ABSTRACT
American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) sales in 1993 totalled US$25 million (see Chapter 16); and maple syrup (Acer sacharum) sales in the US in 1998 were US$32 million (see Chapter 15).
NTFPs are important for local livelihoods and the harvest of many species has relatively less impact on forest habitats than other land uses such as logging and clearing for agriculture. As a result, NTFP marketing and management strategies are often incorporated within conservation and development programmes. These programmes seek to develop sustainable livelihoods and alternative incomes for local communities, thereby reducing pressure on forests – with mixed results over the years (Crook and Clapp, 1998). Some projects work on a local level to develop sustainable management and local marketing strategies for highly threatened and/or valuable species. Others have focused on international markets for NTFPs, seeking to improve corporate relationships with raw material sources and to increase benefits for local communities.
