Non-timber forest products and community forestry : a tale of two villages

Abstract

Many rural people harvest non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for food, resources and supplementary income and forms a key component of community forest management. It is therefore vital to understand how different approaches to community forestry impact the way in which local people can use forest resources and benefit from the available NTFPs. A new SANDEE study from Nepal investigates this important question.

The study compares the experience of people living under an informal and a formal community forest management system in Pyuthan district. It finds that under the informal management system NTFPs make a higher contribution to household income than under the formal system. It also finds that poorer households, who are more dependent on forest products, are more significantly affected by forest management rules and regulations than their richer neighbors. To help these poorer households, the study proposes some changes in the formal management system rules.