NWFP-Digest-L
No. 5/09
Welcome to FAO's NWFP-Digest-L, a free e-mail journal that covers all aspects of non-wood forest products. Back issues of the Digest may be found on FAO's NWFP home page: www.fao.org/forestry/site/12980/en.
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A special thank you to all those who have sent me links to information and also to Adam DeHeer for his help with this issue..
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2. Bamboo keyboards manufactured in China
3. Bushmeat: Cameroon raid nets key poachers and huge bushmeat haul
5. Bushmeat sold in Nairobi butcheries
6. Ginseng: Anti-inflammatory effects
7. Honey: British beekeepers charge $114 for 'local' manuka honey
8. Honey: Exporters misuse the 'Kashmir' honey brand
9. Honey: Scientists identify antibacterial agent in Manuka honey
10. Juniper Berries: Not just for gin
11. Kava (Piper methysticum) can help treat anxiety, depression
12. Mushrooms: Ganoderma Lucidum mushrooms offer medicinal benefits
13. Sandalwood: Indo-China smuggling via Nepal in upward swing
14. Shea butter: Fair Trade partnerships
15. Silk: Silkworm's chemical attraction to Mulberry leaves discovered
16. Brazil: Brazilian brokering company to market Amazonian NWFP oils
17. Canada: Wildharvesting may come at a cost
18. China introduces traditional medicines into basic healthcare program
19. Kyrgyzstan becoming increasingly forested but fruit and nut trees still endangered
20. Peru gets $120m to protect 212,000 sq mi of Amazon rainforest
21. Philippines: DENR to distribute malunggay seedlings in Bicol
22. Sri Lanka: Branding and marketing of cinnamon and other spices
23. Tanzania's forests under threat
24. Viet Nam: Nearly 4,000 new medicinal plants found
25. Bioprospecting: The green gold rush
26. "Plantbottle," Coca Cola's new earth-friendly bottle
27. Trans-boundary Rainforest Park in West Africa will be a symbol of peace and stability
28. UNFF8 Adopts resolution on forests in a changing environment, defers decision on financing to 2011
29. Forest Communities Conference 2009: Trends and Opportunities
LITERATURE REVIEW AND WEB SITES
32. Other publications of interest
34. Biofuel crops can invade tropical ecosystems
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Source: Mother Nature Network, USA, 12 May 2009
Bamboo Bike Studio, based in New York, USA, is offering a two-day bamboo bike building course. For $1000, you get all the raw materials and instructions to build your own bike, custom-fit for your body and riding style and made with a local, renewable resource — all while supporting a good cause.
That cause is the Bamboo Bike Project, which seeks to build a sustainable, eco-friendly bike industry in Ghana — to create a sustainable form of transportation for poor Africans in rural areas.
For full story, please see: www.mnn.com/lifestyle/health/blogs/make-your-own-bamboo-bike
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2. Bamboo keyboards manufactured in China
Source: Sustainablog.com, USA, 7 May 2009
Jiangqiao Bamboo and Wood hails from China's Jiangxi province, where bamboo resources are plentiful. Though the company began as a flooring company, they are now diversifying their production to include the latest in green design: bamboo keyboards.
In recent years, bamboo – a rapidly regenerating material – has gained popularity as a sturdy, sustainable alternative to wood flooring. Currently, China produces 200,000 cubic meters annually of bamboo plywood.
Jiangqiao, which began manufacturing the green keyboards last October, has already received orders for 40,000 finished units and is China's sole producer of bamboo keyboards. The company says the product is as strong as its plastic equivalent. Proof that bamboo's strength surpasses what its flexibility suggests lies in the fact that modern Hong Kong developers prefer bamboo over steel reinforcing rods when constructing some of the world's tallest skyscrapers.
Jiangqiao faced the same difficulties typical for adapting bamboo for industrial use, including keeping the bamboo keyboard frame from cracking, preventing the bamboo bottom plate from distorting and firmly fastening the buttons with the main board. However, the company has successfully developed (and patented) its formula, and also developed a bamboo mouse and USB expected to go on the market this spring.
Though Jiangqiao is not the first company to use natural resources in computer accessories, it may be the most eco-friendly. Much of the bamboo used in the keyboards is leftover scrap from bamboo floorboard manufacturing, says the company's general manager.
Combining efficiency with aesthetically pleasing design, Jiangqiao is earning a name for itself in innovation and sustainability.
