Non-Timber (Non-Wood) Forest Products (NTFPs/NWFPs)
The forest is a plant community composed of trees and other vegetation which contains not only a great quantity of timber reserves but also abundant non-woody plant and animal resources otherwise known as non-timber forest products (NTFPs) or non-wood forest products (NWFPs).
For example in China, there are over 1,900 species of woody plants in forested areas; 340 species of aromatic plants; more than 120 species of edible plants; 400 species of medicinal plants; over 100 species of economic plants; 80 species of nectariferous (nectar-producing) plants; and over 500 species of wildlife.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that 80% of the developing world relies on NWFPs for some purpose in their everyday life. These materials also play important role in the international marketplace with over US$ 1.1b in trade.
NWFPs are usually collected on a local level by peasant farmers. However, some of the materials have been successfully domesticated for large-scale production e.g. honey.
Non-Timber Forest Products
These are the huge variety of materials derived from forests excluding timber and fuel wood. Alternatively, the NTFPs are parts of plants, fungi, and other biological materials harvested within, and on the edges, of natural, manipulated, or disturbed forests.
NTFPs include foods (bark, roots, tubers, corms, leaves, flowers, nuts, fruits, fungi, mushrooms, honey, game, gum, sap); food additives (spices, herbs, flavorings, sweeteners), fodder, fibers (furniture, clothing, construction), fragrances for perfume, ornamental pods and seeds, resins, oils, and plant and animal products such as meat, skins, teeth and bones, and those with medicinal value.
The raw materials for NTFPs are gathered from government-owned and communal lands, especially honey, game meat, liana vines, and grasses, where land tenure systems may hinder access to the products.
Many of the products are often seasonal in supply and depend on natural growth and regeneration which make their productivity unpredictable e.g. mushrooms.
NTFPs are many and diverse and vary widely in range in different regions depending on inherent genetic characteristics, land use practices, edaphic conditions, and environmental influences. Many of the products are available during the farming season, and thus, contribute to farming activities.
Economic and Potential Values of NTFPs
Household subsistence – Many NTFPs are used as food, fodder, fibres, grazing supplements, medicine, and construction materials;
Food and nutrition – NTFPs provide a large variety of diets and dietary supplements which are important sources of nutrients to man.
Income and employment – The exploitation of many NTFPs can provide income to people with limited alternative employment opportunities and low income.
Medicinal uses – Several NTFPs are valued for their use in trado- medical and pharmaceutical preparations.
Cultural and spiritual uses – Several NTFPs serve valuable cultural (coronation ceremony) and deity purposes.
Cottage industries – Several industries process NTFPs for man’s domestic and commercial use.
The following table shows the benefits derivable from some NTFPS.
| Species | Uses |
| Acacia nilotica | Tannin and dye |
| Pleurotus tuber-regium (mushrooms) | Consumed for nutrient supply |
| Gnetum africanum | Consumed for nutrient supply |
| Hynocarpus spp. | The oil used in treating leprosy |
| Irvingia gabonensis | Food and cottage industries |
| Azadirachta indica | Medicinal and jam |
| Parkia spp. | Soup condiment |
| Chorysophyllum albidum | Food, arts, and craft |
| Garcinia mannii | Chewing stick |
| Indigofera spp. | Dye |
| Acacia Senegal | Gum Arabic |
| Viteblaria paradoxa | Shea butter and oil |
| Apia mellifera | Honey |
| Khaya senegalensis | Medicinal |
| Afzelia Africana | Cane production |
| Laccosperma secuncli | Mats |
| Pandanus candelabrum | Native salt |
| Rhizophora spp. | Ropes |
Classification of NTFPs
There are four major classes of NTFPs, namely culinary NTFPs; wood-based NTFPs (obtained from whole or parts of non-timber-sized trees), floral and decorative NTFPs, and medicinal and dietary NTFPs.
However, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations classified NTFPs into three groups viz. vegetal NTFPs (the use of forest plants for food, forage, fibre, medicine, and biochemicals), fauna NTFPs (the use of animals such as birds, reptiles, insects and fishes found in the forest as food, fur, pet, hides, and skin), and service NTFPs (services rendered by the forest such as soil improvement, soil protection, parks, reserves, windbreaks, and historical sites).
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