Commercial extraction of non-timber forest products, such as nuts, rattan and freshwater fishes can contribute to the conservation of unique ecosystems in the world. That is the starting-point underlying the recently published research strategy of the Tropenbos Foundation in the Netherlands. Exploitation of non-timber forest products can provide a stimulus to conservation and sound forest management through the incomes generated by forest-dwelling people and through its contribution to national incomes and export earnings. Non-timber forest products can only be harvested on a sustainable basis under certain conditions. The Tropenbos Foundation therefore intends to develop a checklist of attributes and requirements for successful and sustainable extraction, and a method to apply this checklist in land-use planning. Tropenbos will do this in joint effort with scientists of different disciplines, local population groups, and several institutions in the tropics. This checklist is to enable the identification of areas where commercial extraction of non-timber forest products seems to be promising as a conservation strategy. As a matte of course, several potential dead ends and pitfalls will be taken into account, such as over-harvesting or substitution of natural with synthetic products. The research plans, for which the Board of the Tropenbos Foundation will seek additional funds, were not developed out of academic curiosity. The Tropenbos Foundation is primarily concerned with the demand for knowledge, facts and methods by policy makers and forest users. The new publication on non-timber forest products is an example of the strategic and multidisciplinary approach that Tropenbos advocates. The publication lays the foundation for collaboration with (inter)national organizations, institutions and NGOs interested in the development of shared concepts and research protocols. The publication 'Commercial and sustainable extraction of non-timber forest products. Towards a policy and management oriented research strategy' written by Mirjam Ros-Tonen, Wim Dijkman and Erik Lammerts van Bueren is available from the Tropenbos Foundation at the price of Dfl 25,- excl. mailing charges. Fax: +31-317-426262 Email: Tropenbos@iac.agro.nl Postal address: P.O.Box 232, 6700 AE Wageningen, the Netherlands The Tropenbos Foundation is an internationally oriented organization conducting reserach and development activities to support the conservation and wise use of tropical rain forest. To this end, Tropenbos collaborates with partners in several countries. Research programmes are being executed in Cameroon, Colombia, C“te d'Ivoire, Guyana and Indonesia. Tropenbos also supports projects in Ecuador and Gabon.
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