A question that’s not new – but needs answering every single day.
In places many call “remote highlands” or “core zones,” thousands of people live by the forest – not by cutting it down, but by staying close and caring for it.
They collect medicinal leaves. They harvest wild honey. They gather rattan, bamboo, weave baskets, twist ropes.
They don’t call it “non-timber forest products” – to them, it’s a livelihood, it’s what comes from the forest, what feeds the belly, pays for the kids’ school fees.
So – can the forest really sustain people?
The answer is: yes – but not easily.
The Forest – a Lifelong Safety Net
In many mountain communities, the forest is the marketplace, the pharmacy, the source of life.
Children grow up following their parents into the woods, picking wild veggies, digging bamboo shoots, finding beehives.
As they grow older, they learn which leaf stops bleeding, which plant is used to bathe postpartum mothers.
The elders say: “As long as we still have the forest, we can still survive.”
Many forest-edge communities still live this way – harvesting and protecting, side by side.
They don’t slash and burn recklessly, don’t fell trees for timber.
Because they know: if they destroy it today, there will be nothing left to harvest tomorrow.
NTFPs – Livelihoods with Uncertain Ground
Medicinal leaves need to be dried properly. Honey must be filtered and bottled hygienically.
Rattan and bamboo must be treated to resist mold and insects.
Without the right knowledge or tools, these products sell cheap – or don’t sell at all.
Many times, people return with full baskets but no buyers – traders simply don’t show up.
Or, when the whole village harvests the same product at once, a good season means a price crash.
NTFPs are seasonal, and climate change, pests, and erratic weather make harvests even more unpredictable.
Some models – like growing Amomum under forest canopy, intercropping cinnamon or star anise, or keeping wild bees – have proven profitable.
But they require training, stable markets, guaranteed buyers – things that local people cannot secure alone.
Forest Keepers Need to Be Sustained by the Market
We often talk about “forest protection” or “sustainable development” –
But if forest products can’t be sold, people will be forced to find other ways to survive.
When the forest can no longer support people, people will stop supporting the forest.
For forests to truly sustain livelihoods, a few key links are essential:
Proper techniques for harvesting and processing
Cooperatives or producer groups for collecting, processing, and selling
Transparent markets with clear, fair pricing
Policy support: seed funding, purchase guarantees, product certification
As long as forest products are stuck in local markets, dependent on a few traders, communities will remain vulnerable.
The Forest Can Sustain Us – If We Sustain the Forest Together
The forest can be a source of life – if we know how to care for it and build together.
Local communities need real chances to make a living from the forest – in organized, supported, sustainable ways.
And consumers in cities need to understand:
Every time you choose a forest-based product – clean, natural, traceable – you’re helping that forest thrive.
The forest is not just a resource.
It’s a living relationship.
And in any relationship, if one side only takes, then sooner or later, there will be nothing left to take.
By Hanh NGUYEN
photo by Cuong NGUYEN
