Connecting non-timber forest products stakeholders to information and knowledge: A case study of an Internet web site
This article is part of a larger document. View the larger document here.Abstract
Many products are harvested from forests that are not timber-based but are based on plant materials. These non-timber forest products (NTFPs) have not been fully incorporated into economic development programs, yet they provide significant monetary benefits for rural entrepreneurs. Interest in NTFPs as alternative forest enterprises and sources of additional income has increased tremendously over the last decade. Unfortunately, information on their potential is not readily available when and where it is needed. With the use of the Internet, people have greater and easier access to information and those in remote rural areas may benefit tremendously from this access. People living in rural communities near forests are particularly attracted by the potential for growing and processing NTFPs for added income.