[MPWG] Fw: NWFP-Digest-L No. 2/06
Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov
Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov
Wed Mar 29 10:24:05 CST 2006
Below is the latest plant info from NWFP Digest. Several articles on
medicinals.
Since the urls are not active (and, therefore do not use up so much
memory), I am forwarding the entire document.
-Patricia
- - - - -
NWFP-Digest-L
No. 2/06
Welcome to FAO’s NWFP-Digest-L, a free e-mail journal that covers all
aspects of non-wood forest products. Back issues of the Digest may be
found on FAO's NWFP home page: www.fao.org/forestry/site/12980/en
==============================================================
IN THIS ISSUE:
PRODUCTS
1. Bamboo plastic: Mitsubishi's plastic goes green
2. Bamboo linen
3. Bamboo: Kawayan Festival in the Philippines shows best
of bamboo
4. Bushmeat: 'Hippie Chimps' fast disappearing in Congo
5. Butterfly tourism: Mexico logging threat to
butterflies
6. Caterpillars: Good grub in Africa
7. Gum Arabic: Nigeria hosts 3rd regional conference on
Gum Arabic
8. Honey: European Union suspends import of Brazilian
honey
9. Maple syrup
10. Medicinal plants in Bangladesh
11. Medicinal plants in India to be monographed and patented
12. Mushrooms: Restoring your balance with mushrooms
13. Noni (Morinda citrifolia) : Medicinal value of Tahitian
noni juice drink
14. Sandalwood bonanza, planting tree that is worth more than
gold
15. Wattle: Industry proposed for Dalwallinu wattle
COUNTRY INFORMATION
16. Brazil: Brazilian companies close US$ 27 million in deals
at BioFach
17. Brazil: EMBRAPA will participate in international
research project on tropical fruits
18. Brazil: Low-cost machinery for handicraft production
19. Burkino Faso : La production de karité
20. Kenya blames drought for increasing wildlife crime
21. India: promotion of marketing of tribal products
22. Scotland: Forestry plan to double tree planting rate
23. Vanuatu: Nevsem disagree on Vanuatu sandalwood ban
24. Vietnam: WWF project aims to prevent wild animal trade,
promote biodiversity
25. Vietnam: Non-timber forest product development project
underway
26. Vietnam: Big plans for NWFP
NEWS
27. Biopiracy: Brazil grapples with jungle piracy dilemma
28. Biopiracy: San cry foul over hoodia trade
29. Dual-Campus MA in Environmental Security and Peace
30. Fair trade in wild natural resources
31. Yale lectures: Viana discusses sustainable development,
climate change
REQUESTS
32. Request for information: case studies on NWFP
EVENTS
33. UNEP/UNESCO Great Apes Survival Project (GRASP) – Can the
UN Save the Great Apes (and their Biodiverse Habitats)?
34. Philippine style bamboo furniture processing
35. Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic
Plants: Workshop on implementation strategies for the international
standard
36. Trees for improving profitability, sustainability, and
resource conservation on farms and ranches: A professional development
workshop in agroforestry
37. Urban Forestry for Human Health and Wellbeing
38. 4th International Conference on Aromatic and Medicinal
Plants in French overseas regions
39. International Conference on Managing Forests for Poverty
Reduction: Capturing opportunities in forest harvesting and wood
processing for the benefits of the poor
LITERATURE REVIEW AND WEB SITES
40. Other publications of interest
41. Web sites and e-zines
MISCELLANEOUS
42. Armenia: forests to be destroyed in 20 years with today's
deforestation rates
43. Chopsticks: China introduces chopsticks tax
44. China: 20% forest cover promised
45. Costa Rica: Rain forests see spate of wildlife deaths
46. Vietnam: Slow but promising recovery for nation's forest
cover
BACK TO TOP
PRODUCTS
1. Bamboo plastic: Mitsubishi's plastic goes green
Source: Autoblog, 28 February 2006
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. announced that it is has developed, with the Aichi
Industrial Technology Institute, a new material to be used in the interior
of its future vehicles. The material, which uses a plant-based resin and
bamboo fiber, is called “Green Plastic”. Because of these components, the
material produces less CO2 emissions and "volatile organic compounds" or
VOCs.
Mitsubishi also points out that bamboo, which grows much
faster than timber, will lessen chances for depleting raw resources when
mass-producing Green Plastic.
For full story, please see:
http://audio.autoblog.com/2006/02/28/mitsubishis-plastic-goes-green/
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2. Bamboo linen
Source: The Columbus Dispatch, 5 March 2006
Fast-growing bamboo makes unlikely but soft, colourful linens and bath
towels. Doesn’t sound very comfortable? Well, imagine a bamboo cloth mixed
with a dash of cotton that feels silky. That is what manufacturers
discovered when they turned hardy bamboo into fabric.
Garnet Hill, a New Hampshire company is almost as excited
about the ecological benefits as the soft sheets: finding a fiber as
easily renewable as bamboo is a nice fit, spokeswoman Janet Partridge
said. The plant has a surprisingly soft feel. Partridge compares it to
cotton with a sateen finish. Garnet Hill has made the 70 percent bamboo,
30 percent cotton material into sheets of vibrant plum, tangerine, red and
green. "It really holds onto the colour, has a great drape and is not
wrinkly or stiff," Partridge said.
Bamboo is mature enough to harvest in three to five years and
can be grown without fertilizers or pesticides.
CB2 had the same thoughts about bamboo as they wove the
material into towels. "Bamboo is considered a very friendly environmental
plant," said Bette Kahn, a spokeswoman for CB2. CB2 uses a 65 percent
bamboo to 35 percent cotton mix in its new towels. "It absorbs faster than
cotton," Kahn said.
In the two Chicago stores where people can actually touch
them, people are snapping up the towels.
For full story, please see:
www.columbusdispatch.com/homegarden/homegarden.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/05/20060305-I9-00.html
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3. Bamboo: Kawayan Festival in the Philippines shows best of
bamboo
Source: Sun.Star – Philippines, 4 March, 2006
Products made of bamboo were the centerpiece attraction of the weeklong
"Kawayan Festival" that seeks to enhance the chances of the highly
regarded grass as a multi-million peso income earner. For three years now,
the Provincial Government has been giving importance to bamboo by way of
the Kawayan Festival held every February. This year, the Festival was held
in Koronadal City. It is a well deserved opportunity for craftsmen to
showcase their unique creations.
"We have been provided an avenue where our products have
bigger chances of being noticed by buyers. This festival is a big push for
us to continue our trade," said Sandy Torrico, owner of Crossing Palkan
Bamboo Craft.
Emmanuel Jumilla, manager of the South Cotabato Productivity
and Technology center where the festival was held, said they want the
bamboo industry to be fully developed for the benefit of both the local
economy and tourism industry.
South Cotabato Governor Daisy Avance Fuentes said bamboo is an
integral part of the provincial culture, referring to thatched houses in
rural areas made of bamboo. Fuentes said the quality of handicrafts,
particularly produced by the inmates, have improved dramatically.
The festival also highlights the culinary importance of
bamboo. Locals commonly cook the shoots of bamboo by adding coconut milk
and different kinds of vegetables to it like beans and "saluyot."
For full story, please see:
www.sunstar.com.ph/static/gen/2006/03/04/bus/kawayan.festival.shows.best.of.bamboo.html
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4. Bushmeat: 'Hippie Chimps' fast disappearing in Congo
Source: AP in ENN Newsletter, 6 March 2006
Mbihe-Mokele, Congo — Scientists are struggling to save the
fast-disappearing bonobo, the gentle "hippie chimp" known for resolving
squabbles through sex rather than violence.
Unfortunately, bonobos are prized by Congolese for their tasty
meat, and many villagers who are illegally hunting the wiry, wizen-faced
apes don't realize how close their prey is to extinction.
"Bonobos are an icon for peace and love, the world's 'hippie
chimps,'" said Sally Coxe of the Washington-based Bonobo Conservation
Initiative. "To let them die off would be a catastrophe." Female bonobos
give birth to a single infant only once every five years, making the
species especially vulnerable.
The bonobo, or Pan paniscus, is native only to the vast rain
forest in this huge central African nation, living high off the ground in
treetop nests. As few as 5,000 may now remain in Congo, down from an
estimated 100,000 in 1984, said Ino Guabini, a primatologist with the
World Wildlife Fund. "There is no question that bonobos are seriously
threatened," Guabini said. "We need urgent measures or there is no way we
can protect the species."
But for poor villagers, bonobos can be lucrative business,
with much of the meat heading for expensive, clandestine meals at
restaurants in the cities. One bonobo can earn $200 for Richard Ipaka, a
50-year-old part-time poacher who lives in the provincial capital,
Mbandaka. "That's enough money for two months," he said.
Like many Congolese, he said he did not know bonobos are found
in the wild only in his country. And like many others, he was sceptical
that the ape is endangered. "Our ancestors have been eating bonobos for
centuries. How could they disappear?" Ipaka said.
But the peace-loving bonobos are increasingly difficult to
sight, and not just because they're good at hiding, suspended from the
high branches of trees or swiftly traversing the lattice of thick, muddy
roots strewn over the forest floor. The best place to glimpse them these
days may be the Bonobo Paradise sanctuary in Congo's capital, Kinshasa,
which is home to a few dozen rescued from poachers by police.
The bonobo is the subject age-old songs and legends, and
conservationists hope to turn some of those traditions to their advantage.
In the village of Botwalu, for instance, locals believe the bonobo was
once a man who lived with their tribe but now hides in the forest because
an angry tree stripped him of its clothes. The Bonobo Conservation
Initiative has begun working with villages that hold such hunting taboos
to create a series of reserves for the graceful animals.
That may not be enough. Even provincial police who are
supposed to protect the bonobo are mostly ignorant about dangers to its
survival, and they are often sympathetic to those who eat it.
Some officers consume bonobo meat, too, said Clerivent
Kanyamba, deputy chief of the Equator province police. "What can we do if
bonobo meat is tasty?" Kanyamba said.
For full story, please see: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=10002
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5. Butterfly tourism: Mexico logging threat to butterflies
Source: BBC Online, 6 March 2006
Illegal logging in Mexico's national parks continues to threaten millions
of butterflies, despite a government crackdown, environmentalists warn.
Mexico's government has taken drastic measures to protect the
butterflies. It has formed a team of 17 park rangers, armed with assault
rifles and body armour, to protect the colonies of monarch butterflies in
Michoacan state.
