Rural income generation from floral greenery collected from four native species of the coastal temperate forests of southern Chile

Abstract

The contribution of non-timber forest products (NTFP) to rural income is a subject highly debated in the literature. In this study the economic value and contribution to family income of greenery products collected by rural women from four species that grow in secondary forests of the Coastal Range of the Osorno province in southern Chile was estimated. These species were Romerillo (Lomatia ferruginea (Cav.) R. Br.), Avellano (Gevuina avellana Mol.), Palma (Lycopodium paniculatum A. N. Desv.), and Pon-Pon (Dendroligotrichum dendroides (Brid. Es Hedí.) Broth.). The net present value per hectare considering the extraction of all four species was US$64.50. The annual income per collector varied from US$2.04 to US$6.75 which represented a contribution to family income of 0.3 to 1%. The species with the largest contribution to this income were Pon-Pon and Palma. The results confirm that trade on NTFP does not lead to significant income generation for several reasons. Among them are the limited natural availability of greenery in the study area, the low prices paid by intermediaries, and the low capacity of collectors to improve trade beyond the current level.