please see page 17 for more objectives for gathering non-timber forest information.) products (NTFPs) in Kogi State, Nigeria. African J. Environmental Science and FAO. 2011. The State of Forests in the Technology, 5(2): 143–148. 18 refs. Amazon Basin, Congo Basin and Southeast Asia. A report prepared for the Summit of Baliga, M.S. & Dsouza, J.J. 2011. Amla the Three Rainforest Basins, Brazzaville, (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.), a wonder Republic of the Congo, 31 May–3 June berry in the treatment and prevention of 2011. Rome. cancer. European J. Cancer Prevention, Download: http://foris.fao.org/static/ 20(3): 225–239. data/fra2010/ StateofForests_Report_ English.pdf/ Bavikatte, K. & Robinson, D.F. 2011. (Please see page 58 for more information.) Towards a people’s history of the law: biocultural jurisprudence and the Nagoya Fedele, G., Urech, Z.L., Rehnus, M. & Sorg, Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing. J-P. 2011. Impact of women's harvest Abson, D.J. & Termansen, M. 2011. Law, Environment and Development J., 7(1). practices on Pandanus guillaumetii in Valuing ecosystem services in terms of (Please see page 4 for more information.) Madagascar's lowland rainforests. Econ. ecological risks and returns. Conserv. Bot., 65(2): 158–168. Biol., 25(2): 250–258. Benjamin, A. & McCallum, B. 2011. Bees in the City. United Kingdom, Guardian Books. Flottum, K. 2011. The complete and easy Adhami, H.-R., Farsam, H. & Krenn, L. guide to beekeeping. United Kingdom, 2011. Screening of Medicinal Plants from Calama, R., Tomé, M., Sánchez-González, Apple Press. Iranian Traditional Medicine for M., Miina, J., Spanos, K. & Palahi, M. 2010. Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition. Modelling non-wood forest products in Forest Europe, UNECE & FAO. 2011. State Phytotherapy Res., 25(8): 1148–1152. Europe: a review. Trends in modelling to of Europe's Forests 2011: Status & Trends address forest management and in Sustainable Forest Management in Alexander, S.J., Oswalt, S.N. & Emery, environmental challenges in Europe. Europe. M.R. 2011. Non timber forest products in Forest Systems, 19: 69–85. (special issue) the United States: Montreal Process Gurney, K.M., Schaberg, P.G., Hawley, G.J. indicators as measures of current Cheikhyoussef, A., Shapi, M., Matengu, K. & Shane, J.B. 2011. Inadequate cold conditions and sustainability. Gen. & Ashekele, H.M. 2011. Ethnobotanical tolerance as a possible limitation to Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-851. Portland, study of indigenous knowledge on American chestnut restoration in the OR, US Department of Agriculture, medicinal plant use by traditional healers northeastern United States. Restor. Ecol., Forest Service, Pacific Northwest in Oshikoto region, Namibia. J. 19(1): 55–63. Research Station. 36 p. Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 7: 10. 39 (Please see page 51 for more information.) refs. Hamilton, E., Cocksedge, W. & Davis, E.J. 2011. Opportunities for NTFP in Allebone-Webb, S.M., Kumpel, N.F., Rist, Congo Basin Forest Partnership. 