SOCIO‐ECONOMIC VALUE AND FIRE RISKS THREATENING MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS OF SOUTH‐ALBANIA* 

 (Korça, Kolonja, Përmeti, Gjirokastra, Tepelena, Vlora, Delvina and Saranda) 

  

prepared by    

Endrit Kullaj (PhD) Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, 

Agricultural University of Tirana                   

April 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION………………………………..……………..…………………..………....## II. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY…………………….………………………..## III. MATERIALS AND METHODS…………………………………………………………….## 3.1 Review of the documentation…………………...………………….……………………….##    IV. INFORMATION PROFILES………………………….…………………………………….## V. GEOGRAPHIC POSITION AND CHARACTERISTIC VEGETATION  

OF THE REGION……………………………………………………..…………………## 5.1 Pastures……………………………………………………………………………………….## 5.2 Southern pastures – the place of livestock and medicinal plants……………………….## 5.3 Socio – economic observation………………………………………………………………....## 5.4 Consequences of grazing/overgrazing on the presence and productivity of 

medicinal and aromatic plants……………………………………………………………..## 5.5 Erosion of lands from vegetation and decrease of the variability of species  

(decrease of biodiversity)……………………………………………………………….......## 5.6 Cattleman, collectors of medicinal and aromatic plants and pastures…………………## VI. SORTS OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS AND THEIR    PRODUCTION POTENTIALS…………………………………………………………## 6.1 Potential production of NTFP……………………………………………………………...## 6.2 List of main species………………………………………………………………………….## VII. MARKET ECONOMIC VALUE AND ORGANISATION OF THE   COLLECTION AND SALE……………………………………………………………..## 7.1 NTFP Companies…………………………………………………………………………….## 7.2 NTFP Processing……………………………………………………………………………..## 7.3 Socio‐economic impact of NTFP Industry………………………………………………## 7.4 Governmental agencies and legislation…………………………………………………## 7.5 Optimum harvesting rates of NTFP………………………………………………………## 7.6 Main issues in the policies and management of NTFP include:……………………….## 7.7 NTFP Harvesters……………………………………………………………………………## 7.8 NTFP Collectors…………………………………………………………………………….## VIII. SOCIO‐ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF NTFP…………………………………………….## 8.1 Sustainable Management of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants…………………………## IX. POLICIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SECTOR……………………………## X. INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT…………………………………………………………….## XI. MANAGEMENT OF NTFP SOURCES………………………………………………..## XII. SOCIAL EQUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY……………………………………………## 12.1 Auctioning of NTFP – a new idea for the future management of NTFP…………..## XIII. CONTACTS AND MARKET SERVICES FOR NTFP……………………………….## XIV. NTFP CERTIFICATION……………………………………………………………….## XV. SPECIFIC MEASURES FOR THE PROTECTION OF MASSIFS  

OF MEDICINAL PLANTS BY THE RISKS OF FIRES…………………………….## 15.1 Characteristics of the fires in the vegetation…………………………………………...## 15.2 Causes of the fires………………………………………………………………………..## 15.3 Fires for improvement purposes……………………………………………………….## 15.4 Typology of vegetation fires……………………………………………………………## 15.5 Stopping the further degradation of the pastures, through the 

  combination of extensive practices with the intensive pasture…………………..## 15.6 A strategy for the increase of non‐wood forest products……………………………## Other references……………………………………………………………………………….## Appendix I. Main medicinal and aromatic species of Albania Appendix II. Surface and potential at country level of medicinal and aromatic plants Appendix  III. Quantity  exported,  in  stock  and domestic  contracts  (data  from Alimpex 1991)   

I. INTRODUCTION  

Albania is one of the richest and highest quality sources of many botanicals, making it an already  known  source  of  supply  –  15%  of  its  3250  species  are  of medicinal,  aromatic, spice  or  tannin  value  (see Appendix  1  for  a  list  of  the main  species). According  to E. Haxhialushi, this number goes up to 690 species, ranking it as the first country in Europe and one of the first in the World for their multitude1.  

