non-wood - FAO · 2021. 2. 8. · NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 3 RECOGNITION OF TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE UN urges greater appreciation of culture and creativity of indigenous peoples

CONTENTS

3 Special Features% Recognition of traditional knowledge

• UN urges greater appreciation ofculture and creativity of indigenouspeoples

• New project in Eastern Europe toprotect traditional knowledge inplant trade

• Traditional medicine should beembraced

• Bioprospectors probe Aboriginal lore

• Botswana to develop policy toprotect traditional knowledge

• Nambia’s indigenous people helpdraft biopiracy law

• Developing policy guidelines tohandle genetic resources andtraditional knowledge

• Micronesia: blending scienceknowledge with ancient traditions

• Green economy needs respect forindigenous rights

• India’s digital library to the rescueof traditional patents

• Indonesia's pledge to forest peoplewelcomed

% NWFPS in Amazonian life • Amazonía o petróleo• Videos on the Amazonian forests of

Ecuador • Forest fund to reward forest-

dwelling communities• Giant fish help the Amazon rain

forest grow • Partnership reinforces copaíba oil

production chain in Brazil

Anniversaries are times of reflection, and reflections provide a good opportunity tolook back in order to move forward with continued commitment. This edition ofNon-Wood News is the twentieth issue I have been involved in: my involvementstarted with issue 3 in March 1996. Changes have obviously taken place during thistime, but important issues still remain. For example, issue 3 included an article on“Bioprospecting or biopiracy?”, covering plant-based pharmaceutical potential, atopic that is still relevant today and a regular feature in our News and Notes sectionfor many years. Much progress has been made in this area since 1996, as can beseen from the recent historic Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing. Inacknowledgement of this, in the present issue we have a Special Feature on“Recognition of traditional knowledge”, which includes articles on bioprospectingand benefit sharing, as well as information on how countries are developing policiesto protect traditional knowledge from biopiracy.

Over the years, we have strengthened our reporting onthe role of people, their communities and their use ofNWFPs. Mindful that “Forests for People” is the themeof the International Year of Forests 2011, we havereflected this focus throughout this issue. For example,we provide information on how NWFPs are used inAmazonian life (Special Feature); how people are usingrattan in a sustainable way in the Greater Mekong(International Action); how a project in Central Africa ishelping communities achieve greater food security(Country Compass, International Action); and how edible

insects – important food sources in many forest communities – are now beingconsidered as an alternative solution to livestock in feeding a hungry world (Productsand Markets, and Country Compass).

A strong feature of the 1996 issue was its Country Compass section. This emphasishas been maintained over the years and throughout the current issue, whichincludes news reports and readers’ contributions from 34 countries: in fact, youwill find diverse stories ranging from wildlife in Afghanistan and the economic valueof NTFPs in Canada, to the impacts on beekeeping of the earthquake and tsunamiin Japan, as well as the ecological and financial impacts of the bushmeat trade inZimbabwe.

NON-WOOD NEWSIs compiled and coordinated by Tina Etherington of the FAO Forest Economics, Policy and Products Division. Forthis 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.

Non-Wood News is open to contributions by readers. Contributions are welcomed in English, French and Spanishand may be edited to fit the appropriate size and focus of the bulletin.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:NON-WOOD NEWS – FOEIFAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla00153 Rome, ItalyE-mail: [email protected]/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 necessarilythose of FAO. Authors may be contacted directly for their reference sources. The designations employed and thepresentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part ofthe 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.

An information bullet in on Non-Wood Forest Productsnon-woodnon-wood 23IS

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20

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35

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1

EDITORIAL

• La producción de la castañaamazónica en Bolivia

• Producción de carbón activadoutilizando los productos forestalesno madereros (PFNM) en alianzacon comunidades de la Amazoníadel Perú

9 News and Notes% Barcoding

• Barcodes gather evidence to combatillegal trade in Kenya

• Mexico: barcoding biodiversity notfree of risks, activists say

• Wales (United Kingdom) to DNA“barcode” plants

% Congo Basin: can’t see the wood forthe trees? Look again

% Conservation ethnobotany in theNorth Atlantic

% Elephants, the gardeners of Asian andAfrican forests

% Expansion of people-centred forestry% Forests and food security: what we

know and need to know% Generating income from forests and

trees% Herbal cuisine% In the management of forests,

gender matters

% Les experts en produits forestiersnon ligneux d’Afrique centrale sesont réunis dans le cadre de l’Annéeinternationale des forêts 2011

% Non-profit organizations and NGOs• Rainforest Alliance• WildlifeDirect

% Non-wood goods in European forests• Status and trends

% Reconciling selective logging with thelivelihood importance of NTFPs

% Reforming forest tenure systems% World sacred forests mapped out

18 Products and Markets% Bamboo, Berries, Bushmeat,

Cinnamon, Ecotourism. Edible insects,Frankincense, Gnetum spp., Honey andbees, Imbe (Garcinia livingstonei),Medicinal plants and herbs, Moringaspp., Natural sweeteners, Nettles,Resins, Saffron, Sandalwood, Seabuckthorn, Shea butter, Wildlife

35 Country Compass% Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia,

Australia, Bangladesh, Cameroon,Canada, Central African Republic, Chile,Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of theCongo, Ethiopia, Georgia, Haiti, India,Italy, Japan, Lao People’s DemocraticRepublic, Lebanon, Pakistan,Philippines, Portugal, Republic of theCongo, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan,Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda,United Kingdom, United States ofAmerica, Venezuela (BolivarianRepublic of), Viet Nam, Zimbabwe

54 Econook% A modest proposal for wealthy

countries to reforest their land for thecommon good

% Asia’s real contribution to the globalhealth of forests

% Debt-for-nature swaps% Forests plus: looking outside the box% Leaders define pathway to restoring

150 million ha of lost forests% Ministers back binding European

forest agreement% Plans to protect forests could do more

harm than good unless power is inlocal hands

58 International Action% FAO, WWF sustainable rattan project

in the Greater Mekong

62 Recent and Forthcoming Events

65 Publications of Interest

70 Web Sites

71 Readers’ Response

Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) are goods of

biological origin other than wood, derived from

forests, other wooded land and trees outside

forests. Non-timber forest products (NTFPs),

another term frequently used to cover this vast

array of animal and plant products, also include

small wood and fuelwood. However, these two

terms are used synonymously throughout this

bulletin. Other terms, such as “minor”,

“secondary” or “speciality” forest products, are

sometimes used to keep original names and/or

titles. The mention of specific companies or

products of manufacturers, whether or not these

have been patented, does not imply that these

have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in

preference to others of a similar nature that are

not mentioned.

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011

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 issuecover a variety of subjects, including the potential of nettles in the Indian Himalayas,conservation ethnobotany in the North Atlantic, reconciling selective logging with the livelihoodimportance of NWFPs, and pine resin extraction in southern Europe. Contacts with readershave also led to joint initiatives; for example, we have entered into a copublishing agreementwith CIFOR to produce a book on the Amazon, and our next issue will help the RainforestAlliance 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 andmuch 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 tomove forward in our efforts to promote the importance and potential income-generating aspects of NWFPs, as well as the recognitionthat many people depend upon them – whether for their livelihoods, their health or as a source of food.

Tina Etherington


3

RECOGNITION OF TRADITIONALKNOWLEDGE

UN urges greater appreciation of culture and

creativity of indigenous peoples

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urgedthe world to recognize the right of indigenouspeoples to control their intellectual property,saying they needed help to protect, developand receive fair compensation for theircultural heritage and traditional knowledge.

“Indigenous peoples face many challengesin maintaining their identity, traditions andcustoms, and their cultural contributions areat times exploited and commercialized, withlittle or no recognition,” the Secretary-Generalsaid in a message to mark the InternationalDay of the World's Indigenous People.

“I encourage all Member States to takeconcrete steps to address the challengesfacing indigenous people – includingmarginalization, extreme poverty and lossof lands, territories and resources.Countries should also commit to endingthe grave human rights abuses thatindigenous peoples encounter in manyparts of the world,” he said.

He noted that there were 5 000 distinctgroups of indigenous peoples in some90 countries, who make up more than5 percent of the world's population –around 370 million people in total. They arecustodians of valuable and often fast-disappearing cultural heritage, theSecretary-General said.

In her statement to mark the Day, NaviPillay, the UN High Commissioner for HumanRights, noted that indigenous peoples aroundthe world have lost, or are under imminentthreat of losing, their ancestral lands,territories and natural resources as a resultof unfair exploitation for the sake of“development”. She said natural resourceextraction projects such as mining are bothland- and water-intensive and often directlyaffect the collective rights of indigenouspeoples to their lands and territories.

Achim Steiner, the Executive Director ofthe United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP), said the agency waspartnering with indigenous peoples invarious places – including the Arctic, Africaand so-called Small Island DevelopingStates – to highlight the fact that more thantwo-thirds of the Earth's biologicalresources are also the traditionalterritories of most indigenous peoples.

The Executive Secretary of the Secretariatof the Convention on Biological Diversity,

Ahmed Djoghlaf, and Jan McAlpine,Director of the Secretariat of the UN Forumon Forests, also highlighted the importantrole that indigenous communities play inglobal conservation efforts. (Source: UNNews, 9 August 2011.)

New project in Eastern Europe to protect

traditional knowledge in plant trade

TRAFFIC recently launched a project to gatherinformation about the use, harvest andtraditional importance of wild plants and theirsignificance in the cultural heritage of EasternEurope. The project, which will run for threeyears in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Polandand Slovenia, is entitled “Promotingtraditional collection and use of wild plants toreduce social and economic disparities inCentral Europe”.

It is supported by the European RegionalDevelopment Fund and aims to introduce apilot model by 2012 for the collection,processing and use of wild plants that issocially and culturally acceptable,economically viable and environmentallysound.

“The use of herbs as medicine has beenalmost universal since ancient times, butcollecting the plants requires specificknowledge of how to identify them correctlyand where to find them. Such information isoften passed down from generation togeneration, but in today’s urbanized society,much of this traditional knowledge isunfortunately being lost,” said AnastasiyaTimoshyna, TRAFFIC‘s Medicinal PlantOfficer, based in Hungary.

The lack of knowledge can lead tounsustainable trade in certain species, whichcan affect livelihoods, and remove importantsources of income from particular groups,including ethnic minorities, women and theelderly.

Central Europe is still a major exporter ofplant products, including medicines andspices to processors in Western Europe. Wildcollection represents 30–40 percent ofmedicinal drug production.

In Europe it is estimated that about 2 000plants are traded commercially, of which60–70 percent are native species. Up to90 percent of these are still collected from thewild, creating an important market andgenetic base for many essential drugs.

“With continued growth in the wild-collected medicinal plant sector, it isimportant for countries in Central Europe tojoin forces to develop a coherent approach toplant supply in order to ensure that thisdemand does not exhaust natural stocks and

the traditional knowledge base is preserved,”said Timoshyna.

The new project is led by CorvinusUniversity of Budapest (Hungary) andincludes nine partners from the four CentralEuropean countries: Czech Republic,Hungary, Poland and Slovenia, which rangefrom local authorities to NGOs, agrarianchambers and universities. (Source: TRAFFICWeb site, 23 May 2011.)

Traditional medicine should be embraced

Traditional medicine needs to be embraced sothat it finds expression through combatingdiseases, says South Africa’s Department ofScience and Technology. "If it is to play astrategic role in combating the heavy burdenof disease, it will need to be mainstreamed sothat it can benefit from advances in the othersciences," said Director-General MolapoQhobela. He was speaking at an Africantraditional medicine and intellectual propertyworkshop held in Pretoria. Qhobela saidSouth Africa should learn from China andIndia, which had effectively integratedtraditional medicine into their health systems.He further emphasized the need to preserveAfrican medicine.

"One way of securing the future ofindigenous knowledge and research ontraditional medicine is the advancement andrefinement of regulatory regimes," he said.

The drafting of ethical guidelines forresearchers and research institutions hadalready been completed. The Departmentplanned to conduct research on medicinalplants, a move that the Traditional HealersOrganization wanted to involve traditionalhealers themselves. Its spokeswomanPhephisile Maseko said that while theorganization was not objecting to research,healers believed that leaving government todo research on its own, and excluding them,would undermine their own work done so far.She highlighted that 72 percent of SouthAfricans made use of traditional medicines. Of the known plant species in the country, 3 000 of them have medicinal potential.(Source: www.timeslive.co.za, 14 July 2011.)

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

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4

Bioprospectors probe Aboriginal lore

When Aboriginal elder John Watson wasbitten by a crocodile while fishing in theremote Australian Kimberley region, therewas no doctor he could call and no medical kiton hand to stem the blood. So he resorted tothe traditional knowledge of his people,passed down over the centuries fromgeneration to generation, to help stop thebleeding from the injury to his hand, whichhad removed part of his middle finger. Watsonknew that if he chewed the bark of a nativetree known as mudjala, and spat the mixtureon to his finger it would both numb the painand stop the bleeding. And it did.

The plant is one of many avidly studied byresearchers and so-called bioprospectorsaround Australia seeking to derive the nextgreat medicine from the country's uniqueflora.

As the hundreds of Aboriginal languagesthat were once spoken around the vast nationquickly fade, and traditional knowledge is lostafter two centuries of Western settlement, therace is on to preserve native lore, includingthat related to the medicinal use of plants.

"The information is being lost, irrespectiveof whether it is being used or not," saysProfessor Michael Heinrich, a researcher atAustralia's Southern Cross University and theSchool of Pharmacy at the University ofLondon. "We need ... to find a way where wecan pass the indigenous knowledge on tofuture generations."

Heinrich said indigenous communitieswere rightly concerned about the handling oftheir traditional knowledge, some of which issacred to their beliefs, and worried that theirgenerosity would not be recognized orrewarded. This meant it was very difficult toget information on the plants used byAborigines to treat illness and disease, hesaid.

Australia has a unique plant and animallife, some of which has adapted to extremeconditions such as drought and it is, to acertain degree, unexplored by Westernscientists – all of which makes it deeplyalluring to bioprospectors.

For elder Watson's Jarlmadangah Burrucommunity in Australia's remote farnorthwest, ownership has been resolvedthrough an intellectual property arrangementhailed as a breakthrough example for othercommunities. The Australian Government ishoping to help other indigenous communitiesand businesses protect their intellectualproperty through its Dream Shield project,and Watson's community is now seeking tocommercialize the treatment, possibly as a

topical herbal product. (Source: AFP inTraditional Knowledge Bulletin, 7 June 2011.)

Botswana to develop policy to protect

traditional knowledge

Botswana is developing a policy to protect,preserve and promote its indigenousknowledge and mainstream it into thecountry's macro-economic framework.Development of the policy will involveidentifying, documenting and gathering localtraditional knowledge practices from areasincluding agriculture, health, culture andreligious beliefs, and then feeding them intoa legislative framework.

The project, which started in February butwas formally launched in June, has receivednearly US$1 million from the government."The initiative is intended to bring economicempowerment through benefit sharing and[providing] royalties to communities rich inindigenous knowledge," said OabonaMonngakgotla, the project's manager. Hesaid that Botswana has realized theimportance of indigenous knowledge, suchas using traditional herbal medicines toimprove health and generate income.

Creating awareness through educationabout the importance of indigenousknowledge to research, particularly global

medical research, will benefit bothprofessionals and communities, he added.

Botswana has no specific laws onindigenous knowledge systems. Instead, ithas isolated policies on natural resources,such as the National Policy on NaturalResource Conservation and Developmentand the National Policy on Culture, which fitwithin international frameworks includingthe Nagoya Protocol, an internationalagreement to combat biopiracy and sharebenefits from national resources researchfairly.

The African Regional Intellectual PropertyOrganization is also developing a protocol toprotect holders of traditional knowledgefrom any infringement of their rights and themisappropriation, misuse or exploitation oftheir knowledge.

"After the development of policy, animplementation plan will be developed,detailing execution of the policy and makingrecommendations," said Monngakgotla.

Mogodisheng Sekhwela, the project'steam leader, will lead the University ofBotswana's Centre for Scientific Research,Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation incompiling the information, which is due to becompleted in June 2012. (Source:SciDev.Net, 24 August 2011.)


ANALYSIS OF THE NAGOYA PROTOCOLON ACCESS AND BENEFIT SHARING

An analysis of the Nagoya Protocol onAccess and Benefit Sharing (ABS) –“Towards a People’s History of the Law:Biocultural Jurisprudence and theNagoya Protocol on Access and BenefitSharing” – featured in the July issue ofthe Law, Environment and DevelopmentJournal and comes from anunderstanding of the law as a “site ofstruggle” where different groups lobbyfor their interests. Some of these groupsare clearly more powerful than others,which explains the reticence of state lawregarding the rights of indigenouspeoples and local communities.However, the authors consider it criticalto acknowledge that power begetsresistance and that indigenous peopleand local communities have not justbeen passive victims of the law but onthe contrary have fought strategic and

pitched battles to stem and sometimesturn the legal tide.

In this context, the authors (KabirBavikatte and Daniel F. Robinson) analysethe Nagoya Protocol with the aid of threeguiding questions: what was the statusquo prior to the Nagoya Protocol; whatdid indigenous peoples and localcommunities seek to achieve through theProtocol and how did they go aboutdoing this; and what is the outcome ofthese community efforts in the NagoyaProtocol. In answering these questions,they also attempt to map the emergingbiocultural rights of indigenous peoplesand local communities under theConvention on Biological Diversity (CBD),as well as their struggles specificallywithin the CBD Working Groups on ABSand on Article 8(j), aiming to trace thetrajectory of the activism of indigenouspeoples and local communities in the CBDprocesses. (Source: Traditional KnowledgeBulletin, 26 July 2011.)



5S P E C I A L F E A T U R E S

Namibia’s indigenous people help draft

biopiracy law

Namibia has kicked off a series of meetingswith rural and indigenous communities tofeed into the country's first bill on access togenetic resources and traditional knowledge.The first such meeting took place in the southof the country from 28 to 30 June. The bill hasbeen in development since 1998. It should befinalized by the end of the year so that thecountry can sign the Nagoya Protocol beforethe February 2012 deadline. To be ratified, theNagoya Protocol needs 50 nations to sign up,which 38 have done so far.

The bill will prevent exploitation ofindigenous resources, such as devil's claw(Harpagophytum sp.) a plant used by the Sanpeople to treat rheumatism and arthritis, andhoodia (Hoodia gordonii), which is used forsuppressing hunger.

Pierre du Plessis, a genetic resourcesexpert and Namibian negotiator for theNagoya Protocol, said that investments madeto bring some of these plants to the markethave not given much back to localcommunities. "In the case of hoodia, aninvestment in the region of US$70.7 millionover the past 12 years has, so far, yieldedvirtually no sustainable benefits, althoughsome opportunists have enjoyed windfallprofits," he said, citing attempts to markethoodia products for weight loss.

"Communities will benefit if theirassociated traditional knowledge is involved,or if they are the direct legal providers of theresources in question," said du Plessis.

Namibia was one of the main architectsbehind the 2010 Nagoya Protocol, whichsecured access and benefit-sharing rights forcommunities under the UN Convention onBiological Diversity. "Nagoya is a big step forthe conservation and sustainable use ofnatural resources," said Dietlinde Nakwaya,the manager of a programme called“Strengthening Capacity Enhancement toImplement the Global EnvironmentalConventions” in Namibia, at the Ministry ofEnvironment and Tourism – a project thatbuilds capacity to implement internationalenvironmental agreements.

The meetings are an opportunity tostrengthen people's “environmental literacy”– knowledge about their natural resources."But we also need their expertise to preventany loopholes in the bill," Nakwaya said."After all, communities have used theseresources for a long time."

Konrad Uebelhör, biodiversity andsustainable land management expert with theGerman Company for International

Cooperation (GIZ), said that, even if localcommunities do not manage to derivebenefits from the intellectual property (IP)relating to their knowledge, they can stillbenefit from the spillover effects ofdevelopments and investments surroundingtraditional knowledge. (Source:www.SciDev.Net, 15 July 2011.)

Developing policy guidelines to handle

genetic resources and traditional knowledge

The Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Health, DrGladys Ashitey, has said that Ghana isdeveloping policy guidelines for the handlingof genetic resources and traditionalknowledge. She said the policy guidelines,which would give special references to theirapplication in health and agriculture, wouldalso focus on the documentation of traditionalknowledge and the related genetic resources,conditions of access, benefit-sharingarrangements and institutional arrangementsfor administration and enforcement.

Speaking at the opening of the SecondGlobal Summit on HIV/AIDS, TraditionalMedicine and Indigenous Knowledge inAccra, the Deputy Minister said theguidelines would help foster research anddevelopment, innovations and capacitybuilding for optimal and sustainable use oftraditional knowledge and plant geneticresources.

Dr Ossy M.J. Kasilo, World HealthOrganization Africa Regional Office Adviseron Traditional Medicine, commended Ghanafor being the first in Africa to develop astrategic plan for the development oftraditional medicine. She said Ghana wasalso the first in developing a traditionalmedicine research plant at the Centre forPlant Medicine and developing a Code ofEthics in traditional medicine, among otherachievements, and urged other countriesparticipating in the workshop to followGhana's example. (Source: allAfrica.com, 6 September 2011.)

Micronesia: blending science knowledge

with ancient traditions

On Yap, a Pacific island that is part ofMicronesia, the native people fish thetraditional way. They construct kites made ofbreadfruit leaves, the spines of the Pandanusplant and coconut fibre rope, and fly them overthe reef, dropping their lines to attract long-nose needlefish. These are the only fish theislanders want, and the only ones lured by thisunusual gear.

“It is ecologically sound and sustainable,and they have been doing it for generations,”says Robert H. Richmond, a researchprofessor at the University of Hawaii atManoa. “More importantly, no Westernscientist could teach them a better way.”

Richmond tells this story to make the pointthat marine and environmental sciencetraining must be relevant to the region, andinclude not just current science andtechnology, but an awareness of the uniquecultural aspects of the communities that willbenefit, in this case, Pacific Islanders.

Richmond directs the Partnership forAdvanced Marine and Environmental ScienceTraining for Pacific Islanders, a programmefor local students that aims to blend up-to-date scientific knowledge with the ancienttraditions that have served the islanders wellover thousands of years. The hope is that bytraining local people in up-to-date scientificskills, they will become more invested in theirhomeland’s environmental future. (Source:National Science Foundation in US News, 7 July 2011.)

THE ROAD TO AN ANTI-BIOPIRACYAGREEMENT

A recent book – The Road to an Anti-Biopiracy Agreement – is a compilation ofarticles from Third World Networkpublications following the difficultprogress of the CBD negotiations thatresulted in the adoption of the NagoyaProtocol on Access to Genetic Resourcesand the Fair and Equitable Sharing ofBenefits Arising out of their Utilization on29 October 2010 during the tenth meetingof the CBD Conference of the Parties.

The book contains reports starting fromthe early days of the negotiations in KualaLumpur in 2004, up to the last round oftalks in Nagoya in 2010, as well as somepreliminary analyses of the Protocol andthe extent to which it can effectivelycombat biopiracy. (Source: TraditionalKnowledge Bulletin, 29 June 2011.)

Harpagophytum sp.



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

Green economy needs respect for

indigenous rights

Nations must pay more than lip service to theidea of indigenous rights if they seriously hopeto address problems such as species loss andclimate change, say delegates at thePermanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, aUN body created to safeguard the rights of theworld's 370 million indigenous people, at theTenth Session of the UN Permanent Forum onIndigenous Issues in New York.

"They present very good studies andinformation, but not for us," said MarcosTerena, a prominent leader of Brazil'sindigenous people, about the officials runningUN projects on environment and developmentacross the world. In his view, the transition toa so-called "green economy" will not work aslong as humanity does not respect the rightsof Mother Earth.

Indigenous peoples' traditionalknowledge has been widely acknowledgedas vital to conservation and efforts to fightclimate change. "Nature conservation is atthe heart of the cultures and values oftraditional societies," said Ahmed Djoghlaf,Executive Secretary of the UN Conventionon Biological Diversity, which recognizesthe significance of traditional knowledgeand calls for actions to promote it.

UN researchers note that one-third ofthe world's 370 million indigenous peopleare condemned to live in poverty in as manyas 70 countries around the world. WorldBank estimates put their share of globalpoverty at 60 percent.

In reflecting upon UN efforts to enhanceunderstanding between indigenouscommunities and the outside world to fightclimate change and reverse the loss ofbiological diversity, Terena said his people didnot think it was working in a meaningful way. "I hope the UN will understand and listen to theindigenous people, and not only producepapers," he said about the UNEP-led session atthe forum meeting. (Source: IPS, 21 May 2011.)

India’s digital library to the rescue of

traditional patents

Success achieved in India in staving offattacks on its traditional knowledge is in partdue to efforts by the Council for Scientific andIndustrial Research in initiating theTraditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL)project.

TKDL is an Indian digital knowledgerepository of traditional knowledge,especially medicinal plants and formulationsused in Indian systems of medicine. Indiantraditional knowledge dates back a good

10 000–12 000 years and is slowly fading awaybecause of the lack of documentation, said V.Prakash, former director of the Mysore-based Central Food Technological ResearchInstitute (CFTRI). TKDL has succeeded indigitizing at least 30 percent of thisknowledge.

CFTRI is one of 19 national sciencelaboratories in India that are on board theTKDL project. Prakash said the project isaimed at scientifically documenting India'straditional knowledge base. This databasewill help put an end to the indiscriminaterush to patent items.

The database compiled so far is madeavailable to lawyers in Europe and the UnitedStates of America for a fee, so that they do notrecklessly apply for patents. It is better tostop the process before it starts, rather thanchallenge it in courts outside India at a laterstage, as happened in the case of turmeric,he said.

Digitizing traditional knowledge for TKDLis a painstaking effort. But it is worth it, giventhat it is providing leverage to India to defenditself in case of attempts to patent productsthat are indigenous to the country.

Information is digitized in various formats– orally, through video – and the gaps inknowledge are filled with help from science.Even information given by individuals ontraditional knowledge backed by scientificproof is acknowledged. (Source: The Times ofIndia, 8 August 2011.)

Indonesia's pledge to forest people

welcomed

Forest groups on Wednesday welcomed anIndonesian commitment to protect therights of indigenous people who have longcomplained that their land is being stolenin the name of conservation schemes. Withbillions of dollars in foreign aid and carbonoffsets potentially on the table, tribalgroups have accused internationallybacked efforts to tackle deforestation ofpushing them off their ancestral land.

Presidential adviser KuntoroMangkusubroto told a forestry conference on

Lombok Island this week that Indonesiawould address the issue by implementing adecade-old land law recognizing the rights offorest communities. It will also develop a landtenure map identifying the location and size offorests and how they are used, as well asdefining the legal status of the country's vastforested areas.

"Indonesia is committed to longer-termforest and land tenure reform," he said. "Allshould be implemented based on theprinciple to recognize, to respect and toprotect customary rights," he added.

Forest groups hope the government willfulfil its obligations to inform and consultwith indigenous groups whose lives could bedramatically altered by UN-backedmeasures to prevent deforestation.

"We are very pleased with Indonesia'scommitment," said Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, aboard member of Rights and ResourcesInitiative, a global coalition of forestresearch groups. "It is not a matter ofrecognizing who the indigenous people areand their rights, but developing a legalframework to recognize their ownershipover forests. We are very hopeful thatchanges will come about."

Indigenous Peoples Alliance Secretary-General Abdon Nababan said forest peoplewere in danger of being forced off their landand denied their customary livelihoods inthe name of conservation. "The basic pointis that if you want to protect the forests, youmust protect the people who protect theforests," he told AFP.

The alliance last month demanded a haltto conservation schemes worth billions ofdollars on Borneo Island, saying they couldbe a form of "cultural genocide" if nothandled properly. (Source: AFP, 13 July 2011.)

NWFPS IN AMAZONIAN LIFE

Amazonía o petróleo

La deforestación en el mundo se hareducido en la última década más de un 30por ciento. Es una buena noticia, si no fueraporque continúa a un ritmo galopante enmuchos países o en zonas imprescindiblespara la salud del planeta como la Amazonía.

Una cuarta parte de la población mundialdepende de las grandes áreas forestales.Pero hay más: en los bosques, entre susplantas, posiblemente se hallen remedios agraves enfermedades o la solución alcambio climático. La necesidad de protegerestos espacios es acuciante, pero a veces se

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cruzan otros intereses amenazantes, comolas grandes bolsas de petróleo que yacenbajo el manto verde de los bosques.

Esto es lo que sucede en el ParqueNacional Yasuní, en Ecuador, en plenaAmazonía. Sus habitantes viven como hacesiglos y preservan un bien universal. Pero laspetroleras no están muy lejos. InformeSemanal ha navegado por uno de los lugaresmás conservados del planeta y ha dialogadocon las comunidades que viven de losrecursos de esa selva en la que nacieron y enla que quieren seguir viviendo.Lamentablemente, la situación económica dediversas poblaciones empuja a las mismas hamigrar o extraer recursos con valoracionesinmediatas sin tener en cuenta lasperspectivas de los mismos.

Es necesario, por lo tanto, una trabajoconjunto donde se conjuguen los intereses delas comunidades y la protección a la inmensabiodiversidad existente. Se debe unir laconservación y el respeto por la biodiversidad,el conocimiento de los antepasados junto alos beneficios de prácticas útiles. Esteproceso lo está desarrollando un proyecto decooperación técnica de la FAO. (Fuente:Programa de la Televisión Española [TVE]Informe Semanal, 18 de junio de 2011.)

Videos on the Amazonian forests of Ecuador

A series of lectures on the Amazonian forestsof Ecuador have been released on video aspart of the educational series “Voices forSustainable Forests”, produced by TRAFFIC.The Spanish-language broadcasts, by 17specialists in areas critical to the conservationand sustainable forest management of theAmazonian forests of Ecuador, are aimed atcommunity radio, schools and the media.

It is wonderful to hear these expertsspeaking colloquially about the problems andsolutions. What dilemmas do people face intheir forests? What about indigenousterritories, forest governance and the law?What ecosystem services do the forestsprovide? The videos cover the key topics,including the best policies and programmesof the Government of Ecuador today.

Moreover, the information contained in thevideos is relevant to countries across theregion as many of the challenges experiencedin Ecuador are the same in other countrieswhere the Amazonian forest is under threat.One of the next steps is to produce shortonline courses for members of the media whomay know little about forests. Another is toseek inclusion of the videos in the NationalTeacher Training Programme: the EcuadorianMinistry of Education has already purchased

400 copies of the two DVDs to be used in theprogramme.

The videos are available from:www.youtube.com/user/ConservacionyEquidad#g/c/94EA7829C11139B8/(Source: Traffic Bulletin, 23(2), April 2011.)

Forest fund to reward forest-dwelling

communities

At the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation(FAS) centre in Tumbira – six hours by boatfrom Manaus, capital of the Amazonas state inBrazil – Professor Virgilio Viana and hiscolleagues are running a state-wide schemecalled Bolsa Floresta (forest fund). The idea isto sign up and reward forest-dwellingcommunities for responsible, sustainable useof the rain forest. It provides the averageparticipating family with BRL1 360 (aboutUS$850) of value/year. Nearly half of this is amonthly cash payment to housewives,another part goes to promote sustainableharvesting for forest products – Brazil nutsbeing the best known – and part is spent onhealth and education for local communities. Asmall amount is spent on buildingrudimentary business infrastructures so thatforest communities can profit fromsustainable business.

So far, over 8 000 families have benefitedfrom this forest fund. It can and should bescaled up. But it is threatened by the falteringcity economy of Manaus, which may seeindustry invading the Amazon rain forest.Declining opportunities and competingsubsidies may move money andentrepreneurship back to the old ways,seeking resource-extracting profits and jobs.The cost of such a reversal would be huge – toAmazonas, Brazil and the world. (Source: TheGuardian [United Kingdom], 28 June 2011.)

Giant fish help the Amazon rain forest grow

While researchers have studied the seed-dispersal capacity of such species as birds,bats, monkeys and rodents, fish are oftenoverlooked.

Jill T. Anderson, a post-doctoral associateat Duke University (United States of America)is one of few researchers who have begun toconnect the dots between massive fruit-

eating Amazonian fish, such as theweighty tambaqui (Colossomamacropomum), and the diversity and health ofthe Amazonian rain forest. In a 2009 study,Anderson and her colleagues studied twospecies of frugivorous (fruit-eating) fish inPeru, the tambaqui and the pirapitinga (bothknown as pacu fish). Picking through over amillion seeds, they documented 44 species ofseeds, including 36 from trees and lianas,from the guts of 195 individual fish.

A paper published by Anderson and otherresearchers this year outlines thatthe tambaqui are truly long-distancedispersers. "In our study, fish can carry seedsup to 5.5 km, although it is likely that larger(older) fish can disperse seeds much fartherthan that," says Anderson. According toresearch, the older the fish, the more effectiveit is at dispersing seeds; younger fishconsume fewer fruits and disperse fewerviable seeds. Of course, this finding hasimplications for conservation, since older fishare vanishing from ecosystems because ofoverexploitation by locals. "[Tambaqui] is veryimportant commercially. Fish is the primarysource of protein for human populationsthroughout the Amazon, so it is not surprisingthat people would overfish a massively largefruit eater," Anderson says.

While humans have likely fished fortambaqui and other pacu for millennia, risingpopulations in the Amazon and increasinglyeasy access to once impenetrable places havepushed big fruit-eating fish into treacherousterritory. A significant drop in the populationor a loss of older individuals has the potentialof impacting the diversity and abundance ofthe Amazonian rain forest. (Source: AmazonNews, 12 April 2011.)

Partnership reinforces copaíba oil

production chain in Brazil

July 2011 marked the beginning of apromising partnership in the municipality ofApuí, 408 km from Manaus, capital of the stateof Amazonas. The Brazilian branch of theSwiss company Firmenich, whichmanufactures fragrances and aromas, hasordered its first purchase of copaíba oilproduced in the interior of the municipalityunder a regime of sustainable forestmanagement. The agreement, with theAripuanã-Guariba Agri-extractive Association,negotiated in the first semester of 2011, wasmediated by WWF-Brazil.

Copaíba is a stimulant oleoresin obtainedfrom the trunk of several pinnate-leavedSouth American leguminous trees from thegenus Copaifera.

Pirapitinga




abastecimiento de los frutos y demanda demano de obra con participación de género.

El carbón activado, es de origen vegetal, elmismo viene activado a alta temperatura yretiene por absorción moléculas decompuestos diversos en su gran superficieinterna. Este material se usa en recuperaciónde oro, para purificar alimentos, agua,alcoholes, cosméticos, etc.

Este carbón se produce usando lassemillas de las palmeras amazónicas aguaje(Mauritia flexuosa), shapaja (Scheelea sp.) yshebón (Attalea sp.), apoyando laconservación de la Amazonía y el desarrollosostenible en las comunidades socias. Seformalizará el aprovechamiento del bosqueamazónico mediante la formación de unacadena productiva sobre la base de especiesno madereras.

En el Perú existe demanda de lasempresas, especialmente las mineras, lascuales deben demostrar su compromiso conla conservación del medio ambiente directa eindirectamente y al comprar carbón activadoen los almacenes en Lima o en Iquitosadquirirán derecho al uso de los atributoscomerciales del producto como son: apoyar laconservación de la Reserva Nacional PacayaSamiria, el desarrollo sostenible decomunidades en la Amazonía y el comerciojusto en la cadena productiva. Entre loscompradores se encuentran la mineríaaurífera nacional, que consume el 91,5 porciento de la demanda del Perú y que esabastecida por 5 empresas importadoras; laindustria de purificación de agua, laagroindustria y otros que demandan el 8,5 porciento restante.

El total de la demanda nacional es de 1,354 t, de las cuales se importan el 95 porciento. (Fuente: BiD network foundation.)

PARA MÁS INFORMACIÓN, DIRIGIRSE A:

BiD Network Foundation, De Ruyterkade 107,

1011 AB Amsterdam, Países Bajos.

Fax: +31 84 83 00022; correo electrónico:

[email protected];

www.bidnetwork.org/page/135745/ �

La producción de la castaña amazónica en

Bolivia

El árbol de la castaña (Bertholletia excelsa)es una especie no maderera de alto valorecológico, cuya altura asciende a más de 20 m. Produce semillas comestibles, lascuales se conocen como castaña amazónica o"Brazil Nuts", mismas que en el país sonextraídas y exportadas en un 99 por ciento.

La actividad de la explotación de la castañarepresenta más del 75 por ciento delmovimiento económico de la zona norte deBolivia. La importancia de la castaña no sóloradica en su aporte a la economía de lamencionada región sino también por sucomponente ecológico en la preservación dela selva amazónica, ya que su explotaciónpermite frenar la depredación de los bosques.

La castaña amazónica es el fruto del árbolde la castaña que se encuentra en formanatural y silvestre solamente en los bosquesamazónicos de Bolivia, Brasil, Perú, Guayanay Colombia; sin embargo, solamente en lostres primeros países se encuentra la castañaque se comercializa. En Bolivia existencondiciones aptas para el desarrollo del árbolde la castaña en un área extensa de laAmazonía que abarca más de 100 000 km2

(un 10 por ciento de la superficie total delpaís). Bolivia ha mejorado paulatinamente laproductividad de la castaña en el mundo.

El árbol de la castaña produce desde elmes de noviembre, en el que se encuentranlos primeros frutos, pero es recomendableiniciar la zafra recién en la segunda quincenade diciembre. A pesar de las condicionesadversas, más de 15 000 familias se internanen el bosque y no vuelven hasta febrero omarzo. Desde marzo hasta diciembre seprocede al beneficiado, la mano de obra queparticipó en la recolección se traslada a lasplantas beneficiadoras, donde se requieremás de 5 000 puestos de trabajo. El procesode recolección consiste en recoger yrecolectar los cocos que se encuentran bajolos árboles, los cuales se desprenden de losárboles por maduración natural.

Posteriormente, se procede a cortar laparte superior de cada coco por donde seextraen las semillas; el corte se hace a manocon la ayuda de un machete. Una vezterminado este proceso se reúnen lascastañas con cáscaras y se colocan en bolsaspara ser transportadas a los payoles, que sonprecarios y rústicos galpones que sirven paraprotegerlas de la lluvia.

La castaña se transporta por diversosmedios y lo antes posible a depósitos y silosde las beneficiadoras que reúnan condicionesde almacenamiento controladas.

Uno de los principales problemas queocasiona la mala recolección y acopio es lacontaminación con aflatoxinas que sonmetabolitos del hongo llamado Aspergillusflavus. Según estudios preliminares se creeque en ciertas concentraciones soncancerígenos y dañinos para la salud.

Áreas de aprovechamientoLa zona castañera de Bolivia se encuentraubicada en el norte del país, comprende unasuperficie aproximada de 100 000 km2,equivalente al 10 por ciento de la superficietotal del país. Históricamente el Brasil ha sidoel mayor productor de castaña, por lo tanto, elnombre con el que se conoce y comercializaen el mundo es "Brazil nuts" "paranuss" o"castaña do Pará". A partir del año 1996,Bolivia se convierte en el primer productormundial de castaña, superando al Brasil. En1999, Bolivia exportó 10 880 t contra 2 500 tdel Brasil, representando el 73 por ciento delmercado mundial de la castaña.Prácticamente, el 99 por ciento de laproducción nacional está destinada almercado de exportación. En términosmonetarios la producción de castaña pasó de15,6 millones de dólares en 1990 a 31,3 millones en el 2000. La castaña se utilizatambién en la industria pastelera como glacé(mazapán). (Fuente: Sitio de AmazoniaBoliviana: www.amazonia.bo/)

Producción de carbón activado utilizando los

productos forestales no madereros (PFNM)

en alianza con comunidades de la Amazonía

del Perú

Los objetivos de la industria de producción decarbón activado es: producir el mismoutilizando frutos de palmeras amazónicas queserán aprovechadas legalmente porcomunidades organizadas. Elaprovechamiento es sostenible a partir de losfrutos de las tres palmeras sin valorcomercial (no incluidas en CITES), enasociación con comunidades de la Amazonía,generando ingresos en las mismas por

If we do not change our direction, weare likely to end up where we areheaded.

Chinese proverb



9N E W S A N D N O T E S

area and herd the animals come. (Source:CIFOR, 13 June 2011.)

Mexico: barcoding biodiversity not free of

risks, activists say

As the Barcode of Life project continues thework of sequencing specific segments ofgenes in Mexican animals and plants, thereare some concerns about how to safeguardthe biological samples collected from thethreat of commercial exploitation.

Supporters of the initiative argue thatthe information gathered can lead to thediscovery of new varieties, and to the betterprotection of biodiversity. But critics say bigpharmaceutical and synthetic biologycompanies, which produce organisms withspecific functions through geneticengineering, could exploit the data in theservice of their own economic interests.

“The barcoding project is helping todocument the country's biodiversity, sothat better conservation managementplans can be designed. If we do not knowwhat species exist, we will not know whatto protect," said researcher Lidia Cabreraof the Biology Institute at the state NationalAutonomous University of Mexico (UNAM),who is also on the thematic networkcommittee of Barcode of Life in Mexico(MexBOL).

Mexico is one of the five most biodiversecountries in the world, yet less than 1 percent of species have been barcoded.The project has already produced barcodesequences for about 20 percent of fishspecies, 70 percent of birds and close to 10 percent of plant species. Mexicanscientists barcoded 6 000 samples in 2010.

"There are no safeguards whatsoeverthat apply to this area," she complained toIPS. She was referring to the fact that the1992 Convention on Biological Diversitylacks any regulations about artificialcreations based on biological materials.(Source: International Press Service [IPS],28 July 2011.)

BARCODING

Barcodes gather evidence to combat illegal

trade in Kenya

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is alreadystretched thin protecting the elephants andbig cats that draw the tourists. But evenwhen it does manage to apprehend huntersand dealers in bushmeat, it is nearimpossible to obtain a conviction withoutirrefutable evidence. “KWS has been gettingincreasingly frustrated. It is just their wordagainst the suspects who often claim theywere only selling goat meat,” Iregi Mwenja,Kenya Country Director of the Born FreeFoundation said.

But now, Mwenja says, DNA technology isbeing used to create barcodes from geneticmaterial to facilitate the positiveidentification of wild meat, and ivory, using adatabase with samples of meat, hair or bonecollected from a wide variety of animals inthe region.

“The direct cause of wildlife decline isillegal hunting due to increasing population,”he said. Born Free and KWS recently carriedout a study in butcher shops along a 200-kmstretch of Kenya’s main highway that runsfrom Nairobi to the Indian Ocean. Throughthe use of barcodes, they found that between5 and 8 percent of the meat on sale wasbushmeat.

The International Barcode of Life projectand the University of Guelph in Ontario,Canada are sponsoring the data banks, andKenya is supplying samples from its wildlife.Mwenja said the identification is so precisethat it is possible to determine from which

“Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs)consist of goods of biological originother than wood, derived from forests,other wooded land and trees outsideforests.”«Les produits forestiers non ligneuxsont des biens d’origine biologiqueautres que le bois, dérivés des forêts,des autres terres boisées, et des arbreshors forêts.»«Productos forestales no madereros sonlos bienes de origen biológico distintosde la madera derivados de los bosques,de otras tierras boscosas y de los árbolesfuera de los bosques.»

(FAO’s working definition)

Wales (United Kingdom) to DNA “barcode”

plants

Wales is set to be the first place to produce aDNA barcode for every one of its nativeflowering plants, scientists claim. The“Barcode Wales” project will aim tocatalogue all 1 143 species of nativeflowering plants based on each plant'sunique gene sequence.

This would mean that the tiniest fragmentof leaf or pollen grain could be used toidentify any plant in Wales. It would alsoallow scientists to understand better theplant’s genetics. The information will helpbiologists to track the status of pollinatinginsects, such as bees. And the databaseitself could be used to test the authenticity ofWelsh products, including honey, and helpidentify plant fragments in forensicexaminations.

Dr Natasha de Vere from the NationalBotanic Garden of Wales is leading the studyalong with her colleagues, Dr Tim Rich fromthe National Museum Wales and Professor

The International Barcode of Lifeproject (www.ibol.org) was launched in2003 by the Biodiversity Institute ofOntario at the University of Guelph,Canada. The following year, aconsortium for the project was created,made up of organizations from 43countries. Mexico joined in 2009.

