ABSTRACT
Forests, trees and agroforests (FTA) 1 contribute to people’s well-being in myriad ways. The many non-timber forest products (NTFPs) 2 derived from FTA resources are critical to the livelihoods of approximately 1.4 billion impoverished people in the world (FAO/IFAD/ILO 2010). Adding to the multiple food security, nutrition, energy, health and cultural benefits they provide, NTFPs contribute on average 20–25 per cent of annual household income for people living in and near forests in the developing world (World Bank 2004). The consumption and sale of NTFPs can be important particularly for marginalised groups, such as women, among others, whose limited access to land, credit and other assets hamper their ability to pursue alternate livelihood opportunities (Hasalkar and Jadhav 2004).