In 2004, numbers of the migrating monarch butterflies
plummeted to 100 million - the lowest ever recorded. The park rangers are
there to help protect the winter nesting grounds of tens of millions of
orange and black winged butterflies from armed gangs of illegal loggers in
the 56,259-hectare Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. Despite facing
hefty jail sentences, the loggers have continued unabated, say
environmentalists.
Mexico's environment ministry estimates the country's highland
fir forests have shrunk by half since 1968, despite massive planting
operations.
Logging has been the main source of income for many
generations, and while some communities have turned their hand to
'butterfly tourism', many others feel cheated. "The environmentalists have
pushed the government, but... we have no other way of making a living,"
said Homero Gomez, spokesperson for Rosario, a village which is host to
the most monarchs and tourists each year.
But Jose Alvarez - head of the Michoacan Reforestation Fund, a
group that has helped villagers plant more than 480,000 trees this year
alone - says this is a near-sighted argument. "If this (logging)
continues, we won't have any butterflies, there won't be any water and
there won't be any villages; the trees are the basis for everything that
is living in this area," he said.
The Michoacan Reforestation Fund is working closely with
Professor Lincoln Brower, a biologist and leading expert on the monarch
butterfly and scientists from the US space agency (NASA) on an aerial
reconnaissance programme to try to understand which parts of the forest
are critical for the monarchs, and where those areas are in relation to
the trends in logging activity.
For full story, please see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4779092.stm
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6. Caterpillars: Good grub in Africa
Source: OurPlanet... environmental newsletter, 8 March 2006
The news that Espitas, a restaurant in Dresden, Germany, has lines around
the block for its maggot ice cream and maggot salad was no surprise to
entomologist Marc Kenis from Switzerland’s CABI Bioscience, a non-profit
group that works on sustainable agriculture projects. Kenis has been
finding ways to help keep caterpillars on the African menu, especially
during the hungry months when food is scarce.
There is a long history of insect consumption in Africa. A UN
study shows that 85 percent of participants in the Central African
Republic consume caterpillars of various kinds; 70 percent in the Congo
and 91 percent in Botswana. Kenis has been working with Zambian researcher
Gudeta Sileshi of the World Agroforestry Center to make edible insect
larvae a sustainable cash crop for Africans. He thinks that researchers
should promote edible insect larvae as an answer both to food scarcity and
the destruction of African forests.
“Conservation laws need to be reinforced and include
protection of traditional [insect] harvesting rules,” explains Sileshi,
adding that “caterpillar reserves” within wildlife parks will need to be
clearly marked and breeding regulations monitored.
Sileshi says that investment from the private sector may be
needed to bring larvae to African tables. He notes that consumption of
insects also averts many cases of kwashiorkor—a type of protein deficiency
common in children. The larvae have more protein and fat than beef or
fish, according to the UN. “I personally know and appreciate the value of
edible insects in the African diet after having lived in Africa for 12
years,” says Gillian Allard, a forestry officer at the UN’s Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Professor Jaboury Ghazoul in ecosystem management at ETH
Zurich is conducting research on one breed of about 20 commonly eaten
edible caterpillars. “There is a huge sum of money that these worms are
putting into the local economy,” says Ghazoul. Limitations are currently
with collection, marketing and sales, since caterpillar population
explosions occur twice a year, with no set schedule.
The major hurdle that researchers such as Kenis and Sileshi
will confront, Ghazoul suspects, will be eliminating diseases which
prevail when wild populations of insects become domesticated and bred in
high concentrations. But it’s not an insurmountable problem.
“People in Zambia don’t have chicken or fish and we forget
that,” says Kenis. “As Africa shifts from its traditional practices that
once protected caterpillars and forests, the people now need new tools to
create local enterprises among harvesters to help the people
survive—especially during the dry months when food is scarce.”
Westerners may never develop a gourmet caterpillar cuisine.
Kenis says the taste of unseasoned larvae is none too pleasing, and that
even Zambians seem to like their caterpillars best when fried in palm oil
and smothered in tomato sauce and onions. Some grubs are reported to have
a nutty flavour, but they’re undoubtedly an acquired taste.
Contacts
World Agroforestry Center: Phone: (650)833-6645
CABI Bioscience: Phone: (011)41-0-32 421-4870
For full story, please see: www.emagazine.com/view/?3073
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7. Gum Arabic: Nigeria hosts 3rd regional conference on Gum Arabic
Source: The Tide - Port Harcourt, Niger Delta, Nigeria. 4 March 2006
The purpose of the third regional conference on the establishment of Gum
Arabic buffer stock, which will take place in Abuja on March 9, is to
finalise a regional initiative for the establishment of a buffer stock in
the three leading producing countries of Sudan, Chad and Nigeria. The
conference is a follow-up to two earlier conferences on the project held
in Sudan and Chad in 2005.
The project is being promoted by the FAG, the Nairobi-based
Natural Gums and Resins in Africa (NGARA), the Association for
International Promotion of Gums (AIPG), Germany and the governments of
Sudan, Nigeria and Chad. The meeting is expected to ratify the project
documents, leading to the signing of a final declaration on the
establishment of the Gum Arabic buffer stock.
The world market for natural Gum Arabic had been very unstable
over the years with attendant wide price fluctuations. The situation had
made it very difficult for processors and end users to plan their
production based on the availability of the natural raw material, which
was widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Consequently,
long-term industrial users of natural gums had resorted to using other
natural and synthetic substitutes, which are readily available in large
quantities and at predictable prices.
The establishment of a regional buffer stock of Gum Arabic is
expected to stabilise the volatile international and national markets for
natural gums by giving long-term confidence to end users that a stock
exists to feed the market in times of natural disasters.
Participants at the conference will include leading African producers of
Gum Arabic, top international processors of the commodity, governors of
producing states and farmers.
For full story, please see:
www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=03/04/2006&qrTitle=Nigeria%20hosts%203rd%20regional%20conference%20on%20Gum%20Arabic&qrColumn=NEWS
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8. Honey: European Union suspends import of Brazilian honey
Source: Agencia Brasil, 17 March 2006
Starting 17 March, Brazil will not be allowed to export honey to the
European Union (EU). The bloc says Brazil needs to perform further quality
control analysis on the product and that the country’s processes need to
be similar to those performed in Europe.
According to the Director of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary
Issues of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Odilson
Ribeiro, Brazil already has its own control procedures, but the EU does
not consider them equivalent to theirs. Ribeiro said that the UN gave the
Ministry a six-month deadline for restructuring its National Program of
Residue Control in order to adapt to the EU export norms.
According to Ribeiro, a plan containing information on the
quality of the product has already been developed and is currently being
implemented. The EU considers this information should have been sent to
them earlier, however, Ribeiro emphasizes, the EU has never found any
problem in the analysis it has made of Brazilian honey.
Honey from the Northeast region of Brazil is produced mainly
through extractive processes. Thus, there is no risk of antibiotic
contamination, Ribeiro explained. He added that producers from the states
of Ceará and Piauí would be the most affected by EU decision.
In order to minimize future problems, the Ministry of
Agriculture intends to: look for new markets besides Europe; request
sanitary requirements from these countries; promote Brazilian honey;
encourage the product’s organic certification; give support to honey
producers’ associations; and verify sanitary education programs.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the honey exported
before this embargo will have no problem on the EU market.
In 2005, Brazil exported 14 400 tons of honey to the European
Union, which represented an income of US$18.9 million.
For full story, please see:
http://internacional.radiobras.gov.br/ingles/materia_i_2004.php?materia=259236&q=1&editoria
=
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9. Maple syrup
Source: Detroit Free Press - United States, 6 March 2006
According to the Michigan Maple Syrup Association, the state ranks sixth
in syrup production in the United States, with about 90,000 gallons per
year. (Vermont is first.) There are about 500 commercial maple syrup
producers in Michigan and a couple thousand hobbyists.
To get sap for syrup, a hole is drilled into the tree and the
sap drips through a spout or tube into a bucket or plastic bag. Black
maple and sugar maple are the trees commercially tapped in Michigan,
though the sap from red and silver maples also can be made into syrup. A
tree needs to be about 40 years old and should be at least 10 inches in
diameter to be tapped, and it can then be tapped for more than a century.
Springtime is tap time, because warmer days and freezing nights make the
sap flow. Once a tree starts budding, the syrup will taste bitter. The
season starts in February in southeastern Michigan and lasts into April in
the Upper Peninsula.
One tap will yield about 10 gallons of sap for the season, and
it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. The colourless
sap is 2%-3% sugar, and it's boiled to reduce the water content and
concentrate the sugar until it becomes syrup.
Michigan maple syrup has 50 calories per tablespoon and is
fat-free.
Syrup comes in four USDA grades: Grade A Light Amber is the
lightest in colour and tastes the mildest. Grade A Medium Amber is a
little fuller in flavour and is usually what's used for pancakes and
waffles. Grade A Dark Amber is even more flavourful. It's used on
breakfast foods, and for cooking and baking. The darkest, Grade B, is best
suited for baking.
For full story, please see:
www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060306/NEWS05/603060341/1007
Other maple syrup stories:
Iowa maple syrup production in high gear:
www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=9169D73D-BF02-4A31-B8B8B67ECB8201E6
Maple syrup operation has family sticking together to get job done:
www.thederrick.com/stories/03042006-6102.shtml
January thaw stalls maple syrup season:
www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060305/NEWS01/603050613/1001/news
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10. Medicinal plants in Bangladesh
Source: The Daily Star – Bangladesh, 17 March 2006
Despite huge export potential, Bangladesh is yet to reach the $62 billion
world medicinal plant market due to lack of institutional support,
speakers told a seminar yesterday. Urging the government to make a
national database for medicinal plants, they said growers need
professional training especially on modern post-harvesting method.
They were speaking at the seminar 'Potential of Export of
Medicinal Plants' in Dhaka. The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) organized
the seminar as part of its National Export Training Programme (NETP).
The speakers said demand for medicinal plants is increasing on
average 15 percent annually in the world market. Neighbouring India earns
Rs 1000 crore per year by exporting medicinal plants. Bangladesh exported
medicinal plants worth $7,000 in the last fiscal year, they added.
Presenting a keynote paper, Ferdousi Begum, executive director
of Development of Biotechnology and Environment Conservation Centre
(DEBTEC), said inadequate linkage between cultivators, individual buyers
and institutional buyers is also discouraging the farmers. Quoting a WHO
survey she said the global medicinal plant market will increase to $5
trillion by 2050.