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INSTANT TREE IDENTIFICATION IS NOWPOSSIBLE

Botanists from the SmithsonianInstitution (Washington, DC, UnitedStates of America) have helped develop asmartphone application that can identifytree species within seconds, using visualrecognition software, and then share thelocation with a growing database of treepopulations. After a user takes a photoof a leaf with his or her smartphonedevice, the so-called Leafsnap application(http://leafsnap. com/) searches a libraryof leaf photographs compiled by theSmithsonian Institution and almostimmediately delivers high-resolutionphotographs of the likely species, alongwith information on flowers, fruits, seedsand bark.

In addition, the geographic data of thatquery is shared with a community ofscientists tracking flora across the UnitedStates of America. The application willeventually provide a database of treesnationwide, said John Kress, a Smithsonianresearch botanist who developed theapplication with engineers from ColumbiaUniversity and the University of Maryland.(Source: Yale Environment News 360, 9 June 2011.)



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

Mike Wilkinson from Aberystwyth University.The team is taking on the substantial task ofcollecting samples from every species ofWelsh flora. Using a combination of freshlypicked plants and dried specimens housed inthe National Museum Wales collections, theyhave gathered examples of all the "floralheritage" of Wales. The scientists haveextracted and sequenced a section of theDNA code from each plant.

By comparing the DNA barcodes ofmodern-day plants with specimens from theWales Natural History Museum, the teamwill be able to determine whether plants arelosing their genetic variation. The results ofthe Barcode Wales project are due to bepublished this summer; the findings will beused to establish tailored conservationprogrammes for Welsh plants. The scientistshope eventually to extend the project toinclude the rest of the United Kingdom.(Source: BBC News [Wales], 7 April 2011.)

CONGO BASIN: CAN’T SEE THE WOOD FOR THE TREES? LOOK AGAIN

Export products such as timber dominateany superficial glance at the forests of theCongo Basin. Recent studies, however, arguethat there is more to the forest – in this caseof the second largest tropical forest in theworld – than just its trees as export products.

A spate of recent publications highlightthat massive hidden economies, mainly fordomestic and regional consumption, arelargely hidden or ignored. The latest Forestsof the Congo Basin: State of the Forest 2010,an exhaustive biannual appraisal of the stateof the region’s forests, ecosystems,biodiversity, population and socio-economicsituation, devotes a whole section to lookingdeeper into the forest and uncovering thelarge scale of commerce in four hiddenproducts: fuelwood, bushmeat, NTFPs anddomestic timber.

The chapter on NTFPs indicates that thevast majority of NTFPs used across the Basinprovide important contributions forhousehold food and medical needs, as wellas for cultural use and as multiple tools. Thesector is also a major employer, for examplein Cameroon, where more people work in thetrade of a handful of the major products thanin the industrial timber sector.

Bushmeat is another lucrative trade.While exports to a hungry diaspora in Europemay previously have been underestimated,the domestic market in the Basin appears

much larger and remains largelyunquantified. Many of the popular species ofbushmeat traded are not captured either innational statistics or by international tradeconventions such as the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species ofWild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Like other hidden forest products,bushmeat provides a vital source of nutrition,as well as providing significant employmentand revenue for those involved in the trade.These conflicting aspects, however, haveformed a contradictory crisis forconservation and development circles.(Source: CIFOR, 10 May 2011.)

CONSERVATIONETHNOBOTANY IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC

A survey was conducted across the FaroeIslands and Iceland with wild collectors,gardeners, farmers and chefs, with thesupport of the Partridge Foundation's Trans-Atlantic Partnership between the College ofthe Atlantic in the United States of America,the University of Kassel in Germany and theOrganic Research Centre in the UnitedKingdom. The aim was to determine theextent, composition and function of uses ofnative species of terrestrial plants, algae andfungi in the region through the use ofquantitative ethnobotanical methodology. Byidentifying culturally significant nativespecies of terrestrial plants, algae and fungi,researchers in the study hope to show thatthe potential for conservation also increases.

The survey identified a total of 130 nativespecies with cultural significance from 88genera, including 99 native species ofterrestrial plants (65 species of annual andeight species of perennial herbs, 15 speciesof perennial shrubs and 11 species ofperennial trees), 20 native species of algae,ten native species of fungi, and one native

species of lichen. In Iceland, 109 nativespecies were cited as culturally significant(CI [Cultural Importance] Index), whereas 57were identified in the Faroe Islands. Allrespondents collected some wild species and50 percent grew some native species in homegardens or commercially.

The proportion of all potentially usablenative species with CI in the Faroe Islandsand Iceland could, however, be much greater.Nevertheless, some native species of plantsare known ubiquitously. Those mostcommonly used are Angelica spp. andBetulla spp., traditionally used for food andmedicine and still used today for thesepurposes. A strong possibility for sustainablemanagement of wild collection of thesenative species exists through expansion oforganic certification.

The identification of cultural keystonespecies is hence paramount in theirconservation. Looking at ways to increase thecultural importance and the number andtypes of uses by people living in an area willincrease the likelihood that the natural areaswhere these species exist will be preserved.Culture and knowledge are dynamic, and thissurvey attempts to look at cultural uses ofnative plants while being mindful of thedynamism of cultural knowledge and thechanges that are taking place in both ecologyand culture.

Through the interviews and samplecollections, it became apparent that thereexists a conservation mentality in the cultureof native plant collection and usage in theFaroe Islands and Iceland. People who tendto use native biodiversity also tend to have anappreciation and a conservation attitudetowards that biodiversity. Many of the wildcollectors are also activists and politicallyactive change agents in the Icelandic andFaroese politics related to natural resourcesmanagement.

A chef in Tórshavn in the Faroe Islandssaid that wild collection by his kitchen staffand others around Scandinavia is leading to anew paradigm of food in the North Atlantic.The movement is called the “Nordic Kitchen”and is leading to conservation efforts bychefs and food enthusiasts around the regionto learn, preserve and utilize native speciesfor traditional and innovative local dishes.(Contributed by: Cory Whitney M.Sc.,International Relations Consultant, KoreanOrganizing Committee for the 17th IFOAMOWC, 202 Misung Plaza, 685-1 Guan-dong,Namyangju City, 472-060, Gyeonggi Province,Republic of Korea. E-mail:[email protected]/)

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Angelica spp.



11S P E C I A L F E A T U R E SN E W S A N D N O T E S

EXPANSION OF PEOPLE-CENTRED FORESTRY

The Second Regional Forum on CommunityForestry, Key to Solving Current and EmergingChallenges, which took place earlier thismonth in Bangkok, Thailand, discussed thefurther expansion of people-centred forestryin the years ahead. A broad range of social andcommunity forestry issues were addressed,from the origins of the movement andgovernment decentralization to gender equityand REDD+. In a keynote speech, theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) Social Forestry Network SecretariatChairperson Haryadi Himawan emphasizedthe important role of local people insustainable forest management and theimportance of supporting the livelihoods ofsome of the poorest and most vulnerablepopulations in Asia.

Francisco Chapela from Rainforest Alliancereported that nearly all remaining forestlandin Mexico and Guatemala is managed byindigenous people, who have an incentive toconserve their forest resources.

A “Knowledge Fair” highlighted local andcountry-specific experiences and lessonslearned in community forestry. Forumparticipants drafted a call for action, whichwill be released soon for action at other fora tomark the International Year of Forests and atthe Durban climate conference. (Source:Traditional Knowledge Bulletin, 16 August2011.)

FORESTS AND FOODSECURITY: WHAT WEKNOW AND NEED TOKNOW

The importance of forest-based emissionsas a driver of climate change is one of themost indirect and hard-to-prove causalpathways linking forests and food security;most linkages between forests and foodsecurity are more direct and more easilygrounded in empirical research.

We know, for example, that forests andtrees make significant direct contributionsto the nutrition of poor households. A 2008review of the literature on bushmeat –conducted by the Center for InternationalForestry Research (CIFOR) and theSecretariat of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity – affirmed that rural communitiesin Central Africa obtain a critical portion ofprotein and fat in their diets throughhunting wildlife in and around forests. The

5 to 6 million tonnes of bushmeat eatenyearly in the Congo Basin is roughly equalto the total amount of beef producedannually in Brazil – without theaccompanying need to clear huge swathesof forest for cattle. Globally, forestedwatersheds, wetlands and mangroveecosystems support the freshwater andcoastal fisheries on which manycommunities depend. And that is inaddition to the many fruits, nuts, grubs,mushrooms, honey and other ediblesproduced by forests and trees.

Equally important, forests provide anessential source of cash income topurchase food, especially during poorharvests. Results from CIFOR’s Poverty andEnvironment Network project – which hasrecently published a database of incomesurvey results from some 6 000 households– confirm that families living in and aroundforests derive on average between one-fifthand one-fourth of their income from forest-based sources.

But my feeling is that the mostunderappreciated – and perhaps mostunder-researched – linkages betweenforests and food security are the roles thatforest-based ecosystem services play inunderpinning sustainable agriculturalproduction. Forests regulate hydrologicalservices including the quantity, quality andtiming of water available for irrigation.Forest-based bats and bees pollinatecrops. Forests mitigate impacts of climatechange and extreme weather events on thelandscape scale.

The nature and significance of many ofthese linkages remain contested; one ofthe most controversial studies everpublished by CIFOR was the 2005 report incollaboration with FAO that questioned thelinkage between forest cover and majorfloods. Tantalizing findings on the impact ofnative pollination services on the size,quality and/or stability of harvests for 70

ELEPHANTS, THEGARDENERS OF ASIANAND AFRICAN FORESTS

Recently, researchers have begun todocument the seed dispersal capacity of theworld's largest land animal, the elephant,proving that this species may be among theworld's most important tropical gardeners.

"In our paper we show that African forestelephants are the ultimate seed dispersers –they disperse vast numbers of seeds of a highdiversity of plants in a very effective way […]Asian and African savannah elephants alsodisperse many seeds […] but seem to be lessfrugivorous [i.e. fruit-eating]," said AhimsaCampos-Arceiz, coauthor of a recent paper inActa Oecologica on African and Asian elephantseed dispersal.

Stephen Blake, the other coauthor, says thatthe behaviour of different elephant species, inthis context, has more to do with habitat thanspecies' preference.

Blake and Campos-Arceiz highlight in theirstudy that some plant species may dependentirely on elephants for their dispersal, muchas some orchids depend wholly on a singleinsect pollinator for propagation. "The bestdocumented case is the relationship ofBalanites wilsoniana and savannah elephantsin Uganda. Several studies have found thatelephants consume and disperse lots ofBalanites seeds, and that no other animaldisperses these seeds," explains Campos-Arceiz.

However, Blake adds that the "cumulativeimpact of elephant dispersal" is moreimportant than their connection to onespecies: "a few trees declining because anelephant disappears is of course detrimental,but Balanites going extinct will be unlikely tohave a massive impact on the forestecosystem. However, elephants going extinctmeans that the competitive balance of manyspecies, arguably over 100 in Central Africa,will be tipped in favour of species poorabiotically [i.e. wind-dispersed species]. That isthe key point from an ecological perspective."

According to the researchers, Asianelephants spread seeds from 1 to 6 km, whilein the Congo, forest elephants are capable ofspreading seeds as far as 57 km.

Despite their ecological importance,elephants in Asia and Africa are threatened.While some populations of savannahelephants in Africa are stable, Blake saysAfrica's forest elephants – the world's biggestfrugivores – are in "steep decline due topoaching ". (Source: www.mongabay.com, 25 April 2011.)

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12 S P E C I A L F E A T U R E SN E W S A N D N O T E S

percent of global crops suggest thepotential significance of forests onagriculture at the farm level. Projections ofthe potentially devastating consequencesof reduced rainfall on Brazil’s boomingagricultural sector because ofdeforestation in the Amazon are sufficientto focus the attention of national policy-makers with or without REDD+ revenues.

Reports produced by the Economics ofEcosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)initiative are only the most recent in aseries of attempts to assign price tags toecosystem services, including thoseprovided by forests.

Reasonable people may disagree overthe relative priority of further empiricalvaluation studies versus research onshaping institutions to govern payments forsuch services and allowing markets todetermine prices. And the potential ofREDD+ payments to improve climatesecurity, the focus of much current forestryresearch attention, is certainly relevant tothis challenge. Faced with rising foodprices, political instability and theimpending need to feed an estimated 3 billion more people by 2050, we alsourgently need to accelerate thecomplementary research agenda on therelationship between forests and foodsecurity. (Source: Frances Seymour, CIFORDirector-General, 20 April 2011.)

GENERATING INCOMEFROM FORESTS ANDTREES

Food insecurity is generally related topoverty and limited opportunities foremployment or income generation. Incomefrom forests and from trees on farms canmake a significant contribution to ruralhouseholds and their food security. Somehouseholds in Mozambique, for example,obtain 30 percent of their income fromunprocessed forest products such asfuelwood, fruits, mushrooms, insects,honey and medicinal plants.

Women play an important role in theprocessing of tree and forest products.Given their responsibilities for ensuringfood security at the household level inmany parts of the world, income generatedfrom such activities is often an importantmeans of providing food for the family.

Ironically, in many cases the tropicalareas that are richest in forest resourcesare the poorest, because of their

remoteness and low levels of externalinvestment. The collection, processing andsale of forest products (or activitiesinvolving non-consumptive use of forestssuch as ecotourism) are often among thefew income-generating opportunitiesavailable in these areas.

The creation of small or medium-sizedforest-based enterprises can help securebetter market access and share, or addvalue to harvested products. Many small-scale enterprises are based on NWFPs.They are particularly important in arid andsemi-arid areas where agriculturalproduction is more vulnerable to externalthreats such as drought or extremeweather events.

The collection and sale of gum arabic(from Acacia senegal and A. seyal) in 17countries across dryland Africa is anexample of how NWFPs are increasinglyintegrated into global markets. Fourprocessors in the United States of Americaand Europe account for about 70 percent ofworld trade in raw gum, which is thenprocessed and resold as additives for thefood and drinks industry. Between 2003 and2007, the European Union imported 200 000tonnes, valued at close to US$432 million.Establishing local processing and value-addition measures could help producercountries realize an increased marketshare of this lucrative trade.

Harvesting of NWFPs must be managedand regulated in order to be sustainable.However, regulations governing theharvesting of forest products, as well asrelated permits, licences and taxes, areoften complex, and in order to competeeffectively, small enterprises may be forcedto operate without the required paperwork.Weak or selective enforcement of existingregulations can foster unsustainableharvesting of NWFPs and create unfaircompetition for small enterprises.

Small-scale forest enterprises generallyoperate in the informal sector, and theircontribution to the economy is often“hidden”, in contrast with larger-scaleprivate-sector activity such as timberharvesting. National reporting andstatistics on forestry or trade rarely capturethe contribution of NWFPs. FAO’s GlobalForest Resources Assessment 2010reports that the value of NWFP harvestingwas about US$18.5 billion in 2005, butnotes that this is probably a significantunderestimation of its true value. (Source:FAO, 2011. Forests for improved nutritionand food security. Rome.)

HERBAL CUISINE

Few would like the idea of adding medicine tofood but, for the Chinese, sometimes food ismedicine, and adding natural herbs to dishesmay mean the creation of a gourmet dishwith healthy benefits.

Some of the ingredients often used thisway include ginger, ginseng and angelicaroot. For instance, ginger is often infused inboiling water to create a home cure for mildthroat infections or to prevent the onset of acold. Ginseng is slowly stewed with chickento replenish energy (or qi) deficiency.Angelica is a popular tonic herb, often addedto a ginger and mutton stew to make awarming winter soup. Rou cong rong, orcistanche, is a parasitic root plant producedin the deserts of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia.Locals dub it "desert ginseng", and cook itwith mutton and beef to strengthen thekidneys, as a natural aphrodisiac for men.

Such healthy cooking has given rise to agenre of restaurants that specialize in herbalcuisine. At Herbal Cuisine Kitchen, forinstance, there is fungus on the menu,including the celebrated lacy bamboofungus, slowly braised with turtle skirts andganoderma. Ganoderma is credited with allsorts of health-giving properties from justgood-for-you to anticarcinogenic. It is a tonicsoup very suitable for every season.

The use of herbs in food has generatedsome recent controversy. For example, wildginseng may be too strong a tonic for some,and pregnant women should avoid saffron.(Source: China Daily, 17 July 2011.)

IN THE MANAGEMENT OF FORESTS, GENDERMATTERS

At the recent Poverty and EnvironmentNetwork (PEN) Conference in London,“Counting on the Environment”, someinteresting results related to the genderdifferentiation of roles related to rurallivelihoods were presented. Aggregatingglobal data from 36 long-term studies of

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men and women is less marked and in theAfrican cases, the value of unprocessedproducts collected by women is larger thanthe value of those collected by men. On allthree continents, however, men tend to play amore predominant role in the processing andsale of forest products and generate thegreatest income. Despite assertions to thecontrary, the male members of ruralhouseholds really are doing their bit for thehousehold economy!

So what does this all mean? The regionaldifferences suggest there is no neat “one sizefits all” policy for gender-oriented researchor NTFP-focused development interventions.The highly specialized gender differentiationevident from this research suggests thatlocally focused gender-responsive forestrypolicies and programmes should explicitlytake into account the opinions, needs andinterests of both genders. (Source: TerrySunderland in CIFOR Forests Blog, 23 July2011.)

LES EXPERTS ENPRODUITS FORESTIERSNON LIGNEUX D’AFRIQUECENTRALE SE SONTRÉUNIS DANS LE CADREDE L’ANNÉEINTERNATIONALE DESFORÊTS 2011

«Des forêts pour les populations», tel est lethème principal de l’Année internationale desforêts, qui met en évidence la relationdynamique entre les forêts et les personnesdépendant de celles-ci. Les forêtsfournissent des produits forestiers ligneux etdes produits forestiers non ligneux (PFNL),aussi les dialogues multipartites proposésdans le cadre de cette année à leur enseignes'inscrivent-ils dans les missions du Sous-groupe de travail PFNL (SGT-PFNL), créé enmars 2011 par la Commission en charge desforêts d’Afrique centrale (COMIFAC) au sein

du Groupe de travail biodiversité de l'AfriqueCentrale (GTBAC).

En vue de contribuer à l’Annéeinternationale des forêts, à travers le SGT-PFNL/GTBAC et avec l’appui de la FAO,la COMIFAC a regroupé du 25 au 28 juillet2011, à Boali, République centrafricaine, desacteurs d’Afrique centrale concernés par lesPFNL. La rencontre a ainsi rassemblé desexperts en PFNL provenant du Gabon, duCameroun, du Congo, de la Républiquedémocratique du Congo et de la Républiquecentrafricaine, affiliés à des institutions dedéveloppement et de recherchegouvernementales et non gouvernementales,telles que la Communauté économique desÉtats d'Afrique centrale (CEEAC), le Centremondial d'agroforesterie (ICRAF),l'Organisation néerlandaise dedéveloppement (SNV), le Centre pour laculture en pépinière et la propagation de l'éru(CENDEP), Bioversity International, TRAFFICou DONAVAL, ainsi que des producteurs etcommerçants locaux, et des représentantsde populations autochtones.

Cette première réunion du Sous-groupede travail PFNL a permis de capitaliser lesexpériences visant à renforcer la contributiondes PFNL dans la lutte contre la pauvreté etl'accroissement de la sécurité alimentaire,notamment à travers (i) la domestication desespèces, (ii) l’introduction d’un systèmed’information sur les marchés au Cameroun,(iii) le développement des petites etmoyennes entreprises forestières, (iv) laformulation de Directives sous-régionalesrelatives à la gestion durable des produitsforestiers non ligneux d’origine végétale enAfrique Centrale de la COMIFAC et (v)l’élaboration de stratégies nationales et deplans d’action sectoriels. Les participants ontreconnu qu'il revient à toutes les partiesprenantes de vulgariser les approchesexistantes, afin de les rendre plus visibles etde les mettre en œuvre dans divers pays dubassin du Congo.

Dans l'orientation politique définie pourles pays membres, le Plan de convergence dela COMIFAC met un accent particulier sur lesPFNL et leur importance dans la lutte contrela pauvreté et l’insécurité alimentaire, et ce àtravers huit de ses 10 axes stratégiques. Or,l’examen critique des Plans de travail annuel(PTA) des ministères en charge des forêts despays représentés à la réunion a fait ressortirun manque de prise en compte des PFNLdans la plupart des PTA, ainsi que l'absencede plans d’opérationnalisation du Plan deconvergence. Les participants ont ainsirecommandé l'élaboration de ces derniers.

forest-proximate communities in 25countries, representing more than 8 000households, it was possible to determine justwho does what in contributing to the family’swell-being and what value forest productsrepresent in the livelihood strategies of localpeople.

There are many assumptions about therole of men and women in contributing to thehousehold economy in rural societies. Thefirst of these is that men are more likely to beengaged in the generation of cash incomefrom NTFPs, while women tend to collectforest products for direct household use. Assuch, it is therefore assumed that womenrely far more on forest products than do men.But is this really the case?

In order to understand the importance ofgender, the PEN global data set was used toassess within-household gendereddifferences: (i) in the consumption and sale offorest products; and (ii) in the reliance ofprocessed and unprocessed forest products.

This was able to be done accuratelybecause during the data collection process,information was gathered on who collectedwhat (e.g. male, female, child) and whatforest product was actually harvested. Tocheck whether patterns of forest product useare consistent across regions, the analysiswas conducted at the global and regionallevels. Taken together, the results aresomewhat surprising.

Almost without exception, the most able-bodied members of the household (men,women and children) do indeed participate inthe collection and processing of forestresources. These include a wide range ofproducts from rattan to resin, fruits to forage,medicines to matting. However, what issurprising is the level of genderspecialization in the collection andprocessing of forest products: put simply,men and women tend to collect differentforest products.

Contrary to popular wisdom, the value offorest products collected by men surpassesthe value of those collected by women. It wasalso found that women tend to specialize inthe collection and processing of forestproducts that are used for subsistence,whereas men tend to specialize in theharvest of forest products for sale.

There are important regional differencesin this overall pattern. In the Latin Americancases, the value of unprocessed forestproducts collected by men considerablysurpasses the value of those collected bywomen. In the Asian cases, the value ofunprocessed forest products collected by

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other than timber. The socio-economiccontribution of forests to livelihoods and theimpact of their use on the environment areessential components of modern conceptsfor sustainable forest management. Theintegration of the assessment of non-woodgoods (NWGs) in extensive forest surveyscauses problems as most NWGs are sitespecific, depend on spatial distributions andmay be of only local importance.

Indicator 3.3 Non-wood goods in the Stateof Europe’s Forests 2011 covers the valueand quantity of marketed NWGs from forestand other wooded land. For reasons ofconsistency, NWGs harvested for self-consumption and other forms of uses areexcluded, even if they could represent asubstantial part of the total amount ofharvested NWGs. In the available data sets,the main NWGs identified are as follows:Christmas trees, mushrooms and truffles,fruits and berries, cork, medicinal orcolorant products, ornamental plants, seedsof forest tree species, game products andhoney.

Status and trends

Quantities and/or values of marketed NWGswere provided by 33 countries. The availabledata sets are fragmentary for severalreasons: the utilized assessment measuresfor quantity are not harmonized and renderit difficult to compare data; collecting dataon NWGs is costly; and most countriescollect data only for specific NWGs that areof local significance. As the importance ofNWGs differs among countries, a holisticview of all types of NWGs across Europe isdifficult to obtain. However, the reporteddata clearly show that NWGs can be animportant source of income at the local level(see Table 1).

S P E C I A L F E A T U R E SN E W S A N D N O T E S

start-up company. The organization was builtto secure efficient conservation managementin parks, reserves and other conservationareas throughout the world.

In 2004, a group of committedconservationists, led by Dr Richard Leakey,became convinced that currentdevelopments on the Internet provided thebest opportunity for securing a future forwildlife: an approach that could harness thecollective energy of countless goodconservationists and combine it with millionsof individuals around the world who have agenuine concern for the future of the planet’swildlife and unique habitats. These peoplewould connect through the Internet to createa movement powerful enough to produce avirtual endowment capable of reversing thecatastrophic loss of habitats and species.

WildlifeDirect was thus established in2006 to provide support to conservationists inAfrica directly on the ground via the use ofblogs, which enable anybody, anywhere toplay a direct and interactive role in thesurvival of some of the world’s most preciousspecies.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

WildlifeDirect Inc., 306 5th St SE, Washington, DC,

United States of America 20003 or Africa

Conservation Fund (Kenya), PO Box 24467, Karen

00502, Nairobi, Kenya.

E-mail: [email protected];

http://wildlifedirect.org/

NON-WOOD GOODS INEUROPEAN FORESTS

Temperate and boreal forests are a traditionalsource not only for timber but also for manyproducts that have been extracted fromforests, including resin, tannin, fodder, litter,medical plants, fruits, nuts, roots,mushrooms, seeds, honey, ornamentals andexudates. In many parts of central Europe,forest sites became subject to nutrientimbalance because they were used forgrazing and for extracting litter. Over time, theutilization of non-timber products becamemarginalized as management objectivesshifted to timber production. The shift hasbeen driven by different processes: theincreasing estrangement of local people by anincreasing disregard of subsistence use andsmall-scale rural industries, technologicalsubstitution, intensification of agriculturalproduction and prosperity development.

Today, there is an institutional rediscoveryof the value of forest products and services

Enfin, l’importance politique des PFNLdevrait aussi se refléter dans lesorganigrammes des ministères, que ce soitau niveau des Directions comme au Gabonou au niveau des Services comme auCameroun et au Congo.

POUR EN SAVOIR PLUS, CONTACTER:

Ousseynou Ndoye, Coordonnateur régional

du Projet PFNL GCP/RAF/441/GER,

FAO B.P. 281 Yaoundé, Cameroun.

Courriel: [email protected];

http://www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/55079/fr/

(Please see page 59 for more information on this

project.)

NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONS AND NGOS

Rainforest Alliancea

The Rainforest Alliance works to conservebiodiversity and ensure sustainablelivelihoods by transforming land-usepractices, business practices and consumerbehaviour. The organization believes that thebest way to keep forests standing is byensuring that it is profitable for businessesand communities to do so. This meanshelping farmers, forest managers andtourism businesses realize greater economicbenefits by ensuring that ecosystems withinand around their operations are protected,and that their workers are well trained andenjoy safe conditions, proper sanitation,health care and housing. Once businessesmeet certain environmental and socialstandards, the Rainforest Alliance links themup to the global marketplace where demandfor sustainable goods and services is on therise.

The Rainforest Alliance supports NTFPresearch through its Kleinhans Fellowshipfor Non-Timber Forest Products, and bycertifying a broad range of NTFPs to thestandards of the Forest Stewardship Council.


Rainforest Alliance, 665 Broadway, Suite 500,

New York, NY 10012, United States of America. E-

mail: [email protected]; www.rainforest-alliance.org/

(Please see page 71 for more information on the

Kleinhans Fellowship.)

WildlifeDirect

WildlifeDirect, a Kenya and United States ofAmerica-registered charitable organization,was conceived as a non-profit conservationorganization along the lines of an Internet

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The total value of NWGs reported hasalmost tripled since the 2007assessment. This is partly because ofimproved reporting. However, NWGsare an important source of income andtheir share of the total economic valuegenerated by forests is increasing. In2010, Christmas trees, fruits and berries,and cork were the most importantNWGs. The total value of marketedNWGs represented 15 percent of theroundwood value when comparingcountries reporting both values.




Because of the differences in referenceunits (e.g. weight, volume, number or price),the following remarks relate not to quantitybut to the value of NWGs. The total value thatwas reported for NWGs reaches almost €2 763 million for the entire FORESTEUROPE region, of which €2 116 million aremarketed plant products and €648 millionare marketed animal products. The need forfurther processing differs significantlyamong individual NWGs; as a consequence,for some products, the marketed value ofNWGs generates only marginal income forthe forest owners as most of the marketedvalue is related to processing.

“Christmas trees”, “fruits, berries andedible nuts”, and “cork” are the threecategories of NWGs for which the highesttotal values were obtained. In 2010, thereported values for these NWGs represented83 percent of the total value of marketedNWGs in the FOREST EUROPE region.

The highest shares in the value generatedby NWGs are tied with the Central-West(€813 million) and the South-West Europeregion (€869 million). Lowest shares arereported for the South-East (€35 million) andthe Central-East (€4 million) Europe region.

In 2010, €980 million were realized bythe marketing of Christmas trees, withhighest values reported for Central-WestEurope (€734 million) and North Europe(€132 million). Christmas trees account

9 percent (€194 million) of the total valuegenerated by NWGs. Central-East Europeshows the lowest value obtained formushrooms and truffles but the secondhighest quantity (30 million tonnes) afterSouth-West Europe (367 million tonnes).Italy is by far the most important producerof mushrooms and truffles, with a share of357 million tonnes or 83 percent of the totalquantity.

Information on the quantity of fruits,berries and edible nuts was reported by 23countries, and on their value by 17 countries.In the reporting countries, harvested fruits,berries and edible nuts amounted to376 000 million tonnes, or €459 million. Themain producers in quantitative terms wereItaly (116 million tonnes), Spain (70 milliontonnes) and the Russian Federatio(49 million tonnes); in terms of value, themain producers were Italy (€187 million), theRussian Federation (€106 million), Spain(€60 million) and Portugal (€34 million).

Data on cork production, which is limitedto the Mediterranean region, were providedby France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Portugalwas the most important producer of cork andreports a production of 100 million tonneswith a value of €203 million. The productionin Spain (62 million tonnes; €111 million),Italy (6 million tonnes; €9 million) and France(1.6 million tonnes, €0.7 million) wasconsiderably lower.

for 34 percent of the total reported value of NWGs; 25 countries reported data onChristmas tree production. In Croatia,Denmark and Germany, harvestedquantities exceeded 10 million pieces; thewhole production in FOREST EUROPEcountries amounted to 58 millionChristmas trees. Values above €100million from Christmas tree productionwere realized in Denmark, France,Germany and Spain.

Data on mushrooms and truffles wereprovided by 24 countries and account for

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 ...) productscolorants and dyes

Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Value1 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

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

The State of Europe’s Forests 2011:Status & Trends in Sustainable ForestManagement in Europe provides anoverview of the status and trends offorests and sustainable forestmanagement in Europe in the period1990–2010. The report covers the 46FOREST EUROPE signatory countriesand the European Union. Major parts ofEurope’s forests are located in theRussian Federation, accounting foralmost 80 percent of the region’s totalforest area. The Russian Federation istherefore presented as a separatecountry group.



16 S P E C I A L F E A T U R E SN E W S A N D N O T E S

Data on the three categories “Resins, rawmaterial –medicine, aromatic products,colorants and dyes”, “Decorative foliage, incl.ornamental plants”, and “Other plantproducts” were provided by 23 countries(“Resins, etc.”: 13 countries; “Decorativefoliage”: nine countries; “Other plantproducts”: ten countries). The total value ofthese three categories comprisedapproximately €160 million. Among thecountries reporting, the highest values weregenerated for decorative foliage in Denmark(€58 million), for other plant products inGermany (€54 million) and for resins, rawmaterial – medicine, aromatic products,colorants and dyes in Turkey (€10.6 million)and the Russian Federation (€7.9 million).

The quantity and value of different types ofmarketed animal products are presented inTable 2.

Game comprises all hunted birds andmammals, such as partridge, pheasant,hare, deer, wild boar and chamois. Thefigures presented include game whosehabitats are forest related or forestdependent. Excluded is game roaming onfarms. Data on game harvest, meat andhides were reported by 23 countries for thequantity and 19 countries for the value. Inmany countries, the commercial sale ofgame meat is an important economicactivity. Among the reporting countries,Germany was by far the highest producer ofgame meat in terms of value (€180million). Of the reported value of non-woodproducts, game made up €409 million (14 percent of NWGs) for all respondingFOREST EUROPE countries.

Honey and beeswax production wasmentioned by nine countries for quantities.

The other categories of marketed animalproducts contributed approximately 3 percent to the total value generated byNWGs.

The value of NWGs has almost tripledsince the last State of Europe’s Forestsreport in 2007. However, this increase ispartly an artefact due to the risinginformation needs on NWGs and respectiveincrease of assessment activities. Thus notrend for NWGs is presented. (Source:

Forest Europe, UNECE and FAO, 2011.State of Europe's Forests 2011: Status &Trends in Sustainable Forest Managementin Europe.)(Please see page 69 for more information.)

RECONCILING SELECTIVELOGGING WITH THELIVELIHOODIMPORTANCE OF NTFPs

The potential for combining timber and non-timber forest product extraction has beenexamined in the context of diversified forestmanagement; a new study reviews thisquestion from the livelihood perspective.

Many tropical forests are exploited bothcommercially for timber and by forest-dependent communities for NTFPs.Divergences between these two uses mayhave significant implications for forest-dependent livelihoods. Existing examples ofconflicts and complementarities betweenselective logging and non-timber uses offorests were assessed from the livelihoodperspective. Case studies from Brazil,Cameroon and Indonesia were also used toexamine by what mechanisms, and to whatextent, logging impacts forest resources oflivelihood importance, as well as to considerhow factors such as logging regime andforest management system may mediatesuch influences. The study identifies four

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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 Valuetonnes €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

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




specific mechanisms, with conflict of useand the indirect impacts of logging beingthose most commonly implicated in negativeeffects on livelihood-relevant NTFPs.

The majority of reviewed studieshighlighted negative impacts on NTFPavailability with examples of positive impactsrestricted to light-demanding species thatrespond to the opening of forest structure.Such species typically represent a smallsubset of those of livelihood value.

Despite considerable impacts onlivelihoods, in all three case studies therewas evidence to support the potential forenhanced compatibility between timberextraction and the subsistence use of NTFPs.The results of the studies have significantimplications for reconciling timber and non-timber uses of tropical forests withrecommendations generated for research,policy and management implementation.(Source: L. Rist, P. Shanley, T. Sunderland, D. Sheil, O. Ndoye, N. Liswanti and J.Tieguhong. The impacts of selective timberharvest on non-timber forest products oflivelihood importance. Forest Ecology andManagement. (in press) (Contributed by:Lucy Rist, Ecology and EnvironmentalSciences, Umeå universitet, SE-901 87 Umeå,Sweden. E-mail: [email protected];www.futureforests.se/)

REFORMING FORESTTENURE SYSTEMS

Reforming forest tenure systems andsecuring forest ownership rights cansignificantly improve peoples’ livelihoodsand enable them to gain income from forestproducts, FAO stated in a newly publishedguide, Reforming forest tenure.

“The continuing demand for land, weakgovernance in many countries, andemerging global challenges such asclimate change increase the urgency ofaddressing forest tenure reform,” said EvaMuller, FAO’s Chief Forest Policy Officer.

The guide was launched at the ForestTenure, Governance and EnterpriseConference taking place in Lombok,Indonesia, from 11 to 15 July. Attended byaround 200 representatives frominternational and regional organizations,the private sector, NGOs, civil society andresearchers, the conference wascoorganized by the Indonesian Ministry ofForestry (MOF), the International TropicalTimber Organization (ITTO) and the Rightsand Resources Initiative (RRI).

In recent years, FAO has carried outextensive assessments of forest tenuresystems in Africa, Southeast Asia, LatinAmerica and Central Asia and their impacton sustainable forest management andpoverty reduction. Based on this analysis,the guide offers practical guidance forpolicy-makers involved in forest tenurereforms.

According to FAO, around 80 percent ofthe world’s forests are publicly owned, butforest ownership and management bycommunities, individuals and privatecompanies are increasing, more in somecountries than in others.

In the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuelaand French Guiana, for example, almost allforests are under public ownership,whereas in Paraguay, Honduras,Guatemala, Costa Rica and Chile more than30 percent of forests are under privateownership. In Peru, Guyana and Costa Rica,more than 10 percent of forests are ownedby indigenous people.

“A more diversified tenure system couldresult in improving forest management andlocal livelihoods, particularly where statecapacities to manage forests are weak,”said Muller. (Source: FAO News, 13 July2011.)

WORLD SACREDFORESTS MAPPED OUT

A team of scientists from the University ofOxford, United Kingdom, are working on aworld map that shows all the land owned orrevered by various world religions. This"holy map" will display all the sacred sitesfrom Jerusalem's Western Wall, to Masjidal-Haram in Mecca, to St Peter's Basilica inthe Vatican City. Just as interesting, themap will also show the great forests heldsacred by various religions. Within theseprotected lands exist a wide variety of lifeand high numbers of threatened species.

The sacred land mapped out by theOxford researchers is not necessarilyowned by a certain religious community,but rather contains sacred connotations.They estimate that about 15 percent of allland on Earth is "sacred land", and 8 percent of all land is owned by a religiouscommunity. Much of the land held sacred isforest.

The Oxford researchers – from theBiodiversity Institute in the Oxford MartinSchool – are focused on determining thevalue of this land in terms of biodiversity.

Many of the sacred forests are managed bythe local community, yet receive no formalprotection. The researchers hope that theirscientific study will help guarantee officialprotection from regional and nationalgovernments.

Initially, efforts were only made to mapout land controlled by the largemainstream religious groups. Teaming upwith the Alliance of Religions andConservation (ARC), the Oxfordresearchers decided to investigatereligious land controlled by all groups. Thenew initiative is already under way, sincethe team has planned visits to areas inIndia, Ghana, Japan and elsewhere.

The first step in the team’s research is todelineate the location of the sacred land byinvestigating the boundary lines. The statusof the land and its borders must be knownbefore a biodiversity assessment can takeplace. The researchers will also assess theland's value in carbon dioxide absorptionand its abundance of medicinal plants, aswell as the value to the local people.

"We urgently need to map this vastnetwork of religious forests, sacred sitesand other community-conserved areas tounderstand their role in biodiversityconservation," said Dr Shonil Bhagwat, onthe research team. "Such mapping can alsoallow the custodian communities, who haveprotected these sites for generations, tosecure their legal status." (Source:Environmental News Network, 1 August2011.) �

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Enthusiasm is the inspiration ofeverything great. Without it no man isto be feared, and with it none despised.

Christian Nevell Bovee

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earthquake (see Box). (Source: INBAR, 8 September 2011.)


Tim Cronin, International Network for Bamboo and

Rattan (INBAR), 8, Futong Dong Da Jie, Wangjing,

Chaoyang District, PO Box 100102-86, Beijing

100102, China. Fax: +86-10-64702166; e-mail:

[email protected]; www.inbar.int/

S P E C I A L F E A T U R E SP R O D U C T S A N D M A R K E T S

BAMBOO

Regional housing forum hears how bamboo

can build disaster-resilient homes and

livelihoods

A major regional gathering of governmentleaders, policy-makers, academics, activistsand community groups has heard how bamboocan play an important role in protecting andsafeguarding the homes and communities ofthose most vulnerable to natural disasters anda changing climate. The 3rd Asia PacificHousing Forum brought together over 700participants from governments, NGOs, theprivate sector, academia and civil society toshare knowledge and best practices.

“Bamboo is highly renewable, immenselystrong, lightweight, pliable and affordable,”said Nripal Adhikary, from the InternationalNetwork for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR),speaking at the forum in Bangkok, Thailand. “Itis also abundantly available all over the Asia-Pacific region, so bamboo has enormouspotential to provide safe, affordable, disaster-resistant housing for those who need it themost.”

However, Adhikary warned that there arestill significant gaps in knowledge andtechnical challenges to overcome if bamboo isto offer a genuine solution to the globalproblem of substandard housing. He pointedspecifically to the need for sustainableharvesting, proper treatment, appropriatejoinery and craftsmanship, and supportivepolicies.

But housing is not the only way this woodygrass can reduce vulnerability. “Bamboo buildslivelihoods,” said Adhikary. “It can be cultivatedwith minimal agricultural inputs and beprocessed into many hundreds of products,often with little capital investment. So buildingbamboo supply chains can offer a diverse,reliable and sustainable source of income forfarmers, processors, artisans, constructionworkers and entrepreneurs.”

“With nearly 70 percent of people affectedthis year by natural disasters located in theAsia-Pacific region, and 60 percent of theworld’s slum population living here, safe andsecure housing has to be a number onepriority,” said Charlie Ayco, Habitat forHumanity International’s Asia-Pacific Directorfor Program Development and Support.“Building with bamboo can enable local actionand provide a good example of the innovativethinking that’s needed to deliver qualityhousing for the poor,” he added. For example,INBAR has been working with partners inSichuan province, China, to strengthen thelocal bamboo industry in the wake of the 2008

%

HOW BAMBOO IS HELPING TOREBUILD SICHUAN PROVINCE, CHINA

Almost three years to the day sinceChina’s Sichuan province was hit by one ofhistory’s most devastating earthquakes,the President of the European Council,Herman Van Rompuy, has experiencedfirst-hand the important and innovativerole that bamboo is playing in helping torebuild shattered communities.

On Sunday 15 May, President VanRompuy visited a bamboo productionforest in Hongguang village, Dujiangyan,and a bamboo training anddemonstration centre at the Dujiangyancampus of Sichuan Agricultural University.Dujiangyan is one of eight sites for theproject, “Eco-Friendly, Pro-Poor BambooProduction”, which is strengthening thelocal bamboo industry in order to buildsocially and environmentally sustainableeconomic growth in the region. Theproject aims, moreover, to revive locallivelihoods in post-disaster Sichuan,through the promotion of economic,sustainable and ecofriendly consumergoods and construction materials.

Because of bamboo’s exceptionalstrength and its shock-resistantcharacteristic, the project aims to promotethe use of bamboo instead of timber andother non-renewable building materials inthe reconstruction of Sichuan. “Bamboo islocally available, easy to process and highlyversatile, so it can provide affectedcommunities in Sichuan with many long-term livelihood opportunities,” said Dr LouYiping, Programme Director for INBAR,who is leading the project. “It is hugelyencouraging for us that President VanRompuy has seen our work first-hand, as itis just this kind of investment in local actionand innovation that can help communitiesall over the world to prepare for, andrecover from, natural disasters,” he added.

On 12 May 2008, a massiveearthquake hit Sichuan, leaving 80 000people dead, 5.5 million homeless and1.15 million deprived of a means ofagricultural production. Since then,INBAR has been working with partners,including the Sichuan Provincial ForestryDepartment (SFD), the Benelux Chamberof Commerce (BenCham) and the EUProject Incubation Centre (EUPIC), toharness the social, environmental andeconomic benefits of bamboo.

“Sichuan has around 17 percent ofChina’s bamboo resources, but a muchlower share of China’s bamboo market.So bamboo has great potential fordriving green growth in the region,”said Guo Hengxiao, Deputy Director-General of SFD. “After the earthquake,Sichuan has worked hard to strengthenthe local bamboo industry, by improvingbamboo harvesting, processing andmarketing, building pro-poor supplychains, attracting investment andpromoting improved policies. Thisproject helps shattered communitiesbuild a new way of life for the future.We will continue to utilize Sichuan'sabundance of bamboo resources, and tomake the industry a pillar of sustainablegrowth and recovery in the region.”

The project is part of the EuropeanUnion’s Switch-Asia programme, whichaims to promote sustainable consumptionand production among small andmedium-sized enterprises in Asia. (Source:INBAR, 15 May 2011.)

For more information, please contact:

Lise van den Bos, Switch-Asia Project

Assistant, Switch-Asia Office, Beijing, Rm

1601, Zhongyu Plaza, A6 Gongtibei Road,

Chaoyang District, Beijing 100027, China.

Fax: +86 (0)10 85236305; e-mail:

[email protected]; www.bencham.org;

www.inbar.int; www.switchbamboo.org/




Ajiro bamboo bike grown from the ground

up

The bamboo Ajiro concept bicycle rethinksboth our means of transportation and theways we manufacture our vehicles. Designedby Australia’s Monash University designstudent Alexander Vittouris, the Ajiro utilizesa production process that removes emissionsinstead of releasing them into the Earth’satmosphere. This is because the bamboostructure of the vehicle is grown straight outof the ground into a preformed mould.Vittouris envisions fields of bamboo gardensgrowing these human-powered bicycles,which need only small modifications, oncemature, to hit the streets.

“Consumption of raw materials haslasting implications – economically, sociallyand environmentally. This vehicle is aboutrethinking our approach to both design andecological sustainability of the products wecreate and use,” said Vittouris. Instead ofdepending on the energy of factories to shapematerial into the form of a car, Vittouris’design relies on nature for that energy.

The Ajiro is not only powered by the driver,but also has an energy storage system thatallows for excess power to be stored andused at a later time. It provides a canopy ofshelter for the driver and a reclining seat ofwoven bamboo stalks.

After the Ajiro is grown, the skeletalstructure that was used to form the base canbe reused to grow future generations of thishuman-powered, low-energy cycle. (Source:www.inhabitat.com, 23 July 2011.)

