The perception of locals on commercialisation and value addition of non-Timber Forest products in forest adjacent communities in Ghana

Abstract

Abstract Residents living adjacent to forests commonly gather non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for income, nourishment, ailment treatment, firewood, religious reasons, and artefacts. This study focused on the locals’ perception of NTFP value addition in forest-adjacent communities in Ghana. To determine which NTFPs are collected, we interviewed 732 residents about their perception of value addition to the NTFPs collected and if value addition has impacted the commercialisation and quality of the products obtained from the forest. We found that 97.5% of those surveyed frequently visited the forest to gather different NTFPs. For example, mushrooms, snails, honey and others were the most collected. Also, most interviewees do not process or add value to the NTFPs collected from the forest; thus, adding value to these NTFPs could increase incomes in the future. Future research should focus on educating locals about the value addition to NTFPs, and processes for increasing the price of NTFPs by adding value and commercialising these products. Proper commercialising of NTFPs will help improve the lives of the locals.