Forest Products – The importance of forests in today’s world cannot be underestimate. Whether you live in a city or a village far from the woods, you will be surprised to find that most of the objects or tools used in your home come from the forests. For example, if you have a parking ticket, a shopping list, or a handkerchief, you actually have a product from the forest. It could come from forests on another continent, as forest products are trade globally.
Forests are essential players in everyone’s daily life, regardless of their location or locality. They provide ecosystem services that are not only essential for human survival but also for improving general well-being. Trees, for example, absorb harmful greenhouse gases, provide clean water, protect watersheds, provide food and medicine, provide habitat, and act as a buffer in natural disasters.
Indigenous Food Products from Forest Products
1. Honey
Today, honey is one of the main foods of the forests. The biggest sellers of love are the communities that stay close to the woods. Most governments allow human beings to conduct commercial activities in forests as long as they do not damage the forest. To promote the peaceful coexistence of humans and woods and improve the economic status of surrounding forest communities, governments allow individuals and communities to choose hives in particular areas.
2. Wild Meat Forest Products
It is also common to find communities around game parks that feed on wild meat. The rangers also kill wild animals and allow local communities to participate in the slaughter. Although hunting is highly regulating in most places, it is not entirely prohibited.
The communities surrounding the forests feed on game meat by hunting animals within the authorized perimeter. Some hotels in the woods may also sell bushmeat for consumption.
3. Fruits
Forests are also an essential source of fruits. In some areas, fruits such as mango, orange, coconut, guava, pear, and jackfruit, among others, grow freely in the forests. The fruits that grow naturally in forests vary from region to region, depending on climatic conditions.
Bananas and melons can also be found in forests. Other wild and semi-wild forest fruits include Piper guineense, Dacryodes edulis, Dennettiatripetala, Canarium schweinfurthii, Treculia Africana, and irvingiagabonensis, among others.
4. Fungus
Although the mushrooms are grown commercially, a substantial amount of edible mushrooms is collect from the forests. In the United States, the forests of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington are significant players in the supply of mushrooms.
5. Palm Wine
Although palm wine has a short shelf life that makes its commercial production unsustainable, communities in palm growing areas, such as West Africa, demand palm wine. As a traditional drink, most of these communities cannot hold social gatherings without palm wine.
6. Palm Oil
Palm oil production is man’s main economic activity in the areas where palm trees grow. Although farmers can grow palm trees on their farms, the communities also share the products of nearby palm forests.
7. Kola Nuts
Kola nut is a product that comes mainly from forests. It is imperative because it is one of the few stimulants allow to Muslims. In some regions such as West Africa, cola nuts are considered a sign of friendship and peace, which gives the nut a central place in gatherings, get-togethers, festivals, and ceremonies.
8. Raw Material of Wood Forest Products
Wood, as a raw material, also known as round wood, is commonly used as a commercial fuel. Although national data on fuel Roundwood removals are not reliable, there is sufficient evidence on the importance of wood as a raw material in the energy sector.
In Europe, where the demand for Roundwood is high, consumption has increased steadily over the past decades. According to Researchgate, Roundwood demand is expecting to reach six billion m3 by 2050 and will be the primary driver of the expansion of industrial plantations.
The largest importer of timber logs in the European region is China, with New Zealand and the Russian Federation leading exporters. The United States and Canada are also important log producers.
9. Sawing Softwood
Sawn softwood consumption has risen 4.2 percent in North America and 2.7 percent in Europe in recent years, according to FAO data.
In the United States and Canada, sawn softwood production increased by 5.4% and 1.1%, respectively. Softwood is an essential product in the real estate industry.
10. Sawn Wood Forest Products
Sawn lumber is use primarily in flooring, furniture, carpentry, decking, and cabinets. The demand for hardwood products has grown steadily, driven by demand for trendy designs and fashions.
Since it is generally more expensive than other alternatives, most people demand trendy wood designs during home renovations. Oaktree is a popular choice in the furniture and flooring industry.