2010. woodlots. Non-timber forest product J., Cowlishaw, G., Rowcliffe, J.M. & Forests of the Congo Basin: State of the development in British Columbia’s Milner-Gulland, E.J. 2011. Use of Forest 2010. Cameroon. community forests and small woodlands: market data to assess bushmeat Download: www.pfbc- constraints and potential solutions. hunting sustainability in Equatorial cbfp.org/news_en/items/EDF_2010_atelier Canada, Centre for Livelihoods and Guinea. Conservation Biol., 25(3): 597–606. _Validation-E.html/ Ecology, Royal Roads University, Ministry 33 refs. (Please see page 10 for more information.) of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Federation of BC Woodlot Ariza Cortes, W., Huertas Garcia, C., Duchelle, A.E., Cronkleton, P., Kainer, Associations. Hernandez Ortiz, A., Gelvez Bernal, J., K.A., Guanacoma, G. & Gezan, S. 2011. Gonzalez Rodriguez, J. & Lopez Gutierrez, Resource theft in tropical forest Huber, F.K., Ineichen, R., Yang, Y. & L. 2011. Characterization and traditional communities: implications for non-timber Weckerle, C.S. 2010. Livelihood and use of NTFPs in the Guantiva, La Rusia, management, livelihoods and conservation. conservation aspects of non-wood forest Iguaque Conservation Corridor. Revista Ecology and Society, 16: 1. product collection in the Shaxi valley, Colombia Forestal, 13(1): 117–140. southwest China. Econ. Bot., 64(3): El-Ghazali, G.E., Al-Khalifa, K.S., Saleem, 189–204. Association for African Medicinal Plants G.A. & Abdallah, E.M. 2010. Traditional Standards (AAMPS). 2011. African herbal medicinal plants indigenous to Al-Rass Kettle, C.J. et al. 2011. Seeing the fruit for pharmacopoeia. United Kingdom, province, Saudi Arabia. J. Medicinal Plants the trees in Borneo. Conserv. Lett., 4(3): Earthprint. Research, 4(24): 2680–2683. 184–191.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 66 PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST

Kumar, L.B.B., Patil, B.L., Basavaraja, H., Linder, J.M. & Oates, J.F. 2011. Differential Mery, G., Katila, P., Galloway, G., Alfaro, Mundinamani, S.M., Mahajanashetty, S.B. & impact of bushmeat hunting on monkey R., Kannien, M., Lobovikov, M. & Varjo, J. Megeri, S.N. 2011. Participation behaviour species and implications for primate (eds). 2010. Forests and society – of indigenous people in non-timber forest conservation in Korup National Park, Responding to global drivers of change. products extraction in Western Ghats Cameroon. Biol. Conserv., 144(2): 738–745. IUFRO World Series 25. Vienna, forests. Karnataka J. Agricultural Sciences, International Union of Forest Research 24(2): 170–172. 16 refs. Lindsey, P.A., Romañach, S.S., Matema, S., Organizations. Matema, C., Mupamhadzi, I. & Muvengwi, This book focuses on the main global Kumaraswamy, S. & Udayakumar, M. J. 2011. Dynamics and underlying causes of drivers of change affecting the world’s 2011. Biodiversity banking: a strategic illegal bushmeat trade in Zimbabwe. Oryx, forests and forest-dependent people conservation mechanism. Biodivers. 45(1): 84–95. and the challenges and opportunities Conserv., 20(6): 1155–1165. they create. It also proposes ways to Lindsey, P.A., Romañach, S.S., Tambling, reduce the adverse effects of these drivers Laurance, W.F., Camargo, J.L.C., Luizão, C.J., Chartier, K. & Groom, R. 2011. and to take advantage of the new R.C.C., Laurance, S.G., Pimm, S.L., Bruna, Ecological and financial impacts of illegal opportunities they may bring. The book E.M., Stouffer, P.C., Williamson, G.B., bushmeat trade in Zimbabwe. Oryx, 45(1): is a result of a collaborative writing Benítez-Malvido, J., Vasconcelos, H.L., Van 96–111. process of over 160 authors from all over Houtan, K.S., Zartman, C.E., Boyle, S.A., (Please see page 53 for more information.) the world. Didham, R.K., Andrade, A. & Lovejoy, T.E. 2011. The fate of Amazonian forest Liu, F., McShea, W.J., Garshelis, D.L., Zhu, Métis Nation of Ontario. 