The EPB vice-chairman said, "Export earning from medicinal
plants is not encouraging, as the country holds huge potential in some
Western and Middle East countries."
For full story, please see:
www.thedailystar.net/2006/03/17/d60317050346.htm
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11. Medicinal plants in India to be monographed and patented
Source: NewKerala.com, India, 16 March 2006
The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) is in the process of
monographing each plant and getting them registered at various countries,
NMPB Chief Executive Officer, S B Sajwan said today. "The Monographing of
each plant is being done to safeguard the interests of the country and
also to protect it by patenting," Sajwan told reporters. Stating that
medicinal plants and herbs were available in abundance in India, he said
there were chances of other countries patenting some herbs.
NMPB was monographing each plant and getting them registered
at various countries, particularly where plants and other related products
were being exported.
The board has also taken steps to translate Ayurveda and Unani
formulations in Sanskrit, Urdu and Arabic respectively, into English,
French, German, Spanish and Japanese and preserve them in a 'Traditional
Knowledge Digital Library.' One lakh formulations have already been
translated into these languages, Sajwan said.
The domestic medicinal plant market is worth between Rs 5,000
crore to Rs 7,000 crore, with a 10 to 12 percent annual growth, Sajwan
said, adding that India was exporting medicinal plants and related
products worth Rs 800 crore to Rs 900 crore annually.
For full story, please see:
www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=26438
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12. Mushrooms: Restoring your balance with mushrooms
Source: Chester Ku-Lea in DailyIndia.com, 7 March 2006
Mushrooms are valuable health food – low in calories, high in vegetable
proteins, chitin, iron, zinc, fiber, essential amino acids, vitamins and
minerals. Mushrooms also have a long history of use in Traditional Chinese
Medicine. Their legendary effects on promoting good health and vitality
and increasing your body's adaptive abilities have been supported by
recent studies. These studies suggest that mushrooms are probiotic – they
help our body strengthen itself and fight off illness by maintaining
physiological homeostasis – restoring our bodies balance and natural
resistance to disease.
Agaricus is the most widely consumed mushroom in many
countries, where it is regarded as a health food, due to its medicinal
properties. Agaricus is traditionally known as "God’s Mushroom" because of
its near miraculous curative benefits to a wide range of disorders. People
have used it to overcome numerous diseases and disorders relating to the
immune system, cardiovascular system, digestion, and for weight
management, diabetes, chronic and acute allergies, cataracts, hearing
difficulties, stress syndrome, chronic fatigue, diarrhoea, constipation,
and disorders of the liver.
Cordyceps can be a powerful stimulant for macrophage activity,
strengthening the immune system’s ability to fight against bacterial and
viral infection. Human clinical studies indicate that Cordyceps can be
effective in the treatment of high cholesterol, poor libido/impotence,
arrhythmia, lung cancer, and chronic kidney failure. It is also reported
that Cordyceps causes muscle relaxation. This can make it especially
helpful for treating chronic coughs, asthma, and other bronchial
conditions.
Maitake is also known by the name Dancing Mushroom, famous for
its taste and health benefits. In Japan, it is called "King of Mushrooms".
The fruiting body and the mycelium of Maitake are used medicinally. In
China and Japan, Maitake mushrooms have been consumed for 3000 years.
Years ago in Japan, the Maitake had monetary value and was worth its
weight in silver. Historically, Maitake has been used as a tonic and
adaptogen. It was used as a food to help promote wellness and vitality.
Traditionally, consumption of the mushroom was thought to prevent high
blood pressure and cancer - two applications that have been the focal
point of modern research. Clinical research with Maitake mushrooms has
increased dramatically in the past several years. Laboratory studies have
shown that Maitake mushroom extract can inhibit the growth of tumours and
stimulate the immune system of cancerous mice.
Reishi has been called an “immune potentiator.” Recent studies
have indicated that Reishi can have a number of other effects: analgesic,
anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral through inducing interferon
production, lowers blood pressure, cardiotonic action through lowering
serum cholesterol, expectorant & antitussive, liver (hepatitis)-protecting
and detoxifying, protection against ionizing radiation, antibacterial, and
anti-HIV activity. Reishi contains calcium, iron and phosphorus as well as
vitamins C, D, and B - including pantothenic acid, which is essential to
nerve function and the adrenal glands.
Shiitake (for centuries called "Elixir of Life”) has been
licensed as an anti-cancer drug by the Japanese FDA. Lentinan has shown
some effect on bowel cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer
and lung cancer. Lentinan stimulates the production of T lymphocytes and
natural killer cells and can potentiate the effect of AZT in the
anti-viral treatment of AIDS. Shiitake is rich in several anti-oxidants
(selenium, uric acid & vitamins A, E, & C) as well as vitamin D. Shiitake
mushrooms may also lower blood pressure in those with hypertension, lower
serum cholesterol levels stimulate the production of Interferon which has
anti-viral effects, and has proven effective against hepatitis in some
cases.
Yun Zhi or the Cloud Mushroom has been used to dispel
dampness, reduce phlegm, treat pulmonary infections, to strengthen the
tendons and bones, for vital energy, and to support liver health.
Benefits: assists with immune function; high in vegetable
proteins; and promotes good health and vitality
For full story, please see: www.dailyindia.com/show/5180.php
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13. Noni (Morinda citrifolia) : Medicinal value of Tahitian noni
juice drink
Source: Best Syndication, 5 March 2006
Tahitian noni juice drink lowers bad cholesterol and triglycerides -
alternative methods to lowering LDL besides statin medicine or medications
The human body needs a small amount of cholesterol to
function, but too much cholesterol can cause health problems, including
coronary heart disease. Americans spent over $16 billion on statin drugs
last year, according to the New York Times.
A recent study has shown that the Tahitian noni juice may
lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides in smokers. The sales
of the drink have ballooned to over $1 billion after various news agencies
reported on the study.
Noni juice is made from a bumpy fruit of the noni plant (
Morinda citrifolia). The plants are found in the Polynesian Islands and
have a medicinal history among the locals for some 2000 years. Recent
research has found that the drink contains high levels of anti-oxidants.
For full story, please see:
www.bestsyndication.com/Articles/2006/dan_wilson/health/03/030506_noni_juice.htm
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14. Sandalwood bonanza, planting tree that is worth more than gold
Source: New Straits Time, Malaysia News Online, 10 March 2006
A sandalwood tree, Aquilaria malaccensis, measuring 60cm in diameter can
fetch at least RM14,000. Multiply this by 40,000 trees on a 44-hectare
plot of land, and the income from the harvest in six to 10 years would be
a staggering RM560 million.
This projection has been made by the state Forestry
Department, which has begun planting the tree, commonly known as
sandalwood or gaharu, on a trial basis at its station in Merchang, Marang.
The Merchang station was previously used for research into Acacia mangium
(a foreign species) for the pulp and paper industry. The decision to
replant the area with Aquilaria was made for economic reasons.
In the wild, sandalwood trees are felled for their heartwood —
the precious gaharu — highly sought by perfume makers. Gaharu has become a
precious commodity because Aquilaria malaccensis is becoming very rare in
the wild due to illegal extraction. "The sandalwood tree is more precious
than gold," said state Forestry director Na’aman Jaafar. "This is a new
source of wealth for the State."
The trees at the Merchang station have been grown under a
silviculture programme since the middle of this year, collecting and
replanting seedlings from the wild.
The trees should mature in 10 years and provide a continuous
seed bank. "But the trees can be logged after the sixth year," Na’aman
said. "We have found a technique where all the trees can be used instead
of just the heartwood or gaharu.”The trees will be grounded to extract its
resins, which will be processed for the perfume trade."
At current prices, the value of a tree ranges from RM14,000 to
RM18,000, and the heartwood from RM100 to RM200 a gram, which is more than
the price of a gram of gold.
A healthy sandalwood tree does not produce gaharu, which
requires inoculation with a certain micro-organism. It will then take
another four to six years for the resins to develop. Some collectors cut
trees in the wild hoping to find the resins, giving no chance for the
mature tree to propagate and endangering its existence in the forest.
"There simply isn’t enough time for the trees to propagate in
the wild, and their scarcity only results in stronger demand and higher
prices," Na’aman said.
For full story, please see:
www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/National/20051228092131/Article/indexb_html
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15. Wattle: Industry proposed for Dalwallinu wattle
Source: Central Midlands & Coastal Advocate, Moora, Australia. 27 January
2006
Dalwallinu wattle could become a new industry and not just a flower as the
Shire of Dalwallinu look into the development of a wattle seed industry.
The Shire of Dalwallinu has been awarded $10,000 in funding
through the Wheatbelt Development Commission's (WDC) Wheatbelt Regional
Development Scheme (WRDS) to contribute to a feasibility study into the
industry.
Currently wattle seed production in Australia is considered a
'boutique industry' with most supplies coming from small commercial
operators in South Australia or from Aboriginal pickers. The Shire of
Dalwallinu is hoping to look into the growth of the industry within the
region.
Dalwallinu Shire President Robert Nixon said the potential in
the project is significant. "The outcome of the study will determine
Dalwallinu's potential to become a player in the growing bush food
industry," Nixon said. "The potential to export products around the world
with Dalwallinu's name will boost our local gross domestic product output,
employment opportunities and the tourism industry."
The Shire has been working with Department of Conservation and
Land Management (CALM) wattle expert Bruce Maslin on the wattle seed
project. Mr Maslin said the wattle seed production could have benefits not
only as an industry but also as a way of controlling salinity.
"There are many ways the wattle seed can be used as a food
source and as many species occur naturally in the environment, it could be
a different way of using a natural resource." Wattle seeds can be used in
pesto, biscuits, and medicines, as alternatives to coffee and wheat flour
and as a flavouring agent.
Mark South from the WDC said the idea of wattle seed
production was one with merit, which is why funding was awarded to the
project. "We are keen to see the Shire of Dalwallinu also engage with
local Aboriginal groups to gain some of their knowledge and insight into
the wattle seed."
More funding will be sought through other means in the coming
months for the study and it is understood the study will go out to tender
within the year.
For full story, please see:
http://moora.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&story_id=454849&category=general%20news&m=1&y=2006
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COUNTRY INFORMATION
16. Brazil: Brazilian companies close US$ 27 million in deals at
BioFach
Source: ANBA, 2 March 2006
The 38 Brazilian companies that participated in BioFach, the largest
organic product fair in the world, made deals of US$ 27.4 million for the
next 12 months, according to the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion
Agency (Apex). The fair took place in Nuremberg, Germany, between 16 and
19 February.
Among the products presented by companies in Brazil were raw
and processed fruit and vegetables, juices, jams, sweets, coffee, teas,
sugar, soy, honey, nuts, oils, powdered chocolates, guaraná, cane spirit,
fish, beef and cereal bars, as well as typically Brazilian products, like
heart of palm, assai, cupuaçu, acerola and cashew.
