Domestication and Commercialization of Non-Timber Forest Products in Agroforestry Systems
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\ 0-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS 9 /iDomestication and commercialization of non-timber forest products in agroforestry systems Food and Agriculture Organization of the Unaed Nations \01-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS 9 Domestication and commercialization of non-timber forest products in agroforestry systems Proceedings of an international conference held in Nairobi, Kenya 19-23 February 1996 edited by R.R.B. Leakey, A.B. Temu, M. Melnyk and P. Vantomme 41191 IIIFw ICRAF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 1996 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 concerning the legal status of any country, territory, cityor area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. M-37 ISBN 92-5-103935-6 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored ina retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by anymeans, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, Information Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale dell e Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy. 0 FAO 1996 Foreword The International Conference on Domestication and Commercialization of Non- Timber Forest Products in Agroforestry Systems, hosted by ICRAF, was held inNairobi, Kenya, from 19 to 23 February 1996. This was the first world-level meeting tobe held exclusively to draw attention to issues dealing with domestication and commercializationof non-timber forest products in agroforestry systems. Coordinated by ICRAF, a number of international and national agencies, namely: FAO, IUFRO, Unesco, the Australian Centre for InternationalAgricultural Research, the British Development Division in Eastern Africa, the Centre Technique deCoopération Agricole et Rurale, the International Foundation for Science, the Ministryof Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Overseas Development Administration - ForestryResearch Programme, the United States Agency for International Development,and the International Society of Tropical Foresters, collaborated in this undertaking byproviding funds, background materials and papers, by sponsoring participants and/or bydirect attendance. The outcome of the Conference was substantial, with clearrecommendations for action. We have pleasure in sharing it with all interested persons andinstitutions. We wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge with thanksthe contribution of all those who attended the Conference and their active participationin the discussions, which made this meeting a remarkable success. We also wish to thank allthose who collaborated with, and supported the efforts of, ICRAF in organizing thisConference. Special thanks are also due to the Chairpersons of the five working groups (C.Kleinn, C.K. Mwamba, V. Shah, F. Sinclair and I. Kone) and the respective rapporteurs (R.Kindt, D. Kiambi, J. Were, I. Dawson and P. Rudebjer). We fully appreciate thecontribution of R. Leakey, A. Temu, M. Melnyk and P. Vantomme in reviewing and editing theConference report. Finally, we wish to thank M. Kimenye and H. Abdalla for their hard workretyping the manuscripts, D. Odanga for the design and layout, and H. van Houtenand K. Kebaara for editorial support. No doubt, the perspectives on domestication and commercializationof non-timber forest products in agroforestry systems, as they emerged from thediscussions at the Conference, and the light they throw on how to address issuesdealing with resource assessment, indigenous knowledge, product development,socio-economic benefits, environmental impact, and institutional and policy aspects, willhelp national and international agencies in designing and implementing their activities onnon-timber forest products. ICRAF and FAO are committed to pursue theoutcome/of the Conference and to support the implementation of its recommendations, itycollaboration with partneragencies and countries. e Karl-Hermann Schmincke Director Forest Products Division Forestry Department iv International Centre for Research in Agroforestry Countries participating in ICRAF's ecoregional programmes. The International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), established in 1977, isan autonomous, non-profit making research body supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Its goal is to help mitigate tropical deforesta- tion, land depletion and rural poverty through improved agroforestry systems. ICRAF's objectives are to conduct strategic and applied research, in partnership with national institutions, aimed at developing appropriate agroforestry technologies for more sustainable and productive land use; to strengthen national capacities to conduct agroforestry research; to encourage inter-institutional collaboration; and to promote training, education, information and dissemination activities in agroforestry. ICRAF has research activities in 20 countries in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, and dissemination activities in very many more countries. ICRAF works in six ecoregions: the humid lowlands of West Africa, the humid tropics of Latin America, the humid tropics of Southeast Asia, the sub-humid plateau of southern Africa, the highlands of East Africa and the semi-arid lowlands of West Africa. ICRAF's activities are conducted through four research and three dissemination programmes: Natural Resource Strategies and Policy, Domestication of Agroforestry Trees, TreeCropEnvironment Interactions, Systems Improvement, Training, Educa- tion and Information. The objectives of ICRAF's Domestication of Agroforestry Trees Programme are to improve the genetic quality of agroforestry trees by collecting, evaluating and selecting germplasm for compatible production of food, fodder, fuelwood, timber and other products with companion crops, and for providing environmental services such as soil conservation and the amelioration of soils. ICRAF is governed by a Board of Trustees, which has equal representation from developed and developing countries. Financial support for ICRAF's research, training and information activities is provided by 32 donors V THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS(FAO) International organizations have major roles to play in fostering the protection and wise management of the world's forests and related natural resources. The forestry mission of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is to enhance the contribution of trees and forests to global human well-being. This mission is carried out through three medium-term objectives, each of which are equally important and are simultaneously pursued,asfollows:(i)the environmental objectiveisthe maintenance of the biological diversity, health and other environmental services of forest ecosystems and wooded lands; (ii) the economic objective is the realization of the full economic potential of the multiple goods and services of forests and wooded lands, without impairing their productive or protective capacities; (iii) the social objective is the increase of public participation in decision-making and the sharing of costs and benefits of trees and forests while facilitating the resolution of conflicts and promoting collaboration among interest groups. The FAO forestry programme constitutes among the largest bodies of international forestry and related natural resources expertise available inthe world.Itincludes some 80 full-time professional staff with a diverse range of skills in forestry, wildlife resources, watershed management, agroforestry,non-wood forestproducts,genetics,economics,forest productsutilization and engineering. This broad skills-base allows the Organization to address the full environmental-economic-social spectrum of sustainable forest management. Also, linkages of the forestry programme to the agriculture, economics, fisheries and sustainable development programmes in FAO give it a multi-disciplinary, cross-sectoral strength that facilitates consideration of forestry's role in food security,rural development and land use. At the operational level,the forestry programme is supported by up to 200 contracted project professionals responsible forproviding on- site technical assistance to developing countries. In common with other UN agencies, FAO provides: a neutral forum for policy and, technical dialogue; information and knowledge; and technical assistance. Since its founding in 1945, FAO has grown to include 174 member countries. This broad membership allows FAO to address issues facing all the world's forests-boreal, temperate, subtropical and tropical; forestsin developed and developing countries; dry forests and humid ones; high altitude forests and mangroves; even trees on farms and in cities. The programme "Promotion and Development of Non-Wood Forest Products (NVVFP)" at the Forest Products Division of FAO's Forestry Department, aims to enhance the value of non-wood forest products and services through improved harvesting, utilization, trade and marketing. The sustainable utilization of NWFP, combined with an equitable distribution of the benefits obtained by closely involving local people, contributes significantly to the wise management of the world's forests, to the conservation of their biodiversity and to a