For full story, please see: http://sustainablog.org/2009/05/07/chinese-bamboo-keyboard-manufacturer-a-local-green-design-leader/
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3. Bushmeat: Cameroon raid nets key poachers and huge bushmeat haul
Source: WWF, Cameroon, 7 May 2009
Yaoundé, Cameroon. Authorities in southeast Cameroon last week seized more than 1,000 kgs of illegal bushmeat and guns, and arrested 15 wildlife poachers in an unprecedented police operation.
Prompted by concerns about poaching from WWF, the Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife organized a major week-long anti poaching operation in the region in tandem with the national military. A combined unit of soldiers, police and game rangers uncovered more than 1,000 kg of bushmeat, the remains of which included several protected species: gorillas, elephants, and chimpanzees. They also confiscated more than 30 guns from the suspected poachers, including high caliber rifles and illegally owned war weapons (AK-47's).
Among those arrested was a municipal councilor, suspected of being a white collar elephant poacher based in the town of Moloundou, south of Nki National Park. Three other notorious elephant poachers, a Central African, a Congolese and a Cameroonian were arrested around Boumba Bek and Lobeke National Parks.
WWF is now calling on the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife to push for the swift prosecution of the 15 suspected poachers arrested to properly complete last week's spectacular anti-poaching drive.
The operation was carried out in targeted villages with the help of local traditional rulers and the local population. The teams also carried out in-forest and maritime patrols during which two elephant tusks, three elephant tails and great ape parts were confiscated.
"It is critical for both government and other stakeholders to examine the alarming wildlife decimation in order to forestall what could turn out to be a regrettable carnage and irreversible loss of biodiversity", says Martin Tchamba, national director for WWF Cameroon. "We need to urgently work out the causes of the present poaching upsurge and determine appropriate actions in order to safeguard key wildlife species in and around the parks".
For full story, please see: www.panda.org/wwf_news/?163722/Major-Cameroon-raid-nets-key-poachers-weapons-and-huge-bushmeat-haul
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Source: NJ.com, USA, 9 May 2009
NEWARK -- Nineteen pounds of antelope and cane rat were seized in late April along with various fruits and dairy products packed in three suitcases belonging to a U.S. citizen traveling from Uganda.
Basil Liakakos, chief agricultural specialist of the Customs and Border Protection service said it was the sixth seizure of bushmeat since October, totaling over 41 pounds. Last year, similar seizures weighed in at 88 pounds, he said. Previous interceptions of bushmeat in passenger luggage have included a small monkey head, but the most frequently seized items are small bats, said Elmer Camacho, spokesman for the Customs and Border Protection service.
Federal law prohibits the entrance of bushmeat into the United States. Authorities consider it to be a potential carrier of zoonotic, or animal-to-human, viruses like Ebola, HIV or monkeypox, said Shelly Diaz, spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cane rat was banned in June 2003 after the African rodent species were found to be responsible for an outbreak of monkeypox.
Bushmeat is meat butchered from wild species, legal or illegal and including elephant, monkey, antelope and rodents. It is increasingly being commercialized and is a favorite of certain ethnic groups, consumed throughout Cameroon, Nigeria and the Congo River Basin. Cane rats and other species also are eaten throughout West Africa, said Richard Schroeder, the assistant director of the Center for African Studies at Rutgers University. It doesn't surprise him people are trying to carry bushmeat into New Jersey, given concentrated populations of Africans. "It's people interested in preparing certain dishes and who miss those foods," he said. "At a very basic human level, this is food from home."
For the full story, please see: www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/seizure_of_bushmeat_from_lugga.html
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5. Bushmeat sold in Nairobi butcheries
Source: The Daily Nation, Africa, 21 May 2009
Meat lovers beware. Half of the meat you buy from Nairobi butcheries is likely to come from uninspected wildlife. These gut-wrenching estimates are based on the rise of illegal game hunting in areas surrounding Nairobi, a phenomenon fuelled by the long drought which has affected areas that supply the city with mutton and beef.
The estimates were based on findings from samples collected from 200 butcher shops two years ago which found that 47 per cent of the stock was bushmeat. "The situation is much worse today, mainly because of the long drought which has depleted livestock in parts of Ngong, Namanga and Kajiado — the major meat suppliers for Nairobi," Mr Steve Itela of the Youth for Conservation Group told a symposium in Nairobi on Wednesday.
Ms Nancy Kabete of Kenya Wildlife Service said suspect animals that may have found their way into kitchens across the city include zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, antelopes and buffaloes. She said the trend was threatening the survival of some wild species while presenting human beings with the danger of contracting animal diseases.
"One of the biggest challenges in fighting the crime is the lenient fines meted out by our courts. For killing an eland that can fetch Sh40,000 in a choice hotel, one is fined less than Sh3,000, which is hardly a deterrent," she said.