"The Brazilian performance reflects a continuous learning
process by producers of Brazilian organic products and the investment made
in training, research, learning of tendencies and demands and expectations
in the global market," stated the president at Apex, Juan Quirós, through
a spokesperson.
Companies that participated in BioFach represented 12
Brazilian states.
Contacts were made and deals were closed with importers from
26 countries: Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Spain, France, Greece, Holland,
Hungary, England, Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, China, Korea, Japan,
Bolivia, Canada, the United States and South Africa.
For full story, please see: www.anba.com.br/ingles/noticia.php?id=10316
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17. Brazil: EMBRAPA will participate in international research
project on tropical fruits
Source: Agência Brasil, 21 February 2006
Ricardo Elesbão Alves, a researcher in the EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural
Research Company) Tropical Agroindustry unit, which is based in the
northeastern state of Ceará, travelled this past weekend to Costa Rica to
participate in a meeting of the program, "Adding Value to Underutilized
Tropical Fruits with Great Commercial Potential," together with
representatives from eight other countries.
The program, which is sponsored by the European Union,
foresees an investment of 1.7 million euros over the next four years on
research involving nine tropical fruits, three of which are Brazilian:
açai, cashews, and camu-camu.
According to Alves, who is coordinating the project in Brazil,
the objective is to develop products that retain the plants' nutritional
value. "The fruits contain compounds that prevent free radicals, which
cause the body to age, from building up in the organism. We want to
identify these compounds and use the fruits to make products that will
maintain these compounds in processed forms like juices and dried fruits."
The three fruits were chosen for their high nutritional value
and economic potential. From the cashew, Alves explained, only the nut has
export value, while the fruit practically goes to waste. "But since cashew
fruit is good for only two days, it can't be exported as is. It has to be
in a processed form that maintains the quality of the fresh fruit," he
added.
Besides cashews and açãi, camu-camu, which is native to the
Amazon, was included in the project, because it contains "nearly 5%
vitamin C, but only after this potential is scientifically proven will its
market value be enhanced." Alves mentioned the successful example of
acerola, which a US firm in Ceará uses to make vitamin C capsules by a
natural method of fruit dehydration developed by the EMBRAPA unit there.
The researcher emphasized that "most of the fruit is produced
by small-scale growers, who will also be able to benefit from the
project." He went on to observe: "Since the supply chains are still
informal and disorganized, we have problems with the quality and security
of the products, and there has been no assessment of more adequate process
technologies. This restricts the development of local agroindustries and
access to the international market."
The funds earmarked for Brazil in the program are divided
among three research centers: the EMBRAPA Tropical Agroindustry unit in
Ceará, the EMBRAPA Food Agroindustry unit in Rio de Janeiro, and the
EMBRAPA Eastern Amazon unit in Belém (PA). The other institutions involved
in research for the program are the Center of International Agricultural
Research Cooperation for Development (CIRAD), in France; the Universities
of Bonn (Germany), Ghent (Belgium), and Southampton (England); the
National Center of Food Technology Research, in Costa Rica; the National
Polytechnic School, in Ecuador; and the National Institute of Forest,
Agricultural, and Livestock Research, in Mexico.
For full story, please see:
http://internacional.radiobras.gov.br/ingles/materia_i_2004.php?materia=256791&q=1&editoria
=
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18. Brazil: Low-cost machinery for handicraft production
Source: Amazonia.org.br, 9 February 2006 (in Amazon News – 16.2.06)
Family labour; raw material collected from the forest; simple techniques,
passed down from generation to generation – yet, there is more to
handicraft produced in poor communities of the Amazon region than just
that.
Just as in almost all productive activities, handicraft
production at times demands the use of equipment, the price of which may
make production unfeasible. "There is no use in promoting courses to help
artisans add greater value to their handicraft without the use of
machinery. People gain the knowledge but have no access to the machinery
", comments Irmânio de Magalhães, artisan and handicraft businessman in
Boa Vista, Roraima.
Brazilian creativity has been useful in helping resolve this
problem. Artisans often make do with what they have, and build their own
instruments and machinery out of discarded material: junk, bits of rock,
wood, old motors... They are thus able to produce faster and produce more
highly finished products, without having to purchase expensive equipment,
which can cost over R$ 5,000 each.
Surprised with the creativity and technique of these artisans,
whom he calls 'technicians, Irmânio began studying these machine models:
simple, low-cost and easy to acquire. He conducted a project for the
purpose of reproducing them and disseminating this technique, through
courses and manuals or booklets to be distributed to other artisans.
Supported by the local SEBRAE, he raised the funds to purchase
material to build the machines and brought in the 'technicians to
participate in the construction.
The project has already been successful, in Irmânio’s opinion.
“The first machine – for drilling seeds – has already been built. We’re
applying for the patent, so as to protect the artisans."
Irmânio also supports and is encouraging several poor families
in Boa Vista, who have begun producing handicraft and now make their
living from this activity. He transmits concepts of design, market and
primarily, environmental education.
For full story, please see:
http://www.amazonia.org.br/english/noticias/noticia.cfm?id=198263
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19. Burkino Faso : La production de karité
Source : Hélène Peronny, Le CRDI Explore, 10 mars 2006
Le Burkina Faso est le deuxième producteur mondial de karité (aussi appelé
arbre à beurre). Selon la pluviométrie, entre autres facteurs, ce petit
pays de l'Afrique de l'Ouest produit de 40 000 à 80 000 tonnes d'amandes
de karité par an. Celles-ci, réputées pour leur haute teneur en matières
grasses, sont utilisées localement pour la cuisine, la pharmacopée et la
cosmétologie. Elles intéressent de plus en plus les pays occidentaux pour
les soins de la peau.
Traditionnellement, ces amandes sont pressées par les femmes.
Jusqu'à tout récemment, ce travail harassant s'effectuait à la main ou à
l'aide de presses hydrauliques (faites de crics de camions importés), mal
adaptées à la tâche et souvent défectueuses. Grâce au financement du
Centre de recherches pour le développement international (CRDI), des
chercheurs burkinabé et canadiens ont mis au point des presses à karité
qui allègent le travail des femmes et permettent d'augmenter la
productivité.
Le gouvernement du Burkina Faso veut notamment inciter les
burkinabé à utiliser le karité comme substitut alimentaire à l'huile de
palme et d'autres huiles présentement importées du Ghana, de la Côte
d'Ivoire et de la Malaisie.
Le projet karité, qui crée des emplois et procure un revenu
supplémentaire aux femmes, contribue à la croissance économique du Burkina
Faso. Il devrait aussi favoriser la création d'emplois dans le secteur de
l'artisanat puisque les productrices de karité veulent modifier le
conditionnement du produit en se servant des feuilles des palmiers
éventails locaux. Qui plus est, le projet a une incidence favorable sur
l'environnement car, en incitant les burkinabé à protéger les arbres à
beurre, il favorise la lutte contre la désertification.
Pour plus d'informations, voir: www.idrc.ca/fr/ev-5264-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
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20. Kenya blames drought for increasing wildlife crime
Source: Mail & Guardian Online - Johannesburg, South Africa, 7 March 2006
The Kenyan government on Monday blamed increasing incidents of poaching
and illegal trade in bushmeat in the country on a searing drought that has
put millions of people across East Africa at risk of famine.
Tourism and Wildlife Minister Morris Dzoro said authorities
were working to crack down on illegal trafficking of ivory, rhino horn and
other live animals such as reptiles within the region, despite the
drought. "Wildlife crime has been worsened by the current drought which
has exacerbated the bushmeat trade and killed many wild animals whose
trophies now lie in the wrong hands," Dzoro told an anti-poaching seminar
in the Rift Valley town of Naivasha, about 90km northwest of the capital.
"Environmental crime is a growing problem that is increasingly
linked to other crimes such as smuggling, fraud, money laundering, weapons
offences and drugs," Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble said in a
message to the seminar that was sponsored by the International Fund for
Animal Welfare (IFAW).
IFAW East African chief James Isiche called on states to
cooperate and end trafficking of wildlife and their products. "Wildlife
crime is a matter of serious global concern -- its magnitude is considered
second only to illegal drug trafficking. Its transboundary nature requires
collaboration both between states and within national law enforcement
agencies," Isiche said. "This also calls for the deployment of substantial
resources which are more often not available to developing countries," he
added.
For full story, please see:
www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=266021&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/
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21. India: promotion of marketing of tribal products
Source: Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Press Information Bureau (press
release), India, 14 March 2006
The promotion and marketing of tribal products is being done carried out
through the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India
Ltd. (TRIFED). TRIFED undertakes the promotion and marketing of tribal
handicrafts and processed/value-added Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and
Surplus Agricultural Produce (SAP) through a series of marketing and
development initiatives, for example:
· Direct sale through their eleven sales-outlets
called “TRIBES INDIA” and by consignment sales through twenty state level
Organisations located in 22 cities in various states. It is also engaged
in exporting handicrafts abroad. Retail marketing of tribal MFP products
like honey, hill brooms, shikakai, soapnut, amla and medicinal powders
besides organically grown agricultural produce like rajma, cashew, red
chilli, turmeric, etc.
· promotes tribal products by participating in
exhibitions and displaying these items.
· In January 2006, TRIFED organized a ‘National Tribal
Craft Expo’ in Delhi for the display and sale of tribal art and craft from
various states.
· trains tribals in order to upgrade their skills and
to educate them on ways of sustainable collection as well as improved
quality of MFP like wild honey extraction, production of Hill Brooms,
making of leaf-plates and leaf cups (pattals/donnas) etc. it is also
proposing to impart training to gum pickers and collectors. It has started
a project for cultivation and marketing of medicinal plants (like Safed
Musli) at Jagdalpur, Distt. Bastar Chhattisgarh.
For full story, please see:
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=16565
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22. Scotland: Forestry plan to double tree planting rate
Source: The Scotsman, 14 March 2006
A revised forestry strategy for Scotland could see 10 000 ha of woodland
planted each year, double the present rate. Draft proposals by the
Executive could also bring woodland areas of more than two hectares within
500 metres of one in four of the population by 2015.
