Social-ecological sustainability of non-timber forest products: A review and theoretical considerations for future research

Abstract

In this paper, we present the results of a review of the state of the art concerning the sustainability of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) use and/or commercialization from an integrated social-ecological perspective. We reviewed 72 papers that bring on board both social and ecological dimensions of NTFP use and/or commercialization, while identifying different dimensions of sustainability. We found that the majority (68%) of research does not encompass the socio-cultural dimension, and sense of place is not addressed in the papers we analyzed. Additionally, we found that many studies (~92%) have not conducted a multi-scalar analysis, which we deem crucial for the thorough understanding of sustainability. Because ecological unsustainability is prevalent among the papers analyzed, we bring on board the discussion around why certain social-ecological interactions and dynamics result in positive outcomes in both human and biophysical systems, whereas others incur in negative impacts. We then shed light in ways forward for enhancing sustainability. Building on our review, we discuss four theoretical contributions to guide future research on the sustainability of NTFP use and/or commercialization, namely the SES framework, political ecology, land-change science, and social innovation. Combined, these theories support multidimensional and multi-scalar sustainability analyses. We hence expect that the synergies between these theoretical contributions can steer future research into a direction that unravels broader NTFP and forest values, enhancing sustainability and promoting social-ecological development.