For full story, please see: www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/600790/-/ujn6cq/-/index.html
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6. Ginseng: Anti-inflammatory effects
Source: EurekAlert.org, 13 May 2009
Laboratory experiments have demonstrated the immunological effects of ginseng. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Translational Medicine have shown that the herb, much used in traditional Chinese and other Asian medicine, does have anti-inflammatory effects.
Allan Lau led a team of researchers from the University of Hong Kong who identified seven ginseng constituents, ginsenosides, which showed immune-suppressive effects. He said, "The anti-inflammatory role of ginseng may be due to the combined effects of these ginsenosides, targeting different levels of immunological activity, and so contributing to the diverse actions of ginseng in humans".
The scientists treated human immune cells with different extracts of ginseng. They found that of the nine ginsenosides they identified, seven could selectively inhibit expression of the inflammatory gene CXCL-10. Lau concludes, "Further studies will be needed to examine the potential beneficial effects of ginsenosides in the management of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases in humans".
Uniquely, the researchers were able to holistically test the ginseng extract's immune effects by using sophisticated purification technologies to identify individual constituents and define their bioactivity using genomics and bioactivity assays. After that, they reconstituted them back into a whole extract with definable individual ginsenosides for re-confirmation of effects. This potentially opens up a vigorous methodology to study medicinal herbs with state-of-the-art technologies.
For full story, please see: www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-05/bc-gn051209.php
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7. Honey: British beekeepers charge $114 for 'local' manuka honey
Source: The New Zealand Herald, New Zealand, 19 May 2009
British beekeepers have imported manuka plants from New Zealand to produce their own version of medicinal manuka honey, which they are selling at £5 ($13) a teaspoonful.
The honey is being produced on the Tregothnan estate in Cornwall, England. Tregothnan's garden director, Jonathan Jones, said: "The honey is expensive, but it is Britain's only manuka honey. It has become a lifestyle product, a luxury. This year is the first time the plants produced nectar which gave us our first jars, around 100...They were sold to women of a certain age who are very health conscious, but recently we have been getting much wider interest."
The estate company claimed the price tag was justified because its 100,000 bees are housed in 20 special hives claimed to be worth £5000 each and have the exclusive run of the garden's manuka bushes.
The honey is claimed to have medicinal qualities and can help ailments including gum disease, sore throats, acne, sunburn and digestive problems.
For full story, please see: www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10573239
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8. Honey: Exporters misuse the 'Kashmir' honey brand
Source: Institute of International Trade, India, 12 May 2009
Honey exporters of Punjab and Tamil Nadu have been alleged of selling inferior quality honey under the brand name 'Kashmir.' Kashmir honey and Kashmiri apiculturists have demanded legal action against the 'brand theft'.
Apiculturists have alleged that a Punjab-based exporter, Kashmir Apiaries Exports, a leading honey producer in India, has been selling honey extracted from Punjab and elsewhere under the brand 'Kashmir' to European and Middle-East countries.
70,000 tonnes of honey are produced in India every year, of which 25,000 tons are exported. Punjab's contribution to the honey exports is around 5,500 tonnes, of which 3,000 tons, worth US$ 3 million, are exported to the USA, UK, Europe and West Asia.
Although, the Punjab-based honey exporter claims to be collecting honey from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Kashmiri bee keepers belie the claim saying that the exporter is cheating buyers by mixing Kashmir honey with significantly large volumes of honey produced from other States.
A Chennai-based honey exporter 'Lion KASHMIR Honey' claims to meet international standards for the Kashmir Status. However, since no Geographical Identification (GI) status has been granted to Kashmir-honey, such claims by manufacturers are baseless. A proposal has already been sent to the Ministry of Food Processing and as soon as Kashmir-honey is granted a GI status, a campaign will be launched against all such parties.
Kashmir-honey is unique because it is produced from wild trees – about 90% from Acacia trees (commonly known as Kikar) and the remaining 10% from wild flowers. The honey produced in other states comes either from Poplar trees or Mustard plants. Moreover, Kashmir-honey is a fertilizer and pesticide-free product, and its glucose and fructose content is several times higher that the honey produced in other parts of the world.
If the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards are maintained, 1kg of Kashmir honey would sell for more than Rs 1000 in the international market.
For full story, please see: http://iitrade.ac.in/news-archive.asp?news=639
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9. Honey: Scientists identify antibacterial agent in Manuka honey
Source: Indian News Link, New Zealand, 12 May 2009
New Zealand's Waikato University chemistry department researchers made a breakthrough discovery when they identified the source of the antibacterial activity in Manuka Honey. Waikato University associate professor Dr Merilyn Manley-Harris said "We have known for some time that a unique antibacterial activity of Manuka honey is associated with the presence of methylglyoxal, or MGO. But until now the origin of methylglyoxal was not known."
