Non-timber Forest Products Policy and Strategy

The total value generated by a forest consists ofwood and non-wood goods and services. Goods andservices of the forest resource can be classifiedinto three broad categories, namely direct usebenefits, indirect use benefits and intermediate useservices. Direct use benefits include timber for constructionand furniture, wood for crafts and household tools,fire wood, construction poles, wild fruits, wildvegetables, wild herbs, honey, bush meat, insects forfood, bird eggs, medicinal products, thatch, grasshand-brushes, twig hand-brushes, weaving reeds,sand/clay, plant dyes, plant resins, seeds forrattles and decoration and other benefits. Indirect use benefits include pollination services,livestock grazing, recreation/aesthetic services(eco-tourism), religious functions and other benefits. Intermediate use services comprise carbonsequestration, water shed protection, protectionagainst soil erosion, habitat for wild fauna andflora (breeding and nursery functions), biodiversityreserve, oxygen production, acid rain deposition,roles in the water cycle, runoff reduction(cultivated) and other services