Goal & Strategy

The shared goal of the partners of NTFP-EP is to empower forest-based communities to make use of and manage forest resources in a sustainable manner. To this end, the NTFP-EP catalyses and supports activities that build up and strengthen the capacity of its partner organisations in their work with forest-dependent communities, particularly indigenous peoples. Some of the key thematic areas of NTFP-EP’s work are:

• Forest management and sustainable harvesting of NTFPs;
• Tenurial security and the recognition and enforcement of user rights;
• Livelihood security through the enhancement of subsistence uses;
• Increased income from value addition and marketing – domestic and regional/ international;
• Strengthened negotiating position of forest-dependent communities vis-a-vis
traders, policy makers and other external agents on issues which may affect their environment and livelihood;
• Rejuvenating/encouraging traditional NTFP harvest practices that have been ecologically sustainable;
• Flagging of vulnerable or threatened plant species and developing methods to conserve them; and
• Documenting unique cultural traits pertaining to NTFPs.

Until March 2009 the India network has worked in an informal manner and added partners/contacts. However in a common `programme focus’ building exercise, the following 3 themes emerged for improved effectiveness. They are described below with details relevant to the Indian context.