2010. Southern fragments: a 32-year investigation. Biol. X.J., Wang, D.J. & Shao, L.K. 2011. Human- Ontario Métis Traditional Plant Use Study. Conserv., 144(1): 56–67. wildlife conflicts influence attitudes but not Canada. necessarily behaviours: factors driving the Lemenih, M. & Kassa, H. 2011. poaching of bears in China. Biol. Conserv., Mohammed Alamgir Naser Ahmed Sohel Management guide for sustainable 144(1): 538–547. et al. 2011. Forest resources and poor production of frankincense. A manual for peoples of Bangladesh. International J. extension workers and companies Manhita, A., Ferreira, T., Candeias, A. & Forest Usufructs Management, 12(1): managing dry forests for resin production Dias, C.B. 2011. Extracting natural dyes 118–130. and marketing. Indonesia, Center for from wool – an evaluation of extraction International Forestry Research (CIFOR). methods. Analytical and Bioanalytical Negi, V.S., Maikhuri, R.K. & Rawat, L.S. Download: www.cifor.org/nc/online- Chemistry, 400(5): 1501–1514. 52 refs. 2011. Non-timber forest products (NTFPs): library/browse/ view- a viable option for biodiversity publication/publication/3477.html/ Maso, D., Matilainen, A. & Pettenella, D. conservation and livelihood enhancement 2011. The role of networks in non-wood in central Himalaya. Biodivers. Conserv., Lemenih, M. & Kassa, H. (eds). 2011. forest products and services market 20(3): 545–559. Opportunities and challenges for development. Innovation in forestry: sustainable production and marketing of territorial and value chain relationships, Pei-Shan, L. & Chang-Yi, C. 2011. gums and resins in Ethiopia. Indonesia, 154–168. Towards sustainable community-based Center for International Forestry Research natural resource management in the (CIFOR). Mbete, R.A., Banga-Mboko, H., Racey, P., indigenous Meqmegi community in Taiwan. Download: www.cifor.org/nc/online- Mfoukou-Ntsakala, A., Nganga, I., Rethinking impacts of local participation. library/browse/ view-publication/ Vermeulen, C., Doucet, J.L., Hornick, J.L. Natural Resources Forum, a UN publication/3478.html/ & Leroy, P. 2011. Household bushmeat Sustainable Development Journal, consumption in Brazzaville, the Republic of 134–144. Lemonick, M. 2011. The Great Tree Survey. the Congo. Tropical Conservation Sci., 4(2): National Geographic, 219(5): 30, 31, 33. 187–202. Persha, L., Agrawal, A. & Chhatre, A. 2011. Social and ecological synergy: local Lima, B., Lopez, S., Luna, L., Aguero, M.B., rulemaking, forest livelihoods and Aragon, L., Tapia, A., Zacchino, S., Lopez, biodiversity conservation. Science, 331. M.L., Zygadlo, J. & Feresin, G.E. 2011. Essential oils of medicinal plants from the Posmontier, B. 2011. The medicinal Central Andes of Argentina: chemical qualities of Moringa oleifera. Holistic composition, and antifungal, antibacterial Nursing Practice, 25(2): 80–87. and insect-repellent activities. Chemistry & Biodiversity, 8(5): 924–936. 35 refs. Rahman, M.H., Rahman, M. & Biswajit, R.A. 2011. Topographical distribution, Lin, Y.J. 2011. Review, current status, and status and traditional uses of medicinal prospects of the bamboo industry in Taiwan. plants in a tropical forest ecosystem of Taiwan J. Forest Science, 26(1): 99–111. 13 northeastern Bangladesh. Int. J. Forest refs. Usufructs Management, 12(1).

