A recent review published by forest researchers from four continents reflects on diverse forest products beyond timber. Its overall purpose is to provide a logical argument for transitioning to sustainable management of forests for wood and non-wood forest products (NWFP) under an inclusive ecosystem forest management approach.
A comprehensive discussion of the subject provides special attention to property, tenancy, public goods and access rights to NWFP as resources for livelihoods. Despite their multiple benefits to all sectors of global society, official reporting of production volumes of NWFP is sparse, erratic or inaccurate due to a complex system that is opaque and with inadequately understood value chains.
A conceptual framework is presented for transitioning from timber-oriented forest management to co-production management, essential to ensure long-term forest security, health and resilience.
Full reference
Sheppard JP et al. 2020. Sustainable Forest Management Beyond the Timber-Oriented Status Quo: Transitioning to Co-production of Timber and Non-wood Forest Products–a Global Perspective. Current Forestry Reports. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40725-019-00107-1
