Beyond Timber
Certification of Non-Timber Forest Products
By Patrica Shanley, Alan Pierce , Sarah Laird - Forest Trends, CIFOR, People and Plants International View PublicationNon-timber forest products (NTFPs) are critical to rural livelihoods in both temperate and tropical areas. They provide communities with important subsistence resources like medicine, food and shelter, as well as a source of cash income. NTFPs are also part of large regional and international markets, and for centuries products such as spices, medicinal plants, fragrances and resins spurred explorations and sustained trade routes across the globe.