Abstract
Lack of attention to forest products' contribution to socioeconomic status has created a gap between the ecosystem services and its management. To fill this gap, current study has explored the management approaches, value chain activities, trade dynamics and economic potential obtained from the Nuts of medicinal plant Pinus gerardiana Wall. The main objective of the study was to highlight the prevailing gaps in knowledge, discussed the linkages among various players in the market, existing problems in the trade, and formulates future perspectives. Current study was completed with the help a comprehensive survey comprised of two phases. In the first phase, the local harvesters were interviewed about the various dynamics in the trade from harvest to supply to market. While in the second phase, market survey was carried out with traders and dealers to record the prices fluctuations of nut at various level in the market. Current study reports that pine nut is the largest Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) with great demand both in national and international market. Local people are unaware of the market linkages and quality standards. Most important value added activity was found to be the roasting activity and which is not done by the local harvester at the study area due to lack of expertise. Significant increase in market prices was recorded along the supply chain. The revenue come from the business is unequally distributed among various agents involved in the value chain. Overall, the business is informal and heterogeneous. Local communities should be educated about the value added activities and market demands. It is equally important to facilitate the local harvesters for finding certain market linkages to make easy their access to the national markets where they gain maximum revenue of medicinal plants and their other valuable forest products. It is the responsibility of state and other organization to help them while addressing the problems by improving the knowledge at the start of supply chain, improving the linkages among all steps in value chain and developing the sustainability at all levels.