[MPWG] Fw: NWFP-Digest-L No. 5/07
Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov
Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov
Thu Jun 21 12:47:27 CDT 2007
Below is the full table of contents from this month's FAO Non Wood Forest
Products NWFP Digest.
In order to reduce the file size, I included only the summaries for
articles concerning North American medicinal plants (or non timber forest
products), plus links to pertinent additional resources. These are marked
by a double asterisk in the table of contents.
The entire document is available on the FAO website at:
<http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/12980/en/>
-Patricia
==============================================================
NWFP-Digest-L
No. 5/07
==============================================================
IN THIS ISSUE:
PRODUCTS
1. Acorns: Cold snap could cause problems for hunters
(USA)**
2. Bamboo in Bhutan: Using bamboo instead of wood
3. Bamboo: Earthquake-proof houses are successfully test
shaken at Colorado State University
4. Bamboo in India: Bamboo boost for Mizoram
5. Bamboo in India: Fruits appear in bamboo bushes
6. Bamboo in India: IGNOU offers certificate course on
bamboo craft
7. Bamboo in the Philippines: Push for commercial bamboo
production in Benguet
8. Boswellia serrata extract scores well in COX-2
comparison
9. Bushmeat: Taking hunters to the zoo
10. Ginseng: The first ginseng genome library established in
China**
11. Lac in India: Jaipur's lac industry is booming
12. Maple syrup in Canada: Weather blamed for decline in
maple syrup production **
13. Maple syrup in the USA: In maple sugar country, creeping
fears about climate change**
14. Maple sugar in the USA: Maine law defines 'pure' maple
syrup**
15. Medicinal plants in Botswana: Hoodia gordonii a rare
medicinal hope
16. Medicinal plants in India: immense potential for export
growth of herbal products
17. Moringa oleifera: NGO develops local plant for water
purification in Nigeria
18. Moringa to assist malnourished children in Ghana
19. Ramps: Are ramps under threat? (WV, USA)**
20. Sandalwood: Kenyan President Kibaki prohibits trade in
rare tree species
21. Sandalwood: India’s sandalwood raises stink in Nepal
22. Seabuckthorn: Synergistic Superfruit
COUNTRY INFORMATION
23. Australia: Firm gets green light to develop
rainforest-based pharmaceuticals
24. Bulgaria produces 8,000 tons of honey, half of it is
exported
25. Congo (Democratic Republic): Greenpeace spotlights
rainforest damage in DRC
26. Congo (Republic): U.S. Developer to build hotels in Congo
National Park
27. Guyana: UK high commission donates money to GMTCS
28. India: Jharkhand to invest 151cr to upgrade sericulture
production
29. India: Orissa weavers use dye of wild flower to colour
handspun cloth
30. Indonesia's paradise lost - and regained
31. Iran to improve medicinal herbs cultivation in 2007
32. Malaysia: Orang asli told to use their knowledge in
jungle plants
33. Malaysia pins hopes on herbal Viagra for biotech push
34. Vietnam: Medicinal herbs vanish in Son La
NEWS
35. African nations to make traditional medicine safer
36. African Women's Development Fund
37. Cosmetics au naturel ─ because they're worth a lot**
38. Rainforest protection: New fund to conserve Congo Basin
EVENTS
39. Sharing Indigenous Wisdom: An International Dialogue on
Sustainable Development**
40. International Conference on Poverty Reduction and Forests
Tenure, Market and Policy Reforms
41. International Congress on A Global Vision of Forestry in
the 21st Century
42. The Future of forests in Asia and the Pacific: outlook
for 2020
43. 3rd Global Summit on Medicinal and Aromatic plants
LITERATURE REVIEW AND WEB SITES
44. Bioprospecting: Hands off our genes, say Pacific
Islanders**
45. PhD publication
46. Other publications of interest
47. Web sites and e-zines**
MISCELLANEOUS
48. China: Pushing the sands back from Beijing
49. Costa Rica: Collapse in biodiversity in protected Costa
Rican rainforest
50. Uganda: Poverty destroying forests, says Minister
51. Vaccination could protect wild apes against ebola virus
BACK TO TOP
PRODUCTS
1. Acorns: Cold snap could cause problems for hunters (USA)
Source: KAIT, Arkansas, USA, 14 April 2007
Deer hunters around Pocahontas say many of the trees are withering and
their vegetation is dead. Thanks to a cold snap that hit Northeast
Arkansas last week much of spring’s green has now turned to brown.
For Greg Mathews, an avid hunter, he knows the threat this
could have on wildlife. "I own some property north of town that I manage
strictly for the wildlife, and not having an acorn crop, it's going to be
hard for the deer and turkey to make it through the winter. I supplement
feed, but that's not going to be enough for this year," said Mathews.