The outstanding environment and nature of  this most  interesting Region and  its significance  for Europe’s biodiversity  is known since  long and has been pointed out  in recent publications2. Although  relevees  and  vegetation descriptions  already  exist  from the first half of this century3) up to now general and recent information on the flora and vegetation for the Albanian territory are scarce4. 

Non‐Timber  Forest  Products  (NTFP)5  or  Secondary  Forest  Products  (SFP)  have been  and  still  are  an  important  economic  source  in  South Albania. Beside  the  timber, NTFP or SFP are products of biological origin which are generated by natural forests, by other  forestated  areas  and  individual  trees  outside  the  forestry  fund6.  NTFP  can  be harvested  in  nature,  produced  in  forestry  plantation,  in  plots  planted with  trees  and crops, as well as separate woods. As an example of NTFP worth mentioning are edible products  (fruits,  mushrooms,  herbs,  spices  and  gamy),  fibres  (that  are  used  in construction,  furniture,  clothes  or  tools),  resin,  essential  oils,  gums,  plant  and  animal products used for medicinal, cosmetic or cultural purposes.  

In general, in our country and especially in the southern Region, wide knowledge on  the use of NTFP  in cooking or cures exists. The  Institute of Alternative Medicine  in Tirana carries out research on the curative properties of NTFP. NTFP industry in Albania has a  tradition of more  than 60 years. The maximum  level of production of NTFP was achieved  in the  ’80. In this period, at the end of the Communist era, with a cooperative structure  having  regional  collection  centres  and  warehouses,  exports  of  NTFP  was exceeding 30 Million USD.   In  the same period, about 100.000 people  in all  the country were  involved  in  the NTFP  sector, working  as  collectors  or workers  in  the  collection‐processing and  forestry state enterprises. Due  to  the combination of  long  tradition and state control, Albania had a very good reputation for quality and reliability, making this sector an important industry in the early 1990’s.  

1 E. Haxhialushi – unpublished! 2 Gjiknuri, L., Miho, A. and S. Shumka (1997) Towards integrated conservation and sustainable development of transboundary Macro and Micro Prespa Lakes – International Symposium Proceedings. Preservation and Protection of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), Tirana, 229pg. 

   Crivelli, A.J. and G. Castadorakis (eds.) (1997). Lake Prespa, North‐western Greece: a unique Balkan wetland. Hydrobiologia 351. Dordrecht; Kluwer. 

3 Markgraf, F. (1927). An den Grenzen des Mittelmeergebietes. Pflanzengeographie von Mittelalbanian. 217 pg.   Markgraf, F. (1932) Pflanzengeographie von Albanien. Bibliotheca botanica 105. Schweizerbarth, Stuttgart.   Markgraf, F. (1949). Eine neue Höhenstufenkarte der Vegetation Albaniens. Berichte über Geobot. Forschungsinst. 

Rübel, Zürich: 109‐119 4 Mersinllari, M. (1997) General data on the vegetation of Ohrid and Prespa watershed area. In: Gjiknuri et al. (ed.) 

Towards Integrated Conservation and Sustainable Development of Transboundary Macro and Micro Prespa Lakes – International Symposium Proceedings. PPNEA, Tirana 147‐155. 

  Fremuth, W., Schopp‐Guth, A., Hoda, P., Mersinllari, M. and L. Dinga (1999). Assessment of the sustainable use of medicinal plants from the Ohrid and Prespa Region. ECAT, Albania. 

5 This is a comprehensive denomination to include medicinal and aromatic plants, spices, etc. 6 FAO Report: Economic and financial assessment of the forests and pastures sector, 2003 

With the opening up of the economy and the break of the organised state control of  this  sector,  hundreds  of  traders  attempted  to  break  into  the  international market lacking  of  knowledge  and  infrastructure  and  aiming  a  fast  profit.  They  could  not establish long‐term contracts and trust and therefore left the sector due to bankruptcy or became accumulator or collectors without reaching the level of exporters again.   