BERRIES

Go for goji

An overwhelming body of research has nowfirmly established that dietary intake of berryfruits has a profound impact on humanhealth and disease prevention. As a result,there has been a surge in the consumption of“berry-type” fruits such as pomegranates,blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries,strawberries, Leh berry (sea buckthorn), gojiberries and several others.

While most of these are well known, gojiberries (Lycium barbarum and L. chinense),known as wolfberries, are native toSoutheast Europe and Asia. In China, goji ispart of traditional medicine and has beenknown in other Asian countries, includingViet Nam, the Republic of Korea and Japan,for more than 2000 years. The popularity ofgoji has grown globally since the beginning ofthe century, owing to its nutritive value and

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

New initiative in Latin America will use

bamboo to tackle poverty and climate

change

INBAR, together with its funding partners,launched a major initiative aimed atstrengthening the use of bamboo in LatinAmerica to enhance economic growth whilesimultaneously adapting to the adverseeffects of climate change that trouble theregion.

INBAR’s Regional Initiative for EconomicDevelopment and Adaptation to ClimateChange will focus initially on coastal regionsof Ecuador and Peru. These regions are someof the poorest and most vulnerable to theadverse effects of climate change in LatinAmerica and suffer from recurrent floods,landslides and other natural disasters.

One major aspect of INBAR’s new initiativeis to help those communities vulnerable toclimate change build elevated bamboohouses that can withstand floods, storms,landslides and earthquakes.

But while the challenges of poverty andvulnerability are immense and complex, thesolutions do not always have to be. “Simplethings like elevated bamboo houses canmake a real difference,” said Tatiana GarciaAlfaro, Project Manager at the Delegation ofthe European Union to Peru. “Ecuador andPeru’s long tradition of building with bambooprovides a strong foundation for local action,which is highly relevant for the initiative’sdesign and implementation. This initiative isan excellent example of how to make localbamboo houses safer, stronger and moreaffordable.” (Source: INBAR, 28 April 2011;www.inbar.int)

antioxidant content. It has been termed a“superfruit”, which has led to its use inseveral food products.

Traditional Chinese medicine makes useof the root, bark, leaves, flowers and fruit ofthe plant. Dried goji berries are traditionallycooked before consumption. They are addedto rice conjee, jellies and Chinese soups, andboiled as herbal teas. Goji berries are alsoused in wine production along with grapes.(Source: www.indianexpress.com, 2 July2011.)

Maqui berry defeats famous açaí berry in

antioxidant battle

During the official launch ofMaquiBerryz.com, recent research that hasshown maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis,also known as the Chilean wineberry) tohave nearly twice the antioxidant content ofaçaí berry has been discussed. Compiledresearch from numerous healthorganizations around the world has beenput together to share the findings onChilean maqui berries.

Medical researchers from Chile to Japanhave all had positive results from a varietyof studies. The most notable studies haverecorded the record-breaking antioxidantcontent and similar studies reveal anti-inflammatory, free radical elimination anddetoxification properties.

%WORLD BAMBOO DAY

World Bamboo Day (18 September) is aday of celebration to increase theawareness of bamboo globally. TheWorld Bamboo Organization aims tobring the potential of bamboo to amore elevated exposure – to protectnatural resources and the environment,ensure sustainable utilization, promotenew cultivation of bamboo for newindustries in regions around the world,and promote traditional uses locally forcommunity economic development.

For more information, please visit:

http://worldbambooday.org/

THE HIMALAYAN BERRY SEABUCKTHORN HELPS BOOST BRAINFUNCTIONS

The sea buckthorn berry, Hippophaerhamnoides, which is grown in theHimalayan mountains, among otherareas, has hit shop shelves as a newsuperfruit to rival broccoli, apples andblueberries. The berry, which containsvitamins A, B1, B2, E and up to ten timesthe amount of vitamin C found inoranges, is said to boost brainfunctioning.

Antioxidants in the berries help tofight obesity, teeth problems, acne, poordigestion and constipation. The berry isalso said to keep the heart healthy.

Aside from the berry, the leaves andstem can be used to treat skin diseases.(Source: The Times of India, 14 June2011.) (Please see page 32 for moreinformation.)



20

are being killed across Southeast Asia inlarger numbers than ever for import toChina, where many believe the scales havemedicinal properties. The size of the illicittrade is staggering. According to RichardThomas of TRAFFIC, one illegal syndicatealone in Malaysia sold more than 22 000animals from May 2007 to January 2009.Some Chinese customers, who also eat themeat and blood, prefer pangolins shippedlive, but the animals' low stress tolerancemeans that many die en route fromstomach ulcers. Such is the pressure onwild populations that many species in thepangolin family are now endangered orthreatened.Tigers. It is not tigers' beautiful peltsalone that make them vulnerable, explainsThomas. "Some people in East Asiabelieve eating tiger meat impartsstrength," he says. A recent developmentis using the cat's bones to make tiger-bone wine – a tonic made by steeping tigercarcasses in rice wine. While a number oftiger farms have been exposed in thepress, many of the tigers used in this waycome from the wild. According to Thomas,numbers are worryingly high. "Within thetiger range states, parts belonging to up to1 220 different tigers have been seized inthe last decade. This sort of trade pushesspecies’ decline, with rare animals like the


"Antioxidants are known for aiding theimmune system which protects the bodyagainst germs and viruses. But they arealso a viable alternative to botox and othermedical procedures thanks to their anti-ageing properties," added Green. (Source:The Times of India, 21 May 2011.)

BUSHMEAT

Threatened species on the menu

worldwide

Brown bear kebabs, bear meat goulash andbear chops – all were on the menu at anItalian banquet broken up by police earlierthis month. Organized by Italian PrimeMinister Berlusconi's northern separatistcoalition partner, the Northern League, thebanquet cooked bear meat imported fromneighbouring Slovenia to protest against thereintroduction of bears to Italy's AlpineDolomite region. Some locals blame heavylivestock losses and a new danger on forestpaths, because of the region's 35-strongbear population, even though bearsgenerally shun human contact.

The country's Foreign Minister, FrancoFrattini, commented that the banquet wasdistasteful at a time when Italy's bears are"almost extinct and we are trying withgreat effort to bring them back to themountains that have hosted them forcenturies".

Unfortunately, Europe's brown bears arenot the only threatened animals beingdished up worldwide. Around the world,animals considered desirable or delicaciesare regularly poached so their parts can beeaten or used to make medicine. In theprocess, they are pushed closer toextinction. Here are some of the mostvulnerable.Pangolins. The unusual skin of this breedof anteaters, the only group of mammalsknown to possess scales, has long beeneaten in tropical Africa and Asia. Pangolins

What made açaí berry so valuable wasits vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.Because of these healthy properties and itstaste, it was easy to incorporate into manyproducts and develop new ones. Maquiberry tastes great and has more healthbenefits than the açaí berry.

Antioxidant values for açaí berry per 100 g of fruit are around 16 000, which is avery high number. For a while, this put açaíat the top of the charts for superfruits, untilnow. To put into perspective how muchmore powerful maqui berry is, itsantioxidant value is rated at over 27 000 per100 g of fruit, which is almost twice that ofaçaí berry. These numbers were completelyunexpected. The scientific community hadestimated that there were plants in naturethat had higher antioxidants than açaí, butnowhere near what maqui has shown.

Maqui berry has even caught theattention of billion dollar pharmaceuticaland biotechnology companies. Because ofthe natural chemical composition of maquiberries, some companies have invested inresearch and product development. Thisresearch could be used to develop newmedicines to fight disease and has alreadybeen used to develop new naturalsupplements.

Very few people are aware of the benefitsof maqui berries; however, maqui berryjuice has been very popular in Chile wherethe berries are also used as a food. Only inthe past few years has information on thehealth benefits gone global. With the recentsuccess of açaí berry, maqui berry isexpected to go much further. (Source:FreshPlaza.com, 7 September 2011.)

Mulberry: the new anti-ageing

“superfood”

Experts have indicated that mulberry, thelatest fruit to be hailed a “superfood”, afterblueberries, blackberries and cranberries, ispacked with anti-ageing properties that couldgive skin back its youthful bloom and evenreduce the onset of wrinkles and grey hair.

Researchers at Brunswick Laboratoriesin the United States of America foundmulberry juice contains more than twice asmany antioxidants as orange and cranberryjuice, or a handful of blueberries.

"Mulberries have been used sinceancient times to protect people from coldsand other ailments, so I am not surprisedthe fruit is a rich source of antioxidants,"Paul Green, the spokesman of theProgressive Food Company, whichcommissioned the research, said.


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FRENCH CUSTOMS AGENTS SEIZEBUSHMEAT

During an operation from 17 to 26 May2011, customs officials at Paris Charlesde Gaulle airport seized some 460 kg ofmeat, 260 kg of which came fromprotected species, according to agovernment statement. Several types ofbushmeat were discovered, includingantelope, snake, crocodile andpangolin. The French office responsiblefor monitoring environmental andpublic health threats (OCLAESP) saidflesh from primates, elephants anddesert rats was also seized.

Trafficking in exotic meat can spreadserious illnesses, including Ebola, avianflu and foot-and-mouth disease as wellas insects carrying vector-bornediseases, the official statement said.(Source: www.expatica.com, 27 May2011.)



21S P E C I A L F E A T U R E SP R O D U C T S A N D M A R K E T S

Sumatran tiger now down to a few hundredanimals."Apes. While many rare species feed into theAfrican trade in bushmeat – crocodiles,elephants and porcupines among them –few are as vulnerable as the great apes.Gorilla, bonobo monkey and chimpanzeecarcasses form only 1 percent of the totalAfrican trade in bushmeat, but their lowreproduction rates make them especiallythreatened. (Source: The National [AbuDhabi, United Arab Emirates], 16 July 2011.)

Taking action to stop the illegal bushmeat

trade

Dr Jane Goodall, the renownedconservationist, has launched a newcampaign, Count Me in for Conservation, tofund projects and raise awareness aboutthe scourge of the bushmeat trade, whichis emptying forests of endangered species,especially chimpanzees. The multimilliondollar trade in bushmeat is one of thegreatest threats to tropical wildlife.Chimpanzees are on the front line of thisdevastating trade with fewer than 300 000animals in the wild.

Through the Jane Goodall Institute,chimpanzee orphans whose parents havebeen killed for food will be rescued andrehabilitated. The orphans will be used toeducate people about chimpanzees. DrGoodall said that most locals never eat amonkey again once they see chimpsembracing, holding hands and kissing.

To support the campaign to stop theillegal commercial bushmeat trade, pleasevisit: www.janegoodall.org.uk/count-me-in/ (Source: The Ecologist, 1 June 2011.)

Rats, bees to protect African wildlife

Beekeeping and breeding animals such ascane rats for food are needed to help tacklethe unsustainable trade in bushmeat inCentral Africa, conservation experts said onFriday at a joint meeting of the Convention onBiological Diversity (CBD) Liaison Group onBushmeat and the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species ofWild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Central AfricaBushmeat Working Group.

Local populations rely on birds, reptilesand mammals, including apes, in the vastCongo Basin for food, but overhunting forbushmeat is leading to “empty forestsyndrome”, according to a statement issuedby a panel of environmental experts followingthe meeting on the issue in Nairobi, Kenya.

"Tackling the impact of unsustainableand illegal trade in bushmeat is critical for

protecting the livelihoods of rural peopleand conserving wildlife in biodiversity-richareas," said John Scanlon, Secretary-General of CITES.

Legitimate subsistence hunting is beingreplaced by commercial hunting and tradein endangered species including elephantsand primates, said Ahmed Djoghlaf,Executive Secretary of the Convention onBiological Diversity (CBD).

The statement said that replacingbushmeat with locally produced beef wouldrequire up to 80 percent of the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo to become pasture."Therefore, there is no alternative tomaking the use of wildlife for food moresustainable." The Democratic Republic ofthe Congo, which is the size of WesternEurope, is home to more than 150 millionha of forest, one of the largest stretches leftin Africa. Experts say overhunting isundermining food security and also poses athreat to the forest itself, as 75 percent oftropical tree species depend on animals tospread their seeds.

Measures proposed by the expertsinclude the promotion of beekeeping toproduce honey for trade and subsistence,the introduction of community wildlifemanagement programmes, and farmingcane rats for food. Cane rats, also knownas grasscutters, are large herbivorousrodents that are already farmed in someparts of Africa.

Approximately 55 experts representing43 governments and UN agencies,international and national organizationsand indigenous and local communityorganizations attended the meeting, whichconvened from 7 to 10 June 2011. (Source:Reuters, 10 June 2011.)

CINNAMON

Cinnamon may delay, cure Alzheimer's:

Israeli study

Cinnamon, a spice usually associated withsweet foods, contains properties that maydelay the onset of Alzheimer's disease, andpossibly offer a cure, according to a newIsraeli study.

A research team, headed by MichaelOvadia from Tel Aviv University's ZoologyDepartment, recently isolated one of theingredients in cinnamon, CEppt, and used itin a series of tests conducted on two-month-old laboratory mice that wereraised with five aggressive strains ofAlzheimer's-inducing genes. The results of

the experiment, recently published in thePLoS ONE scientific journal, wereimpressive. Fed drinking-water containinga CEppt solution over four months,researchers found that the development ofthe disease in the mice was delayed, withadditional trials showing that existingamyloids had been dissolved.

Ovadia cautioned against excessiveconsumption of cinnamon, which candamage liver functions, and recommendsconsuming no more than 10 g/day. (Source:Xinhua [China], 9 June 2011.)

Cinnamon: the spice of life?

Scientists are undertaking an ambitiousstudy to find out whether cinnamon can helptreat multiple sclerosis (MS). The commonspice has a long history as a medicine totreat a variety of disorders includingarthritis and sore throats. It may also helptame blood sugar in diabetics and reducethe risk of heart disease by lowering badcholesterol. It is now being investigated as apossible treatment for MS.

"Cinnamon powder is decreasingclinical symptoms of MS in mice," said Dr Kali Pahan, a neurological scientist atRush University Medical Center (Chicago,Illinois, United States of America). With atwo-year, US$750 000 grant from theNational Institutes of Health, RushUniversity Medical Center is evaluatingwhether cinnamon can stop thedestructive process of MS in mice. Whatthey are seeing so far almost seems toogood to be true. Researchers provided avideo of mice with an MS-like diseaseshowing the difference in the mice beforeand weeks after receiving cinnamonpowder. It is still early days, but Pahansays the changes are dramatic. "I did notbelieve initially we would get this resultwith just the powder," he said.

Rush University Medical Centerneurologist Dr Roumen Balabanov warns

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Cinnamon



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

that what may seem to work in animalsmay do nothing for humans. "Active intakeof cinnamon for the purposes ofcontrolling the disease – I think that thiswould be wrong and a premature thing todo," said Balabanov.

The hope is that cinnamon can be usedalongside traditional medications as aninexpensive adjunct to help control thedisease, but there are still a lot ofunknowns. (Source: ABC News [UnitedStates of America], 11 August 2011.)

ECOTOURISM

Ecotourism in Africa: the future is bright,

the future is green

Ecotourism has been grossly misunderstoodpartly because of its vague and ambiguousdefinition. Sustainable tourism guidelinesand regulations should be enforced bygovernment agencies and stakeholders inthe tourism industry to ensure ecotourismgrowth in Africa.

Many species in Africa’s varied ecosystemwere on the verge of extinction in 1980.Efforts to preserve species such as themountain gorilla in Uganda, Rwanda and theCongo were hampered not only by unstablepolitical systems, but also by tourism andconservation policies that excluded local andindigenous people. This was solved by theemergence of many successful community-based tourism enterprise models in easternand southern Africa that have contributed tothe drastic improvement in conservation ofwildlife and other natural resources throughdirect involvement of local people in tourism.By 1987, tourism was Kenya’s number oneforeign exchange earner, surpassing bothagriculture and the manufacturingindustries. By the 1990s, no other countrywas earning as much as Kenya from wildlifetourism and Kenya was being hailed as the“world’s foremost ecotourism attraction”.

Since then, Africa has developed a style ofecotourism that plays to its naturalattributes. But poor planning andmanagement of tourism in popular wildlifeparks and reserves has led to environmentaldegradation arising from habitat destructionand animal harassment from vehiclecongestion, lodge construction and off-roaddriving.

Despite the internal political conflicts andsecurity problems, Kenya is emerging as aleader in ecotourism, with the continent’sfirst certification programme, the oldest andmost successful national ecotourism societyand a growing array of innovativecommunity-run ecotourism developments.

The creation of community-owned wildlifeand forest reserves has acceleratedecotourism development in Africa, wherelocal people are improving their social,economic and environmental conditions asthey benefit directly from tourists attractedby exceptional and pristine naturalresources. In Namibia, for example,conservancies that are communally ownedand managed – such as the OkarohombeCampsite in Marienflüss Conservancy andSalambala Campsite in the Salambala

CINNAMON

There are two main varieties ofcinnamon. Sri Lankan cinnamon(derived from the Cinnamomum verumtree) also known as Ceylon cinnamon ortrue cinnamon, has a very thin, smoothbark and a highly fragrant aroma. In2006, Sri Lanka reportedly produced 90 percent of the world’s cinnamon.The Cassia genus of cinnamon(Cinnamomum aromaticum), alsoknown as Chinese cinnamon, is a closerelative of Sri Lankan cinnamon; it isnative to China, Bangladesh, India andViet Nam. Indonesia produces 40 percent of the world’s Cassia genusof cinnamon. While cinnamon trees arenative to Southeast Asia, the mainexporting countries are Sri Lanka, Chinaand Indonesia; the tree is also growncommercially in the southern Indianstate of Kerala, Bangladesh, Java,Sumatra, the West Indies, Brazil, VietNam, Madagascar and Egypt.

Cinnamon is harvested by growingthe tree for two years and thencoppicing it. In the following year,about a dozen shoots will form fromthe roots. The branches harvested inthis way are processed by scraping offthe outer bark, then beating the branchevenly with a hammer to loosen theinner bark. The inner bark is then prisedout in long rolls, called quills. The barkis processed immediately afterharvesting, while still wet.

The spice has long been used in bothcooking and medicine. Since Egyptiantimes, cinnamon's healing abilities havebeen recognized and utilized. Chinesemedical journals record cures withcinnamon dating back to 2800 BC.

Chinese medicine records the use ofcinnamon, called dwai, for a widevariety of ailments, including colds,diarrhoea and difficult menstruation.

Cinnamon has also been used inAyurvedic medicine in India to aiddigestion and soothe nerves. Cinnamonwas used as far back as 100 AD andvalued 15 times more than silver. TheRomans utilized cinnamon for spiritualhealing powers as well as to treatcoughs and colds. In religiousceremonies, cinnamon was burned topurify the air and as an offering. TheEgyptians utilized cinnamon to embalmbodies and also to dry and preservemeat.

Cinnamon is a known antibacterialand antifungal agent and has anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally,it helps boost brain function and is anexcellent source of the trace mineralmanganese, as well as a good source ofdietary fibre, iron and calcium. It alsohas unique healing abilities, thanks tothree basic components found in theessential oils in its bark, which containthe active componentscinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetateand cinnamyl alcohol. Thesecomponents have anti-clottingproperties and antimicrobial benefitsand also help regulate blood-sugarlevels, which is why cinnamon appearsto help people significantly with type 2 diabetes. Researchers in Sweden havein fact investigated its healingproperties in treating diabetes.Although the study had a small groupof participants, further research hascontinued to show cinnamon's effecton lowering blood glucose. (Sources:various.)

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23P R O D U C T S A N D M A R K E T S

Conservancy – have put structures in placethat decide how to spend income fromecotourism and pay dividends to individualhouseholds or use the income forcommunity development projects.

The growing trend in Africa iscommunity/private investor managementpartnerships in running community-basedtourism enterprises where many communitygroups have entered into managementagreements with private investors. This hasenhanced ecotourism development, withclassic examples from Il Ngwesi in Kenyaand Oliver’s camp in the United Republic ofTanzania, which is a privately owned tentedcamp on the edge of Tangangire NationalPark that has successfully negotiated writtenagreements with the Maasai communitiesthat own the land. The owners signedagreements with two Maasai villages to payUS$12/night for each overseas tourist andUS$6 for tourists from the United Republic ofTanzania. The funds generated go into awilderness conservation fund and are splitevenly between the two villages.

Ecotourism presents an opportunity forAfrica to support local communities, whilepresenting a highly positive alternative forlivelihood diversification and economic,environmental and social benefit fordevelopment in the continent. (Source:GTGlobalTrader.com, 20 September 2011.)

Certification programme for sustainable

tourism

GREAT Green Deal, the sustainable tourismcertification programme in Guatemala, is anindependent certification programme thatoffers the tourism sector a voluntary, third-party evaluation of sustainable performance.This is done through a methodology basedon continuous management auditing,certification and monitoring, which aims torecognize businesses whose practices areeconomically, socially, culturally andenvironmentally responsible. The name ofthe programme has its own meaning: GREATis an acronym for the words Green,Responsible, Exclusive, Amazing, Tourism.

GREAT Green Deal's certification of touroperators is helping to support Guatemala’stourism strategy in terms of quality ofservice, as promoted by the GuatemalanTourism Institute (INGUAT).

In Guatemala and in Central America ingeneral, the concept of certification intourism is still new and consequentlyvoluntary acceptance is low. Major effortsare still required to raise awareness andprovide effective training to tourism

businesses on sustainability issues. (Source:Eco-Index Monthly Update, August 2011.)

Ecotourism to save ethnic group from

extinction in Brunei

The Iban longhouse community deep in theforests of Bukit Teraja in Brunei coulddisappear in two decades without a necessaryintervention, said members of theenvironmental group Panaga Natural HistorySociety (PNHS). This was among the reasonsthe group appealed to authorities to classifythe forests of Bukit Teraja in Belait as aconservation area. "This community might diein 20 years if jobs are not provided [there]," saidPeter Engbers of PNHS, noting that many haveopted to find jobs in other parts of the country.

Gazetting Bukit Teraja forests as aconservation area will allow small-scaledevelopment that will provide jobs formembers of the ethnic community.

PNHS carried out a survey last yearwithin an area roughly half the size of theadjoining 5 000 ha Teraja Protection Forest.Approved recently by Brunei's Heart ofBorneo (HoB) National Council and theMinistry of Industry and Primary Resources(MIPR), the new conservation forest boasts39 waterfalls as well as an array of plantsand animals, some of them potentiallyundocumented and rare.

On the central fringes of the proposedarea is the Iban longhouse. Many of itsoccupants are gone on weekdays to findwork in urban areas.

PNHS said that gazetting the currentlyunprotected area as a conservation forestinstead of being closed off to development asan extension of the existing Teraja ProtectionForest was a more viable option for the locals.He explained that in conservation areas, theprimary or untouched forests are protectedwhile controlled activities can be carried outthere for scientific, educational or ecotourismpurposes. The latter could provide the meansto keep the Teraja natives living there andattract the others to come back.

Income-generating opportunities for thelocals include working as tour guides andhosting home stay programmes. (Source:The Brunei Times, 4 August 2011.)

EDIBLE INSECTS

Insect diet may be the solution for a

hungry world

Mexicans eat deep-fried grasshoppers. TheJapanese love wasp cookies. Leafcutterants are considered a delicacy in Colombia,as are some caterpillars in South Africa.And in Thailand people cook everythingfrom water beetles to bamboo worms. Eventhough eating insects has often beendismissed as a cultural eccentricity, it mightsoon become one of the answers to pressingglobal problems such as hunger andenvironmental destruction.

Eating insects, or entomophagy, ispractised in more than half the countries inthe world. There are an estimated 1 462species of edible insects worldwide, rangingfrom beetles, dragonflies and crickets to anteggs and butterfly larvae, according toresearch by Wageningen University in theNetherlands. More than 250 species areeaten in Mexico alone.

But more than tasty snacks, insectscould become a protein-rich, green andglobal source of food, according to FAO.The UN Organization says the projectedgrowth of the world’s population – around2.3 billion more people by 2050 – willrequire a significant increase in foodproduction. As a result, demand forlivestock is expected to double during thenext four decades. However, almost 70 percent of the land in use foragriculture in the world is for livestock,meaning that the need for more grazingland would bring further deforestation.Agriculture also contributes significantlyto greenhouse gas emissions and puts astrain on valuable resources such as water.Finding alternative protein sources otherthan livestock is therefore crucial.

FAO and scientists around the world aresuggesting that insects could be a seriousalternative. To begin with, insects have aboutthe same nutritional value as beef, chickenor fish. They are easily raised in asustainable way, since they require less landand water than cows, pigs or goats. Theyalso reproduce more quickly than mammals.What is more, people in developing countriescan harvest insects without owning vastproperties of land or making huge financial

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24 S P E C I A L F E A T U R E SP R O D U C T S A N D M A R K E T S

investments. Currently, FAO is promotingsustainable cricket farms in the Lao People’sDemocratic Republic (please see page 44).(Source: France24, 17 August 2011.)

Les insectes comestibles d’Afrique de

l’Ouest et centrale sur Internet

(LINCAOCNET)

Le projet LINCAOCNET, qui concerne 10pays d'Afrique francophones, a pour objectifsessentiels: (a) la diffusion accrued'informations sur les insectes comestibles,notamment via Internet; (b) la productionsystématisée de données sur le rôle de laconsommation d’insectes – considéréscomme PFNL – dans l’apport alimentaire, laprotection de la biodiversité, et sasignification culturelle; et (c) la contributionà une meilleure conservation des insectescomestibles.

Six des 10 pays sont en Afrique de l’Ouest(Bénin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger,République de Guinée et Togo) et quatre enAfrique centrale (Cameroun, Congo,République centrafricaine et Républiquedémocratique du Congo).

Ces insectes sont riches en fer, zinc,calcium et phosphore, ainsi qu'envitamines B et D. Leur consommation peutcontribuer à réduire des carences enprotéines. En effet, tandis que la teneur enprotéines n’excède pas 23 pour cent pour lepoulet, 18 pour cent pour le bœuf, 24 pour

cent pour les crevettes et 17 pour cent pourle porc, la teneur en protéines dessauterelles varie quant à elle de 50 à 75 pour cent et celle des termites est del'ordre de 35 pour cent. Cela illustre biencomment les insectes constituent unpotentiel essentiel dans la lutte contre lafaim dans le monde, tandis qu'ils sontencore négligés, voire méprisés.

Les prix des insectes comestiblesdiffèrent d’un pays à un autre. L’espèce laplus chère est Rhynchophorus phoenicis F.Les autres espèces (Oryctes spp. etcertaines grosses chenilles) se vendent àpartir de 25 francs CFA (0,039 euros)l’unité. Les termites, criquets et certaineschenilles se vendent à partir de 100 francsCFA (0,16 euros) le tas. Les chenilles sontégalement exportées dans divers pays telsque la Belgique ou la France pour répondreà la demande des diasporas africaines.


Séverin Tchibozo, Centre de recherche pour la

gestion de la biodiversité (CRGB), 04 BP 0385

Cotonou, Bénin. Courriel: [email protected];

www.crgbbj.org;

www.arccona.com/tchibozo_fr.htm/

The hunt for gourmet ants in Colombia

Emerging from the soil this time of year issomething Colombian farmers covet morethan anything they can grow: “big-butt”ants. Known in Spanish as hormigasculonas, the brown, cockroach-size insectsare roasted, salted and eaten like peanuts.Considered a delicacy, they can fetch morethan ten times the price/lb (454 g) ofColombia’s world-famous coffee.

In the northern Santander department,about the only place in Colombia wherethey flourish, the ants are sometimes usedas pizza topping. One enthusiastic chefserves beef tenderloin and pork cutletsdrizzled in ant sauce.

“The more you eat, the more you want toeat,” said farmer Miguel Angel Paez, 25,who has been gathering ants since he wasa boy.

Colombia’s ants are a species of wingedleafcutter ants and are divided into castes.In March, April and May, when seasonalrains soften up the ground, the princes andprincesses in the colony crawl out of theground and fly towards the sun to mate.

Indigenous groups in and aroundSantander have been eating ants forcenturies. They passed on the tradition tothe Spanish conquistadors and the habitstuck. “A lot of people think it is repulsive

but in Santander eating ants is somethingyou learn as a child,” said Jorge Diaz, whoowns a restaurant in the town of Baricharathat specializes in ant-based dishes. “It isour version of caviar.”

Strange as it sounds, caviar is an aptcomparison. That is because the princessants are bloated with eggs and are the onespeople try to snatch, roast and eat. It is noteasy. Wearing ankle-high rubber boots forprotection, people must work fast sincesmaller soldier ants, tasked to protect theprincesses, can inflict painful bites thatdraw blood.

“You can earn a day’s wage by selling afew pounds of ants,” said Edgar Vargas, 27,as he and his friends worked their waythrough a case of beer purchased with theproceeds from ants they had gathered thatmorning near the town of Oiba.

The ants must be either frozen or keptalive until the moment they are roasted,otherwise they can taste bitter. In the off-season when there are shortages,aficionados such as Diaz, the restaurantowner and chef, will pay up to US$40 for apound of the insects.

Although Diaz has never cooked with anyother bugs besides ants, he finds the notionintriguing. “Once you start eating insects,”he said, “it is a whole new world toexplore.” (Source: www.globalpost.com, 11 May 2011.)

FRANKINCENSE

Frankincense may help treat arthritis

Researchers at Cardiff University in Wales,United Kingdom, say frankincense – longused in traditional medicine – may helpalleviate symptoms of arthritis. Study leaderDr Emma Blain and Vic Duance, both fromCardiff University, and Dr Ahmed Ali of theCompton Group, say England and Waleshave a long-standing connection with theSomali community, whose members haveused extracts of frankincense as atraditional herbal remedy for arthriticconditions. "What our research has focusedon is whether and how these extracts canhelp relieve the inflammation that causesthe pain," Blain said in a statement.

The Cardiff scientists say theydemonstrated that treatment with an extractof Boswellia frereana – a rare frankincensespecies – inhibits the production of keyinflammatory molecules, helping to preventthe breakdown of the cartilage tissue thatcauses arthritis.

%

Pays Nombre

Bénin 19

Burkina Faso 16

Cameroun 17

Congo 23

Mali 9

Niger 7

République centrafricaine 14

République de Guinée 15

République démocratique du Congo 22

Togo 15

Nombre d’espèces d'insectes comestibles

observées dans ces pays




"The search for new drugs to alleviate thesymptoms of conditions such asinflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis is apriority area for scientists," Ali said. "Whatour research has managed to achieve is touse innovative chemical extractiontechniques to determine the activeingredient in frankincense." (Source: UnitedPress International, 22 June 2011.)

Sustainable production of frankincense

Gum olibanum (frankincense) fromBoswellia papyrifera has been collectedand traded for centuries. Althoughproduction levels in Ethiopia fall far short ofthe country’s potential, export volume andearnings from frankincense have beenincreasing significantly since the late1990s. But knowledge regarding thebiology and ecophysiology of the tree, thefrankincense collecting process and post-harvest handling remain largelyinadequate.

A recent management guide on thesustainable production of frankincensecontributes towards filling this gap byproviding technical information in threespecific areas: how to manage the speciesbetter, how to tap the tree properly forincreased and sustainable production andhow to improve and maintain product qualitythrough improved collection and handling.Effective use of information in the guide canhelp in sustaining the supply of frankincenseby increasing the income of producers andenhancing the responsible management ofBoswellia forests in Ethiopia. (Source:M. Lemenih and H. Kassa, 2011. Managementguide for sustainable production offrankincense. A manual for extensionworkers and companies managing dryforests for resin production and marketing.Indonesia, Bogor, Center for InternationalForestry Research [CIFOR]. [abstract])

GNETUM SPP.

La domestication de Gnetum spp. avance

en Afrique centrale

Sur une trentaine d’espèces du genreGnetum existant dans le monde, deuxespèces sont exploitées dans le bassin duCongo pour un usage alimentaire: Gnetumafricanum et Gnetum buchholzianum,localement appelés okok ou eru(Cameroun), koko (Congo), fumbwa(République démocratique du Congo),nkumu ou mfumbu (Gabon) et koko(République centrafricaine).

Gnetum spp. est une lianesempervirente qui pousse dans deshabitats forestiers ombragés et grimpe surdes arbres suspenseurs. Il n’est pas facilede distinguer les deux espèces, dont lesfeuilles opposées varient en couleur et enforme. Afin d’identifier chaque espècesavec certitude, l’examen des organesreproducteurs est indispensable.

Figurant parmi les aliments consomméstraditionnellement par les communautésdépendant des forêts du bassin du Congo,Gnetum spp. constitue une sourceimportante de protéines et d'élémentsminéraux. Les feuilles sont utilisées à desfins curatives, et sont utiles pour soigner laconstipation, les inflammations de la gorgeet les blessures ainsi que pour faciliterl’accouchement.

Les feuilles de Gnetum spp. font l’objetd’une commercialisation non seulement àl’intérieur des pays du bassin du Congomais aussi entre pays de la région et versl’Europe et les États-Unis, afin de satisfairela demande de la diaspora africaine. Lesrécolteurs utilisent quatre techniques pourla collecte des feuilles, consistantnotamment à (i) récolter toutes les feuillesen laissant la tige nue, sur laquelle desnouvelles feuilles apparaissentrapidement, (ii) couper la partie supérieurede la plante, une nouvelle croissance sefaisant à partir du bas de la plante, (iii)déraciner la plante entière, sans possibilitéde renouvellement de la plante, et (iv)abattre l’arbre suspenseur de la liane.

Une forte demande et une exploitationcommerciale anarchique et abusiveeffectuée avec des techniques de récoltenon durables ont provoqué unamenuisement du stock de Gnetum spp.dans certains pays du bassin du Congo,notamment au Congo et en Républiquecentrafricaine. Les communautés ruralesvivant dans les principaux bassinsd’approvisionnement de Brazzaville,Pointe-Noire et Bangui parcourentplusieurs kilomètres dans la forêt pours’en procurer. Une étude participativemenée par la FAO en 2010 a confirmé queles stocks de Gnetum spp. sont épuisésautour des villages, notamment à Abaladans la région des Plateaux et à Madingo-Kayes dans la région du Kouilou au Congo,ainsi que dans la Lobaye au sud-ouest de laRépublique centrafricaine. Pour répondre àce problème, la FAO a organisé en mai etjuin 2011 trois formations sur ladomestication de Gnetum spp. destinéesaux communautés de base, facilitées par le

Centre pour la culture en pépinière et lapropagation de l'éru (CENDEP –www.cendep.org) de Limbe, Cameroun.

Plus de 80 participants ont ainsi étéformés sur les techniques de récoltedurables, la construction et l’entretien despropagateurs et pépinières-écoles et lacommercialisation du produit. Le suivi estassuré par des organisations locales quiont bénéficié d’une formation approfondiesur le développement entrepreneurial.


Armand Asseng Zé, Spécialiste ressources

naturelles et produits forestiers non ligneux,

Coordination régionale du Projet

PFNL GCP/RAF/441/GER,

FAO B.P. 281 Yaoundé, Cameroun. Courriel:

[email protected];

www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/55079/fr/

(Please see page 59 for more information on

this project.)

HONEY AND BEES

Beehives stop elephant crop raids

Innovative beehive fences have helped acommunity in Kenya to protect cropssuccessfully from elephants, according toresearch. Scientists found the hives to be avery effective barrier; elephants turnedaway from them in 97 percent of theirattempted raids.

Over the past 20 years, elephantnumbers in Kenya have grown to around 7 500 and the population boost is widelyheralded as a conservation success story.However, conflict between elephants andhumans, especially farmers, is an ongoingproblem. Elephants frequently "raid" farmssearching for food such as ripe tomatoes,potatoes and maize. To protect theirlivelihoods, some farmers have resorted toextreme measures including poisoning andshooting elephants.

Previous research into naturaldeterrents showed that elephants avoided

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26 S P E C I A L F E A T U R E SP R O D U C T S A N D M A R K E T S

African honey bees. In 2009, experts fromthe University of Oxford, United Kingdom,and the charity Save the Elephants set up atrial project to test whether beehives couldprevent conflict on farmland boundaries.After two years of observations, the fullresults of the trial have now beenpublished in the African Journal of Ecology.

"Finding a way to use live beehives wasthe next logical step in finding a sociallyand ecologically sensitive way of takingadvantage of elephants' natural avoidancebehaviour to bees to protect farmers'crops," said Dr Lucy King, the University ofOxford biologist who led the study.

In Kenya, the bees (Apis melliferascutellata) are small with short tonguesand swarm frequently. Bees cannot stingthrough elephant hide, but they can and dosting around elephants' eyes and insidetrunks.

The beehives were suspended on wiresbetween posts with a flat thatched roofabove to protect from the sun in thetraditional Kenyan style. The team createdboundaries for 17 farms, incorporating 170beehives into 1 700 m of fencing. "Theinterlinked beehive fences not onlystopped elephants from raiding our studyfarms but the farmers profited from sellinghoney to supplement their low incomes,"Dr King explained. "The honey productionand consequent income has reallyincentivised the farmers to maintain thefences."

Conservationists now hope to roll outthe scheme to other farming communities.(Source: BBC, 15 July 2011.)

Promoting medicinal honey

A consortium of commercial beekeepershas been formed to promote medicallyactive honeys and hive products fromTasmania (Australia). The association,called the Tasmanian Active Honey Group,focuses on honeys with medicinalproperties such as those with antioxidant,antimicrobial and anti-inflammatoryactivity.

Julian Wolfhagen, from the TasmanianHoney Company, one of the six businessesinvolved, says he wants to build consumerconfidence in Tasmanian active hiveproducts. "Particularly in this case, whereNew Zealand has established itself clearlyas the market leader, we need to get somegroup energy and pooling finances tolaunch the existence of a Tasmanianmanuka." (Source: www.abc.net.au, 6 June2011.)

New Zealand beekeepers warn of “honey

laundering”

Beekeepers fear "honey laundering" –allowing inferior or diseased honey fromaround the world into New Zealand – mayjeopardize their industry if new rules allowhoney into the country through Australia. Atpresent, no overseas honey is allowed intoNew Zealand, but the Agriculture andForestry Ministry is close to a decisionexpected to allow Australian honeyimports. Wellington BeekeepersAssociation spokesman John Burnet saidthat if Australian honey import rules wererelaxed, new diseases could be introducedby "honey laundering".

"The Government is saying we haveadequate protection, adequate controls.There is no risk of disease coming in," saysBurnet. However, scepticism reigns asmemories of the Varroa mite infestation arefresh. Varroa mite is an eastern Asianparasite that has killed large numbers ofNew Zealand's managed and feral beepopulation. For food safety, honey mustmeet requirements set by Food StandardsAustralia New Zealand, a binational agencythat does not require country-of-originlabelling.

Codes regulate for purity of honey butWellington beekeeper Frank Lindsay saidthat laundered honey could still meet thestandard by using lesser sugars. "Ricesugars are very close to natural sugars sothey use that and put some enzymes in andit comes out looking like honey," he said.(Source: www.stuff.co.nz, 16 June 2011.)

IMBE (GARCINIALIVINGSTONEI)

The varied uses of Garcinia livingstonei

With sap that makes arrow poison, leavesthat contain antibacterial compounds, andfruit as tasty as its cousin mangosteen, theuses of imbe (Garcinia livingstonei) are asvaried as the places visited by its namesakeDavid Livingstone. One of about 400

varieties of Garcinia, imbe is the best-known relative of the mangosteen in Africa.

The fruit is eaten raw, cooked withporridge, seeded and dried, or crushed likegrapes to create a drink. It can also befermented to make a purplish wine orsoaked in alcohol and mixed with syrup tomake liqueur.

Although the fruit is tasty, the plant ismore often used as an ornamental inlandscaping than as a source of food. Thetree decorates Mozambique’s capital andcan be seen near Victoria Falls in Zambiaand Zimbabwe. Hardy, somewhat salttolerant, and drought resistant, the treeoccurs naturally in landscapes as varied asthe sand dunes of the Tana Delta in Kenya,open woodland in South Africa, theOkavango Delta in Botswana and termitemounds in Zambia. The tree providesforage for wildlife such as elephants aswell as material for building canoes,although the latex produced by the tree canmake the wood difficult to carve.

In one of few studies regarding imbe, anantibacterial compound was isolated fromthe leaves. The bark and root of imbe arecurrently used in Namibia to treat variousailments from cryptococcal meningitis totuberculosis, and the fruit containscompounds with potential anticancereffects.

The tree is also potentially a goodcandidate for intercropping with otherspecies, and its drought-tolerance andattractiveness to insects and birds maymake it useful in ecological restoration ofdegraded landscapes. Despite its potentialand current uses, the tree has yet to bedomesticated. Little documentation ofproduction under cultivated conditionsexists, and virtually no studies have beencarried out to try to improve plantcharacteristics through genetic selection.(Source: Worldwatch Institute, 9 May 2011.)

MEDICINAL PLANTS AND HERBS

Preserving cures

Over half of the world's prescription drugsare derived from chemicals first discoveredin plants. These include commonmedications such as oral contraceptives,antibiotics and painkillers, as well aslifesaving anticancer treatments and heartdisease medications. But thesemedications and their plant derivatives areat risk of disappearing.

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Overharvesting, habitat degradation andagricultural expansion all threaten thesevaluable plants; their loss is especiallydevastating for those who depend on themfor their livelihoods and health-care needs.

It is estimated that there are 10 000 plantspecies throughout the world withmedicinal properties. While some of themare rare, others are common garden plantssuch as Vinca (Vinca rosea orCatharanthus, the English periwinkle),which is used to make chemotherapies thattreat leukaemia, lymphoma and othervarieties of cancer. Many drugs such asthese can still only be derived from theoriginal plant.

According to Susan Leopold, ExecutiveDirector of United Plant Savers, a non-profit group dedicated to raising awarenessabout plant extinction: "A lot of populationsare still very dependent on herbalmedicine". For those living on less thanUS$2/day, pharmaceutical drugs are not anoption. The World Health Organization(WHO) estimates that 80 percent of theworld's developing populations rely ontraditional, plant-based medicine as theirprimary form of health care. In an effort tomeet a growing demand for traditionalremedies, grassroots organizations arepromoting organic agricultural practices tosecure the future of medicinal crops.

Although many programmes advocateresponsible cultivation and harvesting (e.g.Well Earth), an estimated 70–80 percent ofthe medicinal plants being traded arecollected from wild populations, accordingto the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoringnetwork. (Source: University of Oregon[United States of America] inwww.campusprogress.org/, 14 June 2011.)

Traditional medicine gains ground in

African universities

The number of African countries withnational policies on traditional medicineincreased almost fivefold between 2001 and2010, according to a report on a decade oftraditional medicine on the continent. Thereport, launched at a meeting of the WHORegional Committee for Africa (29 August–2September), also found that the number ofcountries with strategic plans for traditionalmedicine increased from zero to 18 in thesame period, and those with nationalregulatory frameworks rose from one to 28.

In 2010, 22 countries conductedresearch on traditional medicines formalaria, HIV/AIDS, sickle-cell anaemia,diabetes and hypertension, using WHOguidelines. According to WHO, roughly 80percent of people in developing countriesdepend on traditional medicine for theirprimary health care.

Some African universities hadincorporated traditional medicine into thecurricula for medical and pharmacystudents, the report found. Healthministers and the WHO African regionaloffice agreed at the meeting to promotethis integration as a way of increasingresearch in the field.

Karniyus Gamaniel, Director-General ofNigeria's National Institute forPharmaceutical Research and

Development (NIPRD), said: "This is a verygood development … The issue of curriculain medical and pharmacy schools isfundamental as this would provide the rightorientation and sensitization of youngerpeople to begin to develop career lines inthis direction".

The WHO Regional Director for Africa,Luis Gomes Sambo, who presented thereport, stressed that having nationalpolicies on traditional medicine placed theconservation and sustainable use ofmedicinal plants in the arena of publichealth. He called on African institutes tocompile inventories of medicinal plants andto conduct research on the safety, efficacyand quality of medicinal plants.

Tamunoibuomi Okujagu, Director-General of the Nigeria Natural MedicineDevelopment Agency, told SciDev.Net thatthe decision to introduce traditionalmedicine into medical schools wouldreduce the cynicism expressed towards thepractice in Africa, counteract “quackery”and ensure professionalism. "A number ofour health challenges require traditionalmedicines," he said. "Traditional medicinepolicies are good for Africa."(Source:SciDev.Net, 15 September 2011.)

United States of America-Namibia

research partnership against malaria

The University of Namibia (Unam) hasreceived a donation worth N$700 000 for itsmalaria research project from RutgersUniversity in the United States of America.Included in the donation arepharmacological kits.

