Non-wood forest products as generator of development of rural areas of Serbia

Due to the increasing concentration of population that is existentially dependent on forest ecosystems, the issue of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) is gaining importance in the forestry policies of many countries. Excluding a range of economic, social and environmental benefits to society in general, especially emphasizes the importance of NWFPs to local communities that rely on them as the only source of income. Taking into account that the revenues from their exploitation are increasingly approaching those achieved by forest product, it is reasonable to consider the potential contribution of NWFPs development of rural areas. The main actors in the use of NWFPs are usually socially marginalized people who mostly live in poor economic conditions. The availability in nature and low cost launch open access to a large number of small entrepreneurs, which indicates that the NWFPs sector development in rural areas in the future could be one of the most important instrument for reducing poverty in these regions. This research was conducted with the purpose of gaining insight into the commercialized quantities of NWFPs in Serbia within the companies involved in their purchasing, processing and marketing, where gathered data through surveys and interviews with participants in the chain of value creation NWFPs. The applied methodology is based on dynamic analysis and statistical methods, which are defined by the movement of quantities, purchased and implemented in the past and made projections of future trends. The aim of this paper is that through continued progressive trend which has been recorded in this study, indicate the possibility of developing NWFP sector in rural areas, through the organized collection and provide support to small and micro enterprises, generating income for local people. Entrepreneurship based on the NWFPs, through industrialization and job creation, can certainly be a factor essential for the economic development of marginalized areas and rural poverty alleviation.