Acorns produced by many of these withering trees provide vital
nutrients for animals like deer. "Acorns are the staple for wildlife.
That's what they count on every year is the nut crop. You have lean years,
but I don't think there's ever been a year where you have zero," said
Mathews.
He says the true effects of this cold snap on plant vegetation
probably won't be seen until later in the year, when deer hunting season
begins. "In order for the does to produce good fawns for the spring, they
are going to need some fat preserves. That's what the acorns do for the
deer," said Mathews.
Mathews says the forestry service is also surprised by the
damage to trees. However, there's always a first time for everything, and
hunters are just hoping for the best. "You can pretty well speculate that
the deer will be in stress by the time the winter is over without any nut
crop at all," said Mathews. The problems with vegetation will not affect
the current turkey season, but hunters could see the affects by deer
hunting season which begins in October.
For full story, please see:
http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=6371028&nav=menu67_3
BACK TO TOP
10. Ginseng: The first ginseng genome library established in China
Source: People's Daily Online, 15 March 2007
After years of study, Liu Shuying and her team at the Institute of Applied
Chemistry under the Chinese Academy of Sciences have established the first
ginseng genome library in China. Including holographic material and
genetic data, this library is another step forward in the modernization of
traditional Chinese medicine.
Jilin province in China's northeast currently produces 80
percent of all ginseng in China, and 60 percent of ginseng available on
the world market.
For full story, please see:
http://english.people.com.cn/200703/15/eng20070315_357943.html
BACK TO TOP
12. Maple syrup in Canada: Weather blamed for decline in maple syrup
production
Source: Peterborough Examiner, Canada, 16 April 2007
For local maple syrup producers, the sound of sap dripping into a tin
bucket is usually a sure sign of spring. But this year, those sounds have
been few and far between.
Across much of Ontario and parts of Quebec, syrup crops have
been cut in half, local producer Brenda Steed said. Prime sap production
needs cold nights of about –5 C and warm days above the freezing mark. The
past month has either been too warm or too cold, Steed said. "It’s been a
tough spring. A lot of people are getting hit hard especially if maple
syrup is your only crop," she said.
For those attending the annual maple syrup day at the
Peterborough Farmer’s Market Saturday, that meant paying more for a bottle
of sweet local syrup. Most bottles, depending on the size, cost a dollar
more than they did last year.
Robert Wagner was on hand selling the syrup he makes on his
farm just south of Stony Lake. He agreed it has been a rough year. "It’s
an unusual season, but as a farmer you learn to live with what nature
presents us with from time to time," he said.
While the poor sap flow will hurt the bottom line of his
spring cash crop, Wagner said he doesn’t do it for the money. "If you did
it for profit, you shouldn’t go through the trouble," he said. "You do it
because it’s a way of life. It’s a challenge and it’s rewarding to see the
first farm crop of the season."
For full story, please see:
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=487749&catname=Local%20News&classif=News%20-%20Local
Related stories:
www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070411/NEWS/704110366/1153/SUBURBS
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=2105721b-fc40-43ba-8e43-0286c6b59587&k=34063
BACK TO TOP
13. Maple syrup in the USA: In maple sugar country, creeping fears
about climate change
Source: Associated Press, 1 April 2007 (in Boston Globe, USA)
SHARON, Vt. --Maple sugar maker Arthur Berndt has 16,000 maple trees on
his Maverick Farm, but he worries about their future. He says branches are
dying, trees aren't regenerating as well as they once did and yield less
syrup than he expects, given his equipment and technology. He believes
climate change may be to blame. "The long-term effects are that
sugarmaking in Vermont will become a thing of the past if left unchecked,"
said Berndt,
He sees a grim scenario for the future of the nation's No. 1
producer of maple syrup. The state, which has an estimated 500 million
sugar maples, has about 2,000 sugar makers who produce about 500,000
gallons of syrup a year. It's a key part of Vermont's economy -- and its
image.
"When you think about all the other sugar makers in Vermont
who depend on maple syrup for some of their income," Berndt said. "That's
not going to be available to them in 20, 30, 50 years if we don't change
things. And Vermont will not have the cache it once had, with people
visiting sugar houses, so it will have an effect on tourism as well."
Berndt, who is also an environmental activist, has taken his
concerns about global warming to federal court. He has joined a lawsuit
filed by environmental groups Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace and four
U.S. cities including Boulder, Colo. They are suing the Overseas Private
Investment Corp. and the Export-Import Bank for helping to fund overseas
power plants, which they say contributes to global warming.
In the 20 years since Berndt and his wife bought Maverick
Farm, they've noticed a change. The maple trees, some already stressed by
acid rain, have new challenges, such as pests he believes are linked to
warming climate. He fears the maple will move north and other trees, such
as hickory, oak and ash will prosper.
