Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) encompass the vast array of biological resources, raw materials, and edible goods harvested from woodlands and forest ecosystems other than commercial industrial timber or wood fibre crops.

Highlighting the diverse, multi-functional economic and cultural value of woodlands, NTFPs demonstrate that a forest can generate significant sustainable revenue and support local livelihoods without requiring the removal of the forest canopy.
NTFPs are categorised into several diverse groups, including wild foods (such as culinary mushrooms, wild berries, hazelnuts, sweet chestnuts, and edible wild herbs), medicinal plants, and floral greens. They also include structural materials harvested via coppicing for traditional basketry weaving and woodcrafts, as well as tree exudates like aromatic resins, bark tannins, and sap collected for maple syrup or traditional birch wine production.

Cultivating and harvesting NTFPs provides a powerful incentive for sustainable forest management; it encourages land managers to maintain healthy, intact, and biodiverse forest ecosystems, offering continuous seasonal income streams that complement long-term timber cycles.