Topic 2.3: Other Non-Timber Forest Products

There are many other NTFPs that are of local, regional, and global importance but will not be discussed here. If you are interested, you might explore the literature on products made from bamboos, palms (e.g., vegetable ivory or “tagua” from the seeds of Phytelephas aequatorialis, and giant herbs (e.g., Carludovicia palmata, the “Panama hat plant”). Foods from tropical forests that are gaining increasing international market attention include Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excela, Lecythidaceae) and açaí palm fruits (Euterpe oleracea).