Legal and Administrative Regulation of Palms and Other NTFPs in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) derived from palms and other plants are economically and culturally important to a large part of the more than 240 million people who live in the forest areas of developing countries. The sustainable extraction of NTFPs is increasingly regarded as an important part for forest conservation strategies. This paper provides an overview and comparison of existing statutory legislation with respect to the extraction and trade of NTFPs in four Andean countries and discusses its adequacy with respect to ensuring legal and sustainable extraction and trade of NTFPs. The related legal framework surrounding indigenous peoples' rights, traditional knowledge and access to genetic resources is also reviewed. Forest laws are primarily concerned with the regulation of timber. Hence, legal and administrative frameworks to regulate the extraction and trade of NTFPs are fragmented and ambiguous. By providing an overview over the existing legal situation, this paper seeks to inform and open debates about ways to improve the regulation of the extraction and trade of NTFPs in the region.