Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) include all woodland resources, both plant and animal, other than timber. Examples include:
NTFPs represent another alternative use of forestry which has been promoted by Reforesting Scotland and now seems to be becoming more mainstream.
Reforesting Scotland has held seminars on various aspects of NTFP production and marketing. Most recently we co-organised the Woodland Bounty event; to be followed in April 2009 by the Wild Harvests of Scotland events - more details on the ForestHarvest website.
Reforesting Scotland maintains the ForestHarvest website, Scotland's only website dedicated to providing
information about the diversity of products available from Scottish woodlands.
One of the purposes of this site is to help develop the untapped market potential of these products, and it includes information on gathering, management and trading of NTFPs, including a database of buyers and case studies of operating businesses.
Click here to go to the ForestHarvest website.
The Rural Alternatives Shared Futures project supported four partner communities in developing NTFP use locally, to demonstrate the potential of NTFPs to provide cultural, environmental and economic benefits throughout Scotland.
See the Rural Alternatives Shared Futures page and the Rural Alternatives Shared Futures project reports page for more details.
Responding
to recommendations made at the 2006 Wild Harvests seminar in Beauly, this project
evaluated the potential for a trade body to represent and support NTFP enterprises
in Scotland, and discussed ideas for a labelling scheme to identify sustainable
wild-harvested and woodland products from Scotland. Representatives of a range
of businesses took part in in-depth interviews, so we could learn more about
their needs and views. They also helped us to build up a picture of trends and
the economic value of the sector.
This project was funded by Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Enterprise, and the research was conducted between January 2007 and March 2007.
The Scottish Working Woods label is designed to promote both timber and non-timber products from Scotland's woods. Reforesting Scotland helped to ensure that the label procedures will work for non-timber businesses, reporting on the findings of the NTFP Sector Research and Development Project.
The label was launched at the Touchwood festival in June 2007, with representatives from trade associations, the Forestry Commission, the press, and woodland products businesses among others. Refreshments included wild garlic cheese and rowan berry jelly kindly donated by local businesses and sourced by Reforesting Scotland. Reforesting Scotland also arranged a display of products from NTFP businesses, which was displayed at Touchwood and then later in the month at Edinburgh Treefest and at the Big Tent in Falkland.
The label is owned and managed by a consortium of trade associations in Scotland. In the absence of a trade association for non-timber products, Reforesting Scotland has agreed to act as a contact point for non-timber businesses interested in using the label. You can contact Reforesting Scotland to register your interest (email ). In the coming months we intend to put in place a co-ordinator, to administer applications for the label and to work with businesses towards establishing a trade association.
The Scottish Working Woods label development and launch were funded by Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Enterprise. To find out more, visit the Scottish Working Woods website.
This project, launched in December 2007, is a response to calls for more work towards monitoring NTFP harvests in Scotland, and towards establishing a culture of sustainable harvesting.
See the Sustainable Forest Harvest project page for more details.
Reforesting Scotland's newest NTFP project focuses on people who are basing their livelihoods around Scotland's wild and woodland products. So far this project has resulted in two meetings for wild harvests businesses during November 2008 (click here to download a report - PDF document 381KB); liaison with wild harvests businesses to provide displays and tasters at the Woodland Bounty event; and plans for the Wild Harvests of Scotland events in April 2009.
See the Wild Harvests Sector Support project page for more details.
Issue 29 (Spring 2003) of the Reforesting Scotland Journal has a special feature on non-timber forest products, and contains the following articles:
If you wish to buy this issue, please see the information on ordering back issues on the Reforesting Scotland Journal page.
Reforesting Scotland has also published an information sheet on non-timber forest products as part of the Community Woodland Information Pack. The sheet is divided into the following sections:
Information on ordering this sheet can be found on the information sheets page.
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