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST 67

Rahman, M.H., Khan, M.A., Fardusi, M.J. Tewari, D.D. & Mahapatra, A.K. 2011. & Biswajit, R.A. 2011. Forest resources Global income and employment generation consumption by the Patra tribe impacts of non-timber forest products community living in and around the (NTFPs) and their poverty mitigation Khadimnagar National Park, Bangladesh. potential: reflections based on worldwide Int. J. Forest Usufructs Management,12(1): evidences. Indian Forester, 137(1): 3–17. 95–111. The Accra Caucus. 2010. Realising rights, Rist, L.R., Shaanker, U., Milner-Gulland, E.J. protecting forests: an alternative vision for & Ghazoul, J. 2010. Combining traditional reducing deforestation. United Kingdom, knowledge and conventional scientific data in considerable research and policy effort The Accra Caucus. forest management. United Nations surrounding NTFPs over the last two and a University, Institute of Advanced Studies. half decades. The book explores the Third World Network. 2011. The road to an Download: www.unutki.org/ evolution of sentiments regarding the anti-biopiracy agreement. The negotiations default.php?doc_id=183/ potential of NTFPs in promoting options for under the UN Convention on Biological sustainable multipurpose forest Diversity. Second ed. Malaysia. Roberts, P. & Evans, S. 2011. The book of management, income generation and (Please see page 5 for more information.) fungi. United States of America, University poverty alleviation. Based on a critical of Chicago Press. analysis of the debates and discourses, it Turner, J.A., Bhubaneswor Dhakal, Yao, More than 600 fungi are described and employs a systematic approach to present a R., Barnard, T. & Maunder, C. 2011. Non- illustrated in this scholarly book. It gives balanced and realistic perspective on the timber values from planted forests: examples of cultivated mushrooms such as benefits and challenges associated with recreation in Whakarewarewa forest. New shiitake, explains why porcini cannot be NTFP use and management within local Zealand J. Forestry, 55(4): 24–31. 19 refs. cultivated (no spores), has an interesting livelihoods and landscapes, supported with section on truffles and describes dozens of case examples from both the southern and Vliet, N. & Van Mbazza, P. 2011. edible wild mushrooms. It also covers northern hemispheres. The book covers the Recognizing the multiple reasons for hundreds of mushrooms that are inedible social, economic and ecological dimensions bushmeat consumption in urban areas: a or deadly poisonous. of NTFPs and closes with an examination of necessary step toward the sustainable use future prospects and research directions. of wildlife for food in Central Africa. Roman, M. de. 2010. Wild edible fungi in Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 16(1): Spain: present situation and future Shepard, G.H. & Ramirez, H. 2011. "Made 45–54. 46 refs. perspectives. In D. Martínez-Carrera, N. in Brazil": human dispersal of the Brazil Curvetto, M. Sobal, P. Morales & V.M. Mora, nut (Bertholletia excelsa, Lecythidaceae) in Waheed, S.A. & Khan, M.A. 2011. eds. 2010. Hacia un desarrollo sostenible Ancient Amazonia. Econ. Bot., 65(1): 44–65. Indigenous knowledge and folk use of del sistema de producción-consumo de los 95 refs. medicinal plants by the tribal communities hongos comestibles y medicinales en of Hazar Nao forest, Malakand District, latinoamérica: avances y perspectivas en el Singh, S.C. & Bagchi, G.D. 2011. Moringa North Pakistan. J. Medicinal Plants Res., siglo XXI, p. 555–590. Germany, University oleifera: the emerging medicinal plant of 5(7): 1072–1086. of Duisberg-Essen. Ayurveda. J. Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Sciences, 33(1): 81–85. 23 refs. Wasser, S. 2011. Current findings, future Sáfián, S., Csontos, G. & Winkler, D. 2011. trends and unsolved problems in studies of Butterfly community recovery in degraded Spivak, M., Mader, E., Vaughan, M. & medicinal mushrooms. Applied rainforest habitats in the Upper Guinean Euliss, N.H. 2011. The plight of the bees. Microbiology & Biotechnology, 89(5): Forest Zone (Kakum forest, Ghana). J. Environ. Sci. Technol., 45(1): 34–38. 1323–1332. Insect Conservation, 15(1–2): 351–359. Sudha, G., Valavi, K.V., Thottappilly, P. & Weckerle, C.S., Yang, Y., Huber, F.K. & Salafsky, N. 2011. Integrating development Thottappilly, G. 2011. Interesting, Li, Q. 2010. People, money and protected with conservation: a means to a conservation delicious, neglected, underutilized and areas: the collection of the caterpillar end, or a mean end to conservation? Biol. under-researched fruits and products of mushroom Ophiocordyceps sinensis in the Conserv., 144(3): 973–978. the mulberry family. In S.G. Valavi, K.V., Baima Xueshan Nature Reserve, Southwest Peter & G. Thottappilly, eds. The jackfruit, China. Biodiversity and Conservation, 19(9). Shackleton, S., Shackleton, C. & Shanley, P. 3–18. India, Studium Press. 