ABSTRACT
Within the context of achieving the participatory conservation of forest areas, there has been a growing interest in the potential value of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in sustaining local livelihoods. Recent years have seen an accumulation of literature illustrating the wide-ranging importance of NTFPs in people's lives (e.g. Falconer, 1990; Scoones et al., 1992; FAO, 1995; Ruiz Pérez and Arnold, 1996). Not only do NTFPs play a role in providing food, forage, household implements, construction materials and cultural artefacts for direct use by local people, but they can also be a vital source of income, being traded in local, national and even international markets.