Many sugar makers who rely on freezing nights and thawing days
have noticed a shift in the weather. Mild winters have prompted sap to
flow in February and sometimes as early as January. "Traditionally, in the
old days, you wouldn't ever get a February run," said Blaine Moore, who
works for Berndt and grew up on the land. "You look at the old sugar maker
records and April was when you made the syrup. Now, the last three years,
we hardly made any in April."
A study by the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research
Center has found that the sugaring season is three days shorter than it
was in the 1940s. That doesn't sound like much, but for a product with a
30-day season, it's a 10 percent reduction.
And the season is starting about a week early in many places.
This year was different. After an unusually warm January, cold
delayed sugaring until mid-March, which is later than usual in Vermont.
"That's not at all inconsistent with global change," said
Timothy Perkins, director of the research center. "We expect to have
higher variability than we've had in the past." In an ongoing study, the
center is assessing the impact of climate change on the maple industry.
"Now we've lost 10 percent of the season, but people don't really notice
it much. But at some point there will be reductions in yield," Perkins
said.
But so far, so good with Vermont's season, according to Tim
Wilmot, a University of Vermont Extension maple specialist. "Right now,
we're just dealing with the weather we have, and it's no different than
any other year. Yes, it was quite warm in December and January. But now
the weather is behaving like it always does. It's up and down. We could
get a snowstorm anyday," Wilmot said.
Not everyone believes climate change is taking a toll.
"In farming, you talk to 10 different farmers and you'll get
10 different stories with 10 different grumbles," said David Knappett,
owner of Maple Orchard Farms of Canada, Inc., in Bracebridge, Ont., which
buys syrup from farmers and finishes it. "I don't think, as of yet, that
any climate change has affected maple production."
For full story, please see:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2007/04/01/in_maple_sugar_country_creeping_fears_about_climate_change/
BACK TO TOP
14. Maple sugar in the USA: Maine: Law defines 'pure' maple syrup
Source: BusinessWeek, USA, 4 April 2007
As Maine's maple sugar season wound down, Gov. John Baldacci signed
legislation to clarify the legal definition of "pure maple syrup" to help
consumers decide whether they're getting the real thing.
The new law sets standards on how much sugar must be in syrup
in order for it to be considered pure. It took effect immediately upon the
governor's signature Monday.
The bill was advanced by the Maine Maple Producers. The Maine
Farm Bureau said the new standard helps to protect Maine's maple syrup
industry.
Maple sugar producers say that if there's too much sugar in
syrup, it can crystallize shortly after sale. The new law helps to ensure
that when someone buys "pure maple syrup," that's what they're getting.
Vermont, the nation's No. 1 maple syrup producer, has rules
similar to Maine's new standard. Maine is the nation's second-largest
maple syrup producer.
For full story, please see:
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8O9VOD00.htm
BACK TO TOP
19. Ramps: Are ramps under threat? (WV, USA)
Source: AP in CFRC Weekly Summary 12 April 2007
Demand for ramps from celebrity chefs, avant-garde restaurateurs and avid
foodies has some experts worried for the future of the pungent wild leeks
grown in the hills of Appalachia.
“[Ramps are] becoming harder to find in many areas because
they’ve become so popular and people frequent all the festivals that are
held in their honour,’’ said Jeanine Davis, an associate professor of
horticulture at North Carolina State University who focuses on specialty
crops like ramps.
Davis said the increase in popularity over the years means
that chic big-city eateries and their adventurous chefs are vying for the
bulbs but “very few people are producing these commercially.’’
Ramps look much like a spring onion or a scallion, with flat
green leaves protruding from a white onion-like bulb. Their flavour and
smell, which is said to linger on the breath and skin for days after being
eaten, is powerful and garlic-like.
A group in Chicago recently hosted a $65-a-plate ramp dinner,
considerably higher than the $6 to $10 dinners found in most parts of West
Virginia every spring.
Although ramps are harvested in the spring, the plants are not
mature enough to produce seeds for replanting until autumn. Many foragers
who find ramps growing wild in March or April don’t return to sow new
seeds in September or October, Davis said.
Norene Facemire and her husband own one of the few ramp farms
in the country, Ramp Farm Specialties in Richwood. She says that areas off
the main roads are pretty well dug up, but ramps are still abundant in the
mountains. Her 50-acre farm supplies ramps to individuals and restaurants
all across the country. She added that she’s not concerned about a lack of
ramps in the ground in West Virginia, although the recent cold and 12
inches of snow in the Richwood area have made it tough to harvest their
plants.
Janet Fisher, deputy commissioner for the state Department of
Agriculture, said ramps are still abundant in the eastern and northeastern
parts of the state.