Rutgers University donated 24 Artemisiaannua plants with eight different varieties thatcontain compounds used to treat malaria.These plants do not exist in Namibia andUnam will plant them in its greenhouse forresearch purposes. Dr Martha Schulz, Deanof the Faculty of Science at Unam, said theagreement would also allow Unam

ENDANGERED PLANTS

Prunus africana, Pygeum, African cherry.The bark of this tree is harvested andused to treat malaria, fever, kidneydisease, urinary tract infections andprostate enlargement. The medicinalretail trade for P. africana is estimated tobe roughly US$220 million per year. Onetree can yield up to US$200 worth ofbark.Hoodia gordonii, hoodia. A slow-growing, spiny, succulent plant foundthroughout southern Africa,traditionally used by the San bushmen asan appetite suppressant. Today, it is usedto treat obesity. Of the 12 known types,only one is found in abundance. Theother 11 can be found in small, scatteredpopulations under threat fromovercollection and illegal trade.Gentiana lutea, yellow gentian. Thisplant, which is found in the mountainsof central and southern Europe, hasbeen used since the time of the ancientEgyptians as an appetite stimulant.Today, its extremely bitter root is usedfor the treatment of anorexia and tostrengthen the digestive system ofpatients suffering from chronic diseases.G. lutea is harvested in the wild and isnow listed as endangered or criticallyendangered in the European regionswhere it is found.Podophyllum hexandrum, Himalayanmayapple. Found in Nepal and thewestern Himalayas, this plant containspodophyllin, a resin used to treatovarian cancer and warts.




say, where it can prevent diseases andmalnutrition and even boost developmentby creating job opportunities.

In Sierra Leone, President ErnestKoroma himself regularly takes moringaoil, one form of the plant, boasts JonasColeman of the country's MoringaAssociation.

In a recent interview with AFP,Agriculture Minister Sam Sesay describedmoringa as "the most nutritious plant onEarth, and each and every part of it hasnutritional and medicinal values that havethe propensity to cure over 300 diseases,including hypertension and diabetes".

In Sierra Leone, where some 70 percentof the population lives on less than a dollara day, only one in four children live to seetheir fifth birthday, according to UNfigures. The country, which was ravaged bya decade-long war that ended in 2002, hasone doctor for every 17 000 people and onenurse for every 8 000, according to healthministry statistics.

The Catholic NGO Caritas recently led acampaign to popularize the use of moringaby distributing samples in the northern cityof Makeni, urging some 2 000 residents toreplant them in their backyards and farms.Coleman said "a total of 250 000 seedswere distributed to people across thecountry last year to engage them in someform of economic venture".

Makeni, however, remains the hub ofmoringa production where a factory hasbeen established and is marketing thecommodity to other parts of the country.District Forest Officer Fomba James, whohas over 15 years of herbal experience,describes moringa as "a powerhouse ofnutritional values".

"It contains seven times the vitamin Cfound in oranges, four times the calcium inmilk, four times the vitamin A in carrotsand three times the potassium inbananas," he told AFP.

According to the Web site of the UnitedMethodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR),the plant contains some 46 antioxidantsand is loaded with phytonutrients, whichflush toxins from the body, purify the liverand bolster the immune system.

In the northern town of Port Loko, tribalheadman Jimmy Lagbo told AFP bytelephone: "We see it as a cure-all andmany folks in my community are no longervisiting the local clinics as they are nowusing either moringa teabags or sprinklingthe powder on their daily meals." (Source:Medicalxpress.com, 17 September 2011.)


Oregano. Origanum vulgare has long beenrecognized by herbalists as havingantioxidant and disease-preventingproperties. The leaves and flowering stemsare antiseptic. In one United States ofAmerica study, oregano was found to have42 times more antioxidant activity thanapples, 30 times more than potatoes and 12times more than oranges, making it one ofthe most powerful herbs at tacklingchemical damage to the body. Thyme. The main constituent of Thymusvulgaris, thymol, can destroy bacteria andsome fungal infections. “Thyme is hugelyantibacterial and studies havedemonstrated its effects on killingHelicobacter pylori bacteria, which causestomach ulcers,” says Philip Weeks, anexpert in natural medicine. “An extract ofthyme in honey has been used for centuriesfor bronchitis and chest infections.” Sage. Salvia officinalis has been used innatural toothpaste for many years for itsantiseptic properties. It has also beenincluded in skin creams to treat bites andshingles because of its anti-inflammatorybenefits. A study by the University of Exeter(United Kingdom) revealed that sageextract significantly reduced the frequency,duration and severity of hot flushes inmenopausal women. (Source: The Mail onSunday, 26 June 2011.)

MORINGA SPP.

“Miracle plant” boosting health in Sierra

Leone

A tropical plant said to be nutritionaldynamite is being plugged by SierraLeone's Government as a natural cure-allin the country, which has some of theworst health indicators in the world.

The moringa plant, native to northernIndia, has been called the "tree of life" andits use is spreading in Africa, advocates

researchers to work as part of the N$1.6million Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)-Namibia research project as partners withRutgers University and the National BotanicalResearch Institute (NBRI), whose researchersare also part of the training workshop.

“This research opportunity will be crucial inbuilding capacity at Unam to conduct researchinto indigenous products with potential forcommercial goods as well as social benefitsfor Namibian people through the health,veterinary and food sectors,” Schulz explained.

Plants with medicinal or foodapplications such as antibacterials,antivirals, antimalarials and antifungalscan be screened for use, while foods can beevaluated for nutriceutical (medical) andnutritional properties.

Meanwhile, Dr James Simon, a professorin the Department of Plant Biology andPathology at Rutgers University who isheading the visiting delegation, said theywill develop kits to screen plants and see ifthey have activities to treat a range ofdiseases. “This year we expect to screen100 Namibian indigenous plants within tendifferent screens. We hope the kits willprovide valuable information that can beused to protect and preserve plants whileNamibians seek to generate income andimprove health as well as nutrition at locallevel,” said Simon. (Source: New Era[Namibia], 24 May 2011.)

Herbal remedies

It is estimated that £126 million is spent onherbal medicine in the United Kingdomeach year, and a poll in 2008 revealed that35 percent of the British have tried shop-bought natural remedies. Peppermint. A powerful muscle relaxant,peppermint (Mentha piperita) can help withstomach cramps and relieving thesymptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Theoil can be used as a topical remedy for pain,while a study by the University ofHeidelberg in Germany found thatpeppermint can also help treat cold sores. Rosemary. From the Latin wordrosmarinus (dew of the sea), rosemary(Rosmarinus officinalis) has long beenassociated with its ability to aid memory. Itis said that scholars in the past wore freshrosemary springs in their hair to help recalltheir studies. In addition, a study carriedout at the National Institute of AgronomicResearch in Dijon (France) demonstratedthat rosemary stimulates the production ofcytochrome P450, an enzyme that enablesthe liver to clean toxins out of the blood.

%Salvia officinalis




Plans for “tree of life’ plantation in South

Africa

KwaZulu-Natal (a province of South Africa)may soon be home to a plantation of whatresearch shows to be one of the mostuseful trees in the plant kingdom. Moringaoleifera, commonly referred to as the “treeof life” or “mother’s best friend” in manycultures, is native to northern India andancient Ayurveda medicine claims that itprevents 300 diseases.

The iLembe District Municipality and DrSamson Tesfay, a post-doctoral student atthe University of KwaZulu-Natal’sdiscipline of horticultural science, areplanning a plantation project for the plant.The project will harvest moringa pods forbiodiesel processing, using small-scaleemerging farmers in the area.

Moringa seeds are extremely high in oiland “the tree can survive in relativelyunfavourable conditions and does notrequire sophisticated and expensivefarming methods or inputs,” Tesfay said.

The tree has also been used for waterpurification in southern and East Africa.“The seeds are effective in removing about98 percent of impurities and microbes fromcontaminated water,” Tesfay added.

In addition to the plantation project,Tesfay plans to conduct community-basedresearch trials on the plant’s antioxidantcompounds. “I hope to create an awarenessof the value of the plant which will help tomitigate malnutrition in the community,”he said. “People today are more focused onantioxidants.” Antioxidants have a widerange of purposes, such as anti-ageing andcancer prevention. (Source: Daily News[South Africa], 17 August 2011.)

“No life without moringa”

“Without moringa there is no life” goes thesaying of the Konso people who inhabit thelowlands of southern Ethiopia, expressingthe ancient link that unites them to theMoringa stenopetala plant. Called the“miracle tree” in the local language, it isknown for its capacity to withstandprolonged periods of drought. Itscultivation, intercropped with tubers,legumes, cereals and shade plants such ascoffee, allows the creation of an agro-ecological system able to preserve theproperties of the land and prevent soilerosion, with the construction of terraces,creating a unique landscape in the region.The Konso throw nothing away from thisplant: the edible leaves are rich in protein,iron and vitamins; the more bitter leaves

are used as animal fodder; and the seedsserve to purify water.

For its nutritious and drought-resistantproperties, M. stenopetala has become theobject of a study that aims to extend itscultivation to areas affected by severeperiodic droughts and famines.

The first national conference on thecultural and agro-economic heritage of theKonso people – “Konso CulturalLandscape: Terracing and Moringa” – willbe held this month in Karat, Ethiopia. Themeeting, organized by the newly formedKonso Cultural Centre, the NGO CISS-Ethiopia and its local partner (KonsoDevelopment Association), follows theinclusion of this landscape linked to thecultivation of moringa as a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site.

The conference is part of a series ofinitiatives at national and internationallevels that will focus on moringa and theagroforestry of the Konso. (Source:SlowFood.com, 17 August 2011.)

NATURAL SWEETENERS

Stevia rebaudiana: EU members approve

stevia sweeteners for food use

Natural sweeteners derived from the steviaplant could be authorized for EU-wide useby the end of the year, after governmentsapproved their sale in certain foodstuffs,the EU’s executive said on Tuesday.

Concern over rising levels of obesity anddiabetes has spurred the development ofnew sweeteners, and food consultancyZenith International expects the globalmarket for stevia-derived products to reachUS$825 million by 2014.

"The text will now be subject to thescrutiny of the European Parliament. At theend of the procedure, steviol glycosidecould be authorized in the EU by the end ofthe year," the European Commission saidin a statement.

The Commission proposed a cut in themaximum usage levels for steviolglycosides requested by manufacturers,after a safety evaluation found that theycould exceed the "acceptable daily intake"level of 4 mg/kg of body weight.

Zero-calorie steviol glycosides, whichare between 40 and 300 times sweeter thansucrose, are derived from the Steviarebaudiana plant – also known assweetleaf or sugarleaf – native to Centraland South America. (Source: Reuters, 5 July 2011.)

Xylitol: a natural sweetener

Xylitol is a molecule found widely in nature. Itis typically extracted from birch bark (Betullapapyrifera or B. populifolia), and also foundin a variety of fruits and vegetables. Xylitol isa naturally occurring sugar substitute, andhas been used as a sweetener since the1960s. It is slowly absorbed and only partiallyutilized, thus amounting to a reduced calorieintake. The molecule is more or less assweet as sucrose, yet it has 40 percent fewercalories and 75 percent fewer carbohydratesthan sugar.

Xylitol was discovered by a Germanchemist in 1891. Yet it was not until acutesugar shortages after the Second World War– when researchers were forced to look foran alternative sugar supply – that Finnishscientists “rediscovered” xylitol. Only thendid it become widely recognized as asweetener as well as an energy source forpatients with impaired glucose tolerance andinsulin resistance.

Xylitol also has proven medical benefitsbecause of its effects on many types ofbacteria. It is a cavity fighter – reducing toothdecay – and effective in clearing nasalpassages, thus reducing the risk of infection.(Source: S. Sellman, 2003. Xylitol: our sweetsalvation? in Nexus Magazine.)

NETTLES

Nettle (Urtica dioica Linn.) – a potential

wild resource for socio-economic

upliftment in the Indian Himalayas

The genus Urtica (Urticaceae) is known by30–45 species, of which the most useddietary supplement is the nettle (Urticadioica Linn). It is native to Asia, Africa,Europe and North America. In the

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cuttings. A high heterogeneity in seeds mayresult in declining fibre content more than theplants developed from vegetative propagation.Research and field trials are limited.Unfortunately, in the Indian Himalayas,industrial entrepreneurship has yet to beestablished. Commonly, in Sikkim, HP andUttarakhand, traditional nettle clothing ismade by beating, drying and boiling the nettlestems. In Dzongu (Sikkim), natives stilltraditionally extract the quality nettle fibres;however, the younger generation is reluctant.

The young shoots/leaves of the nettles arehighly marketed NTFPs almost all year, withApril-September being the peak season forquality and quantity. Growing markets haveencouraged people to harvest nettlesperennially. Villagers in Sikkim and HP sellthe shoots/leaves in bunches of 300–500 g for8–15 rupees/bunch. During the season, avendor (in Sikkim and HP) may earn 200–500rupees/day. A large number of vendors inSikkim market the nettle frequently, alongwith many other NTFPs.

Cultivation and varietal development inEurope has been well researched; theexperience can be utilized for ex situcultivation-based commercialentrepreneurship in the Indian Himalayas.Nettle domestication, as organic farming andby plantation in wastelands and fringehabitats, will substantially raise the socio-economic situation of the community.Moreover, planting nettles as hedge plantsand fencing will protect crops and animalhusbandry from wildlife. Nettle cultivation willstrengthen in situ species conservation and,thus, of the associated biodiversity as part of acarbon sink combating climate change.Planting nettles is relatively cost effective andenvironmentally friendly.

The domestic market for freshleaves/young twigs is huge within the IndianHimalayas and value addition and commercialproduction need further exploration. Anassessment of the quantum availability of raw


material using scientifically basedpopulation studies in different Himalayanterrains and habitats would helpconservation planning and management.Propagation/cultivation technologies needinnovation and standardization before amass cropping is encouraged in the ruralsectors of the Indian Himalayas. (Contributed by: Dr Hemant K Badola,Scientist ‘E’– Conservation of Biodiversity,G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment& Development, Sikkim Unit, PO Box 40,Gangtok [Campus: Pangthang], Sikkim 737 101, India. E-mail: [email protected];[email protected]/)

RESINS

Reviving pine resin extraction in southern

Europe

The extraction of resin in the pine forests ofsouthern Europe has generated revenue forwoodland owners since the end of thenineteenth century. It has also createdemployment in rural areas, supplyingrenewable, natural raw material in demandby the large chemical industry of thesouthwest. Its effect on the conservation ofthe pine forests and fire prevention has alsobeen notable, with less frequent and intensefires where resin workers are active.

These benefits, however, are disappearingbecause of the decline of resin extractionactivity; the work is no longer attractive toyouth since it is not particularly profitableand involves demanding physical work. Infact, extraction requires intense labour, skilland long periods of training which, togetherwith its seasonal nature (currently 7.5months/year) and its limited profitability,explains why the activity is graduallydisappearing in developed countries. Theabandonment of the activity has led to thedegradation of the forests, mainly as a resultof forest fires.

However, current European ruraldevelopment policies based on the use ofendogenous resources, such as resin, andthe social and legislative recognition ofnatural, sustainable products, together withthe current employment crisis; theseriousness of forest fires; and the instabilityand price increases of resin productssupported by European industries havecreated a scenario that is favourable for therevival of the sector.

In 2007, in the hopes of reviving resinextraction activity, the Fundación Centro de

Himalayas, this stinging perennial herbgrows in forests, thickets, grasslands,stream banks, floodplains and newlydisturbed moist areas at altitudes of 1 200–3 000 m from Pakistan to southwestChina. With good humus, the plantproduces a robust stem reaching up to 3 min height. Flowering in June-August andfruiting during August-October, the one-sexed flowers produce flattened achene. In the Indian Himalayas, the species hasmany vernacular names, such as Bichubuti in Hindi, Sisnoo in Sikkim and Ahan inHimachal Pradesh (HP).

The plant is used for various purposes asfood, fodder, medicine and cosmetics; and inagriculture and industry (industrialchlorophyll production is known).Domestically and commercially, the plantoffers great socio-economic potential. Thedried leaves used as tea and the fresh leavesas juice are considered haemostatic, diuretic,antiarthritic, antirheumatic, anti-itch and anti-inflammatory. Soups and curries are commondishes and are routine meals in Sikkim, HPand Uttarakhand. The plant also offers afeeding ground to caterpillars of abundantbutterflies and moths.

Research in Dzongu valley of north Sikkimby the author with his student (published inthe Journal of Ethnobiology andEthnomedicine, 2008) found that nettle rootpaste is applied on minor bone fractures anddislocations; a decoction of roots and seedscures diarrhoea and coughs; and curryprepared from shoot tips is given to femalesduring childbirth. Beating cows that are notlactating with nettles is held to stimulatemilk production. Shamans believe that evilspirits can be driven out of humans bybeating them with nettles during exorcismrituals, and this is a common practice.Different curries (routine food) are madedelicious by boiling young leaves with addedcondiments and frying them with butter; theyare also good for the stomach. InUttarakhand and HP, the seeds are crushedto make chatni, a tasty appetizer.Furthermore, the leaves make good fodder.

Before the Second World War in centralEurope, nettles were cultivated as a fibre plantusing wild stock for the production of textiles.The nettle stem contains around 30 percentprotein and 10 percent fibre. Breeding helpedincrease the fibre content from 5 percent stalkdry matter (wild) to 17 percent (cultivated).Planting cuttings may yield pure nettle fibre;the organically produced fibres are highly indemand in textiles. Wild nettles can bedomesticated by sowing seeds or by stem

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Servicios y Promoción Forestal y de suIndustria de Castilla y León (Cesefor), Spain’sMinistry of Science and Innovation,OurémViva-Gestão de Espaços eEquipamentos Municipais and the InstitutPolytechnique de Bordeaux, among others,initiated a project (set to run until 2013),aiming to mechanize the method of tappingand investigate the different applications anduses of resin, in order to raise the value of theresource.

The primary goal of the project is totransform the extraction of resin into aprofitable activity that contributes to ruralemployment, the conservation of the largePinus pinaster pine forests of the southwestand the prevention of forest fires. Otherobjectives include:

• the mechanization of the process as analternative to manual extraction, whichhas higher costs and cannot easilycompete with less developed countrieswhere labour costs are lower;

• obtaining scientific and economicevidence of the role played by the resinindustry for the conservation of the pineforests of the southwest and performinga market analysis and revaluating adifferentiated product – European resin;

• demonstrating the role played by humanactivity in the conservation of Europeanforest ecosystems and its compatibilitywith the natural values they hold; and

• using cross-sector participation todesign a strategy that is common to andassumed by every player, coinciding withthe objectives of the main Europeanpolicies on the conservation of natureand rural development, taking intoconsideration the differentcharacteristics of each territory on alocal scale.

(Contributed by: Félix Pinillos Herrero, Jefede Área, Fundación Centro de Servicios yPromoción Forestal y de su Industria, Pol.Ind. Las Casas, calle C, parcela 4, 42005Soria, Spain. Fax: +34 975 23 96 77; e-mail:[email protected]; www.cesefor.com;www.sust-forest.eu/)

A substantial business has grown out of a

spruce resin salve

A Finnish company has turned spruce resininto a pharmaceutical salve. At the turn of themillennium, physician Arno Sipponen at theoutpatient clinic in Kolari, Western Lapland,was treating patients with bedsores so badthat nothing seemed to help. He was told by anurse that there was one more method worthtrying – the traditional Lappish spruce resin(Picea abies) salve. However, it could not bebought at a pharmacy but from a localfarmer, Mr Timo Kyrö, who made it himself.Sipponen decided to give the salve a try.

Within six months, even apparentlyhopeless bedsores of several years’ standingwere healed. Now a company called RepolarOy, headed by Arno’s father, physician andProfessor Pentti Sipponen, produces theresin salve industrially in the city of Espoo.Called “Abilar,” the salve can be bought at allFinnish pharmacies and is used by severalprimary health-care and specialized medicalcare units.

The resin salve is a good example of whatcan be made out of a natural product byrefining it. The price of the resin in a tube ofsalve is much higher than the price paid to itsgatherer – and so it should be. The increasein price is based on value added, and itmeans work and well-being: the resin isgathered, purified, turned into a salve,packaged and delivered to the consumer.

“Scientific evidence is important.” Seeingthe effects of the resin salve on bedsores, theSipponens wanted to research its propertiesscientifically: were the bedsores gettingbetter just by accident or was the salve reallyeffective? Both microbiological laboratorytests and comprehensive clinical tests werecarried out. The results were published in2008 in the British Journal of Dermatology, aleading publication in the field of skindiseases. “The key word is scientificevidence. That is my advice to those who arelaunching other Finnish natural products,”emphasizes Pentti Sipponen. (Source:www.forest.fi, 15 April 2011.)

SAFFRON

Switzerland’s sweet saffron

It takes 390 stigmas, gathered by hand from130 Crocus sativus flowers, to produce 1 gof saffron. This, however, is not the IslamicRepublic of Iran or Spain, countries knownfor their bountiful saffron fields. This is tinyMund in Switzerland, a town tuckedbetween Geneva and Zermatt in the Aletsch

Glacier range, the birthplace of the RhoneRiver and the unlikely home of theseprecious purple flowers.

The region was designated a UNESCOWorld Heritage site in 2001 for its stunningAlpine beauty. Saffron was harvested in theMund area as long ago as the fourteenthcentury. Then, in the 1950s, asindustrialization spread throughoutSwitzerland, farmers gradually abandonedthe practice. But when state authoritiesdecided in 1979 to build a road through whatremained of the saffron fields, hundreds ofvillagers rebelled. Led by the village priest,they rose up to protect the crucial 4 acres(1.6 ha) historically under cultivation. Moreimportant, their fervour reignited thetradition of saffron cultivation in the area.

Mund has 529 residents today, and 60 ofthem own a piece of the saffron fields inparcels ranging from 376 to 2 368 ft2

(35–220 m²). “We formed an old-fashionedguild in 1979. Year after year, the amount ofcultivated land grew, and more inhabitantsgot involved,” said former Mund mayor LeoAlbert. By 2004, the guild had obtained anAppellation d’origine controlée (AOC), thestamp of approval from the SwissGovernment, and official Mund saffron wasborn.

Last year’s harvest yielded a grand totalof about 9 lb (4 kg) – a small amount,perhaps, but enough to re-energize avillage and put it on the international foodiemap.

Today, experts consider Mund saffronsuperior to any in the world. Neither Spainnor the Islamic Republic of Iran, with theirmassive outputs can compete with Mundsaffron for flavour. (Source: TheWashington Post, 3 June 2011.)

Concern over saffron price drop in

Afghanistan

Saffron prices in western Afghanistan havereportedly declined sharply over the pastyear, raising fears that some people mayresume opium cultivation. Saffron hasbeen promoted as an alternative to opiumand a profitable crop for rural peoples. Butgrowers in the province of Herat, whichborders the Islamic Republic of Iran, toldBBC Pashto that prices have dropped by asmuch as 60 percent as supply hasoutstripped demand.

Afghanistan, in particular Herat, has theideal climate for growing saffron. Afghanofficials say that last year Herat producedmore than 2.5 tonnes; this year they expectmore than 3.5 tonnes to be produced.

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The trees are covered in vicious spinesand the berries are impossible to removefrom the branches without bursting andspraying you with bright, orange-colouredjuice. A fantastically sour berry, seabuckthorn is ideal for cooking and for use ina champagne cocktail. (Source: TheGuardian [United Kingdom], 13 July 2011.)

Sea buckthorn berries

Sea buckthorn berries, grape-sized orangefruits from a hardy bush that grows inEurope, Asia and the Americas, are beingtapped as the next superfood with "huge"potential, scientists say in a new report.

While the berry juice – tart and acidic – isconsumed in the Russian Federation andother parts of Europe, it is still underutilizedin North America. But in a study published inthis month's issue of Food ResearchInternational, researchers from theUniversity of Saskatchewan in Canada andthe Indian Institute of Technology in NewDelhi found the berries to be nutrient rich,packed with vitamins A, K, E, C, B1 and B2,fatty acids, lipids, organic acids, amino acids,carbohydrates, folic acid and flavonoids.

Sea buckthorn oil is currently used toalleviate eczema, sunburn, mouth drynessand ulcers, gastric ulcers, urinary tractinflammation, genital ulcers, sinusinflammation and eye dryness.

Although the fruits are loaded withnutritional potential, researchers also notedthat one significant drawback is the shortharvesting season and the high moisturecontent of the fruits, which make them lessflexible to work with.

Recently, Dr Mehmet Oz, Vice-Chair andProfessor of Surgery at Columbia University(New York, United States of America) alsotouted the berries for their wide-ranginghealth benefits. The berries were featuredas a weight loss supplement and recognizedfor their ability to aid constipation andprevent acne. (Source: The Independent, 7 August 2011.)(Please see page 19 for more information.)

SHEA BUTTER

Empowering Nigerian women via shea

butter production

“I have five children and I am trainingthem with the proceeds I make throughthe sales of shea butter,’’ says HajiyaFatima Ibrahim, Leader of the ENA-Ekokpara Shea Butter CooperativeAssociation in Assanyi, Katcha local


Last year, pure saffron sold at US$4 500/kg but now the price stands atUS$1 500. The high prices of saffron, theworld's most expensive spice, have benefitedcultivators around the world over the years.

The Head of the Chamber of Commerce inHerat, Gholam Jailani Hamidi, told the BBCthat production increase is key to the pricedrop. "We need balance in our productivityand demand and we need to find newmarkets," he said. But correspondents saythat some are afraid the price drop couldleave farmers considering whether to revertto growing poppies.

Afghanistan is estimated to producearound 90 percent of the world's opium.Farmers are still willing to cultivate saffron,saying they do not want to go back to poppycultivation as long as the governmentprovides them with financial help,correspondents say. But Afghan businesseshave been demanding new processing andpackaging systems in order to open foreignmarkets for their product. (Source: BBCNews, 17 June 2011.)

SANDALWOOD

Scientists “knock on wood” to keep

species popular

A collaborative team of Western Australianand Sri Lankan scientists have been awardeda Sri Lanka National Research Council Grantto help continue their international study toprotect and repopulate the highly threatenedsandalwood tree Santalum album.

Curtin School of Pharmacy Ph.D. studentDhanushka Sugeeshwara Hettiarachchi saysthe team will use silviculture to set up ahealthy sandalwood population in Sri Lanka.He says that seeds will be selected fromhigh-quality sandalwood trees, rather than asingle tree and that these seeds will beplanted in nurseries. Being a semi-parasiticspecies, sandalwood taps the roots ofsurrounding trees for water and nutrientsbut photosynthesizes independently. Usingthe study results, seedlings will beestablished with a proper host tree speciesin pots, and then transferred into the ground.

Dhanushka says that determining thequality of sandalwood is simple becausestandards have been established for manyyears, but one of the challenges arose whendealing with seedling sample sizes. “It is achallenge because the seedling heartwood[sample] size is less than 1 g. The mainchallenge is to use a database to identify thequality of essential oils,” he says.

There are also plans to introduce thesandalwood to protected reserves and tothe home gardens of rural villagers in SriLanka. Dhanushka says this will benefit thecommunity because “sandalwood is one ofthe most expensive timbers in the world –it’s considered an asset to have a tree thatcould provide 100 kg of quality heartwood”.

“It’s a huge boost to the villages as notmany crops could yield such an income.Also it’s seen as a long-term investment bymany people. It’s also common practice inWestern Australia and southern India thatsandalwood trees are added to the value ofa land in estimating the land value.”(Source: Science Network WesternAustralia, 21 September 2011.)

SEA BUCKTHORN

Sea buckthorn in the United Kingdom

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is ashrub-like tree from which the berries arecollected. It is native to the United Kingdomand, until recently, was largely restricted tothe southern part of the east coast ofEngland. It is an excellent stabilizer of sanddunes and has been planted all around thecoast for this purpose. Unfortunately, it hasdone its job too well and, spreading bysuckers, has come to dominate andeffectively destroy many of these sensitivehabitats; it is now considered an invasivespecies in the country.

It is an easy plant to identify, with itsnarrow grey/green leaves and brightclustered orange berries. It looks a little likea willow tree and indeed one of its old nameswas "sallow thorn". This coastal plant hasrecently become something of a favouritewith highway authorities and can be foundon bypasses and dual carriageways all overthe United Kingdom.

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government area of Niger state, Nigeria.“If the government provides modern sheabutter processing equipment for us, it willgo a long way in reducing thebackbreaking efforts we put in to producethe butter. We will also be able to makeextra money,’’ she adds.

Ibrahim is one of several women whosolicit improved shea butter production inthe country because of the myriadeconomic benefits that can be derivedfrom the venture.

Shea butter, an abridged form of“sheanut butter’’, is a kind of margarineextracted from the nuts of the shea tree,popularly called the karité tree (tree oflife) because of its numerous therapeuticproperties. The tree is native to Africa, andin the dry savannah belt of West Africa, thetree is found growing wild. In the northernparts of Nigeria, shea butter is referred toas kadanya and in many areas in thesouth, it is commonly known as ori.

In Nigeria, shea butter can be procuredacross the country at extremely cheap,affordable rates and is widely used bywomen for hair and skin treatment.

Mr Thompson Ogunsanmi, theProgramme Officer (for shea butterproduction) of the German Society forInternational Cooperation (GIZ), maintainsthat Nigeria has the potential to supply theentire world with adequate shea butter forpeople’s various needs. He says that 22out of the 27 local government areas ofNiger state have shea trees in abundance,adding, however, that shea butterproduction is largely misconstrued to be awomen’s occupation in the communities.

“For the communities, everything aboutshea butter is about women; starting fromits name, the process of picking shea nutsto their crushing – all is perceived aswomen’s work. Shea butter can generate a

scenarios, a hefty markup is added withnone of the profits trickling down.

Dr Samuel Hunter of the American SheaButter Institute says some NGOs “claimthat they are in the villages to help thepeople when, in actuality, their applicationof fairtrade versus a living wage is often thebiggest enabler of poverty for the womenthroughout this region”.

The money generated from shea butterproduction is desperately needed. It paysfor food, clothing, children’s school feesand the like; therefore, fairtradecompensation equates survival.

But, have no doubt, the womenrecognize – based on its many usesthroughout the generations – that sheabutter is a precious substance. They, as DrHunter stressed, just lack the resources toproduce a superior product on their ownthat can be traded on the world market.(Source: The Atlanta Post [United States ofAmerica], July 2011.)

Ghana may target China as a new market

for shea nut exports, group says

Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoaproducer, may target China as a newmarket for exports of shea nuts as the WestAfrican nation seeks to boost the industry,according to the Integrated SocialDevelopment Centre (ISODEC), an Accra-based NGO.

Ghana’s annual exports of about 60 000tonnes of the nuts, which are used in foodsand cosmetics, could increase to 130 000tonnes with access to Chinese buyers, saidISODEC, which conducted research into theshea nut sector that was funded by UnitedKingdom-based advocacy group OxfamInternational.

The nuts are currently sold to Europe,the United States of America and Japan,and earn about US$30 million for Ghanaeach year, said Yakubu Zakaria, Director ofProgrammes at ISODEC. “China alone canabsorb all our produce and we can makeabout US$70 million,” Zakaria said.

Shea trees, which produce the nuts,grow across the Sahelian regions of Africa,including in northern Ghana. Globalexports of shea nuts and butter were worthUS$120 million in 2010, according to theUnited States Agency for InternationalDevelopment.

Ghana plans to establish a developmentboard for shea that will set the prices paidto farmers for their crops and also carryout research. (Source: Bloomberg, 9 August 2011.)

lot of income for the people but there is agrowing need to empower the womentraders through educational schemesabout the product to enable them to makeproper investment decisions,” he adds.

While efforts are on the rise tomodernize shea butter processing in someparts of the country, courtesy of GIZ, theGovernment should look into how toestablish small training centres to trainthese women and improve their skills inshea butter production, says Ogunsanmi.(Source: Nigerian Observer, 7 July 2011.)

How moisture involves big money and

exploitation

Shea butter is coveted by global cosmeticcompanies for its amazing moisturizingproperties. As an increasingly sought-after ingredient in everything fromsoothing and nourishing hair and skin careproducts to lip balms and exfoliatingcreams, the benefits of shea butter are ingreat demand across the globe.

The connotation of shea butter,however, is drastically different for thewomen of sub-Saharan Africa who harvestthe nut of the karité tree (Vitellariaparadoxa), from which shea butteroriginates. They are among the 1.2 billionpeople who live in extreme poverty. Tothem, shea butter is deemed to be“women’s gold” for the few extra dollarsits yield affords. In this region, it is thewomen who manually collect, sort, crush,roast, grind, separate the oils from thebutter and shape the finished product. Thework is all carried out during thescorching late spring/early summer aridheat of the savannah – and most of it issold at “so-called” fairtrade prices.

Processing of shea nuts often takesplace within local cooperatives wherebetween 100 to 800 women work everyseason. Cooperatives are mainly operatedby NGOs or are small local businesses.The women employed via the cooperativeeither sell the nuts they collect from thecommunal lands where the karité treegrows or they process them into unrefinedshea butter. It takes 3 kg of shea nuts tocreate 1 kg of shea butter.

Shea processing takes two routes. Theraw nuts are sold in bulk to Asian oilcompanies, which extract, refine and sellthe oil to Europe for cosmetic purposes.Alternatively, the shea butter is processedlocally, certified organic, graded for purityand then pushed on to the world marketby upper-level distributors. In bothKarité tree



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WILDLIFE

Trade in animals and skins worries

experts at UN CITES meeting

At the 25th meeting of the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Speciesof Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) AnimalsCommittee in Geneva, over 200 animalexperts – from 50 countries – expressedconcern about the sustenance of thecurrent trade scenario of snake skins usedin luxury products and another 20 animalspecies used in biomedical research, thefood industry or as pets. The event, backedby the UN, saw technical recommendationsto control animal trade in several speciessurfacing as a solution.

Three snake species – the oriental ratsnake, the reticulated python and theIndonesian cobra – were prime concerns.Recommendations were endorsed totighten controls on snake breeding andlogistics for the skin trade. Snakes from theAsian forests and jungles are crucial withintheir ecosystems. For example, if snakeswere to disappear from the agriculturallandscapes of Asia, their prey, left behindwith no predator to control their numbers,could have devastating effects onagricultural production, food security andnational economies, according to CITES.

Apart from being sold as pets or found inluxury leather goods and accessories allacross Europe, snakes are used for food, astraditional medicines and for skins.

Biomedical research, especially in China,Indonesia and Cambodia, which resulted ina rapid surge in trade in 2004, has led thecommittee to examine the quantum ofinternational trade in the long-tailedmacaque. Several endemic species fromMadagascar, including chameleons andfrogs, and seahorses from Southeast Asia,were also identified as a priority under theCITES Review of Significant Trade.

Most of the individual species reviewedand considered at the meeting live inSoutheast Asia, a territory that has becomea hotspot for wildlife trade. This is becauseit is a region abounding in biodiversity, withan increasingly prosperous population, aswell as countless people dependent onwildlife for their livelihoods. (Source:Institute for International Trade, 25 July2011.)

Cameroon, Chad sign pact to fight

elephant poaching

Cameroon and Chad have signed an accordto ramp up efforts to fight poachers who

kill hundreds of elephants a year in aprotected park on their common border,ministers from both nations said.

These Central African countries sufferfrom rampant poaching of elephants andother species for ivory heading mainlytowards Asian markets and for thebushmeat trade. Observers say the risingwealth of East Asian countries has causeda jump in the price and demand for ivory inrecent years.

The protected area is more than 300 000 ha, including Cameroon's BoubaNdjida park and Chad's Sena Oura park,Cameroon Forestry and Wildlife MinisterElvis Ngolle Ngolle said late on Tuesday, ashe signed the deal with Chad'sEnvironment Minister Hassan Terap. Of thisarea, the Chadian side makes up only about70 000 ha but has most of the elephants,numbering around 3 000, Terap said,adding that armed poachers had reducedelephant numbers from 5 000 five yearsago. Cameroon's Government says BoubaNdjida has just 300 elephants left.

Measures include better cooperationbetween authorities running the parks andboosting numbers of armed rangers.Conservationists say poaching is rife andworsening in both countries.

As well as elephants and the rare blackrhinoceros, the parks are also home tomonkeys, buffaloes, porcupines and twodozen species of antelope, all of which arepoached for their meat.

"We are ... very determined to preserve... them for the economic and culturalbenefits of our people," Ngolle said. "Wewill do everything to protect them,especially the elephants that are underserious threat from illegal poachers. Wewill need a large number of well-trainedand well-armed ecoguards so that they canbe able to face the illegal poachers who areoperating all over the protected area. Veryoften, they are well armed." (Source:Reuters, 4 August 2011.) �

ILLEGAL IVORY OPENLY ON SALE INCHINA

The long-held desire for elephant ivoryhas fuelled an industry that has placedboth of the Earth’s two species ofelephants – Asian and African – on theInternational Union for Conservationof Nature (IUCN) Red List, the formerlisted as endangered and the latter asvulnerable.

In China, a deeply rooted culturalemphasis on ivory as a status symbol,coupled with the recent exponentialgrowth of the consuming class, hascreated a demand for ivory that is thehighest in the world.

Despite a 1989 CITES ban on theinternational sale of new ivory, thereare still several types of ivory that areconsidered legal in China, whenaccompanied by properdocumentation: antique ivory, or thatwhich is already carved and incirculation; mammoth ivory, whichcomes from the extinct relatives ofmodern elephants; and ivory that wasincluded in one of two CITES-certified“one-off” sales in 1999 and 2008.

In both the CITES internationallyapproved sales, the ivory came fromsouthern African nations, that insistedit was sourced from natural mortalityor culling, and not from poaching. Theintent of these sales was to provide theAsian markets with a legitimate source,thereby reducing the demand forpoached ivory.

Esmond Martin, an expert on theivory trade who coauthored a recentreport by the NGO Elephant Family,expressed concern over China’sappetite for ivory. In the city ofGuangzhou, for example, 61 percent ofthe nearly 6 500 retail ivory itemssurveyed were illegal and lackedlegitimate ID cards. In addition, there were many cases of mammothivory being mixed with elephant ivory, the latter being smuggled in and then passed off as the former. The impact this has on elephants isdevastating, decimating bothpopulations and habitats, Martin says. (Source: The Ecologist, 17 August 2011.)

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Change alone is unchanging. Heraclitus

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


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AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan’s wildlife is surviving conflict

Afghanistan's wildlife is surviving years ofconflict, according to a new survey. Asiaticblack bears, gray wolves, markhor goats andleopard cats are all continuing to survivedespite deforestation, habitat degradationand decades of unrest.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)team used camera traps, transect surveys, andDNA identification of scat samples in the firstwildlife update in the conflict-plagued easternprovince of Nuristan since 1977. The surveys,conducted between 2006 and 2009, covered anarea of 1 100 km², confirmed the presence ofseveral important species in the region'smontane deciduous and coniferous forests,including the first documented sighting of thecommon palm civet in Afghanistan.

“This ongoing work in Afghanistan byWCS, supported by USAID, ensures theprotection of wildlife and has a long-termpositive effect on local communities,” saidSteven Sanderson, WCS President and ChiefExecutive Officer. “The surveys confirm thepresence of globally important species in thearea, despite indications of habitat loss anduncontrolled hunting. This highlights theneed for targeted conservation programmesto protect forest resources, includingwildlife, that provide livelihoods for people.”

WCS has had a full-time presence inAfghanistan since 2006 and continues to bethe only conservation NGO operating there.It works on community conservation,conservation education, institution building,training, capacity building and wildlife tradeissues. (Source: www.wildlifeextra.com,4 July 2011.) (Please see pages 31–32 formore information about Afghanistan.)

ARGENTINA

Programa de productos forestales no

madereros en Argentina

La Dirección de Recursos Forestales Nativosha encarado una serie de trabajos paraevaluar la situación actual y la potencialidadde los productos forestales no madereros(PFNM) en la República Argentina, creándoseal efecto el Programa de productos forestalesno madereros. La tendencia creciente delmercado de los productos llamados"naturales" que se está produciendo y se hapuesto en evidencia en los últimos años,muestra la necesidad de desarrollar lasestructuras productivas y comerciales deestos nuevos productos, haciendo hincapié

ARMENIA

Armenia Tree Project begins propagation

of rare and endangered species

Armenia’s Ministry of Nature Protectionreleased its Red Book of Plants andAnimals of the Republic of Armenia in2010. “The production of the Red Book isanother step forward in the preservationand recovery of the region’s biodiversity,”writes Aram Harutyunyan, Armenia’sMinister of Nature Protection, in thepreface to the publication.

There are approximately 3 600 plantspecies in Armenia, and 123 are endemicor found nowhere else on the planet.According to the authors, these plants maybecome endangered because ofdeforestation, the overuse of resourcessuch as water, and development of landwhich provides habitats for plants andanimals, among other factors. The new RedBook includes information about 452 plantand 40 fungus species that are rare, alongwith information on 223 plant species thatare in danger of extinction.

“In response to the concern over the lossof native plants, the Armenia Tree Project(ATP) has a policy of growing onlyindigenous trees in its three nurseries,”explains Samvel Ghandilyan, ATP’s NurseryProgramme manager. The only exception tothis is “naturalized” trees, which wereintroduced long ago, and have not beenobserved to have a negative impact on thelocal ecosystem, but provide an addedbenefit of food security (fruit and nut trees).

“ATP started to pay special attention tothe propagation of endangered species ofplants at our nursery in Karin. Theseinclude nine trees and shrubs that areregistered as rare in the Red Book and twothat are in danger of extinction,”Ghandilyan says. “These are alpine maple(Acer trautvetteri) and halfsphere rose(Rosa gaenuspherica).”

“Our nurseries serve the communities ofArmenia by providing fruit and decorativetrees to more than 900 planting sites,”explains Areg Maghakian, ATP DeputyDirector of Operations. “As a result of thiswork, we will soon be able to observe someof the species included in the Red Book inthe parks, churches and schoolsthroughout Armenia.”

“As part of our mission to re-greenArmenia, ATP has a commitment topreserve our precious biodiversity byplanting native and endangered trees allover the country,” adds Maghakian.

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en la importancia del manejo sostenible delos mismos, los beneficios que puedenreportar a las comunidades indígenas ylocales en pro de la preservación de lasmasas forestales nativas.

• Los objetivos del Programa son:• recopilar y sistematizar la información

sobre los PFNM de los bosques nativos,con el fin de llevar estadísticas de suproducción;

• efectuar su adecuada valoración yvalorización como generadores dedesarrollo y como herramientaindispensable para el manejo sostenible; e

• incentivar la investigación y el manejovinculados a los mismos y su apropiadacomercialización.

Entre los PFNM se encuentran lossiguientes productos alimenticios: plantassilvestres, cultivadas y "semidomesticadas"hierbas aprovechables y sus raíces,tubérculos, bulbos, tallos, hojas, brotes, flores,frutos, semillas, etc. Comestibles paraobtener cereales, hortalizas, hongos, grasas yaceites comestibles, especias y aromatizantes,sucedáneos de la sal, edulcolorantes,sucedáneos del cuajo, productos paraablandar la carne, bebidas, tonificantes einfusiones, productos para apagar la sed, etc.También se denominan PFNM al forraje talescomo los alimentos para el ganado y losanimales silvestres, inclusive aves, peces einsectos. Productos farmacéuticos comodrogas, anestésicos, bálsamos, ungüentos,lociones, purgantes, etc., tanto para usohumano como veterinario. Toxinas, productosaromáticos, productos bioquímicos, fibras,productos ornamentales y animales silvestres.(Aportación hecha por: Ing. Cristina Résico yLic. Mariana Burghi, Dirección de Bosques,Secretaría de Ambiente y DesarrolloSustentable de la Nación, San Martín 451, 3° of. 335 (1004) Cap. Fed., Argentina. Fax: +54-(011) 4348-8486; correo electrónico:[email protected]/)

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(Source: Armenia Tree Project pressrelease, 19 September 2011.)


Armenia Tree Project, 65 Main Street,

Watertown, MA 02472, United States of

America. E-mail: [email protected];

www.armeniatree.org/

AUSTRALIA

Truffle trouble despite boom crop in 2011

The head of Australia's biggest truffleproducer, which is located in WesternAustralia (WA), says the multimillion dollarindustry is facing some seriouschallenges. WA is the nation’s largestproducer of truffles, or more precisely, thesleepy southwest hamlet of Manjimup isconsidered to be the epitome of Australia’struffle industry, churning out about 70 percent of the annual crop.

