Non-Timber Forest Products and their Role in the Livelihoods of People of Nepal: A Critical Review

Kabita Kumari Shah,Sami Shrestha,Jiban Shrestha

doi:10.33002/nr2581.6853.03024

Abstract

Nepal is a rich source of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in terms of production and trading practices. The altitudinal and climatic variations in various pockets of Nepal have contributed to their diversity. This article attempts to outline the current status of NTFPs and its importance in the Nepalese economy. NTFPs provide rural people with food, medicine, construction materials, and income. About 80% of the rural population depend on the NTFPs for their livelihood and Nepal. NTFPs have commercial, socioeconomic and environmental values in rural communities. More than 700 species of plants are recognized as producing NTFPs and about 150 species of these are commonly used in international trade. The management of NTFPs has been receiving increasing attention from donors, development agencies and user groups who are involved in different aspects of NTFP promotion. Sustainable exploitation, use, and commercialization of NTFPs are important for socio-economic development, poverty reduction, and livelihood enhancement of rural people in Nepal.

Highlights

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are the products that are derived from forests other than timber (Ahenkan and Boon, 2011)
Consumptive NTFPs on one hand are utilized at the personal and household level and serve as the products sold in the market; whereas non-consumptive NTFPs on the other hand are related to the indirect benefit of sound forest management and promoting ecotourism (Hammet, 2004).NTFPs include medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), bamboo and rattan, dyes, fibers, papers, wild foods, soap detergents, resin, and others
The analysis showed a rise of about 4% a year between 1992 and 2002 in the share of NTFPs in the overall export volume, which doubled (MSFP, 2014)

Summary

Introduction

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are the products that are derived from forests other than timber (Ahenkan and Boon, 2011). Consumptive NTFPs on one hand are utilized at the personal and household level and serve as the products sold in the market; whereas non-consumptive NTFPs on the other hand are related to the indirect benefit of sound forest management and promoting ecotourism (Hammet, 2004).NTFPs include medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), bamboo and rattan, dyes, fibers, papers, wild foods, soap detergents, resin, and others. The use of (MAPs) medicinal and aromatic plants as supplementary food and ethnomedicine together with the potential cash income is an extremely important source of livelihoods and resilience for the poor rural people of Nepal. Lacks the technical, financial, and guaranteed market capabilities for processed NTFPs. For instance, the secondary source of income of rural people is NTFPs, non-timber forest products (NTFPs) form the secondary source of income in most parts of Nepal; it provides 35-50% total income of a household in Karnali zone (Parajuli, 2005; GIZ, 2011).

23 Pani amala

Findings

Conclusions