Nontimber Forest Products and Bioeconomy
The bioeconomy emphasizes knowledge-based production and use of renewable biological resources to provide existing and new products, through sustainable processes. The bioeconomy can reduce environmental impacts of economic growth by science-based management that promotes sustainable harvests and production. The focus of this webinar series on the bioeconomy is Nontimber Forest Products (NTFPs), goods used for food, medicine, decorations and adornments, nursery and landscaping products, and fine arts and crafts.
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Task Force is investigating how NTFPs have been integrated into global and national efforts to transition to and expand the bioeconomy, and how such efforts can be supported with research. With more than 70 experts representing over 20 institutions, the Task Force is facilitating dialogue, and sharing knowledge to propose frameworks that support the understanding and reporting of NTFP contributions to the bioeconomy.
This webinar series, which ran from August 2021 to June 2022, presented an opportunity to hear from experts on contemporary research that strengthens knowledge about these important products within a bioeconomy concept. Presentations will consist of a 20-minute presentation and 30 minutes of questions-and-answers with the presenter. The series is hosted on Zoom by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, The Forest History Society, Renmin University of China, and the IUFRO Task Force.
You can see all the presentation videos on our YouTube channel by following this link.
past presentations
| Speaker | Title | Institution | Date |
| Sven Mutke | "Non-wood Provisioning Services from Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems" Watch the video HERE |
Forest Research Center, INIA-CIFOR, Spain | Aug. 31 |
| Verónica Loewe Muñoz | "Stone Pine Cultivation and the Emerging Bioeconomy in Chile" Watch the video HERE |
Chilean Forestry Institute, INFOR, Chile | Sept. 30 |
| Harald Vacik | "Comparing the Potential of Non-Wood Forest Products in Six European Regions" Watch the video HERE |
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences – Institute of Silviculture, Austria | Oct. 20 |
| Kathrin Meinhold | "Commercialization of Baobab Fruit Products as an Exemplary NTFP: Lessons Learned from Local to Global Markets" Watch the video HERE |
Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Germany | Nov. 18 |
| Carsten Smith-Hall | "Towards a Himalayan Bioeconomy" Watch the video HERE |
University of Copenhagen, Denmark | Dec. 17 |
| Jinlong Liu | "Roles of NTFPs in Poverty Alleviation in China: Cases of Southwest China" Watch the video HERE |
Renmin University of China, Beijing, China | Jan. 13 |
| James Chamberlain | "Nontimber Forest Products and Bioeconomy: A U.S. Perspective" Watch the video HERE |
USDA Forest Service | Feb. 15 |
| Marko Lovric | "NTFPs and Bioeconomy in the European Union" Watch the video HERE |
European Forest Institute | March 22 |
| Mercedes Rois Díaz | "NWFP in Agroforestry: Farmer’s Perceptions in Europe" Watch the video HERE |
Independent Consultant | April 26 |
| María Teresa Pulido Silva | "The Importance of NTFPS in Mexico and Their Potential for the Bioeconomy" Watch the video HERE |
Independent Consultant | June 15 |
Other Presentations From FHS
Conversations in Forest History
Historians, artists, and experts in environmental policy and science join host FHS Historian Jamie Lewis to discuss topics such as the decline of beech and hemlock trees in the eastern U.S., reasons for optimism in the face of climate change, and how artists use and draw from forest history.
Lynn W. Day Lectureship
This annual lecture in forest and conservation history features recognized scholars or leaders in natural resources who are shaping our understanding of human history and environmental change. It's given in collaboration with Duke University's Department of History and the Nicholas School of the Environment.