The ramp plant takes three years to mature to the stage where
it’s edible, and two more years before it begins bearing seed for
reproduction.
For full story, please see:
http://www.forestrycenter.org/headlines.cfm?refid=98076
NEWS
37. Cosmetics au naturel ─ because they're worth a lot
Source: The Guardian, London, 12 April 2007 (in Taipei Times)
When L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetic company, bought the Body Shop
little more than a year ago, industry observers reacted with shock as a
small, ethical brand was gobbled up by a huge multinational. They
represent polar opposites of the US$197 billion global beauty industry.
But a year later it has become clear that the US$1.3 billion acquisition
was the start of something new at L'Oreal — the group has taken a leaf out
of Body Shop's book and has decided to go natural.
Once the preserve of a few hippies, the natural cosmetics
phenomenon has gradually migrated into the mainstream and is now a booming
market. Sales are only one percent of the global beauty market. But it is
growing at 15 percent to 20 percent a year, and all the big cosmetic firms
have started paying attention.
As cosmetics containing shea butter pop up on more and more
Western supermarket shelves, little do buyers realize that sales of this
age-old beauty-boosting nut are helping legions of African women feed
their children and send them to school.
Retailers have also caught on. Just as they adjusted to the
growing demand for organic food, supermarkets are moving into the natural
cosmetic market, with Tesco in Britain launching its own personal care
range called Bnatural.
Jean-Paul Agon, chief executive of L'Oreal, said as much at
the company's annual results this year: "2006 marked the group's entry
more than ever into the natural market. It is a market in full development
in the whole world." The group's acquisition of Sanoflore, a French
organic products company, in October only served to reinforce that.
For full story, please see:
www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2007/04/12/2003356385
BACK TO TOP
EVENTS
Sharing Indigenous Wisdom: An International Dialogue on Sustainable
Development
11-15 June 2007
Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA,
Indigenous peoples all over the world are steadily confronted with outside
pressures of having both their land and cultures assimilated into the
dominant cultural context. There is currently an acute need to explore
successful models of sustainable development that allow for the
preservation of indigenous lands, sovereignty and culture, while also
allowing for the integration of economic development, institutional
capacity-building and technological advancement.
This conference is designed to bring together scholars and
practitioners who are committed to the concepts of sustainable
development. This year the conference will focus on the Natural
Environment foundational element in the Menominee model of sustainable
development.
For more information, see
http://www.sharingindigenouswisdom.org/default.asp
LITERATURE REVIEW AND WEB SITES
BACK TO TOP
Godoy, R., Wilkie, D.S., Reyes-García, V., Leonard, W.R., Huanca, T.,
McDade, T., Vadez, V., and Tanner, S. 2006. Human body-mass index (weight
in kg/stature in m2) as a useful proxy to assess the relation between
income and wildlife consumption in poor rural societies. Biodivers.
Conserv. 15(14):4495-4506
Kursar, T.A., Caballero-George, C.C., Capson, T.L., Cubilla-Rios, L.,
Gerwick, W.H., Gupta, M.P., Ibañez, A., Linington, R.G., McPhail, K.L.,
Ortega-Barría, E., Romero, L.I., Solis, P.N., and Coley, P.D. 2006.
Securing economic benefits and promoting conservation through
bioprospecting. BioScience 56(12):1005-1012.
McManis, Charles (ed.). 2007. Biodiversity and the Law. Intellectual
property, biotechnology & traditional knowledge. Earthscan. ISBN
1844073491 / 9781844073498
Nelson, S.C. and Elevitch, C.R. 2006 Noni: The complete guide for
consumers and growers. Permanent Agriculture Resources. Holualoa, Hawaii.
BACK TO TOP
47. Web sites and e-zines
From: FAO’s NWFP Programme
Frame Natural Products audio presentations
New audio presentations featuring comments shared at FRAME's Natural
Products International Workshop on rural and conservation benefits from
natural products enterprises are now available.
Johnathan Lash shares a global view of the future of natural resources and
their importance in poverty alleviation, “The Wealth of the Poor.”
Abdou Sene presents lessons learned from the Wula Nafaa project, and
specifically the karaya gum market in Senegal, “Gomme Mbepp (karaya gum)
in Senegal.”
Catherine Craig gives insight about the opportunities and challenges of
planning, harvesting and marketing silk products from areas with high
biodiversity in Madagascar, “Wild Silk Production for Conserving Protected
Areas in Developing Countries.”
Latest additions can be found by clicking on workshop proceedings from the
web site.
www.frameweb.org/naturalproducts
Maple Syrup**
Penn. State University provides an overview on various aspects of maple
sugaring and NWFP.
http://maplesyrup.cas.psu.edu/maple_syrup.html
BACK TO TOP
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