Socio-economic importance and resource potential of non-timber forest products of Ethiopia

There is growing need for and awareness about the different aspects of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). They contribute to improving the livelihoods of rural communities by providing food, fodder, medicine, additional income; cultural, socio-economic, environmental and ecological values; employment opportunities and foreign exchange earnings. The significant value and the importance of NTFPs is felt more in dryland areas of the world including Ethiopia where fewer alternative resources exist for supporting the livelihoods of local communities, pastoralists, because of the difficult environmental conditions. There are several indigenous trees, shrubs, herbs, wildlife resources and many other NTFPs in the vast arid and semiarid lowlands and highlands (natural and plantation forests, farmlands and homesteads, and watersheds and marginal lands) of Ethiopia, known to yield socio-economically and ecologically valuable NTFPs. Ethiopia is home to a wide range of NTFPs available from various multipurpose plant species and products, the majority of which are still less known, less managed and underutilized. This paper presented the socio-economic importance and resource potential of the most important and potential NTFPs such as frankincense, myrrh, gum Arabic, bamboo, spices, medicinal plants, edible plants, essential oils, honey and bees wax and civet which are useful for household and national economy. It also addressed the major gaps, research focus, research activities and status of the National NTFPs Research Project of Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization. The objective of the paper was to: (i) give some highlight on potential NTFPs of Ethiopia and their socio-economic and environmental importance and (ii) bring to the attention of researchers, botanists, agriculturists, conservationists, farming communities, policy makers, and other stakeholders, issues about biodiversity in relation to NTFPs with the clues and mandate of developing integrated and suitable scenarios on planning strategies and thematic areas for increased emphasis on genetic conservation, regeneration, research and development, promotion, processing, grading, marketing, commercialization and sustainable utilization of NTFPs.