The move would develop further the "green gym" and outdoor
classroom theme that attracted more than 18 million visitors to Scotland's
woods and forests last year. Other key aims of the strategy include
reducing the rate of climate change, helping community development,
improving biodiversity and increasing the volume of timber sales to more
than eight million cubic metres by 2025.
Encouraging tree planting by integrating grants with
individual land management contracts for landowners and farmers could move
Scotland up the European forestry league within the next 20 years. At
present Scotland's 1.33 million hectares of woodland - one-third
state-owned Forestry Commission, two-thirds private - cover 17 per cent of
the country. That compares with only 5 per cent a century ago, but lags
well behind the European Union average of 36.3 per cent tree coverage and
the world average of 29.6 per cent.
Recent attempts to encourage planting in Scotland have been
hampered by the halving of timber prices since the mid-1990s and a
complicated system of planting and maintenance grants for landowners,
farmers and communities.
Rhona Brankin, Scottish forestry minister, said: "This is a
major opportunity for the Scottish public to have their say on a range of
important issues such as climate change, use of woods to provide
recreation for health and wellbeing, increasing business opportunities and
improving wildlife habitats."
The Executive's first forestry strategy was published in 2000.
Ms Brankin said that produced a remarkable response from the forestry
industry to "deliver an increasing range of benefits", including more than
18 million woodland visitors a year. A review of the original strategy
last year had produced the draft now out for consultation.
The Forestry and Timber Association welcomed the strategy as
recognising the need to support the economic and business aspects of
forestry to deliver environmental and social benefits.
For full story, please see:
http://business.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=380502006
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23. Vanuatu: Nevsem disagree on Vanuatu sandalwood ban
Source: The Vanuatu Independent, 8 March 2006
The outspoken spokesman for the Nevsem custom movement from Erromango in
Tafea province, Jacob Narvot, is condemning the government's ban on
sandalwood harvesting.
He voices concern that the three months of harvest given by the government
through the department of forestry is the only opportunity for local
farmers to cut their timber.
"The government hasn't assisted us local farmers in any way,
so why do they want to ban sandalwood when that represents one of our main
income sources in the islands?" queries Narvot. "We know what we are
doing, so we ask the government to review its policy of banning sandalwood
cutting. We cultivate the sandalwood, so the government should not stop us
harvesting it", Narvot explained.
He concluded that as the government allows only three months
for harvest, local people and farmers rush to cut trees down, and don't
care about size of timber. As a result, some of sandalwood trees in South
Erromango were totally destroyed.
"We suggest the government concentrate on the issuance of
sandalwood licences and leave us to decide what to do with our sandalwood
trees."
Narvot is a sandalwood farmer and nursery man who has planted
sandalwood also on Efate near Tamanu Beach and Pango. He said he has 1000
seedlings now ready for sale.
For full story, please see:
www.news.vu/en/business/Forestry/060308-Nevsem-disagree-on-Vanuatu-Sandalwood-ban.shtml
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24. Vietnam: WWF project aims to prevent wild animal trade, promote
biodiversity
Source: Viet Nam News, 1 March 2006
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Viet Nam has launched a project to raise
awareness on the trading of wildlife across the nation and its impact on
biodiversity. The initial phase of the project involved a survey on use of
wildlife products, conducted in Ha Noi.
Wildlife products were found to be favoured by many Hanoians,
according to the survey carried out by TRAFFIC. In Ha Noi, nearly 50
percent of people who were asked about wildlife consumption said they had
eaten wildlife animal meat at least once. Survey respondents were aged
between 18 and 60 and included businessmen, state officers, farmers and
students.
The report also said that 82 percent of wildlife was caught
for food purposes, while the remainder were used in the production of
traditional medicines and jewellery.
Wildlife consumption was increasing as more people could
afford to pay higher prices for rarer delicacies, the survey found.
The survey was carried out between last September and December
in Ba Dinh, Dong Da, Hoan Kiem, Hai Ba Trung and Gia Lam district.
The WWF planned to follow the survey with an advertising
campaign on the need to protect local wildlife as well as school education
projects set for the 2006-07 period. School education and advertising will
play an important part in the project, which aims to get most urban
residents, particularly Hanoians to change their taste for wildlife
products.
The WWF will be co-ordinating with the Ha Noi Forest
Protection Department to establish a wildlife hot-line (8262869).
For full story, please see:
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=03ENV010306
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25. Vietnam: Non-timber forest product development project underway
Source: Vietnam Economic Times - Hanoi, Vietnam, 14 March 2006
The Special Forest Products Research Centre (SFPR) recently designed a
2006-2020 national project on developing the non-timber forest sector and
forest-based livelihoods in a sustainable manner.
Sustainable livelihoods would help involve local communities
in afforestation and non-timber production with a view to favouring
poverty reduction, protecting forest biodiversity and ecological balance,
said an SFPR official.
By the SFPR's assessment, local authorities have paid too much
attention to the wood processing industry and forest protection tasks
rather than eyeing NTFP as a potential export staple for the country.
Statistics released by the centre show that average revenues
from NTFP in the 2001-2005 period hit US$100 million, and they are
projected to top US$500 million by 2010.
It is hoped that the non-timber forest industry, after being
reformed, would become more capable of serving the domestic market rather
than being almost totally dependent on foreign markets as is the case at
present.
The centre will work closely with relevant local agencies to
localise non-timber product material areas in the proximity of forest
product processing areas, help localities identify key products and
multiply wild plant and animal raising models.
For full story, please see:
www.vneconomy.com.vn/eng/index.php?param=article&catid=08&id=2e59c8fa1c19eb
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26. Vietnam: Big plans for NWFP
Source: Saigon Times Daily, Vietnam, 17 March 2006
A research center under the agriculture ministry expects to triple the
revenue from shipping rattan furniture, farm animals and other NTFP by
2010.
The Non-Timber Forest Product Research Center under the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development predicts these goods can
earn at least US$500 million annually, including US$300 million from
export.
Developing the sector helps preserve forests’ biodiversity and
improve the incomes of people who live around forests. It also encourages
villages to make handicrafts for export.
The center said so far Vietnam had underestimated the sector’s
potential, only focusing on protecting and developing forests to serve the
wood industry.
The center’s statistics show that from 2001 to 2005 Vietnam
annually got at least US$100 million from exporting non-timber forest
products, including rattan furniture and farm animals, such as snakes and
crocodiles. In HCMC, exporting crocodile products, in line with
international standards, gets almost US$5 million each year, while in the
Mekong Delta, the export revenue from python products is US$20 million
each year.
The center carries out the national plan on non-timber forest
products until 2020. Besides animals and rattan, these products include
herbal plants and wild mushrooms.
For full story, please see:
www.saigontimes.com.vn/daily/detail.asp?muc=2&Sobao=2649&SoTT=16
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NEWS
27. Biopiracy: Brazil grapples with jungle piracy dilemma
Source: Leading The Charge, Queensland, Australia, 15 March 2006
Sao Paulo, Brazil - In 1999, a young Brazilian botanist named Eliana
Rodrigues dug through forests in an ambitious project with Krao Indians to
collect and identify 400 tropical plants and berries they use as medicine.
Proud of being socially conscious, she and her research
partner, Dr Elisandro Carlini, signed agreements with three villages to
share royalties from all commercial products and patents developed from
the research. To help the tribal economy near the Amazon rainforest, they
agreed to pay the Indians to cultivate some medicinal plants.
The hope was to identify more of Brazil‘s vast but largely
unknown biodiversity, and find cheap treatments for dozens of ills
afflicting the world. But an employee at the federal Indian affairs agency
accused them of biological piracy and got a court injunction halting their
project.
Seven years later, they are still stuck in legal limbo,
waiting for Brazil‘s government to pass laws giving scientists access to
plants on Indian reservations and in national forests, and defining how
researchers should share any profits with poor local communities.
People who oppose research on Indian lands, many of them in
the government, worry scientists will hand over findings to foreign
pharmaceutical companies, allowing them to make huge profits from unique
local cultures in the Amazon. Indians, meanwhile, resent the paternalistic
nature of the state that obstructs their wishes to collaborate with
researchers.
Stopping biopiracy -- which happens when scientists or
companies fail to pay local groups or governments in exchange for their
plants or knowledge -- will be on the agenda at a United Nations
conference on biodiversity in Curitiba, Brazil from March 20-31.
Biopiracy must stop, most people agree. But sharing benefits
is complicated. Anthropologists worry cash payments could erode Indian
cultures. Economists wonder if payments should be made to a municipal,
state or federal authority.
Scientists are anxious for change. Brazil has an estimated
60,000 plant species, but less than half are defined in textbooks.
Discoveries could generate business.
Even when companies risk the uncertain legal environment and
cobble together benefit-sharing plans with poor communities, they are
often caught in ethical dilemmas. Experiments by companies that consider
themselves socially or environmentally aware have had mixed results.
Natura Cosmeticos SA, a company that makes beauty products
based on tropical plants, relies on rainforest communities to help it
develop new extracts and pays them for their help. "Working with locals
saves us light years of research," said Eliane Anjos, the company‘s
environmental affairs director. "But paying locals isn‘t easy. It can
destroy local cultures and cause social and economic imbalances."
Experts also disagree on how to define who should receive
benefits, how much they should receive and for how long.
Brazil has signed international agreements to protect
biodiversity and has turned parts of those agreements into domestic law,
but like other countries rich in biological wonders, such as many in
Africa, it has yet to decide how to deal with biopiracy. Poor governments
are often too weak to monitor and enforce biodiversity laws.
As local laws lag, patents that raise biopiracy issues are
starting to be dealt with by the World Trade Organization and the U.N.
World Intellectual Property Organization.
For a developing country like Brazil, murky laws are holding
back a type of economic development that is far less damaging to the
Amazon than activities like logging, poaching and mining.
"Brazil‘s unique competitive advantage is its biodiversity. It
has 22 percent of the world‘s plant species, but federal laws aren‘t
prepared to deal with this," said Antonio Paes de Carvalho, president of
Extracta, a small Brazilian company that isolates molecules to discover
drug therapies.
For full story, please see:
www.leadingthecharge.com/stories/news-00158836.html
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28. Biopiracy: San cry foul over hoodia trade
Source: Wezi Tjaronda, Windhoek in BIO-IPR (bio-ipr at grain.org)
San communities in southern Africa have urged governments of Switzerland,
Germany and South Africa to act against the illegal sale of Hoodia
products.