50 refs. Download: http://cat.inist.fr/ (eds). 2011. Non-Timber Forest Products in ?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt= 22899792/ the Global Context. Tropical Forestry Series Tchibozo, S., Theeten, F., Morin, D., Mergen, 7, 1st ed. Germany, Springer. P., Dounias, E., Aberlenc, H., Le Gall, P., Yisehak, K., Solomon, M. & Tadelle, M. This book provides a comprehensive, global Latham, P. & Malaisse, F. 2011. LINCAOCNET: 2011. Contribution of moringa (Moringa synthesis of current knowledge on the edible insects of Western and Central French- stenopetala, Bac.), a highly nutritious potential and challenges associated with the speaking Africa online. CRGB, Royal Museum vegetable tree, for food security in South multiple roles, use, management and for Central Africa, Organisation internationale Ethiopia. A review. Asian J. Applied marketing of NTFPs. There has been de la francophonie. Sciences, 4: 477–488.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 68 PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST

NEW PUBLICATIONS FROM OTHER RECENT PUBLICATIONS Bamboos at TBGRI FAO’S NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS Specialty Crops for Pacific Islands PROGRAMME

TROPICAL PALMS, 2010 REVISION NOW AVAILABLE IN FRENCH

Published by the Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Bamboos From bamboo to black pepper, cacao to at TBGRI is a record, with historical facts, coconut, tea to taro, Specialty Crops for of the initiation and development of a Pacific Islands provides detailed cultivation, Bambusetum at TBGRI. It includes value-added and marketing information for collection details and other features of 68 over two dozen of the most important species and one variety under 15 genera speciality crops for Pacific Islands and other and 12 hybrids produced in TBGRI. The tropical locations. These crops provide a book provides a picture of the genetic rapidly growing economic opportunity for resources of bamboos available at TBGRI innovative farmers and gardeners who are and is divided into three chapters Tropical palms, originally published in interested in diversifying their products. covering: (1) the history of the TBGRI 1998 as the tenth volume in FAO’s This new resource book – by Bambusetum and major bambuseta of NWFP series, was updated in 2010 to 40 contributing experts and illustrated with Asia; (2) details on live collections, the include the most recent information over 940 colour images – covers value-added most important part of the book; and (3) and developments regarding the processing, enterprise development, future options and breeding in bamboos. conservation status and use of various accessing unique markets, sustainable local The information is useful to policy- tropical palm species. food production, economic and ecological makers, taxonomists, breeders, The publication in its revised version viability, multicrop agroforestry systems and horticulturists, landscape architects in is now available in French (Les palmiers local systems with export potential. It general and for future bamboo tropicaux révision 2010 ) and in both provides insights into sustainable cultivation development activities of the state and hard copy and electronic format and processing techniques for local and country in particular. (www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1590e/ export markets with an emphasis on i1590e00.htm). Copies can be purchased innovating production methods, post-harvest FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: from FAO’s Sales and Marketing Group processing and marketing. Dr K C Koshy, Scientist, Tropical Botanic at [email protected]/ This new book promotes high-quality Garden and Research Institute, Palode 695 food, fibre and health-care crops grown in 562, Trivandrum, Kerala, India. diverse agroforestry systems with an emphasis on providing small farms with opportunities for local consumption and commercial sale. Elevitch, C.R. (ed). 2011. Specialty Crops for Pacific Islands. Permanent Agriculture Resources, Holualoa, Hawaii.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Craig Elevitch, Permanent Agriculture Resources, PO Box 428, Holualoa, Hawaii 96725, United States of America. Fax: +1 877-883-5837; e-mail: [email protected]; http://www.agroforestry.net; www.specialtycrops.info/

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST 69

