Resources utilization

This book offers an innovative and refreshing look at forest conservation in Palawan Island, the Philippines, where the indigenous Batak peoples make a living from shifting cultivation and collection of non-timber forest products. Through a systematic comparison of Batak practices with those of lowland Filippino migrants, the author demonstrates how the traditions and beliefs of the Batak can help to conserve one of the world's most precious resources, forests.

Based on information derived from literature, statistics, interviews and a field survey in Bolivia, this report explores the value of non-timber forest products not only in economic terms but also as an important element in the lives of people who live in or near the forest. Covers values at local, national and international level; intellectual property rights; ecotourism; and sustainability of exploitation with detailed examples.