As an activity, NTFP includes: • Medicinal and aromatic plants, dried and pressed in balls; • Essential oils • Fibrous products, i.e. willow, hay and other plants used in the furniture industry; • Edible fruits, for instance, chestnut, hazelnuts (filbert) and mushrooms; • Tannin extracted by lends of Quercus aegilops ssp. macrolepis Kotschy and tanner’s sumach (Rhus coriaria). • Pine resin; • Animal products, i.e. meat (frogs, snails, pheasant and grouse), honey and furs.  The  vast  majority  is  exported  for  use  in  various  segments  of  the  natural  products industry,  including  culinary  spices,  teas,  liquors,  essential oils,  cosmetics  and personal care  products,  herbal  medicines,  dietary  supplements,  pharmaceuticals,  colorants, flavourings,  insecticides, perfumes  and dyes. Only  about  5%  are  consumed nationally (Lange 1998a7 in Kathe et al.20038). The main markets of these products are presented in Table  1.  Since most  of NTFP  production  in  Albania  is  constituted  by medicinal  and aromatic plants, the use of these terms is alternated. We will also use botanicals or only medicinal plants.  Table 1 ‐ NTFP markets 

Products  Markets Medicinal and aromatic plants, essential oils 

Export 

Willow  Export, domestic furniture market Chestnut, walnuts and hazelnuts  Domestic market Frogs and snails  Mainly export Fresh mushrooms  Mainly export Honey  Domestic market 

  II. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY  

The main  objective  of  this  study  is  to  define  and  evaluate  the  social  and  economic influence  of  collection  and  marketing  of  NTFP  in  South  Albania  and  to  suggest interventions  and  policies  that  will  enhance  the  sustainable  collection  of  NTFP,  to stimulate their processing domestically as well as to develop the marketing of NTFP and contribute  to  the  formulation  of  policies  and  strategies  for  bring  to  an  end  the 

7 Lange, D. 1998. Europe’s Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Their Use, Trade and Conservation; TRAFFIC Europe, WWF 8 Kathe, W., Honnef, S. and A. Heym. 2003. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Albania, Bosnia‐Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania. World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)‐Germany and TRAFFIC‐Europe. Bonn. 

desertification  and  promote  the  economic  and  social  development  in  the  South  of Albania.   The study aims at defining and evaluating: 

• Issues, interests and people’s needs involved in the collection, processing and sale of NTFP, entrepreneurs and exporters as well as their interaction; 

• The viewpoints of NTFP’ collectors and experts, especially  those  involved  in  the sustainable management of forestry resources; 

• The  viewpoints  of  entrepreneurs,  processing  factories  and  exporters  about  the practices of processing, marketing and outreach of new markets; 

• The  viewpoints  and  priorities  of  local  and  central  government  in  relation  to employment and rural development. 

 Based on this vision, the study has the following objectives: 

• To define and evaluate the social and economic impact of production and trade of NTFP  as  a  real  opportunity  to  increase  the  incomes  of  families  living  in  rural areas; 

• Based  on  the  historical  and  potential  production,  the  study  demonstrates  the benefits of supporting  the NTFP sector  in view of decreasing  the unemployment in these areas; 

• Considering  the problems  to which small collectors of NTFP are  faced with,  the study will review the opportunities to promote collaboration among the collectors by means of collective partnership through cooperatives; 

• This study  increases  the awareness of people  involved  in NTFP sector about  the problems,  limitations  and  opportunities  to  develop  policies  based  on  the  free market and environmental protection; 

• To recommend appropriate changes to be considered in the drafting of a national strategy for the further development of the NTFP sector in Albania. 