Plantes medicinales de traditions: environmental services, NWFPs, cultures threats and challenges, including province de l’Equateur, R.D. Congo and forests, forest products industry landscape fragmentation; a shrinking and competitiveness, gender and biomass ageing workforce; negative net revenues energy. of several forest enterprises; and The reports are available at: mobilizing enough wood for energy while www.fao.org/asiapacific/forestry-outlook/ reconciling biodiversity values and the needs of the traditional wood sectors. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: (Source: IISD News, 14 June 2011.) Patrick Durst, Senior Forestry Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand. Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Fax: (66-2) 697 4445; Forests in Europe FOREST EUROPE, PO Box 115, e-mail: [email protected]/ NO-1431 Aas, Norway. Fax: +4764948939; e-mail: [email protected]; State of Europe’s Forests 2011 launched www.foresteurope.org/ Download: www.foresteurope.org/ pBl7xY4UEJFW9S_ TdLVYDCFspY39Ec720- U9or6XP.ips/ This book contains a wealth of information (Please see pages 14–16 for extracts from this on the local medicinal uses, including the report.) p different plant parts used and the way of preparation of the medicine, of more than 350 medicinal plants of the Equator province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Source: K.K. Mbuta et al. 2011. Plantes medicinales de traditions: province de l’Equateur, R.D. Congo. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Institut de recherche en sciences de la santé. (Please see page 41 for more information.) The UN Economic Commission for Europe FAO finalizes second Asia-Pacific (UNECE), FAO and FOREST EUROPE have Forestry Sector Outlook Study collaborated to produce State of Europe's The new publications include: Forests 2011: Status & Trends in • Asia-Pacific forests and forestry to Sustainable Forest Management in 2020, which covers all the major Europe, launched during the Ministerial aspects of forestry development across Conference on the Protection of Forests in the whole of the Asia-Pacific region; Europe (FOREST EUROPE) held in Oslo, • subregional reports for Southeast Asia, Norway from 14 to16 June 2011. East Asia, the Pacific and the Greater The report is based on detailed Mekong subregion, which contain a information provided by countries. The wealth of information on developing main findings of the report are that forests trends, future scenarios and priorities cover 1 billion ha in Europe, 80 percent of to reach sector goals; which are in the Russian Federation; • Forest policies, legislation and European forests are expanding and institutions in Asia and the Pacific. remove the equivalent of about 10 percent Trends and emerging needs for 2020, of European greenhouse gas emissions; written in collaboration with the TNC most Europeans think that their forests RAFT Program, the Centre for People are shrinking; the sector provides and Forests and with support from 4 million jobs and accounts for 1 percent USAID. of the region’s gross domestic product In addition, the following reports, which (GDP); low carbon-nitrogen ratios in forest formed the foundation for the outlook soils will be problematic in several study, are available: locations; and most countries have explicit A novel must be exceptionally good to • twenty-one country papers, submitted by objectives on forest-related carbon. live as long as the average cat. Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission The authors of the report developed a member countries; draft method to assess the sustainability Hugh Maclennan • eleven thematic papers on aspects of of European forests which, while not yet forests and forestry including poverty, peer-reviewed, identifies a number of

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 70 SPECIAL WEBFEATURES SITES

 Orangutan Appeal UK Orangutan Appeal UK is a charity FAO’S NWFP HOME PAGE HOW TO WRITE RESEARCH PROPOSALS determined to protect the remaining wild population of orangutans in Borneo. Please help us make our Web site a rich • Hints on preparing research proposals: www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk/ resource by continuing to send us (non- http://aas.org/grants/hints.php/ [email protected]) your NWFP Web • How to write a research paper  The Jane Goodall archive sites and citations of any publications that proposal: www.ehow.com/how_ Duke University announced the we are missing, as well as any research 2002069_write- research-proposal. establishment of the Jane Goodall Institute that you would like to share. html/ Research Centre, which will house www.fao.org/forestry/site/6367/en • How to write a research project grant Goodall’s archives and digitized data from application: www.ninds.nih.gov/ 50 years of uninterrupted study of funding/ write_grant_doc.htm/ chimpanzees. The collection receives new • How to write a thesis proposal: data with each