Non-timber forest products in community development: Lessons from the Russian Far East

Abstract

One of the components of the IUCN - The World Conservation Union project, "Building Partnerships for Forest Conservation and Management in Russia" funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), is designed to assist remote communities of the Russian Far East to sustainably develop their NTFP resources. In our project, NTFPs are viewed as one part of a local sustainable livelihood strategy (including tourism, cultural activities, hunting, herding). We provide business and legal issues training, consultation on small business and community-based enterprise development, and support for sustainability and monitoring programs. One of the basic principles of the project has been a participatory approach to project development and implementation. It is the hope of project participants that the successful development of NTFP and other opportunities will decrease the pressure to move forward with potentially damaging resource exploitation activities. Although community economic development is the primary goal, the revival and sharing of indigenous knowledge about NTFPs has been identified by participants as a key issue, and is a focus of educational materials being developed through the project.