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Into the wild: disentangling non-wood terms and definitions for improved forest statistics

Year of publication 2019

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 19 p.

Author Muir, G.F.; Sorrenti, S.; Vantomme, P.; Vidale, E.; Masiero, M.

Publisher Commonwealth Forestry Association ;

Product type Article

Synopsis (short abstract) As scientists strive to make nature's value visible, a large portion of forests and wild biodiversity known as non-wood forest products (NWFPs) continues to remain largely invisible and unaccounted for. At the core of the problem is wide disaccord over what is a NWFP (and correlate terms), a debate which has been running in circles for nearly three decades. This paper reviews existing terms and definitions, with the aim of improving forest statistics and the visibility of NWFPs. The paper starts by (1) clarifying boundaries between agricultural and forest products, so forest products currently under agriculture can be "reclaimed"; (2) drawing on lessons from fisheries to distinguish between wild and farmed products, and associated activities; (3) moving beyond product towards activity classifications to capture gathering that may not be accounted for under crops or forest products because it takes place across landscapes and outside of these sectoral boundaries.

Open Acess Article. This article is academically peer reviewed and published externally. This article is published in International Forestry Review Volume 22, Number 1, March 2020, pp. 101-119(19)

Cite this content as:

Muir, G. F., Sorrenti, S., Vantomme, P., Vidale, E., & Masiero, M. (2020). Into the wild: disentangling non-wood terms and definitions for improved forest statistics. International Forestry Review, 22(1), 101-119.

Language English

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    Non-wood forest products in international statistical systems 2017
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    This report compares the international statistics on non-wood forest products (NWFPs) by review-ing the three main international statistical classifications: the Harmonized System (HS), the Central Product Classification (CPC) and the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC). It dis-cusses specific issues in linking major NWFPs across the three reference systems, as well as how countries deal with these issues. It proposes ways for improving the international classification sys-te ms and presents some of their main NWFPs. Each product group is fully described in the annex-es, which provide information on where it is situated in the existing international classifications, as well as production and international trade data sources. The intention of this paper is not to reinvent a statistical system of NWFPs, but rather to provide information on NWFPs in the existing national/international statistical systems so that users can compile national/regional/international statist ics on NWFPs according to their assessment needs. This report does not provide an exhaustive listing and description of all NWFPs, but does show some of the main products. Nevertheless, this document, the first among a series, provides a pic-ture, based on available data, which can be a starting point for improving statistics on NWFPs.
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