day's observations. Its Amazonia Boliviana www.ldeo.columbia.edu%7Emartins/ scientific value grows as scientists convert El objetivo de esto sitio es promocionar la sen_res/how_to_thesis_proposal.html/ the data into digital formats. Amazonía de Bolivia en sus aspectos • How to write good research proposal http://today.duke.edu/showcase/ culturales, ecológicos, económicos, examples: http://thesisblog.com/ janegoodall/index.html; http:// informativos y turísticos. proposal-writing/how-to-write-good- wildlifedirect.org/ www.amazonia.bo/ research-proposal-examples/ • How to write a research proposal: Biocultural heritage integrating essays to research papers: This new Web site has been launched to http://essay-blog.com/college-essays/ promote understanding of traditional how-to-write-research-proposal– biocultural knowledge as a whole. It contains integrating-essays-to-research-papers/ toolkits, resources, policy information and • IPPF. 2002. Guide for designing case studies that keep traditional knowledge results-oriented projects and writing in context. successful proposals. 44 p. www.bioculturalheritage.org/ www.eldtraining.com/ docs/IPPF%20PROPOSAL% Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) 20WRITING%20GUIDE.pdf/ This year marks the 4th anniversary of the • Jones, Simon Peyton & Bundy, Alan. launch of the Biodiversity Heritage Library, a Writing a good grant proposal. consortium of history and botanical libraries http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/ that have cooperatively digitized a wealth of um/people/simonpj/papers/Proposal. literature on biodiversity. In an effort to html/ expand the reach of publications and • Levine, S. Joseph. Guide for writing a NWFP-DIGEST-L information on this subject, BHL’s materials funding proposal. have been made available for open access www.learnerassociates.net/proposal/ The Digest is a free monthly e-bulletin worldwide. • McGranaghan, Matthew. Guidelines produced by FAO’s NWFP Programme www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ on writing a research proposal. and covers all aspects of non-wood www2. forest products. Past issues can be Cork: videos available online hawaii.edu/~matt/proposal.html/ found on FAO’s NWFP home page at http://foris.fao.org/rss/rss-feed-output. • Pajares, Frank. The elements of a www.fao.org/forestry/site/12980/en/ do?pageitemId=115823&language=en; proposal. www.des.emory.edu/ You can take part in contributing to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlzL- mfp/proposal.html the continued success of this dElvv8/ • Proposal writing: stages and strategies newsletter by sharing with the NWFP with examples: http://facstaff.gpc.edu/ community any news that you may FAOSTAT ~ebrown/infobr3.htm/ have regarding research, events, The preliminary 2010 Forest Products • Research proposal guide: publications and projects. Kindly send Statistics have just been released on the FAO http://researchproposalguide.com/ such information to NWFP-Digest- Web site: • Research proposal writing: [email protected]/ http://faostat.fao.org/site/630/default.aspx/ http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/tse-portal/ To subscribe: send an e-mail to: proposal/dan-ryan- [email protected], with the Forest governance assessment and proposal/propweb.htm/ message: subscribe NWFP-Digest-L; monitoring • Sample research paper proposal: or through the NWFP Programme’s FAO’s new Web site on forest governance www.essaybay.com/sample-research- home page at assessment and monitoring is online. paper-proposal.php/ www.fao.org/forestry/site/12980/en/ p www.fao.org/forestry/governance/ monitoring/en/

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 SPECIALREADERS’ FEATURES RESPONSE 71

Kleinhans Fellowships Reader from India Since 1989, the Rainforest Alliance has FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Non-Wood News is a very useful supported research on non-timber forest Deanna Newsom, Manager, Kleinhans publication and we want to continue that. products through its Kleinhans Fellowship Fellowship, Evaluation and Research Program, Please update my mailing address so that I programme. Awarded biennially, the Rainforest Alliance, 665 Broadway, Suite 500, get the publication on time. fellowship provides two years of support to New York, NY 10012, United States of America. a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow E-mail: [email protected]/ Reader for the United States of America whose research strives to understand and (Please see page 14 for more information on I have enjoyably been receiving your improve the impacts of NTFP harvesting the Rainforest Alliance.) magazine in California for the past year or and marketing on rural livelihoods and so. I am moving to Guatemala and want to tropical