A transition framework for integration of non-wood forest products into the bioeconomy

Chamberlain,  J., Smith-Hall, C., Mutke, S.

A transition framework for integration of non-wood forest products into the bioeconomy

Autores

Chamberlain, J., Smith-Hall, C., Mutke, S.

Editor

FAO ;

Descripción

Non-wood forest products (NWFP) are essential to the health and livelihoods of billions of people and are increasingly preferred by consumers worldwide. The plants, fungi, lichens, and animals that provide these products are essential for global biological diversity and are the raw materials for multi-billion-dollar global industries. While overexploitation of these resources often was linked to poverty and food scarcity in lower- income countries, today, unsustainable resource use is also linked to global market demand and even pressure from recreational harvesting in high-income countries. To ensure present and future production, without compromising forest health and resiliency or the people who rely on and benefit from NWFP, these resources should be included at all levels of forest management. The concept of a bioeconomy, which involves using science-based knowledge for sustainable production of food, energy, and other renewable bio-products, provides a framework for ‘green’ growth. NWFP are produced in myriad of systems and realigning these to a bioeconomy framework offers opportunities to refocus and strengthen efforts to achieve a sustainable future with forests that work locally and can be scaled up to achieve global Sustainable Development Goals. We provide contemporary examples of NWFP and the conditions that support their integration into the bioeconomy. From these cases, we identify factors that may stimulate the transition to a bioeconomy with NWFP. Keywords: Forest development, sustainable transformation, economic transitions, nontimber forest products ID: 3480571