Why are non-wood forest products important?
For most of recorded history, people have valued forests not for wood, but for other products. Ancient writings from China, Egypt and India record a wide variety of uses for forest plants, and compilations of botanical knowledge from Western Asia were prized by the ancient Greeks (Wickens, 1990). Whereas wood products have become major international commodities in modern times, NWFPs rank among the oldest traded commodities (Iqbal, 1993). Ancient Egyptians imported gum arabic from Sudan for use in paints and the mummification process. International trade in sandalwood oil dates back to the twelfth century A.D. Through the experience of forest communities, forestry professionals have recently rediscovered the great importance of NWFPs (ranging from food, fruits and fibres, dye stuffs, flavours and medicines) for meeting people’s needs. In recent years, a growing body of scientific research has suggested that, given certain basic conditions, NWFPs can help communities to meet their needs
