Every year in Nepal's Himalaya highlands, villagers gather thousands of tons of medicinal plants from the wild, and pack and dry them to sell to traders for export. The sale of these plants, oils and resins, or non-timber forest products (NTFPs) as they are called, provides much-needed income to local communities in Nepal, who also rely on the plants for food, medicines and fuel.

The sale of these NTFPs represents a potential long term source of income for local villagers and a powerful incentive for them to conserve their forests. However, the villagers typically sell their goods to exploitative medicinal herb traders, who encourage them to harvest as much as they can, while paying them poorly for their products. Once a plant supply runs out, the traders move on, leaving the villagers who have depleted their only source of livelihood without much recourse.

In January 2005, the Rainforest Alliance awarded Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification to the Federation of Community Forest User Groups, Nepal (FECOFUN), whose members harvest their forest botanicals in a responsible way, ensuring the long-term availability of their natural resources and maintaining the health of the forests. They then sell their wild-crafted ingredients to the international natural products industry. The villagers' certified essential oils and handmade papers are now available in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Walter Smith, lead auditor and senior technical specialist for the Rainforest Alliance forestry program, reports on his recent trip to Nepal to conduct the annual FSC audit for FECOFUN on the Rainforest Alliance Frog Blog.

Source: Rainforest Alliance Newsletter