The Wine and Truffle Company chairman,Alf Salter, told PerthNow that this year’sAustralian harvest, currently under waynationwide, will yield about 3 500 kg of thedeliciously rare fungi. With wholesale pricesranging between AUD$1 800 and AUD$2 000/kg, the industry is valued ataround AUD$7 million, although the retailprice is currently a staggering AUD$3000/kg, with the majority of the annual cropdestined for overseas markets.

Mr Salter explained that reporting onthe industry was always overwhelminglypositive, when in reality the key challenge,among many facing the industry atpresent, was establishing, developing andretaining lucrative foreign markets such asFrance, elsewhere in Europe and even theUnited States of America.

He said the Australian market onlyconsumed 600–800 kg/year and,considering the national haul may hit 3 500 kg this year, almost 2 tonnes willneed to head offshore.

“The reality is that we all thought theworld would be clamouring for truffles fromthe southern hemisphere because we aregrowing truffles when the northernhemisphere is not,” he added. “At this timeof year they are growing autumn-summertruffles (Tuber unicinatum), and we aregrowing winter truffles (T. melanosporum).”

He indicated that the long-establishedand highly traditional industry that existsin France and neighbouring Europeancountries meant that the local trufferies(the name given to a truffle orchard)

desperately required a good strategic planto sell that export quantity successfully tothe northern hemisphere. (Source:www.perthnow.com.au, 22 July 2011.)

BANGLADESH

Potential and emerging economic benefits

of mushroom cultivation in the

northeastern region of Bangladesh

Mushrooms are one of the fleshy lower-class parasitic fungi with a distinctivefruiting body. They are delicious, nutritiousand have medicinal value when cultivatedscientifically from seeds. Seven types ofmushroom species are common inBangladesh: Pleurotus spp., Calocybeindica, Volvariella volvacea, Lentinusedodes, Agaricus spp., Ganoderma lucidumand Auricularia polytricha. Among these,Pleurotus spp., locally called oystermushroom, is cultivated the most becauseits cultivation method is very simple and itcan be grown within a temperature rangeof 15–30° C throughout the year.

At present, mushrooms are one of theprimary sources of income for the poor, butthe rich are also engaged in mushroomcultivation as a subsistence income and asa leisure pursuit in Bangladesh. Mushroomcultivation has opened up a newopportunity to earn additional income for agood number of large to smallentrepreneurs in the Sylhet CityCorporation (SCC) area of Bangladesh. Thegreatest advantage for the entrepreneur isthat mushroom cultivation does not requirea large area: mushrooms can be growninside a house, even in an unusual place(such as under the bed).

Generally, entrepreneurs follow the polybag and shelf cultivation method. For 100spawn packet production the required raw

materials are sawdust (16 kg), wheat bran(8 kg), rice straw (2 kg), CaCO3 (2 percent)and water (46 percent). After two to threedays, pin-head flushes appear. Although upto six flushes may be obtained from eachbag, the first three are the most importantfor commercial production. Mushroomscan be harvested within five to seven days.They should not be watered the day beforecollection since this decreases theirpreservation capacity. The packets are keptat rest for one day after harvesting andthen rubbed gently by spoon and sprayed.Mushrooms can be collected again afterten to 15 days. Consequently, within threemonths and from one spawn packet,mushrooms can be collected seven to eighttimes and produce 200–250 g mushroomseach time.

Fresh spawn or mushrooms andmushroom dry powder are the mainproducts that are traded in markets bothlocally and throughout the country.Mushroom-based fast food, snacks anddrinks (mainly coffee) are the mostprofitable businesses in the area. Rawmaterial from mushroom residues is usedby agrifarmers and fishery farmers asfertilizer in their vegetable gardens oragriculture fields, and in ponds as fish food.Recently, many Chinese restaurants andfast food shops have been serving variousdelicious and popular mushroom-basedfood items to their customers. The existingmarketing channel of mushroom andmushroom products in SCC reveals that theentrepreneurs and/or processors are moreor less dependent on intermediaries. Inmost cases, the entrepreneurs are notobtaining real prices because ofintermediaries or retailers. Sometimesthey sell their mushrooms directly toretailers and local consumers orneighbours. When they sell directly towholesalers they obtain comparativelybetter prices than through the existingmarket channel.

The average annual expenditure of thesurveyed enterprises was calculated atTk144 995 (US$2 071.36), whereas theaverage annual income from mushrooms,residues and spawn packet sales wereabout Tk410 874 (US$5 869.63), Tk15 960(US$228) and Tk17 357 (US$247.96),respectively. However, the average totaland net revenue of the surveyedenterprises were calculated at about Tk432 909 (US$6 184.4) and Tk287 914(US$4 113.06) respectively, indicating aprofitable production system. The average

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benefit-cost ratio of mushroom enterpriseswas calculated at 2.90 in SCC.

The mushroom enterprises of SCC alsofaced various problems. The entrepreneursraised issues such as the lack of financialand technical facilities, storage,preservation, effective marketing facilitiesand skilled labour. For example, oystermushrooms cannot be preserved for a longtime; sometimes they do not remain freshfor more than one day and consequentlybuyers are not interested in them.Moreover, the entrepreneurs identified thelack of support in mushroom cultivation bythe extension service of the BangladeshForest Department. It gave training andencouraged entrepreneurs to cultivatemushrooms, but did not take any furthersteps to publicize and popularizemushrooms as a food with consumers.Moreover, no NGOs have yet come forwardto establish a training centre and obtain afinancial loan for mushroom cultivation,given that farmers often face a lack ofproper training, as well as technical andfinancial problems. (Contributed by: Most.Jannatul Fardusi and Md. Habibur Rahman,Department of Forestry and EnvironmentalScience, School of Agriculture and MineralSciences, Shahjalal University of Scienceand Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh.E-mail: [email protected]/)

Wild honey: the terrain in the Sundarbans

forests is one of the most treacherous in

the region

For generations, poor fishers and villagersaround Bangladesh's Sundarbans, thelargest mangrove forests in the world, havebeen collecting wild honey from April toJune every year. The annual honey-gathering season brings many expectationsin the southwest of the country, as itprovides people with much needed extraincome. On average, fishers earnUS$70–80 each during the season. Theyuse this extra money to repay their debts orto repair their boats.

Honey gathering may sound like anormal rural occupation but here it isperhaps the most dangerous job in theworld. As the fishers move about in searchof beehives in the wild, they run the risk ofmeeting a deadly foe – the Royal Bengaltiger. "During this period, the biggestdanger comes from the tigers. They arealways on the prowl and they can kill usinstantly," says Abdus Salam, anexperienced honey gatherer fromBurigoalini village, in the district of

Satkhira in the western Sundarbans. "Thenthere are venomous snakes inside theforests. In these muddy waters, crocodileslie in waiting," he adds. Tiger attackshappen throughout the year but thenumber of incidents goes up during thehoney-gathering season. At least 80 peopleare killed by the tigers every year in theSundarbans.

Fishers normally go from island toisland for about three weeks in their creakyboats collecting honey, made by some ofthe largest and most aggressive bees in theworld.

They travel through muddy saltwaterrivers, creeks and narrow channels thatcriss-cross the Sundarbans forests.

With no other jobs on offer, it seemsthese fishers from the Sundarbans havelittle option than to carry on with one of themost dangerous professions in the world.(Source: BBC News, 20 May 2011.)

CAMEROON

Cameroon via Chelsea

The journey south from Cameroon’s DoualaInternational Airport to Marguerite Akom’shome in one of Africa’s largest rain foreststakes around seven hours in a 4x4. It was ajourney that Akom made this time last yearwhen she came to London to help create agarden at the Chelsea Flower Show and toraise awareness about the threats faced byindigenous people in sub-Saharan Africa.

Akom, 46, who is a pygmy from the Bakacommunity, lives in a poto poto, or mudhome, in the village of Cyrie. It is verydifferent from the mongulu, or leaf house,in which she grew up. Back then, her familylived deep in the forest as hunter-gatherers, until local officials persuadedthem to swap their traditional life for apermanent community built along a track.

“It is the work of women to makemongulus from small lianas and

Marantaceae leaves,” says Akom. “It takesa few hours. We had everything we neededon site. The poto poto home can takeseveral months. To be done fast, the ownermay have to prepare food for those workingand provide the locally brewed alcohol,called odontol.”

Akom lives there with her six childrenand her late husband’s cousin, plus variousvisitors who stay with her because herhusband was a community leader. “Ourstaple meal is based on bushmeat andforest spices, tubers and vegetables. Now itis difficult to have bushmeat as there are somany poachers coming from the cities andtaking advantage of the logging tracks foreasy access to game. Once in a while weeat porcupine, deer, hare, duikers[antelopes], grasscutters, rats, pigs,antelope. It is more and more difficult tohave elephant meat, which used to be aceremonial meat,” says Akom.

The Baka tend to hunt old, usually male,animals in order to preserve their foodsource, unlike poachers, who huntindiscriminately.

“Life in the forest was very good,” saysAkom. “When the hunting expedition wasvery successful we have enough food for acouple of days and sing and dance all night,chanting praises to Enjenqui, the god of theforest.”

“Honey remains very precious to us. Wehave different types of honey collected fromthe forest. NGOs are now teaching us howto produce honey from our backyard. I stilldoubt the honey from hives will taste likethe forest honey. Honey is very important asit is part of the wedding dowry.”

“Our problems are many,” says Akom.“We were the first inhabitants of the forestbut do not have any rights there. Where weused to live in the forest has now been soldfor logging and made into national parksand we are not allowed to go back and livethere. This makes me sad.”

Mongulu-building is one of thetraditional skills that keeps Akom andother women in touch with the forest and,more bizarrely, with the Chelsea FlowerShow. Last year, she and two other pygmywomen from Cameroon built a mongulu atGreen & Black’s rain forest garden tohighlight the fact that hunter-gatherers canbe excellent guardians against activitiessuch as illegal logging, if they are allowedto continue their traditional way of life.

The garden won a gold medal and a visitfrom the Queen, who spent some timetalking, through a translator, to Akom.

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The meeting with the Queen, and Akom’spresence at Chelsea have given her clout inCameroon. She says: “This visit hasempowered me and enabled me to positionmyself as a community resource person.Chelsea has helped organizations workingwith us to push forward our efforts to haveour land rights recognized”.

“Since being at Chelsea we have seensmall changes. The council has startedextending forest fees and royalties to theBaka. What we want is our informedconsent on all initiatives that affect us.”(Source: S. Nnah Ndobe, J. Mougou and J.Owen in The Financial Times, 20 May 2011.)

Rangers put bushmeat poachers in their

sights

In the dense rain forest of easternCameroon a team of rangers is on the huntfor poachers. The group is cracking downon the commercial trade of bushmeat, aproblem that now extends beyond thecountry's borders. "It is the main problemwe face, but with time we will succeed,"said Deng Deng National Park ranger,Julius Tanyi.

The bushmeat trade in Cameroon isillegal, but enforcement is low and profitsare high. Animals caught in the rain forestby poachers are often smuggled by trainfrom the rural areas to the cities. But thethreat to wildlife is becoming greater as themeat is sent further afield.

A study published last year estimatedthat each week around 5 tonnes of illegalAfrican bushmeat is smuggled throughParis Charles de Gaulle airport in France(please see page 20).

The rangers scour the forest for cluesleft by poachers looking to turn threatenedspecies into bushmeat. "On these types ofexpeditions we look for bullets, we look fortraps that people set and animals too,"Tanyi explained. "We see if they [animals]are curious or if they are still running awayfrom us – if they run away from us, itmeans they are threatened."

The meat can be found for sale at amarket close to the park. Roger Fotso,from the Wildlife Conservation Society,says most of the meat for sale comes fromthe rain forest he is trying to protect. Assoon as he arrives at the market a group ofmeat sellers runs away with everything.But Fotso still finds animals such asmonkeys for sale there. "Monkeysreproduce really slowly and it is reallyserious to have people taking away thatmany of them," Fotso explained.

In local markets, bushmeat can fetchbetween US$10–15 but in urban centressuch as the capital Yaoundé, sellers cancharge double. And, as Camerooncontinues to urbanize, the problem isgetting worse. Fotso says there is a newbreed of consumer in the city who buys themeat for prestige instead of sustenance. "Itis quite expensive, so it is more aboutluxury than really having the need for thatbushmeat," he said. "This is taking awayfrom the people in the rural areas wherebushmeat is for local consumption but thisis commercial."

"Very often people tend to point thefinger at the rural poor, but they are not theproblem. The problem is the middlemenwho come from the cities with money, withcartridges, with guns and professionalhunters," Fotso continued. (Source: CNN,17 August 2011.)

CANADA

The economic value of NTFPs

The economic wealth of Canada’s forestshas long been measured in terms of thetrees used to make conventional forestproducts, notably softwood lumber,newsprint and wood pulp. In fact, numerousforest-derived resources make a significantcontribution to many rural communities andhouseholds across Canada through salesrevenue and seasonal employment.

The range of NTFPs is very diverse andincludes those that are: (i) gathered fromthe wild, in either timber-productive or non-timber-productive forests and lands (e.g.mushrooms); (ii) produced in forests undervarying levels of management intensity (e.g.maple syrup); and (iii) produced inagroforestry systems (e.g. forest speciessuch as wild ginseng planted as field crops).

The types of NTFPs that are found inCanada consist of the following.

• Forest-based foods. These includemaple syrup, wild blueberries, wild

mushrooms and native understoreyplants such as wild ginseng andfiddleheads. By-products of the forestindustry can also be converted intoprepared foods (e.g. lignin, a naturalconstituent of wood, which is used tomake artificial vanilla).

• Ornamental products from the forest.These include horticultural speciesbred from wild species (such as cedarsand maples); and decorative or artisticproducts such as Christmas trees andwreaths, fresh or dried floral greenery(e.g. salal), and speciality woodproducts and carvings.

• Forest plant extracts used to makepharmaceuticals and personal careproducts. These include paclitaxel(commonly known by the trade nameTaxol®), which is most often extractedfrom yews such as the Canada yew(ground hemlock). Taxol is widely used asa chemotherapy agent. Other forest plantextracts, particularly conifer essentialoils, are used in a wide range of creamsand other personal care products.

Maple products represent a $354 milliondollar industry in Canada. In 2009, thecountry produced over 41 million litres ofmaple products, including maple syrup.Canada produces 85 percent of the world’smaple syrup.

More than 1.8 million Christmas treeswere sold in Canada’s domestic and exportmarkets in 2009. This seasonal industry isworth about $39 million annually.

Furthermore, Canada is the world’slargest producer of wild (low-bush)blueberries. It exported $127 million offresh and frozen berries in 2009. Most wildblueberries are planted commercially inQuebec and the Atlantic provinces as fieldcrops.

Research by the Canadian Forest Service(CFS) on opportunities related to NTFPshas focused on treatments to increase thelevels of paclitaxel and related compounds(taxanes) in Canada yew before harvesting.New methods to extract taxanes fromCanada yew have also been researched.

As part of Forest 2020, CFS alsoconducted research on other woodperennials that have medical uses. Thesespecies include larch, willow andhawthorn. Another focus of CFS researchhas been on the sustainable harvest andcultivation of forest-based foods, such asmushrooms and several wild berries.(Source: Natural Resources Canada, 20 September 2011.)

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développer les capacités locales relativesaux étapes de transformation des amandesd’essessang. Le processus comprend lesétapes suivantes: la collecte, lafermentation visant à faciliter la pourriturede la pulpe, le lavage et la préparation surle feu afin de fragiliser la coque, leconcassage et, enfin, le séchagepermettant de conserver les amandespendant plusieurs années. La formation sepropose de montrer les avantages de lafermentation accélérée en sachetpolyéthylène, qui ne dure que quatre jours,comparée à la fermentation à l’air libre, quirequiert deux semaines.

Par ailleurs, des acheteurs grossistes enprovenance du Cameroun seront mobiliséset des ventes groupées organisées, ce quidevrait permettre aux populations localesd’obtenir un revenu minimum de 50 000francs CFA par sac de 50 kg vendu (109dollars EU). Les autorités nationales etlocales seront sensibilisées sur cesactivités de développement de la filièreessesang, de façon à ce qu'elles assurentleur soutien administratif à cet égard.


Bruno Bokoto de Semboli, Coordonnateur

national du Projet GCP/RAF/441/GER, FAO B.P.

2157, Bangui, République centrafricaine.




this project.)

CHILE

Exportaciones Forestales de Productos no

Madereros 2010

Las “Exportaciones Forestales deProductos no Madereros 2010” comprendeel último boletín que alude a lasexportaciones chilenas más recientesincluyendo los países de destino, así como

A forest full of opportunities

There are many examples of NTFPs amongthe more than 860 woodlot licences aroundthe province of British Columbia (BC). Awoodlot licence outside Quesnel taps birchand alder trees for producing syrup andfudge, while a woodlot near Campbell Rivertaps big-leaf sugar maple trees. AChilliwack nursery selling only naturalplants finds its vine maple andsalmonberry shoots from the neighbouringwoodlot licence. Another woodlot is used asa source for bows for making wreaths andsalal for floral decorating.

These are but a few examples. Beyondsyrup, birch trees can be a source of toffee,marinades, ice cream toppings, sauces,basketry, weaving, paper from bark, bowls,platters, cutlery, serving utensils, twigfurniture, canoes, paddles, shoe insoles,sleds, snowshoes, oils for cosmetics,medicines, sweeteners (e.g. xylitol), and thelist goes on.

One example of a forest managed formore than timber lies outside the village ofKaslo. The Kootenay Agroforestry Societyholds this woodlot licence and PeterMcAllister manages the multitude ofresources in addition to trees. He harvestsand processes culinary and medicinalmushrooms for sale and teachesworkshops on behalf of the society about“alternative foods” and NTFPs. Peter refersto the many NTFPs as GFTF – “gifts fromthe forest”.

“We have grown a lot of food onunderutilized wood,” McAllister said,“mainly on deciduous species.” Woodlotsprovide many other foods in addition toberries. Pine mushrooms, for example, areharvested and sold to buyers in Japan.Popular shiitake mushrooms are gatheredand then dried using a method that causesthem to secrete maximum amounts ofprecious vitamin D.

McAllister said the society’s workshopshave introduced subjects and skills such asdyeing natural fabrics with lichens; pineneedle and cedar basket weaving; culinaryand medicinal mushroom growing; nativeplants, yew bow-making and edible andpoisonous mushroom identification.

Opportunities abound for the manyNTFPs that have yet to be developed. TheCentre for Livelihoods and Ecology (CLE) atRoyal Roads University is working to provideinformation to understand the potential ofthese species more fully. (Source: BarriereStar Journal in www.bclocalnews.com[Canada], 25 July 2011.)


Centre for Livelihoods and Ecology, Royal Roads

University, 2005 Sooke Road, Victoria, BC V9B

5Y2, Canada. Fax: +250 391 2563; e-mail:

[email protected]; www.royalroads.ca/cle/

CENTRAL AFRICANREPUBLIC

La découverte d’un nouveau produit

forestier non ligneux pour la

commercialisation – les amandes de

Ricinodendron heudelotii

La région de la Lobaye au sud-ouest de laRépublique centrafricaine contientd’importants peuplements d’essessang(Ricinodendron heudelotii), dont lesamandes sont inexploitées du fait d'uneméconnaissance de la part descommunautés locales des potentialités dumarché en Afrique centrale et de l’Ouestcomme des techniques de valorisation.

L'essessang, appelé nzoko en ngbaka etbomboko en issongo, est un arbre de lafamille des euphorbiacées présent dans lesforêts secondaires avec lumière abondante;il peut atteindre 40 m de hauteur et jusqu’à120 cm de diamètre. La plante est protégéelors des défrichements agricoles en raisonde ses multiples usages. En effet, son boisest employé en menuiserie et son écorcecomme produit médicinal, et son ombrageest apprécié; il sert également d’arbre hôtepour des chenilles et des champignonscomestibles (voir Eyog Matig, O. et al. 2006.Les fruitiers forestiers comestibles duCameroun. IPGRI).

Les fruits d’essessang contribuent à unenourriture équilibrée car ils fournissentdes graines oléagineuses riches en lipides,glucides, protéines et calcium etrenferment entre 49 et 63 pour cent d’huile,qui peut être consommée directement ouutilisée en pharmacie. Les amandestransformées en poudre entrent dans lapréparation des poissons braisés et dessauces, car elles servent à épaissir et sontappréciées pour leur goût. La potentialitééconomique de ce produit est largementignorée par les populations de la Lobaye,alors même qu'un sac de 50 kg d’amandesse vend aujourd’hui entre 120 000 et 150 000 francs CFA (260-326 dollars EU)sur le marché camerounais.

C’est à ce titre que, à travers son projetrégional sur les produits forestiers nonligneux, la FAO a programmé uneformation dans les villages pour

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Ricinodendron heudelotii



40

las industrias de mayor producción de losproductos forestales no madereros.

En este número se hace referencia entrelos PFNM más destacados, a las hojas deboldo como planta medicinal utilizada en elmundo y menciona algunas empresasinvolucradas en la comercialización delmismo. También se describe el bambú delgénero Chasquea así como los segmentosde mercado actual y sus potenciales de uso.Ambos productos se analizan teniendo encuenta los antecedentes técnicos y larecopilación bibliográfica especializada.(Fuente: Grupo de Información y Mercado,Sede metropolitana de Chile, InstitutoForestal [INFOR].)


Daniel Soto Aguirre, Investigador, Instituto

Forestal – INFOR, Sucre 2397 – Ñuñoa. Santiago,

Chile. Correo electrónico: [email protected];

www.infor.cl/

COSTA RICA

Los productos forestales no madereros

(PFNM) de Costa Rica

Un reciente estudio sobre un manejotradicional de plantas de Costa Rica se divideen seis capítulos, a saber:

1. Manejo tradicional de lianas y otras fibrasvegetales. Los recursos del bosque tropicalson productores de diferentes tipos de fibras.De acuerdo con la estructura y resistencia delos tejidos, las fibras se clasifican en: (i)fibras suaves: provienen del floemasecundario, como sucede con los génerosCorchorus, Sida, Abutilom, Apeiba yCecropia; y (ii) fibras duras: conformadas porcélulas de mayor resistencia, presentes enlos tejidos internos de las plantas; algunosejemplos son los géneros Agave, Furcraea yAnanas.

No es fácil determinar hasta donde essostenible el manejo de las fibras, ya queen su análisis se mezclan elementosbiológicos, culturales y de mercado. Lainvestigación no ha hecho hincapié en elaprovechamiento, limitándose éste alaprovechamiento de la fibra para usoutilitario, por lo tanto, al incentivarse elaprovechamiento con otras finalidades, lasituación entra en conflicto con elconcepto de sostenibilidad, esto es lo quesucede con el ratán.

2. Etnobotánica y etnofarmacología,disciplinas de valor en la domesticaciónde plantas. Es importante rescatar elconocimiento que aportan ambasdisciplinas sobre elementos de manejotradicional, ecológicos, de protección ydomesticación para la evaluación técnicade los recursos. La importancia que hatomado la etnobotánica en las últimasdécadas, es producto del interés dediferentes organismos por buscaralternativas para la conservación y eldesarrollo de la biodiversidad tropical.

3. Extractivismo y domesticación de

plantas medicinales nativas.

Actualmente, el extractivismo continúa enel Petén pero en otras regiones deGuatemala y en países como México,Honduras y Costa Rica se ha promovido elproceso de domesticación a través de sucultivo en condiciones de mayor avancetecnológico. A pesar de la preocupación delos expertos, organismos internacionales ypúblico en general sobre el futuro de esteecosistema, las consecuencias deldeterioro de los bosques tropicaleshúmedos apenas empieza a dilucidarse.

La biodiversidad vegetal útil haconstituido desde la colonia hasta laactualidad un bien codiciado, tanto en elámbito local como internacional. Suaprovechamiento indiscriminado se hadenominado “extractivismo” y “mineríaforestal”. El extractivismo campesino o elde comunidades indígenas másaculturizadas tiene en general un fuertecomponente de comercialización,centrándose para tal fin en un menornúmero de productos. La presión delmercado a través de su gran demanda yelevados precios para bienes escasospuede estimular un cambio en las técnicasde extracción y una sobreexplotación porencima de la tasa de renovación delrecurso haciendo, a largo plazo, laactividad insostenible.

4. Biodiversidad y manejo sustentable de

plantas aromáticas. Es muy importantepoder conocer los procedimientosracionales que aplican estas culturas y queles han permitido explotar las riquezasnaturales de sus entornos sin amenazarsus subsistencias. Lógicamente lastécnicas difieren mucho según la región ysegún las circunstancias sociales,geográficas y climáticas. Se exponen acontinuación algunos ejemplos de cómo elrecurso genético natural puede serexplotado, sin ejercer el simpleextractivismo, y garantizando supermanencia y diversidad natural.Básicamente son dos los caminos que sepueden seguir: la domesticación de laespecie para su manejo agrícola, o laexplotación sustentable de las poblacionesnaturales.

5. Aprovechamiento de los PFNM del

bosque tropical. El aprovechamiento delos diferentes PFNM por parte decomunidades locales no ha sido objeto deestudio, específicamente lo relacionadocon el aprovechamiento y generación deingresos de las familias locales. No existenestadísticas de mercado local. Otroproblema es la capacidad técnica, referidaa la falta de conocimiento biológico. Esteproblema ocasiona que no se conozcancuales son los productos que provienen delbosque y cuales de cultivos agrícolasconvencionales. Finalmente, debido anormas internacionales que restringen elcomercio internacional de flora y faunasilvestre, se evaden las normativasaduaneras, precisamente para lograr lasexportaciones.

6. Comercio de los PFNM del bosque en

América Latina. Es evidente que elcomercio de plantas medicinales está enaumento en la región latinoamericana y enel mundo. La prioridad en la regiónlatinoamericana radica en caracterizar elestado de desarrollo de las plantasmedicinales. Existe un mercado regionalimportante que debe fortalecerse conmedidas políticas. El mercadointernacional debe mejorar los precios dela materia prima y/o promover laproducción de extractos.


Sr. Rafael Ocampo, Jardín Agroecológico,

Bougainvillea S.A., Apartado Postal 764-3100,

Santo Domingo, Heredía, Costa Rica. Correo

electrónico: [email protected]/


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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICOF THE CONGO

Plantes médicinales de traditions:

province de l’Equateur

A recent book (Plantes médicinales detraditions: province de l’Equateur, R.D.Congo) contains a wealth of information onlocal medicinal uses, including the differentplant parts used and the way of preparationof the medicine, of more than 350 medicinalplants of the Equator province in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo (DRCongo). All this information was documentedby a team of 25 research workers from theInstitut de recherche en sciences de la santé,who held interviews with 537 traditionalhealers belonging to 51 tribes in 255 villagesand four towns throughout the province. Inaddition, each medicinal plant has a briefdescription, some information on its ecologyand a list of vernacular and French names.Vernacular names have been noted in morethan 50 languages in total, and at the back ofthe book these names have been indexed bylanguage and also alphabetically. Wherepossible, the medicinal plants are illustrated,adding more value to the book.

This publication can be considered as oneof the steps towards a completepharmacopoeia of DR Congo. There areseveral other books and articles on themedicinal plants in DR Congo, but most ofthem focus on specific diseases or are muchless detailed in their uses. A database withthe documented information on themedicinal plants of DR Congo, with samplesstored in a herbarium for verification, wouldbe of immense help to a diverse group ofusers, including traditional healers, studentsand researchers, pharmacists, chemists,biologists, rural development agencies,conservation agencies and even privateenterprises.

More information concerning species thatare useful for cultivation in home gardenswould also be welcome, so that people canhave plants close at hand to treat common

ailments such as fever, malaria, diarrhoeaand skin problems. Planting local medicinalplants in home gardens helps in thedomestication process of some species, andat the same time protects wild populationsfrom unsustainable harvesting.


Augustin Konda Ku Mbuta, ANAMED, Kinshasa,

Democratic People’s Republic of the Congo.

E-mail [email protected]

or Paul Latham, Croft Cottage, Forneth,

Blairgowrie, PH10 6SW, United Kingdom.

E-mail: [email protected]/

(Please see page 69 for more information.)

ETHIOPIA

Wild plants and contributions to food and

health-care security

Wild food consumption is common in ruralareas of Ethiopia. Wild plants are alsoimportant as food supplements and a meansof survival during times of drought andfamine. Wild food plants are of specialnutritional importance as sources ofvitamins, minerals, trace elements, dietaryfibre and protein. They contribute toimproved local food security and income, andhelp overcome a number of health problemsassociated with nutrient deficiency. In partsof southern Ethiopia, the consumption of wildfood plants is one of the most important localsurvival strategies. In recent times, theirconsumption and use have intensified as aresult of repeated climatic shockshampering agricultural production.

Nutraceuticals – foods or naturallyoccurring food supplements with beneficialeffects on human and livestock health – playan important role in health and nutritionalsecurity in Ethiopia. Over 80 percent ofmedicines for primary health care in thecountry are in fact derived from plantproducts. Among the illnesses that are mostoften treated with medicinal plants areinternal parasites, skin ailments, tapeworminfections, snake poisons, dog bites and liverdiseases.

Indigenous fruits and seeds of trees andshrubs are commonly consumed fresh inmany parts of Ethiopia by children, herdersand hunters. This helps to maintain theirnutritional and medicinal content and value.Wild fruits in particular contribute greatly tothe nutrition and health security of ruralpeople because of the many major elementssuch as proteins, vitamins and minerals theypossess.

Nevertheless, research on sustainableutilization of these edible and medicinal wildplants is inadequate in Ethiopia.Consequently, an ethnobotanical studyaiming to identify key nutraceutical wildplants and document associated indigenousknowledge was conducted in six study sites ofsemi-arid east Shewa, Ethiopia. The studyanalysed local use and managementpractices and implications for the food andhealth security of people living in semi-aridareas. Twenty nutraceutical plants wereidentified: 35 percent shrubs, 6 percent treesand 5 percent lianas for human food, livestockfeed and medicine. Results showed that localpeople have diverse indigenous knowledge onthe use and management of nutraceuticals.Transhumant pastoralists used 95 percentnutraceuticals and settled farmers 65 percent. Twenty nutraceutical wild plantswere used to treat 11 human and ninelivestock ailments/health problems. Thereare a large number of nutraceutical plantsthat can be used for the nutrition and healthcare of people in semi-arid areas. Sincetranshumant pastoralists are more intimatewith nature and more knowledgeable, theyhave been able to adapt to climatic changesby using locally available nutraceuticals forthemselves and their livestock. Climatechange adaptation strategies can be built onthis indigenous knowledge for thesustainable use of nutraceuticals fornutrition and health security.

The study revealed, however, that theclearance of vegetation for crop production isthreatening the survival of wild plants andhence undermining the health, food andfinancial security of local people. Moreover,the environmentally friendly resource useand conservation practices over generationsof the transhumant pastoralists of eastShewa are also eroding. In short,nutraceutical wild plants are declining withthe natural vegetation of the area. There isthus an urgent need for the sustainableutilization, documentation and managementof these wild edible plants. (Source: D.H.Feyssa, J.T. Njoka, M.M. Nyangito and Z.Asfaw, 2011. Nutraceutical wild plants ofsemiarid east Shewa, Ethiopia. Contributionsto food and healthcare security of thesemiarid people. J. Forestry, 5(1): 1–16.)


D.H. Feyssa, Department of Land Resources

and Agricultural Technology, College of

Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University

of Nairobi, PO Box 29053, Nairobi, Kenya.

Fax: 254-020-632121.

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GEORGIA

The Georgian Society of Nature Friends

The Georgian Society of Nature Friends(GSNF) is an organization that serves toeducate the community about our naturalenvironment and protect it. We have astrategy of raising public environmentalawareness and institutional development ofcommunity and organizational networks forthe creation of the necessary actions relatedto environmental conservation.

In support of these strategies, in Octoberthis year the organization plans to conducta three-day training programme for 17employees and volunteers covering areasof fundraising, project writing, publiccommunication and organizational capacitydevelopment. Participants will learn usefuland important information on the aboveissues, and will then be able to assist theirlocal communities in the implementation ofenvironmental activities, as well as raiseawareness of environmental issues inGeorgia.


Georgian Society of Nature Friends (GSNF),

Chadari Street #9, Telavi 2200, Georgia.

E-mail: [email protected];

[email protected]/

HAITI

Bamboo project

The Foré Bamboo initiative is partnering withHaitian community organizations to plantand maintain non-invasive construction-grade bamboo. This bamboo can then beused to relieve the housing andenvironmental crises in Haiti.

On the World Bamboo Organization’sfirst trip to Haiti, two huge problems werevery striking: the urgent need for housingand the barren, deforested hillsides. In aneffort to contribute to Haiti’s long-termsustainable development, this bamboo



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project, led by Foré Bamboo, aims to tackleboth of these massive problems head on.So far, it has planted over 15 000 ft² (1 393.5m2) of bamboo nursery with four Haitiancommunity partner organizations, and isplanning to expand ambitiously in thecoming year.

The goal is to develop bamboo as amultipurpose crop to build disaster-resistant houses, slow down deforestationand erosion, and develop the local economy.The strategy is to partner with local Haitianorganizations that can provide land andsocial capital, and help them with thetechnicalities of growing bamboo andbuilding safe houses. All the profits, botheconomic and environmental, go directly tothe Haitians in the community.

Why bamboo? Bamboo is a phenomenalconstruction material. Over 1.5 millionHaitians are in desperate need of shelter.Bamboo is a cheap, sustainable and locallysourced building material that can be usedto build earthquake- and hurricane-resistant houses.

Bamboo will also help the economy.Because it is incredibly versatile, it canincrease farmers’ incomes and create jobsin construction, agriculture and energy, etc.This economic incentive is incrediblyimportant to ensure that the project issustainable in the long term.

Furthermore, bamboo is extremelybeneficial to the environment. Erosion,deforestation and mass extinction are allenormous problems in Haiti. Bambooreduces soil erosion, provides a multitude ofenvironmental services and takes the stressoff natural forests, protecting the threatenedspecies within. It is one of the best plants forcarbon sequestration, which is extremelyimportant as the impacts of climate changebecome more catastrophic. (Source: WorldBamboo Organization, 11 July 2011.)

INDIA

Medicinal plants to get “good quality” tag

India's wonder plants with medicinalproperties will now come with a special"good quality” tag with the Governmentputting in place a voluntary certificationscheme for medicinal plant produce basedon good agricultural and field collectionpractices. This, it said, will enhanceconfidence in the quality of India's medicinalplant produce and make good-quality rawmaterial available to the Ayurvedic andherbal drugs industry.

Under the scheme, launched jointly bythe National Medicinal Plants Board andthe Quality Council of India, anyproducer/collector or group ofproducers/collectors can obtaincertification from a designated certificationbody and will be under its regularsurveillance. (Source: The Times of India, 6 June 2011.)

Campaign to make India the land of spice

Veda

India, which is known as the land ofAyurveda, might soon acquire anotherdistinction globally as the “land of spiceVeda” if the proposed Spices Boardcampaign yields the targeted impact.

The Spices Board is working on acampaign focusing on the health benefits ofspices as part of efforts to promoteexports, the Board Chairman, Dr A.Jayathilak, said during an interactionprogramme with The Times of Indiajournalists here recently.

Spice exports from India doubled fromUS$0.52 billion in 2005 to US$1.17 billion in2010. In 2010–11, they had shot up toUS$1.20 billion and the target is to jackexports up to US$10 billion in 2025, he said.

The elimination of pesticide content willbe a prerequisite for promotion of exportsand the Spices Board is launching variousinitiatives to ensure that Indian spices arefree from pesticide residue, the Chairmanadded. (Source: The Times of India, 20 September 2011.)

Contribution of NTFPs to the rural

economy in Chhattisgarh

A recent research-based study wasconducted in Chhattisgarh (CG) state withthe overall objective of understanding thestatus of NTFPs and their contribution tothe rural economy. Detailed surveys andinterviews were carried out at thehousehold level in the six forested districtsselected in north Surguja, Manendragarh,Dharamjaigarh, Kawardha, eastBhanupratappur and Jagdalpur. In eachdistrict, ten representative villages wereselected for an intensive survey and in eachselected village, 20 households belongingto different socio-economic strata weresurveyed. Thus, a total of 1 200 householdswere interviewed/surveyed from 60selected sample villages.

The state of Chhattisgarh has a totalforest area of 59 772 km2, which is about 44 percent of the total area; it also has thehighest percentage (31.8 percent) of


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scheduled tribes (STs), i.e. 20.83 million.The Government considers thatunemployment in tribal areas could beaddressed by central government throughNTFP-based activities. There istremendous scope and relevance in the2006 Forest Rights Act and the NTFPaccess benefit, but there is a long way to goas far as the implementation of the Act isconcerned.

Income from NTFPs goes towardsinvestment in agriculture, serves as a risk-hedging instrument in crop loss years, andmeets emergency health requirementsand major consumption expenditures suchas clothes and festivals.

Over 625 NTFP species are reported tobe available in CG forests, with an annualpotential of around Rs1 000 crore. The CGMFP (Minor Forest Products) Federationestimates the trade in NTFPs at aroundRs700 crore. Assuming a simplecorrelation with proportionate forest areaand tribal population as per all India NTFPemployment potential figures, it isestimated that at least 100 million persondays of employment are generated byNTFP collection and trade in Chhattisgarh.The major NTFPs available and collectedin the state are tendu leaves, narra, palashflower and seed, mahua flower and seed,sal seed, kusum seed, mango kernel,babul gum, neem seed and charota seed.Over 200 species of medicinal, aromaticand dye plants are found in abundance.

The study shows that 73.9 percent of thesample population was found to be belowthe poverty line. In all villages, local peoplegathered various NTFPs for commercialpurposes. Of the total number ofhouseholds studied, 31.1 percent gatheredup to 100 kg of NTFPs, 29.8 percentgathered 100–300 kg, 27.8 percentgathered 300-1 000 kg, while the

remaining 11.3 percent householdscollected more than 1 000 kg of NTFPsover the last year. This indicates that thequantity of NTFPs collected for sale variedper household and location of village.

Household NTFP collection varied, from80 to 166 days in Jagdalpur, Dharmjaigarhand north Surguja forest divisions. In CS,NTFP collection (excluding fuelwood andfodder) is the second largest contributor(average 23 percent) to the householdeconomy of the sample population afterthe agriculture sector (44 percent). Theaverage time spent by rural households onNTFP collection is around five hours everyday. The average monetary value of NTFPsgathered overall by the sampledhouseholds is Rs8 142 (approximatelyUS$1 700), whereas in tribal areas thehighest was Rs9 358 (approximately US$1 950) annually, which shows a higherdependence on NTFPs by tribal people.

The average distance travelled to collectNTFPs is 4.3 km. Women’s participation inNTFP collection was found to be higherthan men’s in households of all socialcategories. Women gather NTFPs alone aswell as with male members and children of

the family. At household level, people donot have separate facilities to store theNTFPs collected from the forests.Generally, NTFP items are stored in thetraditional way, using earthen pots, sacks,containers and bamboo baskets.

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Actin India and thereby enactment of PESA(Panchayat Extension to Scheduled AreasAct 1996), have bestowed ownership ofNTFPs to Gram Sabhas (village councils).As a result, the state Forest Departmentdecided that all net receipts from tenduleaves (used for wrapping countrycigarettes) should be distributed toprimary cooperative societies for theprimary collectors of tendu leaves. Since2008, the profit earned from the trade ofnationalized NTFPs is distributed by theDepartment in the following manner: 80percent as incentive wages to thecollector; 15 percent used for collection,sale and value addition of non-nationalizedNTFPs; and 5 percent for the temporaryreimbursement of losses (if any).

The pricing mechanism practised by theFederation is more or less based oncurrent prevalent market rates of NTFPs,which are decided by the big traders. Thesmall processing units have beendeveloped and handed over to local self-help groups. At the time of this study(2010), 65 processing/production centres(including 15 for lac production and one forprocessing; four for honey collection; 11for collection of raw MFPs; nine for mahulleaf processing and for aonla processing;three for making herbal products; two forprocessing chirinji; one for cashew nutprocessing; three for oilseed processing;five for tamarind processing; two forcollection of herbal medicines; and one forprocessing herbal foods) had beenestablished in various parts of the statewith financial support of Rs20 lakh fromthe European Commission for eachprocessing/production unit. Innovativeprogrammes adopted by the ForestDepartment with its funding include:training for non-destructive harvesting; aherbal processing unit; introduction of aminimum support price for selectedNTFPs; and establishment of an organiccertification body. (Contributed by:Professor P. Bhattacharya, NRM, Dean,University School of EnvironmentManagement, GGS Indraprastha University, Block-A, Sector 16 C, Dwarka,New Delhi 110075, India. E-mail:[email protected]/)

Category of NWFP Major component Total species Trade in crores (Rs)

Nationalized tendu leaves, sal seed, narraand gums, kullu, dhawda, babul, khair 7 375

Non-nationalized, kusum, palash, mahul, karanj,non-medicinal thikhur, baichandi, imli, mahua,

lac, mahul leaves, chirinji, etc. 30 275

Non-nationalized, honey, bel, kalijiri, dhavai, shatawar,medicinal nagarmotha, bahera, malkangani,

bhilawa, marodfali, baibaring, vanjeera, kalmegh, aonla 42 50

Total 79 700

Trade of NTFPs in Chhattisgarh state

Source: CG MFP Federation; US$1= Rs48 at time of study; 1 crore = 10 million rupees.



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ITALY

Unusual and local beers

The latest Italian craft beers are inspired bylocal ingredients and require the sameattention generally reserved for qualitywine. In Italy, grapevines cast longshadows. But brewers embrace them,infusing their beer with the complexflavours of local bounty such as chestnutsand thyme, as well as grapes, of course.Plus, while a ginseng ale would never fly in,say, Germany, Italian breweries can playfreely. "We do not have a heavy beer cultureon our shoulders, so we are free toexperiment," says Leonardo Di Vincenzo ofBirra del Borgo, one of only about 280breweries in the country. New-wave Italianrestaurants love the beer because it istypically lighter and less sweet than manyhigh-end American brews. (Source: WallStreet Journal, 21 May 2011.)

JAPAN

Sustainable sourcing sought for wild plant

industry

TRAFFIC has launched a new project topromote sustainable production andconsumption of wild medicinal andaromatic plants traditionally used inJapan.

“Wild plants are hugely important inJapanese culture for a variety of purposes,including traditional ‘Kampo’ medicine, astraditional ‘Kodo’ incense, in cosmeticsand as ornaments and, more recently,they have been imported as ingredients inherbal teas and as cooking spices,” saidKahoru Kanari of TRAFFIC East Asia’soffice in Japan. “As environmentalawareness and the demand for a healthylifestyle grow among Japaneseconsumers, it is now more important thanever to promote sustainable use of theseresources.”

The new project, “Saving Asianmedicinal and aromatic plant speciesthrough involvement of the Japaneseprivate sector”, will help Japanesecompanies to introduce responsibleproduction and sourcing practices for wildplant ingredients. At the same time,consumers will be encouraged to seeksustainably sourced products.

According to The State of Wildlife Tradein Japan, a TRAFFIC report, in 2007 Japanwas the fourth largest importer (in termsof value) of medicinal and aromatic plants

used in the pharmaceutical industry –some US$118 million.

“Worldwide, many wild plant speciesare threatened through overexploitation,and Japan is a major consumer of wild plantresources,” said Anastasiya Timoshyna,TRAFFIC’s programme leader for medicinaland aromatic plants. “A long-termcommitment by Japanese industry to adoptsustainable sourcing practices would have asignificant impact on the conservation ofmedicinal plants in the wild.”

The project will encourage implementationof the international best practices forsustainable plant harvesting laid down in theFairWild Standard, and is supported by theKeidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF)as part of TRAFFIC’s work on medicinal andaromatic plants. (Source: TRAFFIC Web site,23 June 2011.)

Beekeeping in Japan hit by disaster

As a result of the earthquake and tsunamiin Japan on 11 March 2011, damage causedto the Fukushima nuclear power plant hasled to a 20-km evacuation zone around theplant. The exclusion of traffic and thebreakdown in petrol supplies haveprevented many beekeepers from gainingaccess to their bees.

Mr Mizuhisa Fujiwara is the thirdgeneration of a beekeeping family in AkitaPrefecture and is a regular supplier ofhoney to Tamagawa University bookstore.Mr Fujiwara’s colonies are currently inseveral out-apiaries for overwintering andready to start up early for fruit-treepollination including apple, cherry andpeach. A major nectar flow from Robiniapseudoacacia will begin in late May. Manybeekeepers want to know what to do withtheir bees as the beekeeping seasonbegins. Japan’s Beekeepers’ Association(JBA) has received many enquiries frommembers, while the Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) had nothingto refer to on honey bees and radiationwhen this serious incident occurred.

