Livelihood and Socio-Economic Challenges in Medicinal and Non-Timber Forest Product Management in India: A Review

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs), natural products, or wild forest products are raw materials widely used as sources of food ingredients, construction materials, gums, resins, fibers, and pharmaceuticals. NTFPs have always played a primary role in economies reliant on forest resources. An estimated 147 million people live in 170,000 villages in and around India’s forests, with 275 million villagers relying heavily on the forest for their livelihoods. The medicinal plants available in the Himalayan region of India have huge international market demand and significant market value. Challenges in the Indian context, such as gender bias, overexploitation of resources, forest policies, and climate change, affect NTFP collection, environmental sustainability, and management. This study aims to present detailed research on NTFP resources in India and their role in the livelihood of the rural population in the country. A detailed discussion involves various factors and challenges affecting its extraction and management. Keywords: non-timber forest products, forest, GDP, gender bias, economic growth. https://doi.org/10.55463/issn.1674-2974.50.9.9