FAO Technical Papers Non-Wood Forest Products

This publication provides rich information on Amazon fruits and communities, illustrating how local peoples have adopted and adapted to the plant kindgom around them to distil vital nutrients, medicines and other products fundamental to their survival; it also shows how scientific information can be presented in an innovative and more inclusive way, one that can be adapted accordingly by other actors worldwide.

Palms, belonging to the Arecaceae family, are among the most common plants in tropical countries and provide a vast assortment of products ranging from food to construction materials, fibre and fuel. Tropical palms, originall published in 1998, has been updated in 2010 to include the most recent information and developments regarding the conservation status and use of various tropical palm species.