Professor Jun Nakamura, Secretary-General of the Asian ApiculturalAssociation (AAA), at the Honeybee ScienceResearch Center at Tamagawa Universitywas consulted by both MAFF and JBA onthis unexpected situation. With ascintillation counter he visited Iwaki city tomeet Mr Fujiwara and check his colonies.Professor Nakamura reports that theLivestock Hygiene Service Center of southSoma is helping beekeepers to evacuatetheir colonies and providing them with

disease-free certificates on site. JBAunderstands that there are still 1 500colonies within the power plant evacuationzone. (Source: Bees for DevelopmentJournal, 99, June 2011.)


Hitomi Enomoto, Asian Apicultural Association

Coordinator, Honeybee Science Research Center,

Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo 194-8610,

Japan. E-mail: [email protected]/

LAO PEOPLE’SDEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

FAO celebrates first cricket harvest in the

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Within the framework of the project“Sustainable insect farming and harvestingfor better nutrition, improved food securityand household income generation,” whichkicked off in January 2011, FAO beganintroducing small-scale cricket farming atthe School for Gifted and Ethnic Students,National University of Laos (NUoL).

The pilot project held "Saep E Li [verytasty] – the Celebration of the first cricketharvesting" last Saturday, gatheringbetween 300 and 400 students fromdifferent schools at the School for Giftedand Ethnic Students, Lao news agencyreported. This event provided anopportunity for the students involved in thepilot activity to share and exchange theirexperiences on cricket farming. The eventinvolved insect cooking demonstrations,tasting sessions of free edible insects andlessons on insect breeding and thenutritional benefits of insects.

FAO, together with the Faculty ofAgriculture, NUoL, has thus far workedwith four different species of insects: thehouse cricket, the mealworm, the palmweevil (which is bred) and the weaver ant(semi-bred in trees).

For the project, students aged 16 to 18years were taught the techniques of cricketbreeding at their schools. They were alsotaught about the nutritional benefits of


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insects, especially as complementary food inthe Lao diet. (Source: BERNAMA [MalaysianNational News Agency], 30 May 2011.)

Deux séries de timbres en l’honneur de la

diversité des produits forestiers non

ligneux dans la République démocratique

populaire lao

Les produits forestiers non ligneux (PFNL)de la République démocratique populairelao ont été mis à l’honneur par deux sériesde timbres, à l’occasion de l'Annéeinternationale de la biodiversité 2010 et del'Année internationale des forêts 2011.Une contribution du secteur privé forestier

Ces deux séries de timbres sont le fruitd’un partenariat entre le Ministère despostes et télécommunications, le Ministèrede l’agriculture et des forêts et AgroforexCompany. Cette société, établie enRépublique démocratique populaire laodepuis 20 ans, est spécialisée dans laproduction et la valorisation sur le marchéinternational des PFNL issus d’une gestiondurable des écosystèmes forestiers. Lespartenaires de la société en aval sont lesleaders mondiaux de l’industriearomatique et pharmaceutique.Un double hommage: à l’action des

hommes sur la préservation de la

biodiversité, et à la place de la forêt dans

la vie des hommes

En valorisant les produits naturelsforestiers, la société reconnaît la richessedes connaissances traditionnelles descommunautés forestières, grâceauxquelles ces produits et les essencesforestières dont ils sont issus ont pu êtreprotégés et conservés depuis desdécennies. Inversement, l’existence et lavalorisation de ces produits procurent auxfamilles rurales soit des usages(alimentaires, médicinaux, techniques,etc.), soit, s’ils sont commercialisés, unrevenu monétaire complémentaire à leuréconomie vivrière. Les deux séries detimbres portent ce double message.Confirmer à la population lao l’usage

industriel de ces produits naturels, et aux

industries internationales l’origine lao de

ces matières premières

Ces deux séries de timbres s’adressenttant à un public national qu’international :les Lao découvrent les usages (bienvivants!) de ces produits traditionnels dansl’industrie aromatique et pharmaceutique.Ces industries, pour leur part, se voientconfirmer l’origine géographique de cesmatières premières qu’elles intègrent dansleurs formules au quotidien.

Douze produits à l’honneur

La collection de timbres émise en 2010 sedécline en deux séries : une série deplantes aromatiques (le bois d’agarAquilaria crassna, la verveine exotiqueLitsea cubeba et le gingembre rougeZingiber sp.) et une série de plantespharmaceutiques (l’aliboufier à benjoinStyrax tonkinensis, la barbifloreOrthosiphon stamineus et la noix vomiqueStrychnos nux vomica).

La collection 2011 est dédiée auxessences forestières sources de quatreautres PFNL de la Républiquedémocratique populaire lao: CinnamomumLoureiris, qui produit la cannelle royale,Scapium lychnophorum, dont est issue lanoix de malva, Shorea spp., à l’origine de lagomme dammar, et Dipterocarpus alatus,qui donne le gurjum et deux produitsinféodés à plusieurs espèces forestières, la cire d’abeille et la gomme laque.(Auteur: F. Chagnaud, DG, AgroforexCompany, PO Box 6682, 43-45 Piene MorinRoad, 01000 Vientiane, Républiquedémocratique populaire lao. Courriel:[email protected]/)

PLANTES DE LA RÉPUBLIQUEDÉMOCRATIQUE POPULAIRE LAO À USAGES INDUSTRIELS AROMATIQUESET PHARMACEUTIQUES

L'année 2010 a été proclamée Annéeinternationale de la biodiversité par lesNations Unies. A cette occasion, et après 18 ans de travaux sur la biodiversitévégétale en République démocratiquepopulaire lao, Agroforex Company a leplaisir de s'associer à cet événement. Parmices ressources, les plantes aromatiques etpharmaceutiques tiennent une place touteparticulière: leurs propriétés et leurpotentiel industriel sont tels qu'elles sontconvoitées par les plus grandes industriesinternationales. Les six plantes proposéessont natives du pays et gérées depuis desgénérations par les communautésvillageoises, qui ont une responsabilitédans leur maintien au sein de cettebiodiversité végétale. Leur exploitationraisonnée et leur commercialisationreprésentent un moyen non seulement depérenniser la conservation de ces espècesvégétales, mais surtout d'apporter uncomplément de revenu monétaire à denombreuses familles rurales.

PRODUITS FORESTIERS NON LIGNEUXDE LA RÉPUBLIQUE DÉMOCRATIQUEPOPULAIRE LAO

L’année 2011 a été proclamée Annéeinternationale des forêts par les NationsUnies. La République démocratiquepopulaire lao, dotée d’un domaineforestier vaste et composé de différentstypes de forêt, s’associe à cet événementet rappelle, parmi les différentes fonctionsdes forêts, l’importance des produits nonligneux.Les produits non ligneux peuvent être desfruits, des fleurs, des résines, mais aussides produits animaux (cire, miel, gommelaque, etc.). Six produits figurent danscette nouvelle collection et sont illustréspar les essences forestières auxquels ilssont associés.Depuis près de 20 ans, AgroforexCompany promeut la pérennisation dumarché international des produitsforestiers non ligneux du pays. Il s’agitd’une exploitation renouvelable quigénère des revenus monétairescomplémentaires aux communautésforestières, directement attachées à laconservation de ce domaine forestier.



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LEBANON

Cedar forests ecotourism boom

Lebanon's 2 000 ha of cedar forest are apeaceful oasis for hikers, mountain bikersand bird-watchers, a world away from thehustle and bustle of Beirut. In the ShoufCedar Reserve, the country's largest naturalforest, villagers make a living selling home-made jam, honey, pickled olives and wine totourists. The area was declared a UNESCOBiosphere Reserve in 2005.

While sustainable tourism is booming,the ancient forests are under threat fromclimate change. Nizar Hani, manager ofShouf Cedar Reserve, said: “Right now wehave a new challenge for the cedar forest inLebanon, which is climate change”.

The reserve is trying to raise awarenessof biodiversity among its visitors and thelocal community, including schools anddecision-makers. It had 40 000 visitors lastyear, with 65 percent Lebanese and 35percent foreigners. This year, it isexpecting to receive 50 000 visitors.

Villagers in the forest benefit from asustainable tourism programme to sell 42different home-made products, from honeyto walnut jam, herbs and olive oil, totourists. Hani said: "About 40 womenbenefit from this programme. We increasetheir income and they work on a seasonalbasis to prepare all the products. Inaddition to the women, we have thebeekeepers. They can put their bees in thereserve and at the end of the seasonpromote their honey here."

Cedar trees have a fond place inLebanese history as well as in the centre ofthe country's flag. (Source: CNN, 10 August2011.)

PAKISTAN

In situ conservation of medicinal plants in

Chitral

Glycyrrhiza glabra (liquorice root, knownlocally as muruk) is a species found in theKarimabad and Mustuj areas of Chitral andgrows on marginal lands, usually fieldboundaries of agricultural lands. Thisundershrub plant starts sprouting in April,develops flowers in May and the podsmature in July.

The roots are used locally as remediesfor throat infections, stomach problemsand coughs. The population of thisvaluable species is rapidly declining in thedistrict because the local communities

overharvest its roots for these localremedies and collect roots before seedsetting. Moreover, there is heavy grazingby livestock in the area.

In order to conserve muruk and othervaluable species in the forests of Chitral,the Directorate of Non-Timber ForestProducts, Khyber Pukhtunkhaw ForestDepartment Development Office Chitralhas initiated a special in situ conservationapproach along the following lines.

• A Medicinal Plant Conservationcommittee has been formed in Chitral’sMomy valley involving the localcommunity, especially graziers(nomadic people). This committee has20 members (15 men and five women)belonging to various villages and castesin the valley.

• An area of about 10 acres (4 ha) hasbeen declared a Conservation Area ofMedicinal Plants (CAMP) and, byinvolving the local community, grazinghere has been banned for a period offive years in order to ensure theregeneration of muruk.

• A chowkidar (watchman) from the localcommunity of Momy has been hired tolook after the area and three villagevolunteers have also been engaged tocontrol grazing there.

• One acre (0.4 ha) of degradedcommunal range land has beenreplanted with liquorice roots.

• Through a valley gathering, 56 localplant collectors have been trained insustainable harvesting of medicinalplants.

(Contributed by: Mr Iftilhar Ahmad andAjaz Ahmad, Directorate of Non-TimberForest Products, KPK Forest Department,Shami Road, Peshawar, Pakistan. E-mail:[email protected]/)

PHILIPPINES

Philippines' tribes try to save their forest

Over 40 000 ha of land, including vastswathes of forest of Occidental Mindoro, isclaimed by the Mangyan people as theirancestral domain. The land is believed tobe rich in gold, natural gas and mineralsworth many millions of dollars. The stakesare high and the Mangyan are fightingagainst all odds. They are an ethnic andlinguistic minority group of fewer than 25 000 in number.

A Mangyan family earns on average justUS$0.34/day. Historically nomadic andforest gatherers, the tribes often struggleto feed themselves. The consequences areobvious as 60 percent of Mangyan childrenare malnourished and infant mortalityrates are so high that a child is consideredfortunate to reach the age of ten.

According to government regulations, allindigenous peoples such as the Mangyantribes must prove their ownership of the landthey claim as rightfully theirs through titledeeds and legally valid documentation. Giventhat the majority of Mangyan are illiteratewith limited contact with the outside world,their ability to support their claim is fraughtwith tremendous challenges, renderingthem even more vulnerable.

They rely on support from local andinternational community developmentorganizations such as Plan International.For their title claim, the organization – withsupport from the EU – is assisting theMangyan to survey their land, create 3Dmaps of their domain and document theiroral history, which is replete withreferences to geographic landmarks. (Source: Aljazeera, 14 September 2011.)

PORTUGAL

Portugal’s traditional cork industry fights

modern challengerss

In the centuries-old cork forests of southernPortugal, locals who for generations haveharvested the bark that caps billions ofbottles around the world do not think muchof the rival plastic stoppers and metalscrewcaps threatening their livelihoods.“Cork is a safer bet,” says João Simões, a64-year-old, as he peels the bark off a corkoak – a job he has been doing for the past 40years. “It seals [bottles] better.”

Some of the world’s leadingwinemakers disagree. Since the turn of thecentury they have used more and more


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alternative stoppers in an unprecedentedthreat for the economy of Portugal, theworld’s largest cork producer and one ofWestern Europe’s poorest countries. Thecompetition compelled Portuguese corkcompanies, accustomed to a long-standing near-monopoly, to embark on ado-or-die makeover. Now, producers say,their modernization and diversificationprogramme is paying off.

They say they have checked the steepdrop in the market share for corkstoppers, holding it at around 70 percentfor the past two years. And last year, corkexports improved for the first time in adecade with a growth of more than 8percent, according to the NationalStatistics Institute.

“For the first time in 250 years, the corkindustry was actually challenged,” saysAntonio Amorim, Chairman and ChiefExecutive Officer of Amorim, Portugal’soldest and largest cork company. “Wewould like to ... think that the worst timesfor the cork industry are behind us.”

Portugal supplies about half of globalcork production, and the spongy bark is amajor export earner for a nationaleconomy that is floundering.

Cork’s recovery illustrates the kind ofoverhaul that officials say Portuguesebusinesses need to become morecompetitive. Modernization “is the path wemust take with the utmost urgency”,Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silvasaid last month.

The cork industry ensures thelivelihoods of some 10 000 Portugueseworkers and their families, most of themin rural areas where jobs are hard to comeby. “The economic importance of the corkindustry and of the cork forest isabsolutely critical,” says Carlos de Jesus,operational director of APCOR, thePortuguese cork association.

The challenge to Portugal’s dominancecame from the other side of the globe.Winemakers in Australia and New Zealandwere unhappy about what they said wasthe inconsistent quality of cork stoppersand occasional “cork taint” – the sour,musty taste that spoils a wine and iswidely blamed on chemical interactionwith the cork. It is what people refer towhen they say a bottle of wine is “corked”.

On top of that, a cork stopper costsbetween €0.25 and €2; its synthetic rivalcomes in at €0.15–€0.40.

Most New World producers, who exportmuch of their wine to the United Kingdom

Afin de développer les filières PFNL,deux formations à l’approche de l'Analyseet du développement des marchés (ADM)ont été organisées par la FAO et leMinistère en charge des forêts à Abala et à Madingo-Kayes en août 2011.Cette approche développée et appliquée par la FAO depuis plus de 20ans en Asie, en Amérique latine et enAfrique est une méthodologie participative conçue pour aider lespopulations locales à créer desentreprises rémunératrices tout enconservant les ressources forestières. Laméthode comprend trois phases: la phase1 consiste à identifier les entrepreneurs etles produits potentiels, la phase 2 àsélectionner les produits les plusprometteurs, à identifier les marchéspotentiels et à examiner les moyens decommercialiser les produits, et la phase 3à préparer la stratégie et le pland’entreprise et à faire démarrer lesentreprises forestières.

Les études de base menées dans lecadre du Projet ont permis de se faire une idée sur les éléments desphases 1 et 2 de l’ADM. En conséquence,les formations ont mis l’accent sur laphase 3, élucidant les flux decommercialisation, soulignant lesavantages de la collaboration en groupeau niveau des villages, et amenant lesparticipants à déterminer leurs objectifsfinanciers et à élaborer des stratégiespour les atteindre.

Au total, 48 participants ont été formésdurant cinq jours dans les deux sites, etneuf plans de développement d’entreprise(PDE) pilotes ont été développés. Lesactivités après la formation prévoient unerestitution dans les villages, suivie del’élaboration et de la mise en œuvre dePDE pour d'autres groupes de cesvillages.

À la suite et dans le cadre du mêmeprojet, la FAO organise des formationssimilaires au Gabon et en Républiquecentrafricaine.


Armand Asseng Zé, Spécialiste ressources

naturelles et produits forestiers non ligneux,

Coordination régionale du Projet PFNL

GCP/RAF/441/GER, FAO B.P. 281 Yaoundé,

Cameroun. Courriel:

[email protected];



this project.)

and the United States of America, haveconverted to synthetic closures andscrewcaps. Some producers on othercontinents have followed suit. Wineexperts gave their endorsement for theswitch. One anti-cork group staged amock funeral in New York featuring a corkstopper in a casket.

The Portuguese Government, awarethat the industry is too big to fail, declaredits survival “a national cause”.

In a key victory, the cork businessearned green credentials from the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF), whichapplauded the industry for beingrenewable, sustainable andenvironmentally friendly. The cork oak’sbark is pried off about every nine years,when the inner lining is able to withstandexposure. This happens in a regular cyclefor more than a century with each tree.(Source: Associated Press in TheWashington Post, 31 July 2011.)

REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Développement des petites et moyennes

entreprises basées sur les PFNL

Le secteur des produits forestiers nonligneux (PFNL) au Congo est porteur denombreuses opportunités, notammentdues à une grande diversité de cesressources. Le Gnetum, les marantacées,les asperges (comme Laccospermasecundiflorum), le miel, les fruitscomestibles (Aframomum stipulatum,Landolphia spp., Coula edulis,Pseudospondias longifolia) et leschampignons sont les PFNL les plusutilisés à Abala, dans la région desPlateaux, et à Madingo-Kayes, dans larégion du Kouilou, sites pilotes du projetPFNL de la FAO et du Ministère en chargedes forêts. La demande commerciale dePFNL est forte et il existe des marchés auniveau local, national, sous-régional etinternational pour ces produits.

Toutefois, ces opportunités coexistentavec des carences: production irrégulièrede PFNL; connaissance insuffisante destechniques durables de récolte,conservation, emballage et transport;faible promotion de la qualité des PFNL;absence d’organisation des producteurs etdes commerçants, et besoins enrenforcement des capacités des acteursdes petites et moyennes entreprisesforestières (PMEF).

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RWANDA

Facilitating honey business

Honey dealers in Rwanda are set to receivebetter rewards after the Rwanda Bureau ofStandards (RBS) established qualitystandards to boost the product in themarket.

Rwandan honey has seen tremendousdemand both locally and internationally.The Managing Director of RBS, MarkBagabe Cyubahiro, says that the recentincrease in the demand for honey hascalled for standards and checks to ensurequality. "We have taken a multiprongedapproach to make sure that Rwandanhoney meets international standardscompliant by offering training to farmersand dealers," he said.

Cyubahiro said that demand for honeyhas increased because of the growingtourism sector. "We have a big market herelocally, in the Middle East and Europe. Thechallenge is for beekeepers to go for highvolumes by acquiring big beehives toincrease production."

Cyubahiro added: "Market demandrequires certain standards that we couldnot meet because the international marketdemands organic products that arepesticide free," he said. He noted thathoney collected in agricultural areas wherepesticides are sprayed normally containscopper, a metal that is dangerous to ahuman body's functions. Such metals,including the carcinogen found in smokethat is used by many famers to harvesthoney, are the critical elements that lowerquality, making the product harmful.

However, efforts are under way to createawareness among honey farmers againstusing smoke. Florida Uwamariya, theAccounts Administrator of Rwandabeekeeping services centre, said farmershave been trained in safe extraction, post-harvest honey management and packaging,which has improved quality. "We arelooking at how we can maintain hygieneand quality honey processing and setting

up scale-processing equipment to upgradethe quality standards and produce," shesaid. She added that they have receivedinternational demand for Rwandan honeybecause of its naturalness, thanks to thecountry’s well-endowed forests andecosystems. (Source: www.allafrica.com,23 June 2011.)

SENEGAL

Great Green Wall project gathers pace

Senegal is planting its latest batch ofseedlings for Africa's “wall of trees”initiative this week – the first planting sincea memorandum of understanding (MoU) forthe project was signed in May.

The Great Green Wall project involvesplanting a living wall of trees and bushesmore than 7 000 km long and 15 km wide,from Dakar, Senegal in the west to Djiboutiin the east, to protect the semi-arid Sahelregion from desertification.

The project is in its fourth year inSenegal, with planting taking place inLabgar, Mbar Toubab, Tessekere andWidou. The 1 500-strong workforce beganplanting this week (8 August) and hopes toplant 1.65 million seedlings by 15September. Since 2008, Senegal hasplanted nearly 8 million seedlings for thewall.

Pape Sarr, Technical Director for theSenegalese project, told SciDev.Net thatthe species selected for planting areeconomically viable and drought resistant.They are also protected by law in Senegaland cannot be felled without governmentpermission, he said.

The wall was initiated by the AfricanUnion (AU) in 2007, through its NewPartnership for Africa's Development(NEPAD). In June last year, AU created thePan African Agency of the Great Green Wallto monitor and coordinate the project in thedifferent countries, and provide and shareinformation.

Marcel Nwalozie, Director of NEPAD'sWest Africa Mission, told SciDev.Net: "Oneof the things we are trying to do [throughthe MoU] is [create] a scientific advisorypanel, because the Great Green Wall is notgoing to be just a wall of trees". The projectcould also help improve livelihoods of thecommunities around the wall, he said.

His office, Nwalozie added, is currentlylooking into different initiatives to improvethe soil, which would also help improvelocal livelihoods.

Matar Cisse, Director-General of theSenegalese Great Green Wall Agency, saidefforts were in place to maintain the plantsafter harvesting. "The World Food Programmeprovides food for work to the communitiesthat are hosting the programmes where thewalls are being planted. These communitieswere given the responsibility to maintain thesetrees that are being planted. We have smallirrigation systems that these communitiesuse to water the plants and [they will also]protect them from animals." (Source:SciDev.Net, 12 August 2011.)

SOUTH SUDAN

Resource curse or wild wonder?

After the people of South Sudan votedoverwhelmingly for independence, the workof building a nation begins. One of many tasksfacing the nation's nascent leaders is theconservation of its stunning wildlife. In 2007,following two decades of brutal civil war, theWildlife Conservation Society (WCS) surveyedSouth Sudan. What they found surprisedeveryone: 1.3 million white-eared kob, tiang(or topi) antelopes and Mongalla gazelles stillroamed the plains, making up the world'ssecond largest migration after the Serengeti.The civil war had not, as expected, largelydiminished the Sudan's great wildernesses,which are also inhabited by buffaloes,giraffes, lions, bongo antelopes,chimpanzees and some 8 000 elephants.

However, with new nationhood come toughdecisions and new pressures. Multinationalcompanies seeking to exploit the nation's vastnatural resources are expected to arrive inSouth Sudan, tempting the people withpromises of development and economicgrowth, promises that have proven uneven atbest across Africa. Dubbed the resourcecurse, many poor nations have seen their rich,natural resources plundered for the worldmarket, but instead of reaping the financial


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%rewards, money is lost in poorly made dealsor commodity swings, or ends up in thepockets of foreign corporations or corruptofficials, leaving the nation's people not witheducation and opportunity, but withenvironmental degradation and social unrest.Dependent on oil (98 percent of theGovernment's revenue comes from oil) andshockingly poor (90 percent of the people liveon less than US$1/day), the South Sudan isperfectly situated for a resource-curse repeat.

One way to avoid the resource curse is toexpand the economic portfolio from non-renewable resources, such as oil and mining,to opportunities that will not stagnate. Here iswhere the nation's vast wildlife – and its stillintact ecosystems – comes in.

"There is a historic opportunity, perhapsunprecedented, for wildlife conservation,sustainable natural resource managementand environmentally friendly ecotourism tobe integrated into the nation-buildingprocess," wrote Steven Sanderson, ChiefExecutive Officer of WCS.

With some of the continent's biggestherds – and therefore some of the bestwildlife viewing in the world – South Sudancould become an ecotourism hub. Tourismin such a place is nothing to sniff at: Kenyaestimated it would make over US$1 billionin revenue from tourism in 2010. And unlikeoil, tourism does not run dry, so long as theSouth Sudan makes forward-thinkingconservation a priority. (Source:www.mongabay.com, 11 July 2011.)

SUDAN

Gum arabic: the Sudan’s miracle

commodity

Vital to human manufacturing, gum arabic isused in a wide variety of industries includingpharmaceuticals, soft drinks, paints,detergents, chocolates, textiles, metalcorrosion inhibition, glues, pesticides andmuch more. This sap, from the branches ofAcacia senegal trees, is a natural emulsifier,which means that it can keep togethersubstances that normally would not mix well.

The WWF project in the Bikin River areaaims to demonstrate that harvesting andutilization of wild NTFPs, providing themajor source of income for local people, isa viable alternative to timber logging (oftenillegal and unsustainable). These effortslead to the conservation of Korean pineforests and Amur tiger habitats.

Since most of the world's gum arabiccomes from the Sudan, it is considered to

be the country’s miracle commodity, with athick belt of the trees stretching from oneend of the Sudan to the other.

The resource-rich African countryexports tens of thousands of tonnes of rawgum arabic each year, feeding 80 percent ofglobal demand. The Sudan's output hasdropped to nearly half of what the nationproduced in its heyday. As the onceabundant belt of A. senegal trees acrossthe Sudan shrinks, climate change appearsto be one of the culprits.

The humanitarian crisis in Darfur andnow in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nileare having a negative impact by sullying theSudan's reputation to the point that manycompanies do not want to admit that theybuy a Sudanese commodity.

For example, Coca-Cola, which usesgum arabic to keep the sugar fromprecipitating to the bottom of its sodas, willnot say where it gets the emulsifier. The rawsap is sent to Europe for processing andthen it is disseminated to customersworldwide. Referenced in the Qur'an, Bibleand Torah, modern research has proved itsrole in fighting diseases including diabetes,kidney disease, colon cancer, heart diseaseand high blood pressure.

Ly Hoang, Quality Manager of Alan andRobert, one of the companies working in theSudan, admits that the commodity is used inan unimaginable number of commodities. LyHoang said that a forum in Khartoumrecently took place "to exchange ideas andresearch topics on gum arabic by differentuniversities and professors and students andto review the future of gum arabic". In thesame context, she said Sudanese gum arabicis the most important gum in volume in theworld. (Source: SudanVision Daily, 19 September 2011.)

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Beekeeping activities

Available data indicated that in 2008 therewere around 300 beekeepers and 6 000honey-bee colonies in Trinidad, and 16beekeepers with 450 colonies in Tobago.This represents a decline in beekeeping inboth islands, clearly suggesting that newstrategies must be found to secure thesector’s future to enable it to realize its fullpotential.

Since 1997, the Government has agreedto designate areas of forest reserve landsto be used for beekeeping activities but, todate, the agreement remains unfulfilled.This potentially fruitful policy decisioncould, if implemented, significantly improvethe sector’s history. This is because arecent survey revealed that beekeepers onboth islands considered lack of suitableapiary sites as their major constraint toenterprise development.

Government policy, as reflected instatements by Food Production MinisterVasant Bharath, is one of support for theresurgence of beekeeping. Localbeekeepers hope the Minister willrecognize that unless a structuredmechanism for the support of beekeepingis appropriately resourced, mobilized andmandated, attempts to develop the sectorare likely to be short lived. Dueconsideration must be given to the fragilityof the national beekeeping environment,which is threatened by new and exoticpests and diseases, and subjected todenudation by untamed bush fires, slash-and-burn agriculture, creepingurbanization, “fogging” for mosquitoes andlarge-scale industrial sites beingestablished in rural communities.

Complementarity between beekeepingon the two islands may also be explored: asignificant market exists for Europeanqueen bees in Trinidad, which could besatisfied by developing commercial queen-rearing capacity in Tobago. Of course, thereis also the need to ensure that Tobagoremains free from Africanized bees. Giventhe probability that these bees willeventually arrive in Tobago, action must betaken, both to forestall and yet prepare forthat eventuality.

Beekeepers must exploit to the fullesttheir collective potential as a “cluster” ofsocio-economic interests, and enjoy thebenefits of cooperation rather thancompeting within their community. There issignificant scope to expand and diversify

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leaves are inedible, but the flowers can bedeep fried in batter and are readilytransformed into a delicious cordial with thehelp of sugar, lemon juice and citric acid.Elder is the preferred home of one of ourstrangest fungi, jelly ear (Auricularia auricula-judae). Emerging from trunks and branchesthroughout the year, especially following rain,the ear-shaped, translucent brown fruits havethe consistency of tough jelly babies. Finelysliced, they make a tasty addition to a stir-fryor risotto and, after stewing and blending, theresultant glutinous soup is flavoursome andfilling, if a rather odd colour.

April is high season for a much-prizedand odd-looking woodland fungus knownas the morel (any of various species ofedible mushrooms of the genera Morchellaand Verpa). Its tan-coloured cap is coveredwith honeycomb-like pits and resembles anelongated brain on a stalk. Morels grow to10 cm on well-drained soil in openwoodland. They are easily preserved bydrying and can be rapidly reconstituted inwarm water; the resulting taste and textureare every bit as good as with fresh ones.

A woodland plant that is more commonin the north of England and in parts ofScotland, sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata)flowers can be found as early as April. Goodnews for people suffering from diabetes:the sweetener found in this plant is notsugar and can be enjoyed by all.

Woodland foraging can even provide theingredients for some unusual wines. You willhave to wait until next year to make birch sapwine, as the peak collecting season is inearly March, when the sap is rising.However, the end of May is the best time tocollect young oak leaves, from which you canmake a simple white wine with the help of



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the production and marketing of beeproducts. The bottom line is that apiculturemust be tweaked to emphasize its api-business component. Finally, and ofcritical importance, is the need to recognizethat twenty-first century beekeeping is not asimple vocation. The perception of aspiringbeekeepers, investors, advisers, policyanalysts and planners that there is “moneyin honey” and that the transformationprocess is as figuratively straightforward aschanging the “h” in honey to the “m” inmoney, must give way to the reality thatsustainable beekeeping is as complicated anactivity as the bees we are working with.(Source: Bees for Development Journal, 99,June 2011.)


Gladstone Solomon, President of the Tobago

Apicultural Society, 11 Farm Road,

Hope Village, Mesopotamia, Tobago, West Indies.


UGANDA

Ugandans mobilize to save Mabira forest

from sugar-cane plantation

One of Africa's last remaining tropicalforests, Mabira is home to precious wildlifeand is an ecotourist attraction. But it isnow under threat from sugar-caneproduction.

In July this year, when sugar pricestripled, Ugandan President Yoweri Musevenitook the opportunity to try to convince thepublic that the only way to bring down priceswas to increase sugar production. To do this,Ugandans would give away 7 100 ha ofMabira Central Forest Reserve to the SugarCorporation of Uganda Limited (SCOUL) toproduce more sugar.

In 2007, the Government attempted togive away Mabira but backed down afterfacing strong resistance from civil societyorganizations and the public.

Mabira forest is a core conservation areafor critical biodiversity; a hub for ecologicaland environmental conservation; a habitatfor many animal and plant species; a water-catchment protector for the many rivers andstreams that feed the lakes in East Africa; arecharger for underground aquifers; acrucial component of microclimatemoderation in the region (which aidsagricultural production); a necessarycatalyst for carbon sequestration in theregion; and an economic boon for Uganda'secotourism industry.

“We have an alternative, start a beeproject and have honey instead of sugar.The bees will act as security to the trees inthe forest,” said Beatrice Anywar, Memberof Parliament for Kitgum.

Conservationists have warned that in theevent that the ecology of Mabira isdisrupted, the future of Ugandan damssuch as Bujagali and Nalubaale wouldequally be at stake.

“A rain forest like Mabira is simply toointricate and delicate a body to slice apart. Itwill be unable to perform these functionsamputated,” said Tony Otoa, a researcherwith Advocates Coalition for Developmentand Environment Uganda (ACODE-U).(Source: The Ecologist, 20 September 2011.)

UNITED KINGDOM

Foraging in the spring

One of the most versatile of our spring-flowering woodland plants forms vivid greenpatches in damp shady places on the alluvialsoil beside woodland streams. Ramsons,Allium ursinum, or wild garlic, requires nosearching for: if trodden on, it is instantlyidentified by a strong aroma of onions. Thereis no need to uproot the narrow bulbs;instead, collect a handful of the bright green,lily-of-the-valley-like leaves. Better still, picka few clusters of the white flowers with theirsix narrow petals – their al dente texture andsubtle taste, when eaten raw, puts the leavesin the shade.

For those requiring more solidsustenance, the underground tubers ofpignut, Conopodium majus, a small plantthat grows in ancient woods, are worthy ofthe search, especially in May. At this time,the finely divided, carrot-like leaves aretopped by thin stalks bearing tiny clustersof white cow-parsley-type flower heads. Informer times, free-range pigs foundautumn nourishment from uprooting theplant. The hazelnut-like tuber lies at least 8 cm under the soil surface, so a penknifeor trowel is useful. The sliced "nuts" can beeaten raw in salads or cooked as part ofstews and stir-fries.

Elder, also called elderberry, is a genus ofbetween five and 30 species of shrubs orsmall trees constituting the genusSambucus of the moschatel family,Adoxaceae. In the eyes of a forager, elderhas the status of a weed but, as May givesway to June, this small, multibranched tree,with its fissured, corky bark, is transformedby clusters of creamy, fragrant flowers. Elder

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sugar, oranges and yeast. Once bottled, itcan be drunk immediately, preferably on ahot summer's day. (Source: The Observer[United Kingdom], 10 April 2011.)

Honey is at the heart of a beneficial

partnership

One of the most impressive features of theLondon office of the Nomura globalinvestment bank, located in the City on thebanks of the River Thames, is its 36 155 ft² (3 359 m2) flowering sedum-covered roof.Even more impressive is that an inner cityorganization is seeking corporates to help thefloundering United Kingdom bee populationby hosting beehives in their offices.

The Golden Company is a London-based organization working with at-risk 16–21 year-olds from inner London whodevelop business skills through producing,marketing and selling honey and relatedproducts. The social enterprise, founded in2009, has offered services to Londonbusinesses since last year. The partnershipsprovide young people with training, incomeand work opportunities for 12 months.

Nomura offered the Golden Company therooftop of its recently completed 11-storeyEuropean headquarters. Its roof providesplenty of opportunity for pollination andadheres to a strict no-pesticide policy. Thehoney bees feel welcome, which encourageswild pollinators to thrive. The hives arelocated in their own purpose-built area,surrounded by a timber enclosure to protectthem from strong winds and London'sunpredictable weather.

This partnership is not just helping the 150 000 bees: the Golden Company is able toprovide work and training for two youngpeople who will visit the bees regularly withan experienced beekeeper to monitor andmaintain the hives.

It is also an opportunity for Nomura tohelp the City towards a sustainable future.With an emphasis on collaboration andteamwork, bees serve as a great metaphorfor a large corporation.

"The initiative with the beehives on ourroof is a perfect partnership for Nomura,"says Dominic Cashman, the ManagingDirector. "We can use our building'senvironmental credentials – the roof gardenand sedum roof – to give something back tothe City by supporting the pollinators andinner-city young people."

Nomura has agreed to purchase all thehoney produced in 2012, which will be used atclient events and for breakfasts. (Source: TheGuardian [United Kingdom], 25 July 2011.)

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

NTFPs in the United States of America

In partnership with 11 other countries, theUnited States of America participates in theMontreal Process. Each country assessesnational progress towards the sustainablemanagement of forest resources by using aset of criteria and indicators agreed on byall member countries.

Several indicators focus on NTFPs. Inthe United States of America, permit andcontract data from the US Forest Serviceand the Bureau of Land Management, inaddition to several other data sources,were used as a benchmark to assessharvest, value, employment, exports andimports, per capita consumption, andsubsistence uses for many NTFPs.

The retail value of commercial harvestsof NTFPs from United States forest lands isestimated at US$1.4 billion annually.NTFPs are important to many peoplethroughout the country for personal,cultural and commercial uses, providingfood security, beauty, connection to cultureand tradition, and income. (Source: S.J.Alexander, S.N. Oswalt and M.R. Emery,2011. Nontimber forest products in theUnited States: Montreal Process indicatorsas measures of current conditions andsustainability. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-851. Portland, OR, US Department ofAgriculture, Forest Service, PacificNorthwest Research Station.) (abstract)

A forager's delight: seeking out secret

harvests in the city

For about three weeks each summer,mulberry trees are impossible to miss, ifyou know what to look for. That is when thetrees' sweet, ripe berries, which look a lotlike blackberries, fall from the branchesand leave telltale bluish-black stains on thepavement or ground below. It is happeningright now in New York City.

Since most city folk do not even knowthat the berries can be eaten, more oftenthan not the spoiled fruit winds up aspigeon feed.

With supermarket berries averagingabout US$3/pint (0.5 litre) at the moment,it is hard to see why more people do nottake advantage of this annual harvest,available for free in cities fromSacramento, California to Baltimore,where the trees are also found and theberries are in season. Mulberries are oneof the easiest foods for would-be foragers

to harvest, because they are so plentifuland are not likely to be confused with anykiller berries. Yet despite a plethora of newbooks on urban foraging and a growinginterest in eating local, swallowingsomething that does not come from amarket or restaurant can be just too scaryfor most city dwellers.

It does not help that city officials oftenfrown on foraging. Health officials shutdown an underground market of foragedfoods in San Francisco last year, and theNew York City Parks Department recentlyuprooted a rogue farm in Manhattan'sHighbridge Park on the grounds that thecrop was not safe for consumption.

Some foraged food is actually easier tofind in cities than in the country. Dandelions,whose leaves are the least bitter in springand autumn, as well as other greens such as

%US FOREST SERVICE REPORT ONSUSTAINABLE FORESTS RELEASED

The United States of America has 751million acres (304 million ha) of foreststhat have remained remarkably stableduring the past 50 years, according to theUS Forest Service's 2010 National Reporton Sustainable Forests that was releasedtoday. The report, the second editionsince 2003, provides a comprehensivepicture of current conditions and trendsin the nation's forests, forest industriesand forest communities, and also givesdetails on forest conditions as they relateto sustainability.

Forests in the United States ofAmerica continue to face a number ofthreats, ranging from fragmentationand loss of forest integrity caused bydevelopment and an increase in the areaand severity of forest disturbancesincluding destructive insects,development and fire. The economic andsocial environment surrounding forests isalso changing rapidly. Data from thereport indicate ongoing shifts in whereand how wood products are made andthe emergence of new markets forenvironmental services. Some of thissocial change includes the growingecotourism industry and a return towood as a building material in smaller-scale structures. (Source: US Departmentof Agriculture, 7 July 2011.)



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after only a couple of weeks. In 2009,producers in the state made 439 000gallons (11 810 hectolitres).

Whetstone said the number of taps inNew York increased this year. There were2.01 million taps, up 6 percent from 2010.He said that this is the largest number oftaps since 1950.

An overwhelming majority of mapleproducers in the state reported afavourable season. The weather was withproducers this year, as temperaturesbegan to warm above freezing in March andstayed in the 40s during the days and in the30s at night, allowing sap to run for amonth or more.

Only Vermont produces more syrup thanNew York. Its producers made 1.14 milliongallons (43 154 hectolitres) this year.(Source: www.syracuse.com [New York,United States of America], 15 June 2011.)

VENEZUELA (BOLIVARIANREPUBLIC OF)

Venezuela's wildlife conservation sees

mixed results

Young crocodiles cry plaintively for theirmother as they are hooked in a trap andpulled, splashing frantically, from thewater. But their mother is nowhere to beseen. These one-year-old Orinococrocodiles are part of a captive breedingprogramme designed to put the brakes ontheir slide towards extinction. Thiscrocodile (Crocodylus intermedius ) is thebiggest in South America, present only inVenezuela and Colombia. Researchersmeasure population by the number of adultfemales and say there are now around 100in Venezuela, far fewer in Colombia.

"In the 1930s and 1940s, they wereoverexploited for their skin," said OmarHernandez, Director of Venezuela's ScienceDevelopment Foundation. "Now people areeating these crocodiles, they are huntingthem for their meat."

purslane and lamb's quarters, thrive in dry,sunny spots where less-hardy plants wouldperish. Caleb Malcom of Kansas Cityrecently spied a flowering elderberry bushin an empty lot near his home as he wasdriving by one day and saw the bush's whiteflowers. Once the berries ripen later thissummer, he plans to make elderberry wine.To make sure he does not harvest anythingfrom a toxic brownfield or Superfund site,Malcom says he researches the sites he isinterested in online before foraging them.

The biggest dilemma for new foragers isfiguring out what's actually edible. Rulenumber one: if you are not sure what it is,do not eat it. To get started, free Web andfield guides (such as Nature's Garden orUrban Foraging) abound. There are alsosome iPhone apps, such as Steve Brill'sWild Edibles. Park tours guided by long-time foragers can also help ease thelearning curve.

The biggest challenge faced byexperienced city foragers is the competitionfor some of the more coveted harvests."Sometimes I stake out my favourite gingkotrees, and I am too late," says LedaMeredith, author of The Locavore'sHandbook, who often finds that others havecollected the stinky tree's nuts, which can beroasted or used in tea.

Avid foragers say their hobby can shaveup to 40 percent off their grocery bill. Butthat is rarely the main motive. CalebMalcom likes the health benefits: "Wildvegetables and wild greens have a highernutrient level than things you find in thegrocery store." (For example, amaranth,also known as Chinese spinach, is high inmany vitamins and minerals, includingvitamin C, folate, calcium, iron andmagnesium.) (Source: Time Magazine, 6 July 2011.)

A banner year for New York's maple syrup

industry

Maple syrup production in New Yorkincreased 81 percent this year, comparedwith the dismal season in 2010, accordingto statistics from the state Department ofAgriculture and Markets.

New York maple producers made 564 000 gallons (21 350 hectolitres) ofmaple syrup, said King Whetstone, Directorof the US Department of Agriculture’sNational Agricultural Statistics Serviceoffice in New York. It is the highestproduction since 1947. Last year, 312 000gallons (11 810 hectolitres) were madeafter an early warm-up stopped the sap run

The breeding programme, which eachyear sees around 200 young crocodilesreleased into the rivers of Venezuela'sLlanos, or Great Plains, takes place on aprivate reserve about six hours drive fromthe capital, Caracas.

Over the years, state-run national parkshave proved ineffective at preservingwildlife and the task fell to private rancherswho kept reserves and created ecotourismlodges. The challenge is for productivefarming to coexist with conservationprogrammes. But now these reserves arean endangered species themselves. Since2006, three of the four farms that hostedbiological research programmes have beenexpropriated by the Government, to thedismay of environmentalists.

Yet at one expropriated farm, ecologicalprogrammes are continuing. El Cedral, a 53 000-ha ranch, keeps 90 percent of itsland as a nature reserve, while still raisingcattle for meat and buffalo for dairyproducts. Its ecotourism lodge remainsopen and continues to attract bird-watchers who come to see the more than300 species found at the ranch. Theapproach at El Cedral seems to suggestthat all is not lost for the wildlife of theGreat Plains, but neither is its futureguaranteed. (Source: BBC News, 13 June2011.)

VIET NAM

Agarwood in Viet Nam

In Viet Nam, agarwood is naturallydistributed in the north, central highlandsand southeast of the country, and is widelygrown in the north-central regions,especially across Ha Tinh and Thua ThienHue provinces.

Agarwood can provide valuable productssuch as highly valued paper pulp (agarwoodchips), agarwood incense and agarwood oilfor perfume and traditional medicines.Prices vary from US$10 (for fragrantagarwood) to US$1 000 (for perfume andoils), up to US$20 000–30 000/kg (for best-quality perfume and medicines or Ky nam inVietnamese).

Depending upon the extent of the resinaccumulation, the heartwood is generallyclassified into four categories: grade 1 (gradeA), black or true agar; grade 2 (grade B),bantang; grade 3 (grade C), bhuta or phuta;and grade 4 (grade D), dhum. True agar ismainly exported to the Middle East countrieswhere it is used as incense. Bantang is brown


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in colour without any black tones. Bhuta isalso brown but interspersed with 50 percentor more of yellow-coloured wood. These twogrades are usually used in incense. Dhum isthe lowest grade, which is mostly yellow withscattered streaks of brown or black resin. Itis typically distilled for oil.

Agarwood is one of the ecologically andeconomically valued timber trees in VietNam, and it is widely used to reforestbarren land on hilly and mountainousregions of some north-central provinces.The tree is best grown in home and forestgardens, with a combination of agriculturalcrops. (Source: Quang Hoang Ha and HuuTran Nghi, 2010. Agarwood in agroforestrysystems in North Central Provinces,Vietnam. Vietnam’s Forestry Network andTropenbos International [Viet Nam].)


