Guide for small and medium enterprises in sustainable non-timber forest trade in Central Africa
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Small and medium forest enterprises (SMFEs) based on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are already contributing to poverty reduction for rural and urban people, and providing a diverse range of food, energy, medicines, materials and culturally important goods. These businesses can be promising avenues for economic development and resource conservation if they practice sustainable forest management. Moving SMFEs from opportunistic entrepreneurs to economically viable businesses, however, requires an enabling environment with laws and policies that promote legal access to the resource base and incentives for sound forest management. Many businesses need support to add value to the products they deal in and to manage the resources needed for effective forest and business management. This guide sets out the main issues and significant challenges, and suggests solutions and guidelines for viable NTFP based SMFEs. Government, non-governmental agencies and their business partners have important roles to play in developing this sector from its current vibrant, but largely informal and hidden status. This can be achieved by creating a more enabling, consistent and credible business and forest management framework of support, regulation and policy, that offers more and better opportunities to all those involved in the trade of getting a product from the forest to consumers.