A Suggested Decision Making Framework for NTFP Managers

There are several different factors that need to be considered when making decisions about appropriate NTFP management strategies including: sustainability, supply, profitability, market potential, rights to harvest, and cultural/social issues. Each of these should be evaluated for any given project and your decisions based on the range of information you collect. The factors suggested below are just some of those that should be considered in resource management decisions.

1. Sustainability — Can this product be harvested in a sustainable way that will not deplete the resource over time or will harvesting materially deplete supply and substantially affect other components of the eco-system? (We are referring here to the POTENTIAL for sustainable harvest. No species that is considered rare or endangered should be considered for harvesting. Impacts of harvesting or processing on the environment should also be considered; i.e., are there ‘negative externalities’ associated with harvesting?)
   
   Relevance for Management — i.e., If product cannot be sustainably managed for wild harvesting, commercial use is likely only appropriate for cultivated supplies.
   
   Rate the sustainability of your project

   

2. Supply Issues — Is the product abundant and widespread? Is the product accessible enough to be obtained at an acceptable cost, relative to its value? (Answering this question with a high degree of certainty may require an inventory of NTFP resources in the area. The product could be widely occurring or scarce and geographically or eco-system specific. The product could occur year round and allow annual sustainable harvest or have seasonal or cyclical variations in volume and occurrence.)
   
   Relevance for Management — i.e., If the product is abundant in the wild (and can be sustainably harvested) it may not be economically feasible to bring it into intensive production unless doing so provides other advantages (i.e., blueberries – ease of harvest).
   
   Rate the supply of your product

   

3. Profitability — Are the potential returns from the product adequate to support the intensification of management? Will producers reap a reasonable return for an additional investment of effort? Can the product be harvested, processed (as necessary) and transported to markets and still provide a profit? (The return on investment of NTFP production must be considered. The cost of harvesting, processing and sale of the product must provide enough of a return to attract investors/entrepreneurs.
   
   Relevance for Management — i.e., If a particular NTFP is highly profitable, this could provide an added impetus to management intensification. Without increased management, the result could be unsustainable exploitation of wild populations. If the NTFP is moderately (or less than moderately) profitable, it is unlikely that intensification will be economically viable (unless intensification significantly increases profitability – see blueberry example).
   
   Rate the profitability of your project

   

4. Jurisdictional Considerations — Where will harvesting occur? Are there any issues surrounding jurisdiction that must be addressed (i.e., permitting, community protocols, international agreements, etc.)?
   
   Rate the jurisdictional considerations of your project

   

5. Tenure Requirements — Can this product be harvested profitably without land tenure or exclusive harvesting rights or does it require a long term tenure and exclusive use rights so that the results of area improvements are directed to the benefit of the tenure holder?
   
   Rate the tenure requirements of your project

   

6. Cultural/Social Issues — Are there any cultural or social issues regarding the wild harvesting of these products? (The NTFP may have spiritual, social, environmental and/or cultural significance to First Nations. The product could also be valued in its natural state by social mores.)
   
   Relevance for Management — i.e., There may be a need for enhancement or intensive cultivation if products are highly valued for non-commercial purposes (as in huckleberries in southeast BC used as an important traditional feast food.) These products may be better suited for cultural tourism rather than commercial harvesting.
   
   Rate the cultural constraints on your project