forest ecosystems. know if I could change my mailing address? This spring we awarded the 12th (Please remember to let us know if you are Kleinhans Fellowship to Kennedy de Souza, moving!) a Brazilian doctoral student who will use 15 years of socio-economic and forest cover Reader in Pakistan data to determine how tenure Please kindly send us some hard copy of arrangements and government policies the bulletin for our library record and have affected the economic viability and further distribution among our committees forest conservation potential of NTFPs in working on conservation and promotion of the Brazilian Amazon. The work of previous Non-Wood Forest Products in Chitral. p fellows has been just as ambitious: Tarin Toledo Aceves tested whether the nursery propagation of epiphytic bromeliads is a Request for information: bamboo biomass viable alternative to wild harvest from cloud assessment method forests, and before her, Monica Barroso Dr Timothy Gregoire is researching on a Keel examined whether radio broadcasts of way to assess bamboo biomass in Bhutan up-to-date NTFP market information NFI. Dr Gregoire is especially interested in improve the livelihoods of remote anything that has been done to date smallholders in the Amazon. Past anywhere in any region of the world. Kleinhans Fellows have studied NTFPs as If you could assist, please contact: diverse as mezcal, Brazil nuts and rattan, in Timothy G. Gregoire, J.P. Weyerhaeuser places ranging from Mexico to Madagascar Professor of Forest Management, to Indonesia and beyond. School of Forestry & Environmental As part of the Rainforest Alliance’s 25th Studies, Yale University, 360 Prospect anniversary celebration in 2012, we have Street, New Haven, CT 06511-2104, asked the past Kleinhans Fellows – a United States of America. diverse group consisting of university E-mail: [email protected]/ professors, NGO practitioners and scientists at international research Letters from readers organizations – to reflect on the changes that have occurred in the field of NTFPs Reader from Cameroon CONTRIBUTIONS TO NON-WOOD NEWS since their fellowship research. The theme It is always a pleasure to share project of “change” is intentionally broad. We news via Non-Wood News because we are A strong characteristic of Non-Wood expect that some fellows will examine getting feedback and requests for further News is that it is open to contributions changes in the political context surrounding information from readers. from readers. Should you have any the production and sale of NTFPs, while interesting material on any aspect of others will focus on changes observed at Reader from the United States of America NWFPs that could be of benefit to all our NTFP-dependent communities where they I really find Non-Wood News packed with readers, please do not hesitate to submit conducted their fellowship research. Still great information. it. Articles are welcomed in English, others might consider changes in their own French and Spanish and should be outlook on the viability of NTFPs as a tool Library in Cameroon between 200–500 words. for forest communities and We are pleased to tell you that we have The deadline for contributions for conservationists. received the publication that you sent to us. Non-Wood News 23 is 31 August 2011. We are delighted that the past Kleinhans Nowadays, we have displayed that Fellows’ reflections will be included in next publication in our library to all users, For more information, please contact: spring’s edition of Non-Wood News, in the and it is a very important document for Tina Etherington at the address form of a set of essays. In the meantime, researchers, lecturers, students and other on the front page or by e-mail to: more information about the Kleinhans users. We do hope that you will still [email protected]/ Fellowship is available at www.rainforest- continue to give us the good publications alliance.org/fellowships/ more in our library.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 Forests for People ©1006/GIULIO NAPOLITANO ©FAO/FO-7083/Ousseynou Ndoye ©FAO/FO-7083/Ousseynou ©UNCDF/2372/Adam Rogers Wilkie©FAO/Mette Faidutti ©FAO/CFU000243/Roberto The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. Under the theme “Forests for People”, the year also provides an excellent opportunity to highlight non-wood forest products, their uses and users.

From left to right: a craftsman in the Democratic Republic of the Congo weaves a rattan chair; condiments and spices on sale in a Cameroon market; women preparing baby food with a combination of flowers and fruit from Adansonia digitata and the leaves of Tamarindus indica; making bamboo furniture in the Philippines; and forest-based ecotourism in Dominica.

PRINTED ON ECOLOGICAL PAPER ????????????