Forest Management for Non-Wood Forest Products and Services in Sub-Saharan Africa

The contribution of Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs) and services in livelihood support has been reviewed.Quite a number of NWFPs are also important articles of commerce and contribute significantly to the economiesvarious African countries. The non-consumptive role of forests has been examined in terms of eco-tourism whilethe social and economic viability of the production of NWFPs and services have been reviewed from subsistenceand commercial perspectives. Conditions that enable long-term viability in the management of forests for NWFPsand services have been reviewed. Need for sound ecological data in relation to resource stock and yield were notedas important in determining ecological sustainability. A number of institutional issues important to SFM werenoted, including setting up of strong producer organizations, enabling policies and legislative frameworks, andrelevant institutions within the government that provide supportive roles. Multiple use management was notedan important concept towards sustainable forestry and clearly demonstrates how forests can be managed for bothwood and NWFPs. From an analysis of lessons learnt from the above, various recommendations were made