While the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) stipulates
that indigenous groups be given a share of the profits from the commercial
use of local genetic resources and traditional knowledge, the San are yet
to benefit from the many Hoodia products that are being sold in Germany
and Switzerland.
The San people, found in Namibia, South Africa, Angola and
Botswana have known and used Hoodia, a succulent plant, for over 100 years
as an appetite suppressant. The plant was however patented a few years ago
by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and licensed
for further development to a British company, which in turn sold
additional licenses to drug company Pfizer, and later to Unilever.
The San of Southern Africa, represented by the Working Group
of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA) and other
organizations, namely Biowatch, Berne Declaration and the Church
Development Service have written to the governments of South Africa,
Germany and Switzerland to stem the trade in Hoodia, which they say is an
illegally acquired resource.
In a letter to ministers of the three countries, the
organizations said the intended solution would be not only to suppress the
illegal sale of Hoodia products but also establish a structure that
prevents the biopiracy of many other generic resources as well.
In the letter, WIMSA’s Roger Channels urged the countries to
take "long overdue steps against the continued trade of Hoodia plants and
products without the return of benefits to the San - the holders of the
traditional knowledge about the plant". He said a recent inquiry found
that more than 10 Hoodia products are on sale in stores and pharmacies in
Germany and Switzerland. "Almost all sellers/distributors market their
product with reference to the traditional knowledge of the San. In other
countries too, notably the UK and US, there is brisk trade in Hoodia
products," he said, adding that while this is the case, the San have yet
to receive a single penny from the trade.
CSIR and the San Council three years ago signed a benefit
sharing formula while a second such agreement was signed between the San
and the Hoodia Growers Pty Ltd in early February this year. Channels said
through the CSIR agreement, only the license holders, Phytopharm UK and
Unilever have legitimate access to the knowledge and generic resource but
for the moment, the license holders are not selling any Hoodia products.
And while the Hoodia growers market the product saying the
owners of the traditional knowledge benefit from the growing of Hoodia,
WIMSA says this is not the case.
"Therefore all Hoodia products currently on the market are not
part of the above-mentioned two San benefit sharing agreements. The San
have not negotiated Benefit Sharing Agreement with anyone except the CSIR
and the South African Hoodia Growers. It seems safe to conclude that all
commercially traded Hoodia products contain illegally acquired resources
and traditional knowledge according to CBD," reads the letter in part.
So far, said the letter, no user country has made any move to
stop the sale of these products. The countries were urged to "take
seriously their obligations as user countries to initiate appropriate
legal, administrative or policy measures to stop the sale of Hoodia
products in their countries in violation on CBD rules".
For full story, please see: http://allafrica.com/stories/200603090311.html
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29. Dual-Campus MA in Environmental Security and Peace
Source: INFO CENN (cenn_cenn.org at cenn.org), 22 March 2006
The University for Peace (UPEACE), affiliated to the United Nations, is
pleased to announce that applications are now invited for the Dual-Campus
MA program in Environmental Security and Peace, for the 2006 – 2007
academic year.
The MA in Environmental Security and Peace focuses on the
interface between peace, development and environmental security. In
particular, it concentrates on the links between several factors of
insecurity: environmental stress and degradation, threats to livelihoods,
harms to the resilience of fragile ecosystems, intensified competition
over natural resources and, in certain volatile situations, escalating
violence and conflict.
There is a major shortage of skilled and motivated people who
fully understand these complex issues and their inter-linkages. The MA in
Environmental Security and Peace responds to these challenges by providing
motivated individuals with the necessary skills to understand, define and
manage the actions needed to reduce the threats to peace arising from
environmental change, and to make significant contributions towards
improving environmental security and peace around the world.
The MA in Environmental Security and Peace is delivered in a
dual mode between the UPEACE Campus in Costa Rica and the UPEACE Toronto
Centre in Canada. The complete programme lasts for one year, out of which
4 months are spent studying at the UPEACE Toronto Centre. By combining the
best resources available in Costa Rica and Canada this program offers a
unique opportunity to study environmental security issues from different
perspectives.
For the 2006 – 2007 academic year, UPEACE will be offering 10
full scholarships to qualified applicants in the MA in Environmental
Security and Peace. One of these scholarships is designated for a
Canadian applicant.
For more information on the structure and content of the MA in
Environmental Security and Peace, as well as application instructions and
scholarship information, please visit
http://www.upeace.org/programmes/esp.cfm
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30. Fair trade in wild natural resources
Source: UN News Centre, 28 February 2006 (in FIU 13 March 2006)
With half the world’s 1.2 billion poor depending for their livelihoods on
harvesting wild natural resources, ranging from cocoa and rubber to oils
and spices, in a trade valued at $4.7 billion annually, the United Nations
environmental agency today released a blueprint for a fair deal to lift
them out of poverty.
A key recommendation of the report by the UN Environment
Programme’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), is that aid
should be targeted at developing the business skills of rural communities
to help them avoid exploitation by entrepreneurs and other middle men in
the trade of non-timber forest products (NTFP).
“There is no doubt that if provided with the right kind of
support, trading forest products can genuinely provide a route out of
poverty,” (UNEP-WCMC) project coordinator Elaine Marshall said of the
report: Commercialization of non-timber forest products: factors
influencing success (CEPFOR).
The study identifies how commercial development NTFPs can
enable rural communities to escape poverty without irreversibly damaging
the environment. It examines 19 different case studies in Mexico and
Bolivia, involving products ranging from wild mushrooms and palm fibres to
incense and the agave-based traditional beverage, Mezcal, looking at why
some commercialization initiatives succeed while others do not. In many
areas these products provide the only source of income, and communities
are dependent on them for survival.
Entrepreneurs often provide a link between producers and the
market place and play a critical role in determining whether trade is fair
to producers or not. CEPFOR found that they play a number of positive
roles, including identifying markets, providing business contacts,
advancing capital and providing training to producers.
But the inequitable distribution of power along the market
chain was widely seen by producers as a major factor limiting
commercialization success, with relatively few entrepreneurs resulting in
lack of competition. Many communities are entirely dependent on one or a
few entrepreneurs for bringing their products to market, which can result
in exploitation and unfair trade – hence the need to develop the business
skills of these communities as well as to support socially-minded
entrepreneurs and create producer organizations providing opportunities to
share information and contacts. This can greatly strengthen the ability to
negotiate favourable deals and command a higher price for products.
CEPFOR also calls for training and education to prevent the
widespread scourge of over-harvesting.
NTFPs include a wide range of commercial products traded
internationally, including nuts, seeds, fibres, resins, fruits, oils and
spices, used for foods, crafts and medicines, among many other uses.
For full story, please see:
www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=17645&Cr=&Cr1
To download all project outputs, free of charge, please go to:
www.unep-wcmc.org/forest/ntfp
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31. Yale lectures: Viana discusses sustainable development, climate
change
Source: Yale University Daily News, 3 March 2006
Virgilio Viana, the secretary for environment and sustainable development
of Amazonas State in Brazil, presented a series of three lectures this
week as part of a joint program between Yale's School of Management (SOM)
and the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (FES).
Viana, the first speaker to come to Yale on funding from a
grant made to the SOM-FES joint-degree program by the Gordon and Betty
Moore Foundation in San Francisco, spoke on sustainable development,
forest certification and climate change. His last talk culminated in a
round table discussion of how to apply theories of sustainable development
in the Amazon. In his lectures, Viana focused on applying business and
economic concepts, such as incentives, to environmental problems like
deforestation in order to find effective solutions.
"People don't deforest because they're stupid -- there's an
economic rationality behind it," Viana said in his second lecture. "The
vision is to have good business that treats the environment well by
convincing people that this is good for them. If they perceive that they
will get more benefit by deforesting then that is what they will continue
to do."
Viana suggested a series of economic measures to address the
issue of deforestation, including sales tax exemptions for non-timber
forest products and support for small-scale forestry businesses.
Professor Garry Brewer, who teaches at both SOM and FES, said
Viana's work on the environment and the Amazon provides a good example for
countries seeking to manage their environmental resources.
"Many countries just don't have the capacity to care for their
environment," Brewer said. "The hope is that our Yale model [of a
joint-degree program in management and forestry studies] will ultimately
attract students from Latin America interested in addressing these issues.
We're looking to create a real relationship between Yale and the Amazon."
Viana said he hopes Yale's program will inspire similar
programs in Brazil.
"A joint program like Yale's gives foresters a view of
business and how the economy of forest management industries can be
improved by better competition," Viana said. "We're currently discussing
the possibility of receiving a group of Yale students in Amazonas."
For full story, please see:
http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=32161
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REQUESTS
32. Request for information: case studies on NWFP
From: Maria Helena Cendales, x05mace1 at stud.slu.se
I am a Colombian student of the Master of Science in European Forestry in
the EU Erasmus Mundus Programme. Currently, I am initiating my Master
thesis at the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences SLU in Uppsala,
Sweden.
My topic is the management and ecological implications of
harvesting non-timber forest products in Europe. Usually, these topics
have been studied and are very relevant for developing countries. Also
there is interesting information of the use of such products in Europe,
but in many cases it has been assumed that wild collection is sustainable
and will continue being. Recently, some facts have called the attention
about the sustainability of the use of NTFPs in Europe, for example the
inclusion of several species of European medicinal plants in CITES lists.
Lately, trade statistics demonstrate the relevance on the
commercialization of NTFPs, for example the European Forest Sector Outlook
Study (UNECE–FAO 2005), which shows trends towards a higher demand of
these products. Consequently, there is a worry about the lack of
information on biology and production capacity of the species and their
national or European markets.
I have been researching on these topics the last four months,
and I found out that there is not available literature on quantitative
evaluation of the impact of wild collection on the sustainability of NTFPs
and the conservation of their habitats in Europe. The objective of my
thesis is to make an analysis of such impacts based on existing case
studies in Europe and other documents related such as journal articles,
books, reports, theses, dissertations, etc. The analysis will be focussed
on cases of traded NTFPs derived from wild collection including aspects
such as description of the production and commercialization processes,
impacts at population, community and/or landscape levels, and preferably
written in English.
I want to analyse all of this information for making
comparisons, defining tendencies, highlighting relevant elements and,
thus, I want to recommend some practices and point out aspects that should
be included or improved, in order to promote a more sustainable trade of
such products.
Sorry for this long email. I do think your inputs are very
relevant to find out this kind of information and progress with my
research. For this reason, I would be very glad if you can kindly provide
me information of cases studies or experiences. If you do not have any, it
would be very useful if you can contact me with people who could provide
me this kind of information.