Quang Hoang Ha and Huu Tran Nghi,

No. 6/1 Doan Huu Trung Street, Hue City,

Viet Nam. Fax/Tel.: 84 53 3852573;

e-mail: [email protected] or

[email protected]/

Half of city residents have eaten

bushmeat

More than half of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)residents said they have eaten bushmeat, ofwhich 48 percent have consumed it morethan three times/year, according to the latestfindings by Wildlife At Risk (WAR).

The HCMC-based NGO carried out thesurvey about the consumption of wild animal

products in HCMC on 4 000 city dwellers and3 600 secondary school students betweenAugust 2010 and April 2011.

The survey, released on Monday, revealsthat men consume more wild animalproducts than women, and restaurants inHCMC are the most common place forpeople to eat the meat.

The majority of polled people say they eatbushmeat because others invite them, orthey want to try new experiences or they feelthe meat is more delicious. According to thesurvey, people of 36–45 years old, stateworkers and those with high educationallevels have a tendency to consume wildanimal products more than other groups. Asfor secondary school students (agedbetween 11 and 14), 28.2 percent of them saythey have eaten bushmeat, and theirconsumption is influenced by their parentsand other adults in the family. Unlike adults,these teenagers usually eat the meat duringtrips to other provinces or at family eventssuch as birthday parties.

The survey reveals that most polledpeople think that hunting and trading ofwild animal products is the biggest threatto wild species. In fact, consumption ofwildlife products is the biggest threatbecause it promotes illegal hunting andtrading, putting wild animals at risk ofextinction.

According to WAR, communication andeducation programmes need to be designedfor residents and students in order to preventendangered wildlife consumption. It saysanimal products from legal farming shouldbe introduced as a substitute. (Source:www.thanhniennews.com, 24 May 2011.)

ZIMBABWE

Ecological and financial impacts of illegal

bushmeat trade

In West and Central Africa, bushmeat huntingis a survival strategy for large numbers ofpeople, sometimes comprising most animalprotein consumed and contributingsignificantly to household incomes. Findingsolutions to address unsustainable offtake iscrucial from both conservation anddevelopment perspectives.

In Zimbabwe, illegal bushmeat hunting hasemerged as a serious conservation threat,given the conditions of political instability andeconomic decline. Widespread poverty,unemployment and food insecurity havecompounded the threat to wildlife populationsand wildlife-based land uses in the southeast

Lowveld of Zimbabwe. Dramatic loss ofwildlife populations followed settlement ofgame ranches during land reform and,without realignment of land uses or efforts toenable resettled farmers to engage inwildlife-based land uses, the prospects forconservation on private land are bleak.

A study published in Oryx in 2011highlights several management and land-useplanning steps required to maximize theefficacy of antipoaching efforts and to reducethe likelihood of high impacts of illegalhunting. It provides a number of widelyapplicable insights for the prevention andmanagement of illegal bushmeat hunting.

Recommendations include: (i)antipoaching efforts need to be aligned withthe regular temporal and spatial patterns ofillegal hunting; (ii) leases for hunting andtourism concessions should ensure adequateinvestment by tourism operators inantipoaching; (iii) in conservancies andhunting concessions minimum standards ofper capita investment in antipoaching shouldbe met for landowners to qualify for legalhunting quotas; (iv) reserve designers shouldminimize the perimeter-to-area ratio ofparks; (v) fences should not be constructedusing wire that can be made into snares; (vi)land reform involving game ranches shouldintegrate communities in wildlife-based landuses and ensure spatial separation betweenland for wildlife and human settlement; and(vii) means are required to enablecommunities to benefit from wildlife, createdisincentives for illegal hunting and providefor more efficient use of wildlife resources. (Source: P.A. Lindsey, S.S. Romañach, C.J.Tambling, K. Chartier and R. Groom, 2011.Ecological and financial impacts of illegalbushmeat trade in Zimbabwe. Oryx, 45(1):96–111.)


Mammal Research Institute, Department of

Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria,

Pretoria 0002, South Africa; and African Wildlife

Conservation Fund, 10564NW, 57th Street, Doral,

FL33178 Florida, United States of America.

E-mail: [email protected]/ �

Agarwood (or agar) is a dark resinousheartwood that forms in Aquilaria trees(large evergreens native to Southeast Asiaand Viet Nam) when they becomeinfected with a type of mould. Prior toinfection, the heartwood is relatively lightand pale coloured; however, as theinfection progresses, the tree responds byproducing a dense, dark aromatic resin.The resin-embedded wood is commonlycalled gaharu, aloeswood, agarwood oroud and is valued in many cultures for itsdistinctive fragrance, which is used inincense and perfumes. One of the reasonsfor the relative rarity and high cost ofagarwood is the depletion of the wildresource. Since 1990, the Aquilaria treehas been listed in CITES Appendix II(potentially threatened species).

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H.T. Leslie



54 E C O N O O K

Eduardo Rojas-Briales, AssistantDirector-General of the FAO ForestryDepartment, noted at the report’s launchthat the tree-planting spree in Asia overthe last decade did not happen at theexpense of natural forest.

However, emphasis on the expandingcoverage of plantations still masks thefact that in Asia, as elsewhere, naturalforest area continues to shrink.

Natural forests deliver quite differentbenefits from plantations. Plantations actas “carbon sinks”, absorbing greenhousegases from the atmosphere, while maturenatural forests serve as “carbonreservoirs”, preventing the release of thecarbon that they have accumulated overthe centuries. Plantations are easier todesign and manage for regular income.Natural forests, however, bring a wealth ofservices essential to the livelihoods of 450million indigenous and forest-dependentpeople in the Asia-Pacific region alone.

Nevertheless, there is growingconsensus that we need to open much ofthe forest up, rather than fence it off, sothat it can be managed and valued for theservices it provides. This means giving thepeople who depend on forests for theireveryday needs a greater say in theirmanagement.

A recent report by the Rights andResources Initiative shows that forestdwellers and local people haveconsistently done a better job of managingand protecting forests than the centralizedmanagement structures that mostgovernments favour.

Nepal’s community forestryprogramme, in which self-identifiedgroups of local forest dwellers assume fullmanagement responsibility for the foreststhat they have traditionally used, is a fineexample to other countries in the regionand beyond. In areas right across thecountry, degradation of natural forest hasnot only stopped, but has been reversed.

Cambodia’s experience is anotherpromising example. In essence,successful examples of people-centredforest management tend to entail awholesale paradigm shift in agovernment’s approach to forest policy.

Asia also holds cautionary tales. ThePhilippines was one of the first countriesin the region to enact legislation givinglocal communities and indigenous peoplesthe rights to own and manage forestareas, but these rights became hostage tothe whims of subsequent governments.

A MODEST PROPOSALFOR WEALTHYCOUNTRIES TOREFOREST THEIR LANDFOR THE COMMONGOOD

The Coalition of Financially ChallengedCountries with Lots of Trees, known as"CoFCCLoT", representing most of theworld's remaining tropical forests, isasking wealthy nations to share globalresponsibilities and reforest their land forthe common good of stabilizing climateand protecting biodiversity.

"We are willing to play our part, but werequire a level playing field in which we allcommit to equal sacrifices," a coalitionspokeswoman says. "Returning forestcover in the G8 countries and the EU backto historic levels will benefit all of us inthe long term."

Seventy-five percent of Europe wasonce forested. Now it is 45 percent. Somecountries such as Ireland saw their forestcover reduced to near zero. Most forestcover in the developed world is now oftenplanted with stands of alien trees, turningthem into deserts for biodiversity.Remaining natural forests are often highlyfragmented and have few native species.

"For all the forests we in Indonesia,Brazil or Central Africa do not cut down,G8 countries should reforest a similarlysized area," says the CoFCCLoTspokeswoman. "Too many agriculturalareas in Europe and the United States areonly kept in business because of tariffsand subsidies."

CoFCCLoT members also ask why theyare criticized for developing oil-palmplantations, even though oil-palmsproduce much more biofuel and oil perunit area than temperate crops such asmaize, and thus require much less land tosatisfy global demands.

CoFCCLoT points out that nature inwealthy nations needs urgent attention."Large areas are degraded. Soils arecompacted, soil faunas depleted, and theirhydrology disrupted and contaminated."

The coalition says that if wealthynations restore their forests, they can helpslow climate change by absorbingatmospheric carbon and provide peoplewith clean water and healthy soils. It alsohighlights the benefits for speciesdiversity and environmental services.CoFCCLoT notes the opportunities toreintroduce bears, lynx, wolves, beaversand other threatened animals that havebeen decimated or driven to extinction byrampant exploitation of natural forests inmuch of the industrialized world.

It says, too, that in the longer term,ongoing climate change and reforestationmay permit tropical megafauna to thrive intemperate countries. Lions could bereintroduced to Greece, CoFCCLoTsuggests and gorillas might thrive inSpain. Both countries face economicchallenges that could be reduced by therevenues from ecotourism.

The coalition acknowledges that theirdemands will meet some resistance.People might be scared to live near largeforests with wild animals and may beresentful of not being allowed access toforest resources. "But people will get usedto it," explains the spokeswoman. "It istime to share these globalresponsibilities," she adds. "The G8cannot have their cake and eat it too."(Source: www.mongabay.com, 11 August2011.)

ASIA’S REALCONTRIBUTION TO THE GLOBAL HEALTHOF FORESTS

As the UN International Year of Forestskicked off this spring, there was goodnews from Asia. New planting in China,India, Viet Nam and other countries in theregion is helping to slow down the rate offorest loss worldwide, according to theState of the World’s Forests 2011 reportfrom FAO.

Many environmental lobby groups areunhappy that the FAO report includesplantations at all, considering themundeserving of the title “forests” becauseof their limited social and environmentalvalue when compared with the naturalkind. Recognizing these concerns,

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Across the region, there is a precariousbalance between the incentives to handresources back to the people, and theinstincts of governments to centralize andregulate forest use and management.(Source: RECOFTC, 10 May 2011.)

DEBT-FOR-NATURESWAPS

The debt-for-nature swap concept,whereby a portion of a developing nation’sforeign debt is waived in exchange forlocal investments in environmentalconservation measures, dates back to themid-1980s. Since the first swap wasbrokered with Bolivia by the non-profitConservation International in 1987, manynational governments and conservationgroups have engaged in similar types ofdebt-for-nature swap negotiations. CostaRica has exchanged tens of millions ofdollars in debt to protect some of its mostpristine and biologically productive rainforests.

But far fewer deals are occurring todaybecause debt restructuring andcancellation have reduced developingnations’ debt significantly more than bydebt-for-nature swaps. Some experts alsoargue that the financial benefits areoverstated, that funds are misdirected toless needy countries, that external debt isnot a primary driver of deforestation andother environmental ills, and that fundingdoes not necessarily equate to effectiveimplementation of conservationstrategies.

Criticism aside, some deals are stillgetting done. In 2008, France waived

US$20 million in debt owed byMadagascar to help the biodiversity-richnation triple the size of its protected areasto protect its native flora and fauna better.In 2010, the United States of Americawaived US$21 million in Brazilian debt tofund several ecosystem protectioninitiatives in Brazil’s still vanishing tropicalrain forests. So while debt-for-natureswaps are not as popular as they oncewere, they are still a key tool in the toolboxof environmentalists looking to promoteconservation in tropical countries.(Source: The Environmental Magazine, 31 July 2011.)

FORESTS PLUS: LOOKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

Can you picture life without forests?Within their branches and trunks, forestsrecord the history of life on Earth. Forestscan be seen as a mirror of evolving humanneeds, dynamic and ever-changing. Theyhave the unique ability to sustain andrevitalize us, through a multitude ofservices from food and shelter tobiodiversity and clean water.

Over a decade ago, the United NationsForum on Forests (UNFF) was establishedto promote the management, conservationand sustainable development of forests.The Forum addresses all cross-sectoralaspects pertaining to forests, using a 360-degree perspective. Most people areaware of the economic values of forests,particularly timber production, and morerecently the focus has been on climatechange mitigation values through forestcarbon sequestration.

However, the full picture of what forestsoffer is much more than simply economicvalues and carbon. Forests provide ahealthy environment for people, securedlivelihoods, shelter and sustenance.Forests are central to achievingsustainable development, yet they are notaddressed in a holistic and integratedmanner by the mechanisms andinstitutions created by the Rio EarthSummit.

A holistic approach to forests is clearlyneeded, one that takes into accounteconomic, social and environmentalvalues, as well as cultural and spiritualdimensions of forests. Looking atsustainable forest management through abiodiversity lens alone, for example,

cannot address the full suite of forestissues. A key requirement in this regard ismore frequent and effective cross-sectoral and cross-institutionalintegration.

Approaches to forests at the policy andinstitutional level are often fragmented, afact exacerbated by the reality that threatsto forests most often come from outsidethe forest sector. In this regard, the notionof “forests-plus” as an approachembracing forests' intersectoral andinter-institutional complexity has receivedsupport at Forum discussions, including inparticular at a recent high-level roundtable held at the Ninth UNFF session inFebruary.

“Forests for People” is the theme of thisyear, the International Year of Forests2011, which celebrates the central role ofpeople in sustainably managing theworld’s forests. People are ultimately atthe heart of all forest issues. However, inorder for forests to be truly a sustainablenatural resource to improve the well-being of people, the economy and theenvironment effectively, countries willneed to devise programmes on a range ofissues, from governance to tenuresecurity, access and benefits to localparticipation, as well as increased fundingat all levels, based on well-informedpolicy decisions, social dialogue andcoordination among different ministries.

Increased attention towards themultiple values of forests through theInternational Year of Forests has provideda unique opportunity to strengthenimplementation at the national level, bysupporting national governments,international and regional organizations,and other interested stakeholders, to worktogether in a cross-sectoral and cross-institutional manner. (Source: Jan L.McAlpine, Director, UNFF Secretariat [inIISD RS], 2 August 2011.)

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assessment,” says Stewart Maginnis,IUCN’s Global Director of Environment andDevelopment. “What is needed urgently isa country-by-country assessment of howthis commitment could be achieved in linewith national economic development andconservation priorities, something wehave already started doing in Ghana andMexico.”

The 150 million ha restoration targetdirectly relates to existing internationalcommitments on climate change andbiodiversity. It will contribute to thebiodiversity convention target calling forrestoration of 15 percent of degradedecosystems by 2020, and the climatechange convention goal on REDD+, whichcalls for countries to slow, halt andreverse the loss and degradation offorests.

Forest landscape restoration can beseen as offering the world a highly cost-effective way to combat climate change,create new jobs and contribute to ruraldevelopment and livelihoods.

LEADERS DEFINEPATHWAY TORESTORING 150MILLION HA OF LOSTFORESTS

A core commitment to restore 150 millionha of lost forests and degraded landsworldwide by 2020 is being launched todayat a ministerial conference in Bonn. Newanalysis by the International Union forConservation of Nature (IUCN) estimatesthat restoring 150 million ha would beworth US$85 billion per year to nationaland global economies.

At the Bonn Challenge MinisterialRoundtable, a select group of ministersand chief executives of international andnon-governmental organizations andcompanies are discussing how to benefitbiodiversity and the fight against climatechange through concrete restorationactivities.

“The restoration of lost forests willincrease carbon stocks and result inhealthy and resilient ecosystems, whichwill provide the multiple goods andservices people need, and lead to anincrease in biodiversity,” says AshokKhoshla, President of IUCN, which acts ascoordinator of the Global Partnership onForest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR).

The landmark commitment in Bonncomes as new analysis shows that morethan 2 billion ha of the world’s deforestedand degraded landscapes – equivalent tohalf the size of Asia – offer opportunitiesfor restoration. This new global estimateis almost double the area previouslyconsidered restorable, thanks toimprovements in the precision of mappingzones where climate and soils allowforests to grow.

“Recognizing that nationalcircumstances vary enormously, this corecommitment to restore 150 million ha is arobust and realistic response to the global

Earlier this year, IUCN expressed itssupport of Rwanda’s historicannouncement to restore the country’sdegraded landscapes border-to-border,predicting that it could be the beginning ofthe biggest restoration initiative the worldhas ever seen. With similar boldcommitments expected to be announcedat the Bonn event, cochaired by IUCN andthe German Government, anunprecedented global initiative is clearlygathering momentum. (Source:International Union for Conservation ofNature, 2 September 2011.)

E C O N O O K

Tunisia, Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanonand Turkey. The new partnership offersa way for stakeholders in the region toaddress the mounting challenges facingMediterranean forests and draw greaterattention to their value and the urgentneed to protect them.

The partnership is designed tointegrate policies and investments at thecountry level in order to adapt forests toclimate change; this would involvesectors such as forestry, agriculture,urban development, water,environment, land-use planning,education and tourism. It is also aimedat developing a joint regional approachto forest management and, inparticular, to wildfire prevention,through the sharing of expertise,knowledge and best practices. At a locallevel, the partnership will help topromote sustainable forestmanagement among all stakeholders,including local communities, forestowners and managers, farmers, herders,environmentalists, protected areamanagers and researchers. (Source: UN Regional InformationCentre for Western Europe, 6 April2011.)

NEW PARTNERSHIP ESTABLISHED TOADDRESS THREATS TO FORESTS INTHE MEDITERRANEAN

A new partnership for Mediterraneanforests has been established to addressmajor threats to the region's forestsbeing exacerbated by the severe impactof climate change. The partnership wasannounced at the Second MediterraneanForest Week, which took place inAvignon, France, from 5 to 8 April.

"The Collaborative Partnership onMediterranean Forests will help raiseawareness on the wealth of vitalfunctions Mediterranean forestsprovide. These include soil and waterprotection, landscape values, carbonsequestration and biodiversityconservation. It is urgent that we joinefforts to restore and preserve theirfunctions for future generations," saidEduardo Rojas-Briales, AssistantDirector-General of the FAO ForestryDepartment.

The partnership involves 12institutions and organizations includingFAO and will focus primarily on sixcountries in the southern and easternMediterranean: Morocco, Algeria,

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MINISTERS BACKBINDING EUROPEANFOREST AGREEMENT

Ministers have agreed to back plans tointroduce a legally binding agreement(LBA) to protect Europe's forests.Delegates also agreed to adoptresolutions that would help shape forestpolicy over the next decade. On Tuesday, areport concluded that sustainable forestrymanagement was essential if the EU wasto reach its emission goals.

The ministerial agreement was signedat the Sixth Forest Europe Conference inOslo, Norway. As well as signing thedeclaration to begin negotiations toestablish an LBA, delegates also agreed toset a number of targets to be achieved by2020. These included all Europeancountries implementing a national forestprogramme, which needed to containclimate adaptation and mitigationstrategies. Ministers also agreed to cutthe rate of biodiversity loss within foresthabitats by half, and take steps toeliminate illegal logging.

Poland's minister, Janusz Zaleski, saidthat nations needed to ensure that anyagreement would need the legal weightrequired to deliver progress on theground. Sweden's Rural Affairs MinisterEskil Erlandsson told the conference thatwhile he supported the concept ofsustainable forest management, hefavoured a voluntary approach rather thanan LBA. "I do not believe in commonlegislation for forests across the Pan-European region. Put simply, one sizedoes not fit all," he said. "We need torecognize the different geoclimatic andsocio-economic conditions.” (Source: BBCNews, 15 June 2011.)

PLANS TO PROTECTFORESTS COULD DOMORE HARM THANGOOD UNLESS POWERIS IN LOCAL HANDS

Tropical countries that seek a share ofbillions of dollars of climate finance inreturn for protecting their forests riskcreating strategies that fail to bring socialand environmental benefits, according to areport released today by the InternationalInstitute for Environment andDevelopment (IIED).

The report draws on the work of ForestGovernance Learning Group (FGLG) teamsin ten nations in Africa and Asia topromote decision-making about foreststhat is fair and sustainable. It highlightssuccess stories at the national level, inwhich FGLG teams have influenced policyprocesses to promote outcomes thatbenefit forest-dependent communitiesthat have been marginalized.

On the international stage, the FGLGteams have focused on how theircountries are preparing for REDD+, asystem being developed to rewardcountries that maintain or increase theirforest to limit emissions of greenhousegases from deforestation. FGLG teams inGhana, Indonesia, Mozambique, theUnited Republic of Tanzania and Viet Namreport that national plans for REDD+ coulddo more harm than good.

In many countries, top-down,government-led plans for REDD+ havebeen rushed through and focus more onhow to count carbon stored in trees thanon how actually to implement a systemthat brings real benefits for communities,biodiversity and the climate.

"REDD remains forestry’s best hope yetbut it must be built from the bottom up,"says James Mayers, head of IIED’s NaturalResources Group and coauthor of theFGLG report.

"Strategies are difficult to turn aroundonce they head off in the wrong direction –and the costs of bad strategy for forestsare extremely high. To realize justice inthe forests, policy-makers must turnREDD on its head and put control of theforests into local hands."

The FGLG teams bring togetherrepresentatives of communities,governments, civil society organizations,businesses and the media, to explore thedrivers of poor forest governance and toinfluence policy-making. They operate in

Cameroon, Ghana, India, Indonesia,Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, theUnited Republic of Tanzania, Uganda andViet Nam. For each country, the reportdescribes successes from the past yearand plans for activities between now and2013.

The project has been steered by IIEDsince it began in 2003 and has beenfunded by the United Kingdom andNetherlands governments and theEuropean Commission. (Source: IIED, 25 August 2011.) �

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A nation that destroys its soils destroysitself. Forests are the lungs of our land,purifying the air and giving fresh strengthto our people.

Franklin D. Roosevelt



58 I N T E R N A T I O N A L A C T I O N

FAO

José Graziano da Silva of Brazil elected

FAO Director-General

José Graziano da Silva of Brazil was electedDirector-General of FAO on 26 June 2011.

Graziano da Silva, who is 61, received atotal of 92 votes out of 180 votes cast, winningover former Spanish Foreign Minister MiguelÁngel Moratinos Cuyaubé, who received88 votes. There were no abstentions.

The election took place on the secondday of the biennial 191 Member NationConference of FAO.

As Brazil's Extraordinary Minister ofFood Security and Fight against Hunger,Graziano da Silva was responsible forimplementing the country's highlysuccessful "Zero Hunger" ("Fome Zero")programme, in whose design he played aleading role. The programme helped lift24 million people out of extreme poverty infive years and reduce undernourishment inBrazil by 25 percent.

Since 2006, he has served as FAOAssistant Director-General and RegionalRepresentative for Latin America and theCaribbean.

Graziano da Silva is FAO's eighthDirector-General since the Organizationwas founded in Quebec City, Canada on 16 October 1945. The term of the newDirector-General, who will succeedSenegal's Jacques Diouf, will start on 1 January 2012 and run through 31 July2015. (Source: FAO Newsroom, 26 June2011.)

FAO project shows how trees help halt

desertification

A FAO-led pilot scheme hopes to highlighthow trees can help people in arid zones,considered to be one of the most hostilehabitats on the planet. FAO’s Acaciaproject's goal is to show how trees providefood, fuel, shelter and income during timesof hardship.

So far, six nations, including Senegaland the Sudan, have hosted tree-plantingschemes for at-risk communities.

Drylands cover 30 percent of the Earth'sland area, and are found in 100 nations.

"People do not often associate forestswith arid areas, yet they are critical interms of soil protection, mitigating climatechange, maintaining biodiversity, etc," saidEduardo Rojas-Briales, Assistant Director-General of the FAO Forestry Department.

"In terms of supporting livelihoods for localcommunities, forests are very important," hetold BBC News.

Speaking at the end of the first UN AfricaDrylands Week, he added: "Desertificationposes a very serious challenge to the world.The pace of land degradation and the impactof climate change are threatening foodsecurity, exacerbating poverty andimpeding sustainable development".

Acacia trees can offer vulnerable villagesa steady income, as well as fuel and fodderfor animals.

Mr Rojas-Briales explained that peopleliving in dryland ecosystems were mostexposed to the risk of desertification,especially rural and pastoral communities.Globally, an estimated 2 billion people dependon ecosystems in dry land areas, 90 percent ofwhom live in developing countries.

The UN says that about 30 percent of drylands are degraded, with particularsusceptibility to desertification. In Africaalone, it is feared that two-thirds of arableland is expected to be lost by 2025.

Projections show that more than half ofthe cultivated agricultural area could beunusable by the year 2050, leaving the regionstruggling to feed just 25 percent of itspopulation.

This was one of the reasons why FAO haddeveloped the Acacia pilot project, Mr Rojas-Briales continued. "Forests and trees in aridzones are central to understanding theprocess of desertification – they provide localcommunities with sustainable livelihoods butalso fodder for livestock, fuelwood, medicine,timber, resin and gums.”

Extracting gum from acacias allowspeople to earn money from alternativerevenue streams. "They are also invaluablefor carbon storage and for the provision ofclean water and for soil protection."

As well as providing foliage for animalsand fuel for cooking, the trees produce gumarabic, a product that is used in the food andpharmaceutical industries. (Source: BBCNews, 20 June 2011.)(Please see following page for moreinformation.)

Destruction of world's biggest rain forests

down 25 percent, says FAO report

The rate of destruction of the world's threelargest forests fell 25 percent this decadecompared with the previous one, butremains alarmingly high in some countries,FAO said.

A report entitled The State of Forests inthe Amazon Basin, Congo Basin and

Southeast Asia was released to coincidewith a summit in the Republic of theCongo bringing together delegates from35 countries occupying these forests, witha view to reaching a global deal onmanagement and conservation.

The Amazon and the Congo host theworld's first and second biggest forests,respectively; the third biggest, the BorneoMekong, is in Indonesia. These forests sinkbillions of tonnes of carbon and house two-thirds of the world's remaining landspecies.

The study found that annual rate ofdeforestation across the three regions,which account for more than 80 percent ofthe world's tropical forests, was5.4 million ha between 2000 and 2010,down a quarter from 7.1 million ha in theprevious decade.

Statistics showed that forest destructionin the Congo Basin had remained stable butlow over the last 20 years, while inSoutheast Asia the rate of deforestationmore than halved. Countries that hadpreviously had high levels of forest loss,such as Brazil and Indonesia, have hadsome success tackling the problemthrough better conservation awareness andgovernment policy said the report's author,Mette Wilkie.

But she suggested this was no causefor complacency, especially of the threatfrom farming. "Deforestation is higherthan it ought to be," Wilkie told Reuters.Indonesia's forests in particular have been ravaged by clearing for palm-oilcrops in the past, although thegovernment last month signed a two-yearmoratorium on forest clearing, part of acarbon offset deal with Norway worthUS$1 billion. Ecuador, Burundi andCambodia had the highest rates of forestloss while Rwanda, Viet Nam and thePhilippines were among countries thathad seen their forests grow in recentyears, according to the study.

Wilkie said growing global demand forfood, expected to rise by 70 percent by2050, would put more pressure on theseecosystems. (Source: Reuters, 1 June2011.)


Ms Mette Loyche Wilkie, Principal Officer,

Forest Assessment, Management

and Conservation Division, Forestry

Department, FAO, Viale delle Terme

di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy.


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59I N T E R N A T I O N A L A C T I O N

FAO releases forest health guide

and video

Our world has become more global, withgreater access to world markets frommore places on Earth. But with it comes anincrease in the transport and introductionof invasive bugs. Such pests can lead toagricultural and economic disaster if leftunchecked and unmonitored.

FAO works on a global scale with nationsand organizations to stem the movement ofthese bugs and pests. Recently, using anintegrated approach to deal with foresthealth problems, FAO produced a Guide toimplementation of phytosanitary standardsin forestry (www.fao.org/docrep/013/i2080e/i2080e00.htm).

An amusing short rap video is alsoavailable at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-0ighGsrUE/

Mise à jour sur les activités 2011 du Projet

GCP/RAF/441/GER «Renforcement de la

sécurité alimentaire en Afrique centrale à

travers la gestion durable des produits

forestiers non ligneux»

Financé par le Gouvernement allemand etmis en œuvre depuis octobre 2009 par la FAOet les ministères en charge des forêts auGabon, au Congo et en Républiquecentrafricaine, le Projet contribue àl’amélioration des moyens d’existence descommunautés dépendant des forêts dubassin du Congo à travers le développementdu secteur des PFNL et la gestion durable deces ressources forestières. Les activités sontmises en œuvre au niveau international,régional, national et local et comprennentnotamment pour l’année 2011:

• la création du Sous-groupe de travailPFNL au sein du Groupe de travailbiodiversité en Afrique centrale de laCOMIFAC, comme plate-formed’échanges sur le secteur, etl'organisation de la première réunion dece sous-groupe en Républiquecentrafricaine (cf. pages 13–14);

• l’organisation des réunions des comitésconsultatifs nationaux sur les PFNL auCongo, au Gabon et en Républiquecentrafricaine, relevant du Sous-groupede travail PFNL de la COMIFAC;

• la participation au Forum des NationsUnies sur les forêts (FNUF 9), au Foruminternational sur les peuples autochtonesd’Afrique centrale (FIPAC 2), au Sommetdes trois bassins forestiers tropicaux, auxjournées internationales sur les forêts à

Bonn et à plusieurs autres événements,en vue de présenter les activités duProjet, les PFNL clés d’Afrique centrale etleur contribution à la sécurité alimentairesur la base d'une gestion durable, ainsique le développement du secteur;

• la validation de la stratégie nationale etdes plans d’action pour le développementdu secteur PFNL au Gabon et enRépublique centrafricaine;

• le développement des capacités descommunautés locales et desorganisations de base et de la sociétécivile, à travers des formations sur ladomestication de Gnetum spp. au Congoet en République centrafricaine (cf.page 25), sur l’approche Analyse etdéveloppement des marchés (ADM) auCongo, au Gabon et en Républiquecentrafricaine (cf. page 47), et sur lavalorisation de Ricinodendron heudolotii(essesang/njansang) dans la Lobaye,République centrafricaine (cf. page 39),ainsi qu'à travers des actions desensibilisation sur le droit àl’alimentation.


Ousseynou Ndoye, Coordonnateur régional

du Projet PFNL GCP/RAF/441/GER,

FAO B.P. 281 Yaoundé, Cameroun.



The Acacia project in Senegal

From 2004 to 2007, in partnership with theSenegalese forestry service, FAO providedseeds and seedlings and taught women inThiékene Ndiaye village in Senegal's drylandsto sow and plant acacia trees, and how toextract and market the gum they produce. Inthe last year, the trees finally reachedmaturity and gum extraction becamepossible.

According to Nora Berrahmouni, FAOForestry Officer, "Acacia offers many benefits.It feeds the soil by capturing nitrogen thatrestores fertility. It is a shelter for crops. Italso provides gum arabic, which has aninternational market, and so it is good for theeconomy. Not only that, but it is also a sourceof fodder for livestock and food for localcommunities."

Fatou Seye, her husband and their sixchildren live in the village and confirm thatacacia has already dramatically improvedtheir living conditions, "because now we areproducing hibiscus juice and millet, peanutsand beans, which we can eat. Production offodder for livestock has increased and we sell

FAO IN THE FIELD

FAO’S ACACIA PROJECT AT A GLANCE

Region. Africa.Subregion. Sahel countries, namelyBurkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, the Niger,Senegal and the Sudan.Objective. Strengthen analytical andoperational capacity of six pilot countriesto address food security and desertificationproblems through the improvement ofagrosilvopastoral systems and sustainabledevelopment of the gum and resin sectors.Activities. The long-term objective of theproject is to reinforce and rationalize theproduction methods, processing andmarketing of gum and resin products, byidentifying and developing methods ofproduction in order to promote theirintegration in rural economic activities andtheir contribution to a sustainableimprovement of food security and thestruggle against desertification. Achievements1. Agrosilvopastoral systems in arid andsemi-arid lands were established, and gumand resin production improved through amethodological approach based on theavailability of an innovative technologysupporting local communities.2. A ten-year long-term programme waselaborated with the African UnionCommission for associated membercountries of the Network for Natural Gumsand Resins in Africa (NGARA), in order toimprove socio-economic conditions in ruralareas, strengthen institutional capacity andenhance the value and sustainability oflocal resources. 3. Exchange of information, training,transfer of technology and quality controlof the gum and resin sector were madepossible, by strengthening theorganization and management of theNGARA regional network.Donor. Government of Italy.Duration. 2003–2010.(Source: GTFS/RAF/387/ITA, AcaciaOperation, www.fao.org/)

the fodder at market. With the money, we areplanning to build a mill so we can make flourand bread".

Harvesting of the gum itself has only justbegun as, at seven years of age, the plantsare only just mature enough. In the coming



60

years, the plants will provide further incomefor these women.

The gum is sold via intermediaries to theValdafrique processing plant close toSenegal's capital, Dakar. From there, it will besold on international markets.

The Chief Pharmacist at Valdafrique, DrMadiagne Sakho, says: "the gum arabicindustry is great business because the gum isin demand from many industries, including thepharmaceutical and food industries where it'sused in a wide variety of products ranging frombakery and dairy products to soft drinks".

According to Sakkoudia Thiam of theNetwork for Natural Gums and Resins inAfrica (NGARA), "great potential exists toprovide income for these communities andalso to help diversify the economy becausethese days the peanut market is in crisis sothe gum arabic sector can help make up forlosses there".

A total of 44 villages have benefited fromthe Acacia project in Senegal so far. (Source:FAO Media Centre, 10 June 2011.)


Ms Nora Berrahmouni, Arid Zone Forestry Officer,

Forestry Department, FAO, Viale delle Terme di

Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy.


FAO-supported forest policy in Gambia

wins award

Gambia's Community Forestry Policy, put inplace with support from FAO, has won silverin the 2011 Future Policy Awards as one ofthe world's most inspiring and innovativeforest policies.

Three policies that most effectivelycontribute to the conservation andsustainable development of forests forcurrent and future generations were chosenas prizewinners today by the World FutureCouncil at UN Headquarters in New York.

Rwanda's National Forest Policy wasproclaimed the first prize winner while theUS Lacey Act with its amendment of 2008and the Gambia's Community Forest Policyshared the silver award.

The Gambia, with the support of FAO andother development partners, has developedand implemented the first policy andlegislation in Africa to provide localpopulations with secure and permanentforest ownership rights. Transferring foresttenure from state ownership tomanagement by local communities enablesthem to reduce illegal logging and forestfires, slow desertification and benefit fromusing forest products.

Programme Facility hosted by FAO andreceived help with expanding communityforestry areas and enhancing the capacity ofstakeholders to derive economic benefits fromcommunity forestry. A recent FAO-supportedproject provided assistance to the revision andpopularization of the forest policy.

It is intended that, by 2016, nearly half of theforests in the Gambia will be under communitymanagement. Communities have establishedproducer groups, generating income fromforest management.

Based in Hamburg, the World FutureCouncil is a political advocacy group led by 50leading personalities from all five continents. Itfocuses on environmental and social issueswith the aim of safeguarding the rights offuture generations. (Source: FAO, 21 September 2011.)

WWF SUSTAINABLERATTAN PROJECT IN THE GREATER MEKONG

The project

The sustainable rattan project “Establishing asustainable production system of rattanproducts in Cambodia, the Lao People’sDemocratic Republic and Viet Nam” of theWorld Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) kicked offin 2007. It aims to make at least 50 percent ofrattan processing in these countriessustainable by 2015, leading to environmentalimprovements, strengthened competitiveness,poverty alleviation and other nationaleconomic benefits.

A key aspect of switching towardssustainable rattan involves adopting cleanerproduction techniques in the manufacture ofrattan products. This is because technologiesand equipment for rattan processing are oftenoutdated. Cleaner production helps to open upnew market opportunities and produce better-quality products. This can be achieved throughoptimized management, increased materialsand energy efficiency, and with more effectiveequipment, among others.

The project focuses on the threeneighbouring countries as this region is rich inrattan resources, with more than 50 species.This forms the basis for a growing rattanprocessing industry, particularly in Viet Nam,which has recorded an average increase ofmore than 30 percent per year in rattanproduct exports.

The growing international and domesticmarket demand for rattan products, combinedwith uncontrolled and unsustainableharvesting practices, has led to the

I N T E R N A T I O N A L A C T I O N

"The success of the Gambia's CommunityForest Policy proves that even in the world'spoorest countries, with the right policies andlegal framework in place, rural populationscan benefit economically from forests andsignificantly improve their food security andenvironment," said Eduardo Rojas-Briales,Assistant Director-General of the FAO ForestryDepartment.

"The Gambia's experience has shown thatthe challenge of sustainable forestry can beattained through the Government'swillingness to empower rural populations," headded.

The Gambia has managed to buck a strongdeforestation trend in Africa, with over 350villages managing 12 percent of the country'sforests and a net increase in forest cover of 8.5percent over the last two decades.

FAO Goodwill Ambassador and Olympictrack legend Carl Lewis, who attended theawards ceremony, said that "the Gambia'speople-centred approach has been highlysuccessful and represents a model to replicatein other countries with a similar forestryenvironment".

Between 2000 and 2004, FAO has facilitatedthe introduction of economic incentives in thecommunity forestry concept. In 2009, theGambia joined the National Forest

2011 FUTURE POLICY AWARD:CELEBRATING FOREST POLICIES ANDFOREST FOOD

The Future Policy Award celebratespolicies that create better livingconditions for current and futuregenerations. The aim of the award is toraise global awareness for theseexemplary policies and speed up policyaction towards just, sustainable andpeaceful societies. The Future PolicyAward is the first award that celebratespolicies rather than people at theinternational level. Each year the WorldFuture Council chooses one topic wherepolicy progress is particularly urgent.

This year, forest policies were on theagenda and forest food on the menu.Caterpillars, mushrooms and otherforest foods were sampled during theAward ceremony. Pictures of the eventcan be seen on FAO’s Washington blog:http://faowashington.org/celebrating-forest-policies-and-forest-food.html/

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61I N T E R N A T I O N A L A C T I O N

overexploitation of rattan resources and forestdegradation. The rattan processing industry isfalling short of minimum, internationallyaccepted production standards and marketrequirements, resulting in environmentalpollution, health risks for workers and lesscompetitiveness in the global marketplace.

Poor ethnic minority communities in ruralCambodia, the Lao People’s DemocraticRepublic (Lao PDR) and Viet Nam rely heavilyon rattan as an income source. Rattan salesaccount for up to 50 percent of cash income formany villages.

Where WWF is headedBy 2011, 40 percent of all targeted small andmedium enterprises in the supply chain will beactively engaged in cleaner rattan production.Fifteen percent of processing industries willprovide environmentally friendly products toEuropean and worldwide markets.

By 2015, 50 percent of the rattan processingindustry in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Namwill be environmentally cleaner and morecompetitive within regional and worldwidemarkets, generating better economic returns.


Sabine Gisch-Boie, Leader Rattan Project,

WWF Austria, Vienna.


Country updates

CambodiaThe most common rattan product inCambodia is furniture, accounting forapproximately 70 percent of total rattanproducts; other products are handicrafts,such as baskets.

In the Prek Thnot community protectedarea (Kampot province), WWF recentlyworked with local communities, guidingthem towards sustainable rattanharvesting and production. The project

introduced villagers to sustainable ways ofrattan management and harvesting,established rattan permanence plots, arattan nursery, and a rattan plantation inthe community. Moreover, the projectprovided training sessions on rattanprocessing techniques to enable thecommunity to manufacture more profitablerattan products independently.

Additionally, a study on rattan valuechains was undertaken, and a rattan fieldguide for sustainable rattan production wasdeveloped.

Following the establishment of a model inPrek Thnot, the project has been scaled up toother villages, involving a total of 4 900families in five provinces, namely Kampot, KohKong, Preah Sihanouk, Kampong Thom andPreah Vihear. (Source: WWF, 2010. Researchand case studies: potential assessment andproposing cleaner production solution for therattan sector in Cambodia.)

Lao People’s Democratic RepublicRattan collection is an important source ofincome for many communities in the LaoPeople’s Democratic Republic. ForestStewardship Council (FSC) certificationincreases the incentives to protect forestsfrom conversion and other unsustainable landuse.

Earlier this year, the Leudnilan AgriculturePromotion Co. Ltd received an FSC Chain ofCustody (CoC) certificate with support fromthe WWF sustainable rattan project. Thiscertificate shows that the company has aproper production chain that ensuressustainable traceability and legality of rattanproducts. “Lao rattan companies need toswitch their conventional production methodsto a more systematic, documented andinnovative process,” said BouaphetBounsourath, WWF Sustainable RattanProject Manager. “Sufficient documentation ofinflow and outflow in rattan production showsefficient processing and facilitates access tothe global market.”

Such a certification is an incentive forcommunities and forest managers as theyreceive a higher income from selling FSCrattan compared with non-certifiedcompanies.

“If we compare the new rattan model toseasonal jobs we have had in the past withwhat we are doing now we can see a bigdifference,” said Mr Kensy Milamith, ViceVillage Head of Thaveng village, Bolikhamxayprovince. “We used to earn a few hundredthousands kips per month, but now when weweave baskets and sell them to the Leudnilan

company, we can earn more than 3 millionkips/month.”

Lao PDR currently exports raw rattan to itsneighbouring countries, particularly Viet Nam,and is aiming to be seen as a global leader ofsustainable and certified rattan exports amongtraders, global retailers and consumers.(Source: WWF Web site, 27 June 2011.)

Viet NamIn Viet Nam, the rattan sector employs up to400 000 people. Although the country is animportant exporter of finished rattan productswith almost 60 percent of its total productiongoing to the EU in 2005, the rattan sectorcannot yet compete with other rattanmanufacturing countries such as China,Indonesia and the Philippines.

According to WWF’s recent study, there arecurrently 238 enterprises working in differentprocesses of the rattan sector (exploitation,processing, exporting) in Viet Nam, mostly inthe Hong River delta. Rattan manufacturetrade villages, located all over the country,especially in the delta, play an important rolein creating jobs and incomes in rural areas.

Recently, under WWF’s sustainable rattanproject, 26 members of ethnic minoritycommunities from Thanh My town in thecentral province of Quang Nam underwent aten-day rattan product-making course.

WWF is planning to carry out six morecourses in the near future, saying in astatement that strengthening the villagers'role as rattan preprocessors/traders in thevalue chain would result in more benefits andbetter livelihood security for them. "Thespecific objective is that by the end of theaction, at least 40 percent of all targeted smalland medium enterprises (SMEs) in the supplychain are actively engaged in cleanerproduction of rattan products in Viet Nam andat least 15 percent of targeted processingSMEs are providing sustainable products toEuropean and other markets," the statementsaid. This would deliver a "measurableimprovement of this sector's environmentalperformance," it added. (Sources: Viet NamNews, 6 July 2011; WWF, 2010. The potentialsand unsustainability of rattan sector inVietnam.)�

RATTAN TRADE

Rattan is a growing, US$4 billion/yearindustry. Village communities inCambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam relyheavily on the rattan trade. Sales accountfor up to 50 percent of cash income invillages, making rattan a majorcontributor to poverty alleviation in ruralareas. (Source: WWF Web site.)

Have patience. All things are difficultbefore they become easy.

Saadi



62 R E C E N T A N D F O R T H C O M I N G E V E N T S

INTERNATIONALCONFERENCE ONSILVICULTURALMANAGEMENT FORFOREST PRODUCERS OF EDIBLE MUSHROOMS CASTILLA Y LEÓN, SPAIN9–11 JUNE 2011

This conference was organized by the ForestResearch Centre Valonsadero (governmentof Castilla y León), with the aim ofcontributing to the promotion in Europe of amultifunctional and sustainable forestmanagement, integrating and enhancingecological and socio-economic functions ofedible wild mushrooms.


Consejería de Medio Ambiente de la Junta de

Castilla y León, C/ Rigoberto Cortejoso 14, 47014,

Valladolid, Spain. E-mail: [email protected];

www.pfcyl.es/evento/SimposioMicologico/

"EL BOSQUE SINFRONTERA PARA TODOSY POR EL BIEN COMÚN" MANAGUA, NICARAGUA29, 30 DE JUNIO Y 1 DE JULIO DE 2011

El objetivo principal de este evento fuedestacar la importancia estratégica de losecosistemas forestales para laconservación de la biodiversidad, eldesarrollo socioeconómico y cultural de laregión centroamericana.

PARA MAS INFORMACIÓN DIRIGIRSE A:

Representación de la FAO en Nicaragua, Km. 8,5

Carretera Masaya, Costado Oeste MAGFOR

Central, Reparto Santo Domingo, Managua,

Nicaragua. Fax: +505-22551193; correo

electrónico: [email protected];

www.septimocongresoforestalca.com.ni/

COMMUNITY FORESTRY:KEY TO SOLVINGCURRENT ANDEMERGING CHALLENGES BANGKOK, THAILAND8–9 AUGUST 2011

Many Asia-Pacific countries have madeconsiderable strides in giving local people agreater stake in managing their forestresources. However, pressure on forests ishigh, and decision-makers often mustrevalue forest land as a result of changing

environmental, economic and socialdrivers. The time is right for taking stock ofwhere community forestry stands todayand for committing to efficient andpractical solutions that work for bothpeople and forests.

