several vital issues pertaining to the manufacture and marketing of non-timber forest products ( ntfp s) was thrown up at a national seminar on sustainable management of ntfp s organised in Thiruvananthapuram by the Kerala forests and wildlife department.

Participants at the seminar discussed a paradigm shift from timber-oriented management strategies to holistic forest management. They also put forth suggestions on development of inventory and assessment of ntfp resources, and overall change in the existing mindset and institutional setup.

Inaugurating the seminar, minister for forests C K Manu said that ntfp conservation would lead to better forest management, equitable benefit sharing and biodiversity protection. Commenting on the impact of deforestation and forest degradation, renowned forest expert C Chandrasekharan said: "The overall trend with respect to many ntfp s is towards depletion.'