I would really appreciate your help and orientations.
For more information, please contact:
Maria Helena Cendales
Erasmus Mundus M.Sc. European Forestry Student
SLU, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Forest Products and Markets Dept.
P.O. Box 7060, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
Phone +46 18 67 10 00
Fax +46 18 67 34 90
Mobile: +46 (0) 73 841 6785
Email: elenacen at yahoo.com, x05mace1 at stud.slu.se
http://gis.joensuu.fi/mscef/
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EVENTS
UNEP/UNESCO Great Apes Survival Project (GRASP) – Can the UN Save the
Great Apes (and their Biodiverse Habitats)?
(Side event – CBD CoP8, Curtiba, Brazil [event no.219])
30 March 2006
Curtiba, Brazil
The great apes are heading for extinction, unless loss of habitat and
hunting are stopped. The Kinshasa Declaration on the Great
Apes was signed last September by 22 countries and most of the NGOs
involved in their conservation. It affirms commitment to a global
strategy and sets a timetable for reducing the rate of decline of great
ape populations by 2010, and securing the future of 94 priority sites by
2015. If successful, this will ensure that all taxa of orangutans,
gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos should survive in their natural habitat.
Great apes are keystone species in those habitats, and so
their survival affects thousands of other species that are ecologically
dependent on them. Great apes & their habitats are also important
economically, and so conservation policies are being linked to poverty
reduction strategies and sustainable development initiatives.
For more information, please contact:
Ian Redmond, GRASP Chief Consultant
Contact Info +44 7769 743975 (mobile), ele at globalnet.co.uk or
redmondim at yahoo.co.uk
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Philippine style bamboo furniture processing
20 to 29 April, 2006
Hetauda, Nepal
The Resource and Environmental Conservation Society (RES-Nepal) and the
International Network of Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) have collaborated to
design this training course. The course aims to produce experts of
bamboo furniture making, which will increase the use of bamboo in
furniture making and ultimately save a huge amount of money by decreasing
the import of Rattan from abroad.
The course is useful for bamboo and rattan entrepreneurs, and
organizations and individuals working in the field of bamboo promotion.
For more information, please contact:
Suman Sigdel at resnepal at wlink.com.np
or visit www.res.org.np.
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Sustainable wild collection of medicinal and aromatic plants: Workshop on
implementation strategies for the international standard
5 May 2006
Teslic, Bosnia and Herzegovina
This meeting will be a side event to the 1st IFOAM Conference on Organic
Wild Production.
Trade in “organic” wild products is becoming more and more
important, not only within the food sector but also in the personal health
care and the medicinal herb sector. These sectors overlap as one species
is often used for several end products. Currently available certification
criteria or standards addressing wild collection, as for example organic
certification schemes, often do not provide sufficient guidance to ensure
the long term survival of wild populations. The International Standard for
Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ISSC-MAP)
aims to provide this guidance in form of a set of principles and criteria
that can be applied to the management of medicinal and aromatic plant
species and their ecosystems. It could also serve as a basic tool for
audit and certification of wild collection in the organic sector.
The meeting addresses practitioners active in the collection,
management, trade and processing of wild plants, with focus on
South-Eastern Europe: communities, buyers, processors and users of plants,
developers of standards and certifications systems, governmental and
intergovernmental organisations in the sectors and service providers to
any of these groups.
This workshop is part of the still ongoing development process
of the ISSC-MAP, which is being implemented by the Medicinal Plant
Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), WWF Germany and
TRAFFIC, and the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN). So
far the draft ISSC-MAP has been discussed and tested for its applicability
in several field projects.
During this workshop possibilities on how the ISSC-MAP
principles could complement or strengthen existing certification systems
will be discussed and analysed considering their applicability in the
plants sector of South-Eastern Europe. South-Eastern and Eastern Europe
are the prime source regions for wild collected plants in Europe and
therefore one of the important target regions for the implementation of
wild collection criteria.
The aim of the event is to involve practitioners active in the
collection, trade and processing of wild plants in the development of
concrete implementation strategies for wild collection criteria, which are
adapted to their working and market situations.
For background information and registration please visit our project
website www.floraweb.de/MAP-pro/ or
www.ifoam.org/events/ifoam_conferences/ISSC_MAP_Workshop.html
For more information, please contact:
Susanne Honnef and Britta Pätzold
WWF Germany and TRAFFIC
Rebstöcker Str. 55
60326 Frankfurt a. Main
Germany
e-mail: MAP-Standards-Criteria at wwf.de
www.floraweb.de/MAP-pro
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Trees for improving profitability, sustainability, and resource
conservation on farms and ranches: A professional development workshop in
agroforestry
16-19 May 2006: Kona, Hawai'i
26-30 June 2006: Guam & Palau
Topics covered include:
• diversify income on farms and ranches
• increase overall productivity
• experience successful agroforestry systems first-hand
• conserve soil and water using trees
• choose which species will do best on a site
• select tree products to reach specialty markets
• add value and market directly to consumers
• improve soil quality with trees
• optimize interactions between trees and crops
• conserve traditional varieties and native species
For more information, please contact:
Craig Elevitch
Project Coordinator
Permanent Agriculture Resources
PO Box 428
Holualoa, HI 96725 USA
Tel: 808-324-4427; Fax: 808-324-4129
E-mail: craig at agroforestry.net
Download Hawaii brochure, registration form, and agenda (pdf file)
Download Guam/Palau brochure, registration form, and agenda (pdf file)
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Urban Forestry for Human Health and Wellbeing
(ASEM 2nd Symposium on Urban Forestry; COST E39 2nd Research Conference)
28-30 June 2006
Copenhagen, Denmark
Traditional medical and public health approaches to illness and health are
among the successes of modern science. However, society today is faced
with the increasing incidence of various forms of poor health related to
modern lifestyles. Contributing factors have been identified as an
increasingly sedentary population, increasing levels of psychological
stress related to urban living and contemporary work practices, and
exposure to environmental hazards such as air pollution. These problems
encourage new thinking about ways to prevent disease and promote health.
Natural spaces and natural elements such as forests and trees have been
seen as providing opportunities to ameliorate such trends.
For more information, please contact:
E-mail: kjni at kvl.dk.
www.e39.com.ee/en/m-main/c-current/d-15/.
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4th International Conference on Aromatic and Medicinal Plants in French
overseas regions
11-13 July 2006
Tahiti
The conference, which will be held at the University of French Polynesia,
will enable participating scientists to present the results of their
latest research, which sometimes leads to concrete commercial
applications.
The five themes of this year's conference are:
· Essential oils, concretes and absolutes, a general
overview of the most recent works on patrimonial aromatic plant from
French overseas regions;
· New vegetable substances from newly discovered
plants and new molecules representing new challenges in terms of
extraction, analytical methods or efficacy and safety evaluation;
· Medicinal plants and traditional medicine involving
a field of exploration at the crossroads of botany, ethnology,
phyto-chemistry and biology;
· Regulation and consumer safety, dealing with the
legal status of plants according to different regulations; and
· Valorization and economical perspectives, dealing
with sustainability and reliability of production channels, environmental
and societal responsibilities.
The GEPSUN (Engineering Process, Natural Substances) technological
platform, in partnership with various public and private organizations, is
organizing the conference.
The purpose of the conference is to promote the knowledge and
enhanced value of plants from French Polynesia and all French overseas
departments and territories. Previous conferences were held in Réunion
(2000), Guadeloupe (2001) and Guyana (2004).
In French Polynesia, scientists and industrialists are
currently interested in the applications of certain plants, such as Tamanu
or Nono. Concerning Tamanu oil, this partnership work between institutions
and producers could lead to a certificate of origin label for a product
that is also found outside of French Polynesia.
For more information, please contact:
Université de la Polynésie Française - Plate-forme Technologique GEPSUN
BP 6570 - 98702 Faaa - Tahiti - Polynésie Française
Tél : (689) 82 71 89
Fax : (689) 82 71 89
e-mail : gepsun at upf.pf
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International Conference on Managing Forests for Poverty Reduction:
Capturing opportunities in forest harvesting and wood processing for the
benefits of the poor
2-6 October 2006
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
For more information, please contact:
Patrick Durst
Senior Forestry Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Phra Atit Road 39, Bangkok
10200 Thailand
Tel: + 66-2-697-4000
Fax: + 66-2-697-4445
Email: patrick.durst at fao.org
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LITERATURE REVIEW AND WEB SITES
40. Other publications of interest
From: FAO’s NWFP Programme
Blom, A., van Zalinge, R., Heitkönig, I.M.A., and Prins, H.H.T. 2005.
Factors influencing the distribution of large mammals within a protected
central African forest. Oryx 39(4):381-388.
Blundell, A.G. and Mascia, M.B. 2005. Discrepancies in reported levels of
international wildlife trade. Conserv. Biol. 19(6):2020-2025.
Jones, Eric T. et al. 2005. The Relationship between Nontimber Forest
Product Management and Biodiversity in the United States. Submitted to the
National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry. 61 p.
www.ifcae.org/publications/downloads/US_NTFP&Biodiversity_IFCAE2004_Revised2005.pdf
Larsen, H.O., Smith, P.D., and Olsen, C.S. 2005. Nepal's conservation
policy options for commercial medicinal plant harvesting: stakeholder
views. Oryx 39(4):435-441.
Oudhia, Pankaj. n.d. Traditional Medicinal Knowledge about Herbs used in
Treatment of Cancer in Chhattisgarh, India. I. Herbs for Cancerous Wounds.
http://botanical.com/site/column_poudhia/publish/journal.cgi?folder=journal&next=11324
Paudel, S.K.; and Chowdhary, C.L. 2005. Managing rattan as a common
property: a case study of community rattan management in Nepal. Journal of
Bamboo and Rattan (Netherlands), v. 4(1) p. 81-91.
Out of 600 rattan species in the world, only seven species occur in Nepal,
but these play a significant role in the income generation of communities.
However, the rattan resource base has been severely depleted due to
overexploitation, immature harvesting and habitat destruction. A case
study of community rattan management in Kailali district, located in the
Terai (lowland) area of Nepal's Far Western Development Region, is
presented. The income of the community has been increased up to 30 times
after initiation of a proper management regime for the natural rattan (
Calamus tenuis) forest. Since 1996, the community forest user group has
earned about US$ 40 000 each year from the rattan sale and a number of
community development activities has been carried out with the funds
generated. This case study demonstrates how rattan management can generate
positive changes for the local economy, natural resources and social
capital.