In collaboration with Thailand's RoyalForest Department, RECOFTC (the Center forPeople and Forests), the ASEAN SocialForestry Network, FAO and the JapanInternational Cooperation Agency organizedthe Second Regional Forum for People andForests. The International Year of Forestscalls for a people-centred approach tosustainable forest management. The forumpromoted community forestry as a vital toolfor solving current and emerging challengesin Asia and the Pacific.


Ms Somying Soontornwong, RECOFTC

Headquarters, PO Box 1111, Kasetsart Post

Office, Pahonyonthin Rd, Bangkok 10903,

Thailand. Fax: 66-2-561-4880 or

66-2-562-0960; e-mail: [email protected];

www.recoftc.org/site/resources/Second-

Regional-Forum-for-People-and-Forests.php/

14TH SYMPOSIUM OF THE NATURALPRODUCT RESEARCHNETWORK FOR EASTERNAND CENTRAL AFRICA(NAPRECA) KASARANI, NAIROBI, KENYA8–12 AUGUST 2011

NAPRECA has the mandate to mobilizescientists in the relevant fields in the Eastand Central African subregion to contributeeffectively to the development of thescience of natural products. The necessityof NAPRECA was borne from therealization that Africa was rich inbiodiversity but poor in research anddevelopment in natural products.

The event further explored naturalproducts on the continent, under the theme“Natural products from Africanbiodiversity”.


Prof. O.J. Midiwo, Department of Chemistry,

University of Nairobi, PO Box 30197, 00100 GPO,

Nairobi, Kenya. E-mail: [email protected];

www.napreca.net/14symposium/

INTERNATIONALSYMPOSIUM ONMEDICINAL ANDAROMATIC PLANTS PETÉN, GUATEMALA16–19 AUGUST 2011

This International Society for HorticultureScience international scientific symposium(History of Mayan Ethnopharmacology)aims to provide a unique opportunity forunderstanding and appreciating indigenousmedicinal plant use in current andhistorical Mayan culture.

Scientific sessions inethnopharmacology focused on indigenouspractices and market development.Additional sessions included medicinalplant cultivation, biodiversity, and essentialoils. Pharmacognosy sessions explored thephysical, chemical and biologicalproperties of medicinal plants.


www.imaps2011-peten.org/

RESTORING FORESTS FOR COMMUNITIES,BIODIVERSITY ANDECOSYSTEM SERVICES BOGOR, INDONESIA12–13 SEPTEMBER 2011

Indonesia has tens of millions of hectaresof degraded land resulting fromunsustainable land-use practices. Fromcolonial times onwards, the Governmenthas implemented a wide variety ofreforestation projects, but typically withlimited success because of an array oftechnical, social and institutionalproblems.

This conference examined some of themore innovative reforestation approachesbeing conducted in Indonesia and acrossthe Asia-Pacific region and looked at their(wider) applicability to Indonesia. The

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conference was followed by a smallworkshop designed to determine how bestto facilitate the adoption of moreecologically and socially sound forms ofreforestation in Indonesia.

Conference objectives included: (i)increasing awareness of the need for forestreforestation as a means to benefitcommunities, conserve biodiversity andrestore environmental services; (ii)introducing different forest restorationapproaches with reference to initial socialand ecological site conditions andmanagement objectives; and (iii) examiningthe obstacles to and opportunities for moreeffective forest restoration in Indonesia.


Environmental Leadership and Training

Initiative, Yale School of Forestry &

Environmental Studies, 205 Prospect Street,

New Haven, CT 06511, United States of America.

E-mail: [email protected] or

[email protected]/

2ND ASIA-PACIFICFORESTRY WEEK: NEW CHALLENGES, NEW OPPORTUNITIESBEIJING, CHINA7–11 NOVEMBER 2011

FAO and its partners are inviting theforestry sector to participate at the 2ndAsia-Pacific Forestry Week, expected to bethe largest and the most importantforestry-related event in the region in 2011.The event will bring together some 1 500–2 000 participants fromgovernments, NGOs, research institutions,regional and international networks, UNagencies and the private sector. High-levelforestry officials from throughout the Asia-Pacific region will attend the event. It willprovide a unique opportunity for diversestakeholders and forest managers to shareperspectives and seek solutions to themost challenging issues facing forests andforestry today.


Mr Patrick Durst (Senior Forestry Officer),

FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific,

39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand.

Fax: +66 2 697 4445;

e-mail: [email protected];

www.fao.org/forestry/ap-forestry-week/en/;

www.fao.org/forestry/27710-

09ce6fb8776cc27587da58017ba67e4d7.pdf/

GREATER MEKONGSUBREGIONCONFERENCE 2020 BANGKOK, THAILAND15–16 NOVEMBER 2011

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)countries, through the GMS WorkingGroup on Environment and the AsianDevelopment Bank are organizing aconference to benchmark economicdevelopments of the decade spanning2001–2010. The conference will look at thedecade’s impact on growth, the widerdistribution of economic benefits to thepoor in the subregion, and its overalleffect on the environment in order to takea hard look at the next ten years2011–2020 on emerging challenges ofclimate change and the need forappropriate responses.


Dr Hasan Moinuddin, Conference Lead

Facilitator, Greater Mekong Subregion,

Environment Operations Center, Asian

Development Bank, Offices at Centralworld,

999/9 Rama 1 Road, Patumwan, 10330

Bangkok, Thailand. Fax: +66 2207 4400;

e-mail: [email protected]; www.gms-

eoc.org/WGE/Meeting/GMS2020Conf.aspx/

2011 INBAR BAMBOOINDUSTRIAL TOUR ZHEJIANG, CHINA18–24 NOVEMBER 2011

The objective of the annual bamboo studytours is to share the experience of Chinesebamboo development and to promotebamboo development in other countries.


Dr Fu Jinhe, INBAR, No. 8, Fu Tong Dong Da Jie,

Wang Jing Area, Chaoyang District, Beijing

100102, China. Fax: +86-10-6470 2166/3166;

e-mail: [email protected]; www.inbar.int/

INTERNATIONALCONFERENCE ONMANAGING NON WOODFOREST PRODUCTS FORSUSTAINABLELIVELIHOODS BHOPAL, INDIA17–19 DECEMBER 2011

The importance of NWFPs contributing torural livelihoods and alleviating ruralpoverty is well known. It is estimated thatabout 60 million highly forest-dependentpeople in Latin America, West Africa andSoutheast Asia, with an additional 400 to500 million people especially in thosecommunities living inside and on thefringes of forest areas, depend on NWFPsfor food, shelter, medicine, cash income,etc. Apart from meeting subsistence andcash income needs of the dependentcommunities, NWFPs also support a largenumber of small- to large-scaleenterprises engaged in processing and/ortrading of NWFPs and NWFP-basedproducts.

While there is growing appreciation ofthe importance of NWFPs for ruralhouseholds, especially the very poor, thereare also concerns about the potentialimpacts of NWFP collection on biodiversity.The Madhya Pradesh Minor Forest Produce(MPMFP) Federation, Indian Institute ofForest Management (IIFM) and MadhyaPradesh Forest Department (MPFD) havelong been involved in providing livelihoodopportunities for forest dwellers and ruralhouseholds through direct interventions,and research and development initiatives.Yet it is strongly felt that there are manygrey areas where a lot still needs to bedone. Furthermore, many good things arehappening around the globe concerningNWFP management-related issues. Thereare plenty of success stories aboutsustainable livelihoods as a result of NWFPmarketing and trading. Madhya Pradeshwishes to learn from such experiences.

It is with this background in mind thatthe MPMFP Federation is organizing aninternational conference on NWFPs. Thetheme of the conference is Management ofNWFPs for sustainable livelihoods. It willbe organized in commemoration of theInternational Year of Forests and thecompletion of 150 years of scientificforestry. In Madhya Pradesh, the mainorganizer of the event is the MPMFPFederation with IIFM as copartner. MPFD isthe sponsor of the event.

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64 R E C E N T A N D F O R T H C O M I N G E V E N T S


R.R. Okhandiar, CEO MFP Federation Secretary,

NWFP Conference Secretariat, MFP Processing

and Research Centre (MFP-PARC), Barkheda

Pathani, BHEL Township, Bhopal, MP India.

Fax: +91 755-2417670;


www.nwfpcon.com/

CONGRESS OF THEINTERNATIONAL SOCIETYOF ETHNOBIOLOGY 2012 MONTPELLIER, FRANCE20–25 MAY 2012

For two decades, the International Society ofEthnobiology (ISE) has actively promoted andsupported the inextricable linkages betweenbiological and cultural diversity and the vitalrole of Indigenous and local people in thestewardship of biological diversity andcultural heritage, which includes recognitionof land and resource rights, as well as rightsand responsibilities over tangible andintangible cultural and intellectual properties.

Building on the traditions of past ISEcongresses, the 13th International Congressof Ethnobiology in Montpellier, France, willbring indigenous and non-indigenousparticipants from around the world to tacklethe key issues of our times. The congress willinclude a wide range of formats for people toshare their knowledge, ideas andexperiences, ranging from talk circles, to filmviewings and discussions, cultural

performances, field trips, oral presentationsand poster sessions. The congress isdesigned to be highly interactive andparticipatory, and to foster a commitment byparticipants to building understanding andtrust.


Congress ISE 2012, UMR5175 CEFE, Campus

CNRS, 1919, route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier

cedex 5, France. Fax: (33) 467613336;


http://congress-ise2012.agropolis.fr/

IUFRO "FORESTS FOR PEOPLE –INTERNATIONALEXPERIENCES AND THE VITAL ROLE FOR THE FUTURE" ALPBACH, AUSTRIA22–24 MAY 2012

The conference is one important part of thenew strategy of the International Union ofForest Research Organizations (IUFRO). Theaim of this conference is to build asystematic body of knowledge about "forestsfor people" and its various facets, includingpossible future trends and challenges.

The conference and the follow-upprocess aim at integrating not only theknowledge across all IUFRO divisions, butalso include the knowledge outside IUFRO.

The main themes of the conference arethe following.

• Livelihoods – issues of agroforestry, foodsecurity, fuels, poverty alleviation andhuman dislocation.

• Health, Recreation and Tourism – issuesof human health, recreation and nature-based tourism.

• Urban and Rural Landscapes – issues ofecosystem services, economic benefitand development, spaces and places forliving.

• Culture and Education – issues ofperceptions of forests, spiritualcharacter, education, historical traditionand practice, communication andgovernance.

The IUFRO conference is addressedtowards forest managers, scientists,science administrators, policy-makers andthe interested public audience.

It is organized by the University ofNatural Resources and Life Sciences(BOKU) Vienna, Department of Landscape,Spatial and Infrastructure Sciences,

Institute of Landscape Development,Recreation and Conservation Planning.


Prof. Dr Ulrike Pröbstl, Institute of Landscape

Development, Recreation and Conservation

Planning, Univ., Peter-Jordanstr. 65, A-1180

Wien, Austria. Fax: +43 1 47654-7209; e-mail:

[email protected]; http://ffp2012.boku.ac.at/

11TH ASIANAPICULTURALASSOCIATIONCONFERENCE KUALA TERENGGANU, TERENGGANU,MALAYSIA28 SEPTEMBER–2 OCTOBER 2012

The Asian Apicultural Association (AAA)assists communication and the exchange ofinformation between bee scientists andbeekeepers in Asia. We need to coordinatebee research, extension and diversity ofbeekeeping promotion and to make effortsrelevant to the business community andpeople everywhere.

The conference committee has identifiedthe following areas as special areas offocus for the scientific presentation anddiscussion: bee biology, behaviour,diseases and pests; bee pollination and beeplants; bee products; beekeeping andhoney-hunting equipment andtechnologies; apitherapy andpharmaceuticals; and environment andconservation.


Dr Makhdzir b Mardan, Local Organizing

Chairman, Honeybee Science Research Center,

Tamagawa University, Machida,

Tokyo 194-8610, Japan.

E-mail: [email protected] or

[email protected];

www.asianbeeconference.org/

11thaaaconference/ �

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65

Abson, D.J. & Termansen, M. 2011.Valuing ecosystem services in terms ofecological risks and returns. Conserv.Biol., 25(2): 250–258.

Adhami, H.-R., Farsam, H. & Krenn, L.

2011. Screening of Medicinal Plants fromIranian Traditional Medicine forAcetylcholinesterase Inhibition.Phytotherapy Res., 25(8): 1148–1152.

Alexander, S.J., Oswalt, S.N. & Emery,

M.R. 2011. Non timber forest products inthe United States: Montreal Processindicators as measures of currentconditions and sustainability. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-851. Portland, OR, US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific NorthwestResearch Station. 36 p.(Please see page 51 for more information.)

Allebone-Webb, S.M., Kumpel, N.F., Rist,

J., Cowlishaw, G., Rowcliffe, J.M. &

Milner-Gulland, E.J. 2011. Use of market data to assess bushmeat hunting sustainability in Equatorial Guinea. Conservation Biol., 25(3): 597–606.33 refs.

Ariza Cortes, W., Huertas Garcia, C.,

Hernandez Ortiz, A., Gelvez Bernal, J.,

Gonzalez Rodriguez, J. & Lopez Gutierrez,

L. 2011. Characterization and traditionaluse of NTFPs in the Guantiva, La Rusia,Iguaque Conservation Corridor. RevistaColombia Forestal, 13(1): 117–140.

Association for African Medicinal Plants

Standards (AAMPS). 2011. African herbalpharmacopoeia. United Kingdom,Earthprint.

Awe, F., Osadebe, C.O., Imoagene, E.,

Fashina, A.Y., Eniola, T.S. & Adeleke, E.O.

2011. Assessment of rural households'objectives for gathering non-timber forestproducts (NTFPs) in Kogi State, Nigeria.African J. Environmental Science andTechnology, 5(2): 143–148. 18 refs.

Baliga, M.S. & Dsouza, J.J. 2011. Amla(Emblica officinalis Gaertn.), a wonderberry in the treatment and prevention ofcancer. European J. Cancer Prevention,20(3): 225–239.

Bavikatte, K. & Robinson, D.F. 2011.Towards a people’s history of the law:biocultural jurisprudence and the NagoyaProtocol on Access and Benefit Sharing.Law, Environment and Development J., 7(1). (Please see page 4 for more information.)

Benjamin, A. & McCallum, B. 2011. Bees inthe City. United Kingdom, Guardian Books.

Calama, R., Tomé, M., Sánchez-González,

M., Miina, J., Spanos, K. & Palahi, M. 2010.Modelling non-wood forest products inEurope: a review. Trends in modelling toaddress forest management andenvironmental challenges in Europe.Forest Systems, 19: 69–85. (special issue)

Cheikhyoussef, A., Shapi, M., Matengu, K.

& Ashekele, H.M. 2011. Ethnobotanicalstudy of indigenous knowledge onmedicinal plant use by traditional healersin Oshikoto region, Namibia. J.Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 7: 10. 39refs.

Congo Basin Forest Partnership. 2010.Forests of the Congo Basin: State of theForest 2010. Cameroon.Download: www.pfbc-cbfp.org/news_en/items/EDF_2010_atelier_Validation-E.html/(Please see page 10 for more information.)

Duchelle, A.E., Cronkleton, P., Kainer,

K.A., Guanacoma, G. & Gezan, S. 2011.Resource theft in tropical forestcommunities: implications for non-timbermanagement, livelihoods and conservation.Ecology and Society, 16: 1.

El-Ghazali, G.E., Al-Khalifa, K.S., Saleem,

G.A. & Abdallah, E.M. 2010. Traditionalmedicinal plants indigenous to Al-Rassprovince, Saudi Arabia. J. Medicinal PlantsResearch, 4(24): 2680–2683.

FAO. 2011. Reforming forest tenure:issues, principles and process. Rome. (Please see page 17 for more information.)

FAO. 2011. The State of Forests in theAmazon Basin, Congo Basin and SoutheastAsia. A report prepared for the Summit ofthe Three Rainforest Basins, Brazzaville,Republic of the Congo, 31 May–3 June2011. Rome. Download: http://foris.fao.org/static/data/fra2010/ StateofForests_Report_English.pdf/(Please see page 58 for more information.)

Fedele, G., Urech, Z.L., Rehnus, M. & Sorg,

J-P. 2011. Impact of women's harvestpractices on Pandanus guillaumetii inMadagascar's lowland rainforests. Econ.Bot., 65(2): 158–168.

Flottum, K. 2011. The complete and easyguide to beekeeping. United Kingdom,Apple Press.

Forest Europe, UNECE & FAO. 2011. Stateof Europe's Forests 2011: Status & Trendsin Sustainable Forest Management inEurope.

Gurney, K.M., Schaberg, P.G., Hawley, G.J.

& Shane, J.B. 2011. Inadequate coldtolerance as a possible limitation toAmerican chestnut restoration in thenortheastern United States. Restor. Ecol.,19(1): 55–63.

Hamilton, E., Cocksedge, W. & Davis, E.J.

2011. Opportunities for NTFP in woodlots. Non-timber forest productdevelopment in British Columbia’scommunity forests and small woodlands:constraints and potential solutions.Canada, Centre for Livelihoods andEcology, Royal Roads University, Ministryof Forests, Lands and Natural ResourceOperations and Federation of BC WoodlotAssociations.

Huber, F.K., Ineichen, R., Yang, Y. &

Weckerle, C.S. 2010. Livelihood andconservation aspects of non-wood forestproduct collection in the Shaxi valley,southwest China. Econ. Bot., 64(3):189–204.

Kettle, C.J. et al. 2011. Seeing the fruit forthe trees in Borneo. Conserv. Lett., 4(3):184–191.



66

Mery, G., Katila, P., Galloway, G., Alfaro,

R., Kannien, M., Lobovikov, M. & Varjo, J.

(eds). 2010. Forests and society –Responding to global drivers of change.IUFRO World Series 25. Vienna,International Union of Forest ResearchOrganizations. This book focuses on the main globaldrivers of change affecting the world’sforests and forest-dependent people and the challenges and opportunities they create. It also proposes ways toreduce the adverse effects of these driversand to take advantage of the newopportunities they may bring. The book is a result of a collaborative writingprocess of over 160 authors from all overthe world.

Métis Nation of Ontario. 2010. SouthernOntario Métis Traditional Plant Use Study.Canada.

Mohammed Alamgir Naser Ahmed Sohel

et al. 2011. Forest resources and poorpeoples of Bangladesh. International J.Forest Usufructs Management, 12(1):118–130.

Negi, V.S., Maikhuri, R.K. & Rawat, L.S.

2011. Non-timber forest products (NTFPs):a viable option for biodiversityconservation and livelihood enhancementin central Himalaya. Biodivers. Conserv.,20(3): 545–559.

Pei-Shan, L. & Chang-Yi, C. 2011. Towards sustainable community-basednatural resource management in theindigenous Meqmegi community in Taiwan.Rethinking impacts of local participation.Natural Resources Forum, a UNSustainable Development Journal,134–144.

Persha, L., Agrawal, A. & Chhatre, A.

2011. Social and ecological synergy: localrulemaking, forest livelihoods andbiodiversity conservation. Science, 331.

Posmontier, B. 2011. The medicinalqualities of Moringa oleifera. HolisticNursing Practice, 25(2): 80–87.

Rahman, M.H., Rahman, M. & Biswajit,

R.A. 2011. Topographical distribution,status and traditional uses of medicinalplants in a tropical forest ecosystem ofnortheastern Bangladesh. Int. J. ForestUsufructs Management, 12(1).

Kumar, L.B.B., Patil, B.L., Basavaraja, H.,

Mundinamani, S.M., Mahajanashetty, S.B. &

Megeri, S.N. 2011. Participation behaviourof indigenous people in non-timber forestproducts extraction in Western Ghatsforests. Karnataka J. Agricultural Sciences,24(2): 170–172. 16 refs.

Kumaraswamy, S. & Udayakumar, M.

2011. Biodiversity banking: a strategicconservation mechanism. Biodivers.Conserv., 20(6): 1155–1165.

Laurance, W.F., Camargo, J.L.C., Luizão,

R.C.C., Laurance, S.G., Pimm, S.L., Bruna,

E.M., Stouffer, P.C., Williamson, G.B.,

Benítez-Malvido, J., Vasconcelos, H.L., Van

Houtan, K.S., Zartman, C.E., Boyle, S.A.,

Didham, R.K., Andrade, A. & Lovejoy, T.E.

2011. The fate of Amazonian forestfragments: a 32-year investigation. Biol.Conserv., 144(1): 56–67.

Lemenih, M. & Kassa, H. 2011.Management guide for sustainableproduction of frankincense. A manual forextension workers and companiesmanaging dry forests for resin productionand marketing. Indonesia, Center forInternational Forestry Research (CIFOR).Download: www.cifor.org/nc/online-library/browse/ view-publication/publication/3477.html/

Lemenih, M. & Kassa, H. (eds). 2011.Opportunities and challenges forsustainable production and marketing ofgums and resins in Ethiopia. Indonesia,Center for International Forestry Research(CIFOR).Download: www.cifor.org/nc/online-library/browse/ view-publication/publication/3478.html/

Lemonick, M. 2011. The Great Tree Survey.National Geographic, 219(5): 30, 31, 33.

Lima, B., Lopez, S., Luna, L., Aguero, M.B.,

Aragon, L., Tapia, A., Zacchino, S., Lopez,

M.L., Zygadlo, J. & Feresin, G.E. 2011.Essential oils of medicinal plants from theCentral Andes of Argentina: chemicalcomposition, and antifungal, antibacterialand insect-repellent activities. Chemistry &Biodiversity, 8(5): 924–936. 35 refs.

Lin, Y.J. 2011. Review, current status, andprospects of the bamboo industry in Taiwan. Taiwan J. Forest Science, 26(1): 99–111. 13refs.

Linder, J.M. & Oates, J.F. 2011. Differentialimpact of bushmeat hunting on monkeyspecies and implications for primateconservation in Korup National Park,Cameroon. Biol. Conserv., 144(2): 738–745.

Lindsey, P.A., Romañach, S.S., Matema, S.,

Matema, C., Mupamhadzi, I. & Muvengwi,

J. 2011. Dynamics and underlying causes ofillegal bushmeat trade in Zimbabwe. Oryx,45(1): 84–95.

Lindsey, P.A., Romañach, S.S., Tambling,

C.J., Chartier, K. & Groom, R. 2011.Ecological and financial impacts of illegalbushmeat trade in Zimbabwe. Oryx, 45(1):96–111.(Please see page 53 for more information.)

Liu, F., McShea, W.J., Garshelis, D.L., Zhu,

X.J., Wang, D.J. & Shao, L.K. 2011. Human-wildlife conflicts influence attitudes but notnecessarily behaviours: factors driving thepoaching of bears in China. Biol. Conserv.,144(1): 538–547.

Manhita, A., Ferreira, T., Candeias, A. &

Dias, C.B. 2011. Extracting natural dyesfrom wool – an evaluation of extractionmethods. Analytical and BioanalyticalChemistry, 400(5): 1501–1514. 52 refs.

Maso, D., Matilainen, A. & Pettenella, D.

2011. The role of networks in non-woodforest products and services marketdevelopment. Innovation in forestry:territorial and value chain relationships,154–168.

Mbete, R.A., Banga-Mboko, H., Racey, P.,

Mfoukou-Ntsakala, A., Nganga, I.,

Vermeulen, C., Doucet, J.L., Hornick, J.L.

& Leroy, P. 2011. Household bushmeatconsumption in Brazzaville, the Republic ofthe Congo. Tropical Conservation Sci., 4(2):187–202.



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Rahman, M.H., Khan, M.A., Fardusi, M.J.

& Biswajit, R.A. 2011. Forest resourcesconsumption by the Patra tribe community living in and around theKhadimnagar National Park, Bangladesh.Int. J. Forest Usufructs Management,12(1):95–111.

Rist, L.R., Shaanker, U., Milner-Gulland, E.J.

& Ghazoul, J. 2010. Combining traditionalknowledge and conventional scientific data inforest management. United NationsUniversity, Institute of Advanced Studies. Download: www.unutki.org/default.php?doc_id=183/

Roberts, P. & Evans, S. 2011. The book offungi. United States of America, Universityof Chicago Press. More than 600 fungi are described andillustrated in this scholarly book. It givesexamples of cultivated mushrooms such asshiitake, explains why porcini cannot becultivated (no spores), has an interestingsection on truffles and describes dozens ofedible wild mushrooms. It also covershundreds of mushrooms that are inedibleor deadly poisonous.

Roman, M. de. 2010. Wild edible fungi inSpain: present situation and futureperspectives. In D. Martínez-Carrera, N.Curvetto, M. Sobal, P. Morales & V.M. Mora,eds. 2010. Hacia un desarrollo sostenibledel sistema de producción-consumo de loshongos comestibles y medicinales enlatinoamérica: avances y perspectivas en elsiglo XXI, p. 555–590. Germany, Universityof Duisberg-Essen.

Sáfián, S., Csontos, G. & Winkler, D. 2011.Butterfly community recovery in degradedrainforest habitats in the Upper GuineanForest Zone (Kakum forest, Ghana). J.Insect Conservation, 15(1–2): 351–359.

Salafsky, N. 2011. Integrating developmentwith conservation: a means to a conservationend, or a mean end to conservation? Biol.Conserv., 144(3): 973–978.

Shackleton, S., Shackleton, C. & Shanley, P.

(eds). 2011. Non-Timber Forest Products inthe Global Context. Tropical Forestry Series7, 1st ed. Germany, Springer. This book provides a comprehensive, globalsynthesis of current knowledge on thepotential and challenges associated with themultiple roles, use, management andmarketing of NTFPs. There has been

considerable research and policy effortsurrounding NTFPs over the last two and ahalf decades. The book explores theevolution of sentiments regarding thepotential of NTFPs in promoting options forsustainable multipurpose forestmanagement, income generation andpoverty alleviation. Based on a criticalanalysis of the debates and discourses, itemploys a systematic approach to present abalanced and realistic perspective on thebenefits and challenges associated withNTFP use and management within locallivelihoods and landscapes, supported withcase examples from both the southern andnorthern hemispheres. The book covers thesocial, economic and ecological dimensionsof NTFPs and closes with an examination offuture prospects and research directions.

Shepard, G.H. & Ramirez, H. 2011. "Madein Brazil": human dispersal of the Brazilnut (Bertholletia excelsa, Lecythidaceae) inAncient Amazonia. Econ. Bot., 65(1): 44–65.95 refs.

Singh, S.C. & Bagchi, G.D. 2011. Moringaoleifera: the emerging medicinal plant ofAyurveda. J. Medicinal and Aromatic PlantSciences, 33(1): 81–85. 23 refs.

Spivak, M., Mader, E., Vaughan, M. &

Euliss, N.H. 2011. The plight of the bees.Environ. Sci. Technol., 45(1): 34–38.

Sudha, G., Valavi, K.V., Thottappilly, P. &

Thottappilly, G. 2011. Interesting,delicious, neglected, underutilized andunder-researched fruits and products ofthe mulberry family. In S.G. Valavi, K.V.,Peter & G. Thottappilly, eds. The jackfruit,3–18. India, Studium Press. 50 refs.

Tchibozo, S., Theeten, F., Morin, D., Mergen,

P., Dounias, E., Aberlenc, H., Le Gall, P.,

Latham, P. & Malaisse, F. 2011. LINCAOCNET:edible insects of Western and Central French-speaking Africa online. CRGB, Royal Museumfor Central Africa, Organisation internationalede la francophonie.

Tewari, D.D. & Mahapatra, A.K. 2011.Global income and employment generationimpacts of non-timber forest products(NTFPs) and their poverty mitigationpotential: reflections based on worldwideevidences. Indian Forester, 137(1): 3–17.

The Accra Caucus. 2010. Realising rights,protecting forests: an alternative vision forreducing deforestation. United Kingdom,The Accra Caucus.

Third World Network. 2011. The road to ananti-biopiracy agreement. The negotiationsunder the UN Convention on BiologicalDiversity. Second ed. Malaysia.(Please see page 5 for more information.)

Turner, J.A., Bhubaneswor Dhakal, Yao,

R., Barnard, T. & Maunder, C. 2011. Non-timber values from planted forests:recreation in Whakarewarewa forest. NewZealand J. Forestry, 55(4): 24–31. 19 refs.

Vliet, N. & Van Mbazza, P. 2011.Recognizing the multiple reasons forbushmeat consumption in urban areas: anecessary step toward the sustainable useof wildlife for food in Central Africa.Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 16(1):45–54. 46 refs.

Waheed, S.A. & Khan, M.A. 2011.Indigenous knowledge and folk use ofmedicinal plants by the tribal communitiesof Hazar Nao forest, Malakand District,North Pakistan. J. Medicinal Plants Res.,5(7): 1072–1086.

Wasser, S. 2011. Current findings, futuretrends and unsolved problems in studies ofmedicinal mushrooms. AppliedMicrobiology & Biotechnology, 89(5):1323–1332.

Weckerle, C.S., Yang, Y., Huber, F.K. &

Li, Q. 2010. People, money and protectedareas: the collection of the caterpillarmushroom Ophiocordyceps sinensis in theBaima Xueshan Nature Reserve, SouthwestChina. Biodiversity and Conservation, 19(9). Download: http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt= 22899792/

Yisehak, K., Solomon, M. & Tadelle, M.

2011. Contribution of moringa (Moringastenopetala, Bac.), a highly nutritiousvegetable tree, for food security in SouthEthiopia. A review. Asian J. AppliedSciences, 4: 477–488.

Bamboos at TBGRI

Published by the Tropical Botanic Gardenand Research Institute (TBGRI), Bamboosat TBGRI is a record, with historical facts,of the initiation and development of aBambusetum at TBGRI. It includescollection details and other features of 68species and one variety under 15 generaand 12 hybrids produced in TBGRI. Thebook provides a picture of the geneticresources of bamboos available at TBGRIand is divided into three chapterscovering: (1) the history of the TBGRIBambusetum and major bambuseta ofAsia; (2) details on live collections, themost important part of the book; and (3)future options and breeding in bamboos.The information is useful to policy-makers, taxonomists, breeders,horticulturists, landscape architects ingeneral and for future bamboodevelopment activities of the state andcountry in particular.


Dr K C Koshy, Scientist, Tropical Botanic

Garden and Research Institute, Palode 695

562, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.

OTHER RECENT PUBLICATIONS


P U B L I C A T I O N S O F I N T E R E S T68

Specialty Crops for Pacific Islands

From bamboo to black pepper, cacao tococonut, tea to taro, Specialty Crops forPacific Islands provides detailed cultivation,value-added and marketing information forover two dozen of the most importantspeciality crops for Pacific Islands and othertropical locations. These crops provide arapidly growing economic opportunity forinnovative farmers and gardeners who areinterested in diversifying their products.

This new resource book – by40 contributing experts and illustrated withover 940 colour images – covers value-addedprocessing, enterprise development,accessing unique markets, sustainable localfood production, economic and ecologicalviability, multicrop agroforestry systems andlocal systems with export potential. Itprovides insights into sustainable cultivationand processing techniques for local andexport markets with an emphasis oninnovating production methods, post-harvestprocessing and marketing.

This new book promotes high-qualityfood, fibre and health-care crops grown indiverse agroforestry systems with anemphasis on providing small farms withopportunities for local consumption andcommercial sale. Elevitch, C.R. (ed). 2011. Specialty Crops for Pacific Islands. PermanentAgriculture Resources, Holualoa, Hawaii.


Craig Elevitch, Permanent Agriculture

Resources, PO Box 428, Holualoa,

Hawaii 96725, United States of America.

Fax: +1 877-883-5837;


http://www.agroforestry.net;

www.specialtycrops.info/

TROPICAL PALMS, 2010 REVISIONNOW AVAILABLE IN FRENCH

Tropical palms, originally published in1998 as the tenth volume in FAO’sNWFP series, was updated in 2010 toinclude the most recent informationand developments regarding theconservation status and use of varioustropical palm species.

The publication in its revised versionis now available in French (Les palmierstropicaux révision 2010 ) and in bothhard copy and electronic format(www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1590e/i1590e00.htm). Copies can be purchasedfrom FAO’s Sales and Marketing Groupat [email protected]/

NEW PUBLICATIONS FROMFAO’S NON-WOOD

FOREST PRODUCTSPROGRAMME



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environmental services, NWFPs, culturesand forests, forest products industrycompetitiveness, gender and biomassenergy.

The reports are available at:www.fao.org/asiapacific/forestry-outlook/


Patrick Durst, Senior Forestry Officer, FAO

Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific,

39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand.

Fax: (66-2) 697 4445;

e-mail: [email protected]/

State of Europe’s Forests 2011 launched

The UN Economic Commission for Europe(UNECE), FAO and FOREST EUROPE havecollaborated to produce State of Europe'sForests 2011: Status & Trends inSustainable Forest Management inEurope, launched during the MinisterialConference on the Protection of Forests inEurope (FOREST EUROPE) held in Oslo,Norway from 14 to16 June 2011.

The report is based on detailedinformation provided by countries. Themain findings of the report are that forestscover 1 billion ha in Europe, 80 percent ofwhich are in the Russian Federation;European forests are expanding andremove the equivalent of about 10 percentof European greenhouse gas emissions;most Europeans think that their forestsare shrinking; the sector provides4 million jobs and accounts for 1 percentof the region’s gross domestic product(GDP); low carbon-nitrogen ratios in forestsoils will be problematic in severallocations; and most countries have explicitobjectives on forest-related carbon.

The authors of the report developed adraft method to assess the sustainabilityof European forests which, while not yetpeer-reviewed, identifies a number of

threats and challenges, includinglandscape fragmentation; a shrinking andageing workforce; negative net revenuesof several forest enterprises; andmobilizing enough wood for energy whilereconciling biodiversity values and theneeds of the traditional wood sectors.(Source: IISD News, 14 June 2011.)


Ministerial Conference on the Protection of

Forests in Europe FOREST EUROPE, PO Box 115,

NO-1431 Aas, Norway. Fax: +4764948939;


www.foresteurope.org/

Download: www.foresteurope.org/

pBl7xY4UEJFW9S_ TdLVYDCFspY39Ec720-

U9or6XP.ips/

(Please see pages 14–16 for extracts from this

report.) �

Plantes medicinales de traditions:

province de l’Equateur, R.D. Congo

This book contains a wealth of informationon the local medicinal uses, including thedifferent plant parts used and the way ofpreparation of the medicine, of more than350 medicinal plants of the Equatorprovince in the Democratic Republic of theCongo. (Source: K.K. Mbuta et al. 2011.Plantes medicinales de traditions:province de l’Equateur, R.D. Congo.Democratic Republic of the Congo, Institutde recherche en sciences de la santé. (Please see page 41 for moreinformation.)

FAO finalizes second Asia-Pacific

Forestry Sector Outlook Study

The new publications include:• Asia-Pacific forests and forestry to

2020, which covers all the majoraspects of forestry development acrossthe whole of the Asia-Pacific region;

• subregional reports for Southeast Asia,East Asia, the Pacific and the GreaterMekong subregion, which contain awealth of information on developingtrends, future scenarios and prioritiesto reach sector goals;

• Forest policies, legislation andinstitutions in Asia and the Pacific.Trends and emerging needs for 2020,written in collaboration with the TNCRAFT Program, the Centre for Peopleand Forests and with support fromUSAID.

In addition, the following reports, whichformed the foundation for the outlookstudy, are available:

• twenty-one country papers, submitted byAsia-Pacific Forestry Commissionmember countries;

• eleven thematic papers on aspects offorests and forestry including poverty,

A novel must be exceptionally good tolive as long as the average cat.

Hugh Maclennan



70 S P E C I A L F E A T U R E SW E B S I T E SW E B S I T E S

� Orangutan Appeal UK

Orangutan Appeal UK is a charitydetermined to protect the remaining wildpopulation of orangutans in Borneo. www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk/

� The Jane Goodall archive

Duke University announced theestablishment of the Jane Goodall InstituteResearch Centre, which will houseGoodall’s archives and digitized data from50 years of uninterrupted study ofchimpanzees. The collection receives newdata with each day's observations. Itsscientific value grows as scientists convertthe data into digital formats.http://today.duke.edu/showcase/janegoodall/index.html; http://wildlifedirect.org/

Amazonia Boliviana

El objetivo de esto sitio es promocionar laAmazonía de Bolivia en sus aspectosculturales, ecológicos, económicos,informativos y turísticos. www.amazonia.bo/

Biocultural heritage

This new Web site has been launched topromote understanding of traditionalbiocultural knowledge as a whole. It containstoolkits, resources, policy information andcase studies that keep traditional knowledgein context. www.bioculturalheritage.org/

Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL)

This year marks the 4th anniversary of thelaunch of the Biodiversity Heritage Library, aconsortium of history and botanical librariesthat have cooperatively digitized a wealth ofliterature on biodiversity. In an effort toexpand the reach of publications andinformation on this subject, BHL’s materialshave been made available for open accessworldwide.www.biodiversitylibrary.org/

Cork: videos available online

http://foris.fao.org/rss/rss-feed-output.do?pageitemId=115823&language=en;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlzL-dElvv8/

FAOSTAT

The preliminary 2010 Forest ProductsStatistics have just been released on the FAOWeb site:http://faostat.fao.org/site/630/default.aspx/

Forest governance assessment and

monitoring

FAO’s new Web site on forest governanceassessment and monitoring is online.www.fao.org/forestry/governance/monitoring/en/

FAO’S NWFP HOME PAGE

Please help us make our Web site a richresource by continuing to send us ([email protected]) your NWFP Websites and citations of any publications thatwe are missing, as well as any researchthat you would like to share.www.fao.org/forestry/site/6367/en

NWFP-DIGEST-L

The Digest is a free monthly e-bulletinproduced by FAO’s NWFP Programmeand covers all aspects of non-woodforest products. Past issues can befound on FAO’s NWFP home page atwww.fao.org/forestry/site/12980/en/

You can take part in contributing tothe continued success of thisnewsletter by sharing with the NWFPcommunity any news that you mayhave regarding research, events,publications and projects. Kindly sendsuch information to [email protected]/

To subscribe: send an e-mail to:[email protected], with themessage: subscribe NWFP-Digest-L; or through the NWFP Programme’shome page atwww.fao.org/forestry/site/12980/en/ �

HOW TO WRITE RESEARCH PROPOSALS

• Hints on preparing research proposals:http://aas.org/grants/hints.php/

• How to write a research paperproposal: www.ehow.com/how_2002069_write- research-proposal.html/

• How to write a research project grantapplication: www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/ write_grant_doc.htm/

• How to write a thesis proposal:www.ldeo.columbia.edu%7Emartins/sen_res/how_to_thesis_proposal.html/

• How to write good research proposalexamples: http://thesisblog.com/proposal-writing/how-to-write-good-research-proposal-examples/

• How to write a research proposal:integrating essays to research papers:http://essay-blog.com/college-essays/how-to-write-research-proposal–integrating-essays-to-research-papers/

• IPPF. 2002. Guide for designingresults-oriented projects and writingsuccessful proposals. 44 p.www.eldtraining.com/ docs/IPPF%20PROPOSAL%20WRITING%20GUIDE.pdf/

• Jones, Simon Peyton & Bundy, Alan.Writing a good grant proposal. http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/simonpj/papers/Proposal.html/

• Levine, S. Joseph. Guide for writing afunding proposal.www.learnerassociates.net/proposal/

• McGranaghan, Matthew. Guidelineson writing a research proposal.www2.hawaii.edu/~matt/proposal.html/

• Pajares, Frank. The elements of aproposal. www.des.emory.edu/mfp/proposal.html

• Proposal writing: stages and strategieswith examples: http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~ebrown/infobr3.htm/

• Research proposal guide:http://researchproposalguide.com/

• Research proposal writing:http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/tse-portal/proposal/dan-ryan-proposal/propweb.htm/

• Sample research paper proposal:www.essaybay.com/sample-research-paper-proposal.php/




Reader from IndiaNon-Wood News is a very usefulpublication and we want to continue that.Please update my mailing address so that Iget the publication on time.

Reader for the United States of AmericaI have enjoyably been receiving yourmagazine in California for the past year orso. I am moving to Guatemala and want toknow if I could change my mailing address? (Please remember to let us know if you aremoving!)

Reader in PakistanPlease kindly send us some hard copy ofthe bulletin for our library record andfurther distribution among our committeesworking on conservation and promotion ofNon-Wood Forest Products in Chitral. �

R E A D E R S ’ R E S P O N S E

Kleinhans Fellowships

Since 1989, the Rainforest Alliance hassupported research on non-timber forestproducts through its Kleinhans Fellowshipprogramme. Awarded biennially, thefellowship provides two years of support toa graduate student or postdoctoral fellowwhose research strives to understand andimprove the impacts of NTFP harvestingand marketing on rural livelihoods andtropical forest ecosystems.

This spring we awarded the 12thKleinhans Fellowship to Kennedy de Souza,a Brazilian doctoral student who will use 15years of socio-economic and forest coverdata to determine how tenurearrangements and government policieshave affected the economic viability andforest conservation potential of NTFPs inthe Brazilian Amazon. The work of previousfellows has been just as ambitious: TarinToledo Aceves tested whether the nurserypropagation of epiphytic bromeliads is aviable alternative to wild harvest from cloudforests, and before her, Monica BarrosoKeel examined whether radio broadcasts ofup-to-date NTFP market informationimprove the livelihoods of remotesmallholders in the Amazon. PastKleinhans Fellows have studied NTFPs asdiverse as mezcal, Brazil nuts and rattan, inplaces ranging from Mexico to Madagascarto Indonesia and beyond.

As part of the Rainforest Alliance’s 25thanniversary celebration in 2012, we haveasked the past Kleinhans Fellows – adiverse group consisting of universityprofessors, NGO practitioners andscientists at international researchorganizations – to reflect on the changesthat have occurred in the field of NTFPssince their fellowship research. The themeof “change” is intentionally broad. Weexpect that some fellows will examinechanges in the political context surroundingthe production and sale of NTFPs, whileothers will focus on changes observed atNTFP-dependent communities where theyconducted their fellowship research. Stillothers might consider changes in their ownoutlook on the viability of NTFPs as a toolfor forest communities andconservationists.

We are delighted that the past KleinhansFellows’ reflections will be included in nextspring’s edition of Non-Wood News, in theform of a set of essays. In the meantime,more information about the KleinhansFellowship is available at www.rainforest-alliance.org/fellowships/


Deanna Newsom, Manager, Kleinhans

Fellowship, Evaluation and Research Program,

Rainforest Alliance, 665 Broadway, Suite 500,

New York, NY 10012, United States of America.



the Rainforest Alliance.)

Request for information: bamboo biomass

assessment method

Dr Timothy Gregoire is researching on away to assess bamboo biomass in BhutanNFI. Dr Gregoire is especially interested inanything that has been done to dateanywhere in any region of the world.

If you could assist, please contact:Timothy G. Gregoire, J.P. WeyerhaeuserProfessor of Forest Management, School of Forestry & EnvironmentalStudies, Yale University, 360 ProspectStreet, New Haven, CT 06511-2104, United States of America. E-mail: [email protected]/

Letters from readers

Reader from CameroonIt is always a pleasure to share projectnews via Non-Wood News because we aregetting feedback and requests for furtherinformation from readers.

Reader from the United States of AmericaI really find Non-Wood News packed withgreat information.

Library in CameroonWe are pleased to tell you that we havereceived the publication that you sent to us.Nowadays, we have displayed thatpublication in our library to all users,and it is a very important document forresearchers, lecturers, students and otherusers. We do hope that you will stillcontinue to give us the good publicationsmore in our library.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO NON-WOOD NEWS

A strong characteristic of Non-WoodNews is that it is open to contributionsfrom readers. Should you have anyinteresting material on any aspect ofNWFPs that could be of benefit to all ourreaders, please do not hesitate to submitit. Articles are welcomed in English,French and Spanish and should bebetween 200–500 words.

The deadline for contributions forNon-Wood News 23 is 31 August 2011.

For more information, please contact:

Tina Etherington at the address

on the front page or by e-mail to:

[email protected]/

R E A D E R S ’ R E S P O N S E

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OForests for People

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.

Documents

non-wood - FAO · 2021. 2. 8. · NON-WOOD NEWS No. 23 November 2011 3 RECOGNITION OF TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE UN urges greater appreciation of culture and creativity of indigenous peoples