Epsilon Open Archive

Abstract

Globally, forests and woodlands provide a large variety of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) as a resource base for regional and local development in rural landscapes. The role of NWFPs differs in time and space, and is often linked to the socio-economic context. In this thesis I (1) compared how the role of NWFPs is reflected in national policies in two countries in transition and with market economies (Ukraine and Sweden, respectively), and how these resources are used by different forest stakeholders in local landscape case studies in both countries (Roztochya and Småland, respectively); (2) identified the opportunities and challenges of sustainable use of NWFPs for local people in rural landscapes where these resources are very important for local livelihoods (Roztochya in Ukraine); (3) studied the governance of the emerging Roztochya Biosphere Reserve (BR) aimed at sustainable development towards sustainability in order to understand the roles and rights of different stakeholders in the decision-making process concerning NWFPs. Interviews with local forest stakeholders showed that (1) in both countries people have free access to NWFPs in all types of forest ownership; (2) reasons and methods of collection and amounts of harvested NWFPs by different forest users differed much between the Ukrainian and Swedish case studies, (3) traditional practices of NWFPs’ utilization were retained and revived in Ukraine, and (4) were no longer economically but rather socially important for local people in Sweden. To study governance of NWFPs I focused on the recently established BR in the Ukrainian case study. Finally, I discuss the role of NWFPs in transition and market economies, respectively, the extent to which sustainable use of NWFPs is supported in national policies, and BR as a tool for social learning and as a basis for implementation of sustainable forest management, including NWFPs.