Ros-Tonen, M.A.F.; and Wiersum, K.F. 2005. The scope for improving rural
livelihoods through non-timber forest products: an evolving research
agenda. Forests, Trees and Livelihoods (UK), v. 15(2).
The previously alleged commercialization-conservation-development links
involving non-timber forest products (NTFP) need reconsideration. NTFPs
can play an important role in rural livelihood strategies and can
contribute to sustained forested landscapes in various tropical areas, but
there is no simple answer to how important NTFPs are in rural livelihoods.
A diversified research approach towards forest and NTFP use is described.
In this approach, more attention is being paid to NTFP sources other than
natural forests and to the broader socio-economic and spatial context in
which forest use occurs. The new "resource in context" approach combines
insights into community-level creativity and livelihood dynamics with
those of macro-economic and spatial processes, which provides a more
realistic assessment of the development and conservation potential of
NTFPs.
Singh, K. P.; Kushwaha, C. P. 2005. Paradox of leaf phenology: Shorea
robusta is a semi-evergreen species in tropical dry deciduous forests in
India. Current Science 88(11) 5 p.
www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/jun102005/1820.pdf
Sinha, A., and Brault, S. 2005. Assessing sustainability of nontimber
forest product extractions: how fire affects sustainability. Biodivers.
Conserv. 14(14):3537-3563.
Taylor, David. A. 2006. Ginseng, The Divine Root. The Curious History of
the Plant That Captivated the World. Algonquin Books,
In the tradition of Nathaniel’s Nutmeg and Tulipomania comes the epic
story of an ancient, elusive herb with legendary curative powers that have
enticed and mystified us for centuries.
Prized for centuries by Chinese emperors, Native American
healers, and black market smugglers, ginseng launched the rise to power of
China’s last great and influential dynasty; inspired battles between
France and England; precipitated America’s first trade with China;
fostered the study of comparative anthropology; was collected and traded
by Daniel Boone; and has made and broken the fortunes of many. Today its
healing properties are being studied for the treatment of diabetes,
cancer, and Parkinson’s disease.
David Taylor takes readers from forests east of the
Mississippi to the bustling streets of Hong Kong and deep into remote
corners of China as he weaves together the history, culture, and intrigue
surrounding the “Root of Life.”
The book traces the market links from mountain communities to
consumer
markets and should interest professionals working with NWFPs.
Veddeler, D., Schulze, C.H., Steffan-Dewenter, I., Buchori, D., and
Tscharntke, T. 2005. The contribution of tropical secondary forest
fragments to the conservation of fruit-feeding butterflies: effects of
isolation and age. Biodivers. Conserv. 14(14):3577-3592.
Zhu, H., Shi, J.P., and Zhao, C.J. 2005. Species composition, physiognomy
and plant diversity of the tropical montane evergreen broad-leaved forest
in southern Yunnan. Biodivers. Conserv. 14(12):2855-2870.
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41. Web sites and e-zines
From: FAO’s NWFP Programme
Forest Protection in South Finland
Forests in southern Finland (South of Lapland) are extensively used. They
are popular for recreation and contain a large part of the country’s
forest biodiversity. They are also so intensively cut for industrial use
that the current wave of species extinctions is not even slowing down.
Forest conservation measures in southern Finland are now extremely
important.
This website is about forest conservation, especially in South
Finland. Here you can get acquainted with some of the most important
unprotected forests and appeal for their future. You can also follow the
progress of the Finnish National Forest Conservation Initiative for
Southern Finland (METSO) from an ecological perspective.
www.etelasuomenmetsat.fi/english/00_johdanto.shtml
WildFinder
WildFinder is a map-driven, searchable database of more than 26,000
species worldwide, with a powerful search tool that allows users to
discover where species live or explore wild places to find out what
species live there. Containing information on birds, mammals, reptiles,
and amphibians, WildFinder is a valuable resource for scientists,
students, educators, travellers, birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts
alike.
www.worldwildlife.org/wildfinder/
Xpeditions (National Geographic)
Maps for printing and copying
www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/
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MISCELLANEOUS
42. Armenia: forests to be destroyed in 20 years with today's
deforestation rates
Source: Noyan Tapan, 27.2.2006 (in CENN- March 16, 2006 Weekly Digest)
Today forests make up only 8-9% of the territory of Armenia. Though the
maximum volumes of deforestation were registered during the energy crisis
years of 1992-94, illegal deforestation continues with large volumes
today. During a discussion dedicated to the methods and strategy of the
lobbying activity in the sphere of nature protection, which took place on
27 February, Nazeli Vardanian, Director of the "Forests of Armenia" NGO
mentioned that according to specialists' observations, if deforestation
continues at today's volumes, the republic’s forests would be fully
destroyed within years.
As outlined in the NGO’s brochure "Lobbying Activity and
Protection of the Environment", the trees cut down in the 1990s were used
for heating purpose, while in recent years they are being cut for profit.
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43. Chopsticks: China introduces chopsticks tax
Source: BBC Newsroom, 22 March 2006
The Chinese government is introducing a 5% tax on disposable wooden
chopsticks in a bid to preserve its forests. It produces about 45 billion
pairs of chopsticks a year, consuming millions of birch, poplar and bamboo
trees.
The move came as China said it would raise some consumption
taxes next month in a bid to help the environment and narrow the gap
between rich and poor.
The disposable splints of wood, usually between eight and 10
inches long, have long been a target for Chinese environmentalists. School
children have written to the Chinese prime minister asking for a ban on
disposable wooden chopsticks, while students have persuaded some college
cafeterias to replace them with spoons.
In recent years, the government has actually encouraged their
use, in a bid to reduce the spread of infectious illnesses by sharing
eating utensils.
Shanghai consumers gave a mixed response to the new tax. "I
think the shop owner should pay for it," one person told the BBC. "It's no
use, people will still buy disposable chopsticks," was the view of another
citizen who doubted if the tax would help protect the environment. But
others were in favour: "It has some good impact. It will make people buy
less disposable products and buy more durable ones."
For full story, please see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4831734.stm
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44. China: 20% forest cover promised
Source: China Daily, 28.2.06
A fifth of China's land area will have forest cover by 2010, the State
Forestry Administration vowed yesterday.
Over the past five years, the percentage of China's land area
covered by forests has risen from 16.6 percent to 18.2 percent, Jia
Zhibang, chief of the forestry agency, told a press conference held by the
State Council Information Office yesterday in Beijing. "By 2010, the
country will strive to raise the rate to 20 percent."
Jia also revealed that for the first time since 1949, China is
seeing a reversal of land area being degraded into deserts.
Desertification had expanded by 3,436 square kilometres a year by the late
1990s. Since 2001, however, such sandy land has shrunk by 1,283 square
kilometres annually, according to Jia. "It's the first time since the
founding of the People's Republic of China that we brought about a
reversal," he said.
He attributed the success partly to a national compulsory
tree-planting campaign which started in 1982. Since 2001, China has
planted more than 12 billion trees, or nearly 10 trees for each person,
according to Jia.
In addition to tree planting, the country will continue a
logging ban in the natural forest along most of the Yangtze and Yellow
River reaches, while converting more farmlands to forests and grasslands.
For full story, please see:
www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2006-02/28/content_524558.htm
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45. Costa Rica: Rain forests see spate of wildlife deaths
From: Patricia S. De Angelis, USA, Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov
Source: Hillary Rosner, The New York Times, March 8, 2006
Toucans fighting over bananas? Animals breaking into kitchens to steal
food? Atypical weather patterns (excessive rain and cold) are believed to
be the cause of the massive starvation and death of animals along the
Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.
Scientists estimate that half the spider monkey population in
Corcovado National Park may have died during the last few months of 2005.
Corcovado is home to the CITES Appendix-I spider monkey, Ateleas geoffroyi
ssp. panamensis.
According to a wildlife conservation expert at National
University in San José, "It's proof that sometimes we can establish a
national park and say, 'We're taking care of animals here,' but the
situation is out of the control of humans."
Full story: www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/08/healthscience/snrain.php
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46. Vietnam: Slow but promising recovery for nation's forest cover
Source: VietNamNet Bridge, 24 February 2006
The total area nationwide covered by forests has risen to 12.3mil ha, or
37.8% of total land area, from 36.7% in 2004. Forests classified as rich
and fully rehabilitated rose to 4.6% in 2004 from 3.4% in 2000, according
to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Vietnam has
set a target of 43% forest cover by 2010.
However, the MARD said that the quality of the forests has
been deteriorating and natural-growth pockets have become isolated. More
than two thirds of the country's forests were poor or still in the process
of rehabilitation.
The MARD said the Law on Forest Protection and Development,
which came into effect last April, has helped slow deforestation.
Last year, the government gave VND12bil (US$750,000) to
mountainous provinces for the planting of forests, trees for timber, and
trees for paper materials. As a result some 1.7mil cubic metres of timber
were produced last year, a slight increase compared with 2004.
However, large areas of land that could be used for lucrative
crops such as cassava, cashew nuts and rubber were still being denuded of
trees in the southern provinces of Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau and Ben
Tre, the ministry's Forest Department said.
Illegal timber logging is also continuing, with several
hundred hectares of trees having been chopped down in the Central
Highlands. Last year a total of 36,376 violations of forest-protection
regulations were reported, mostly involving illegal logging and the
trafficking of timber and wild animals.
The prolonged drought last year resulted in 1,148 forest fires
that destroyed 5,765ha of forests and 1,500ha of natural forest,
representing an 80% rise over 2004. Most of the fires, which occurred in
the provinces of Kon Tum, Dien Bien, Long An, Kien Giang and Lam Dong,
were caused by slash-and-burn agriculture and bush-burning to collect
honey bees.
Forestry Department head Nguyen Ngoc Binh has proposed that
the Government issue more policies offering incentives to encourage
reforestation and investment in infrastructure. The State should also
speed up forest-land allocation to local people, especially poor ethnic
minority people.
Director of the MARD's Forestry Project Management Board,
Luong Van Tien, said a $35.1mil forest development project will be
launched in five Central Highlands and southern provinces. The project
aims at protecting and developing forests with a rich biodiversity and
help reduce poverty for ethnic people living in the Central Highlands
provinces of Kon Tum, Dac Nong and Lam Dong, and the southern provinces of
Binh Phuoc and Dong Nai.
Vietnam has 1.92mil ha of special-use forests, 5.92mil ha of
protected forests and 4.47mil ha of production forests.
For full story, please see:
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2006/02/544592/
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