Local Knowledge of Alternative Forest Resources

Abstract

Local knowledge by rural villagers about forest resources extraction, production and marketing needs increased focus in planning sustainable and gender-sensitive forest management internationally. Local villagers should be encouraged to express resource management alternatives and gain new technical knowledge to improve understanding and utilization of alternative forest resources (AFRs). Forestry workers and villagers involved in management and use of local forests should strive for increased appreciation of local AFR knowledge and enhanced knowledge of market conditions. Indigenous management technologies should be part of all forest planning activity. Recent research in Nepal indicates patterns of forest use and local AFR knowledge, including a wealth of indigenous knowledge and understanding about patterns of traditional forest use, extraction and marketing of a variety of major and minor forest products. (Several case examples are presented.) These are valuable findings for user group development, community forestry management and farm forestry products marketing. Villagers should be encouraged to share and use both indigenous knowledge and other relevant technical knowledge. These are missing elements in current forestry planning. Indigenous knowledge answers important questions: e.g., What is produced and marketed, and by whom? What kinds of knowledge need to be understood by developers and planners and by villagers and forest users? How may this knowledge be used to assure sustainable resource management and sound market planning?