It is increasingly being recognized in India that non-wood forest products are a great means of improving rural livelihood. They are a source of food, security and nutrition and create employment and income generation for families and improve agricultural production. They not only support environmental objectives such as biodiversity and conservation but also offer opportunities for processing enterprises and contribute to foreign exchange earnings.
Popular non-wood forest products
Popular non-wood forest products are derived from items such as bamboos, canes, medicinal plants, aromatic plants, spices, gums, resins, fibres, thatch and others as they are eco-friendly and economically rewarding. As more than half of the non-wood forest products are consumed locally and remain unrecorded, their actual contribution to the economy cannot be clearly determined.
Leaves are used to wrap tobacco and manufacture bidi. The ash from the burnt cutouts of the leaves is used in tooth powder. Another variety of leaves known as “mahul” in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, “siali” in West Bengal and Orissa, is used for making cups and plates and for wrapping food. These trees grow naturally in the forests and do not need artificial regeneration.
In India over 100 species of bamboo occur naturally. Considered the world’s most sustainable resource, bamboo is eco-friendly because it grows very fast, and without pesticides and little water. So products made from bamboo wood, like kids bamboo forks, spoon, and plates to bamboo flooring are good eco-conscious options.
Gums exude spontaneously from trees and are soluble in water. Trees also exude resins but they are soluble in alcohol, not water. Closely related to true gums are gum resins, which are also produced by plants. Since these are a combination of gum and resin, they do not dissolve in water completely.
There are about 86 different oil seed tree species in India, popular among them are sal and neem seeds. The former yield the well known sal butter used for cooking and lighting. It is a useful confectionery fat and can be used in soap making. Neem seed oil is used in soap and local medicines. Seed oil cake is used as fertilizer.
Other popular products
Among other popular non-wood forest items are grasses are used for paper making, cattle fodder, matting, ropes, thatching, and in manufacturing furniture, baskets, and screens. Dyes made from vegetables are becoming less popular because of free availability of synthetic dyes. There are 1,500 species of medicinal plants. Honey is also used for medicinal purposes and forms a natural nutritious food for the rural people.
Watch video on Bamboo products put up for sale.
