ForestHarvest: non-timber forest products in Scotland

TRADING

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A Wild Harvests trade association?

When Scotland's wild harvests businesses have met each other during past NTFP/wild harvests seminars, useful connections have been made, and there are always issues to discuss and to find out about that concern them as a group. As yet, there is no ongoing network for arranging such meetings - and there is no collective presence to aid access to funding, training and marketing opportunities, or to give the sector a voice in the face of policy developments or pressures such as overharvesting. When asked, businesses have tended to agree that there is a potential role for some kind of dedicated trade association - provided it can deliver effective services in return for a small outlay on the part of what are mostly small enterprises.

Reforesting Scotland's Wild Harvests Sector Support project aims to explore just this possibility.

20th & 26th November 2008 - Ways forward for Scotland's Wild Harvests Businesses

We've been in touch with quite a few businesses over the years, and gathered contact details of more. In November 2008 we are holding a pair of meetings to bring people together, both to hear about recent developments and to discuss possibilities for an ongoing network.

Details and booking form available here (PDF document 147KB)

A5 promotional flyer (double sided) available here (PDF document 213KB)

Who?

The meetings are open to:

• Scottish wild harvests businesses (what is a wild harvest business?)
• Businesses outwith Scotland which buy wild products from Scotland
• Scottish businesses which buy wild products from outwith Scotland but are interested in sourcing from within Scotland
• Land managers and landowners who are interested in managing the land to sustain and increase a diversity of wild products, or who are concerned about issues of access to and ownership of wild harvests
• Researchers

- and anyone else who has something useful to say or contribute on the day - if in doubt, do get in touch!

Where & when?

• Thursday 20th November, Pollok Visitor Centre, Glasgow.
• Wednesday 26th November, Abriachan Village Hall, about 8 miles south of Inverness.

The only reason for having two meetings is to make it easier for more people to get involved - you are welcome to either or both of the meetings, regardless of what part of Scotland you're based in.

What will be discussed?

• Certifying Scottish origins - the Scottish Working Woods label
• Wild harvests - an open access resource? - rights, responsibilties, and access to land (Drawing on the work of Reforesting Scotland's Sustainable Forest Harvest project)
• Experiences of forming a grassroots trade association – with a speaker from the Association of Scottish
  Hardwood Sawmillers (ASHS)
• Options for taking a network forward

What next?

We hope to be able to give the opportunity for attendees to keep in touch with each other. At the very least, an e-group will be set up specifically for wild harvests businesses. There are plans for a joint marketing presence at a public trading event, and a national meeting sometime in 2009.

Contact

To find out more, email Emma Chapman or phone 0131 2202500 (Tues/Thurs/ansaphone).