The research showed dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, was present in young honeys shortly after bees deposit it in the comb. As the honey ripened, the DHA converts to MGO, the component that gives Manuka honey its antibacterial activity. The researchers stored the young Manuka honey for 120 days and found a strong correlation in the drop-off of DHA, and an increase in MGO. Since DHA is not antibacterial like the MGO, the antibacterial activity increased as the honey matures.
Dr Manley-Harris said when the researchers realized that the DHA was the precursor to MGO, they set about determining its origin. "They discovered it when they tested the nectar from Manuka flowers from various trees around Hamilton and the Waikato," she said.
Dr Manley-Harris said the discovery would enable producers to determine when a batch of honey would mature, whether it would remain inactive and other details.
For full story, please see: www.indiannewslink.co.nz/educationlink/3244.html
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10. Juniper berries: Not just for gin
Source: The Seattle Times, USA, 17 May 2009
In certain dishes there is no substitute for juniper, with its unique aroma: piney, woodsy and vaguely peppery. It is especially popular when used with game, but it is also good with pork, beef and duck, and is a standard addition to dishes containing sauerkraut. Contemporary cooks have been more playful with juniper, dancing around its association with gin or abandoning it altogether for new associations that sound promising.
The "berries" are actually the modified cones of the conifer Juniperus comminus; under-ripe berries are preferred by gin makers while overripe specimens are gathered for culinary purposes. Green or ripe the berries have a lot of pinene, the essential oil that gives rosemary its distinctive snap, and they contain some of the same compounds that give citrus fruits their fresh scent. But in riper berries the sharper notes give way to a softer, vegetal aroma.
For full story, please see: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2009224142_pacificptaste17.html?cmpid=2628
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11. Kava (Piper methysticum) can help treat anxiety, depression
Source: The Age.com, Australia, 11 May 2009
Kava (Piper methysticum), used for generations in traditional ceremonies by Pacific islanders, is an effective and safe treatment for anxiety, university researchers say. People with "chronic high levels of anxiety" feel less worried and, in some cases, less depressed during a 60-person trial undertaken at the University of Queensland (UQ). "We've been able to show that kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety and, unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less potential of side-effects," said lead researcher Jerome Sarris, a PhD candidate from UQ's School of Medicine. "We also found that kava had a positive impact on reducing depression levels, something which had not been tested before."
Critically the study's participants did not show any signs of potential liver damage - contrary to concerns that prompted European, British and Canadian authorities to ban kava sales in 2002. Kava products sold in those countries were based on ethanol or acetone extracts of the kava plant, Mr Sarris said, not the water-soluble extracts used traditionally by Pacific islanders and approved for sale in Australia.
Kava contains the psychoactive agent "kavalactones" and a traditional ceremony involves pulping roots of the plant and then drinking it mixed with water. It is said to have a tranquillising effect but without the loss of mental clarity associated with alcohol.
Vanuatu and Fiji are among the world's largest producers of kava, and Mr Sarris said the loss of major export markets had delivered a significant blow to the islands' economies.
"Allowing the sale of kava in Europe, the UK and Canada would significantly enhance Pacific island economies, which have lost hundreds of millions of dollars by not being able to export the plant over the past several years," he said.
For full story, please see: http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/kava-can-help-treat-anxiety-scientists-20090512-b0qy.html
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12. Mushrooms: Ganoderma Lucidum mushrooms offer medicinal benefits
Source: Gulf Daily News, Bahrain, 21 May 2009
Thousands of people in Bahrain are turning to a "miracle" mushroom said to help combat potentially deadly diseases, including cancer. But it should be taken only as an aid and not instead of normal medical treatment.
Indian microbiologist Dr K K Janardhanan said research he has conducted over several years at the Amala Cancer Research Institute in Thrissur, Kerala has proved beyond doubt that the mushroom powder, consumed regularly as a food supplement, helps patients who are suffering from potentially fatal diseases. "Tests on animals and reports from patients whose side effects of drugs were greatly reduced, have led us to publish studies in several international medical journals of repute," Dr Janardhanan said at a Press conference in Manama, Bahrain.
The Press conference was held at the offices of Daehsan Trading, who represent manufacturers DXN, a Malaysian company that cultivates the mushroom and markets products containing it as beverages and food supplements.
Ganoderma Lucidum mushrooms have been cultivated for centuries in China, Korea
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