Non-Timber Forest Products Exchange Programme

Blogs

Read up on commentaries and perspectives on issues on forests and peoples around Asia.

May 3, 2021

Reconnecting the individual in climate restoration

There is no debate regarding climate change: it’s real, it’s already happening at an alarming rate, and urgent action on an international scale is needed to mitigate its effects. But another debate divides the climate movement: do individual actions such READ MORE »

February 5, 2021

‘Nature-rich’ food systems

The current global and industrial food system is not only a major driver of deforestation and environmental destruction, it is also nature-poor. Nowadays, 75% of the world’s food is generated from only 12 plants and 5 animal species. The greatly READ MORE »

February 4, 2021

The Malva Nut: Saving rural people’s lives

Laos sits at the heart of mainland Southeast Asia, bordering Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Thailand and Vietnam, with the Mekong River connecting all six and providing a lifeline for the entire basin. The Global Association for People and the Environment (GAPE) READ MORE »

February 3, 2021

Encounters with Bignay (Antidesma bunius)

Antidesma bunius is a fruit tree from the family Phyllanthaceae and commonly called Bignay in the Philippines. I first encountered Bignay in Los Banos, Laguna during a fieldwork class in Mt. Makiling. At that time, I did not know much READ MORE »

February 2, 2021

The Philippines’ Lipote – Syzygium polycephaloides (C.B.Rob.) Merr.

Most of us know of duhat that blooms and fruits during the summer time. It is so common that many of us think it’s native to the Philippines, but it’s not. Lipote, on the other hand, is a staple to the READ MORE »

February 1, 2021

Memories of Nami

We trekked to an Alangan village in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro on a very hot afternoon for a mapping activity. Upon reaching the place, I felt nauseous. I decided to stay in a hut and just wait for my colleagues who READ MORE »

January 29, 2021

Supporting and upholding indigenous food systems key to preventing the next pandemic

Rather than banning the consumption and trade of wildlife, we should be conserving our forests and recognizing the vital contribution of wild species to global food security, particularly those of indigenous peoples, who make up 6.2% of the world’s population. READ MORE »

December 16, 2020

COVID teaches us a lesson in food self-sufficiency

We used to take the availability of food for granted. At least, for those of us who have the means to pay for other people to produce, process and prepare it for us. The restaurants, groceries and markets provided for READ MORE »