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Since the 1970s, non-timber forest products (NTFPs) have emerged to take their place among the many aspects of forest use that guide natural resource decision-makers. In the early 1990s, NTFPs were mooted as a potential alternative to deforestation and land conversion activities (Falconer 1990; Plotkin and Famolare 1992). Some NTFPs have strong market value and it was postulated that the long-term value accruing from the harvest of these products could override the short-term gain of converting that forest or individual trees to other uses such as timber, agriculture, or plantations (Peters et al. 1989; Godoy and Bawa 1993). The attention of both the conservation and the social development communities was captured, and it was put forward that through the harvest of NTFPs, the often marginalised forest peoples of the world might capture valuable income and social benefits, whilst the aim of conserving of …