Forests, in many countries of the world, play an important role in providing food and resources to the population. Non-timber forest products create alternative sources of income and develop businesses, which in turn improve the livelihoods of local communities. However, this function can only be performed under conditions of sustainable management, which includes the preservation of forest products and ecosystems, as well as the mitigation of the effects of climate change.
Non-timber forest products have always been utilized in Georgia, although there was no tradition of its legal commercial use. In 2021, the new Forest Code brought this area under legal regulation. The rules of forest use and the tax code was amended, and the commercial use of non-timber products became subject to the payment of the fee for the use of natural resources.
Dialogue with business organizations was of key importance in the process of developing and implementing the legislation, for which, with the help of CENN, the association “Georgian Forest Product (GFP)” was founded. GFP ensured the mobilization of private sector representatives for consultation with the state. As a result, the new system brought significant benefits to businesses.
Permits for non-timber forest products can be issued on the basis of rather complex procedures of their assessment (inventory) and determination of its sustainable extraction potential (quotation). Here, public, private and scientific institutes of Georgia faced serious opposition – lack of theoretical and practical knowledge. “Guidelines on Sustainable Management of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in Georgia ” was created precisely to adapt the best European experience, for which CENN, with the support of the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), used international expertise.
The developed guidance document is a good tool for both legal business provision of public services and policy planning to integrate the use of non-timber forest products with sustainable forest management. The purpose of creating the document is to prevent unsustainable use of non-timber forest products.
The methodology is tailored to improve income generation for low-income households. Consequently, more business opportunities will be created. State institutions, in turn, will carry out proper assessment and monitoring of resources, both at the national and local levels. The manual should not be considered as a final product, it is a flexible and dynamic project and is subject to more adaptation to the national or local context in order to add to it the knowledge and experience that will be accumulated specifically in Georgia.
The manual is available in Georgian Language here.