  III. MATERIALS AND METHODS   This  study  is based on  the hypothesis  about  the  current  situation of  the NTFP  sector  in Albania, which are stated below: 

1. NTFP sector is of great social and economic importance, especially in rural areas; 2. Natural sources of NTFP are decreasing rapidly as a result of the current economic 

policies; 3. There is an urgent need for changes aiming at the protection of natural resources 

and improvement of the welfare of NTFP collectors.  By reviewing the pertinent information, the study aims at defining the social and economic factors  that have  brought  to  the dependency  of  rural  families  from natural  resources  of NTFP and consequently,  the  reduction of  such  resources. Afterwards,  the  study contains recommendations  for  the  improvement  of  the  management  of  forestry  resources  and institutional  and  legal  framework  to  achieve  the  social  equity  and  sustainability,  to 

encourage  the  business  and  support  the  associations  that  are  managing  the  natural resources where NTFP are found.   3.1 Review of the documentation    The sources of documentation include: • Publications of the Albanian government, i.e. ‘On the inventory of medicinal, aromatic and tannin plants in the Socialist People Republic of Albanian (1989)’. • Reports,  proposals,  project  descriptions  of  international  organisations  and  donors  as well as companies contracted under these projects. In this context, worth to be mentioned are: Market Analysis and Market Development of Forestry Products (Albanian forestry projects funded by World Bank 2003) and Resurgence of Non‐Wood Forestry Products Sector in Albania (USAID9 Project, 1999). • News, articles, programs shown by mass communication media or scientific journals.  

Presentation of the main view   

Table 2 ‐ Overview and profile of the districts under study 

No  District  Population Forest surface (ha) 

Forest surf./ citizen  

Pasture surface (ha) 

Pasture surf./ citizen 

Sheep (in 000) 

Goats (in 000) 

1  Delvina  29’862  16’973  0.56  11’088  0.37  61.0  14.0 

2  Devolli  36’669  17’892  0.48  14’899  0.40  24.8  2.0 

3  Gjirokastra  65’841  44’581  0.67  36’287  0.55  46.9  37.7 

4  Kolonja  25’022  41’470  1.65  20’762  0.83  39.0  18.1 

5  Korça  172’011  73’215  0.42  34’878  0.20  105.0  38.5 

6  Përmeti  36’746  47’554  1.29  16’632  0.45  45.6  47.8 

7  Sarandë  63’267  25’139  0.39  24’013  0.38  118.5  48.0 

8  Tepelenë  45’538  34’171  0.75  31’805  0.69  125.7  77.4 

9 USAID ‐ United States of America International Development 

South Albania:  9 Districts 

Districts studied: Korçë, Kolonjë, Devoll,

Përmet, Tepelenë, Gjirokastër, Sarandë,

Delvinë, Vlorë

Stratification on the basis of literature

(secondary sources)

Recommendation for the development of the NTFP sector

in South Albania

Existing studies and random samples

9  Vlora  179’497  66’825  0.37  37’332  0.21  190.1  105.4 

  Region  654’453  367’820  0.56  227’696  0.35  756.6  388.9 

  Country  3401198  1502161  0.442  480800  0.14  1938.7  1103.6 Regional indicators (%) 

19%  24%  127%  47%  246%  39%  35% 

Source: ANFI 200310 IV. INFORMATION PROFILES  The data  collected and processed  to assess  the  current  status of  the potential of NTFP have been  included  into different  information profiles as  the  following, on  the basis of different levels of perception for forestry markets. A Information at district level: A.1 List of main actors A.2 “Offer” of forestry products and services (characteristics of pastures and forests)  A.3 Observation of marketing and the main participants in the main chains of the market of forestry and pasture products  A.4 Destination of NTFP  B Information at commune/municipality level: B.1 Profiles on “local marketing systems” B.2 Profile of forestry/pasture services and products consumption   Information  profiles  ensure  a  broader  view  on  issues  discussed  about  this  sector,  by serving as a basis for supporting the  list of detailed  information required  in the further stages of the study.  It is appropriate to be mentioned that I am incorporating in this study data, information and experiences collected during my work in this sector. I was introduced closely to this sector in 2001, when I started to work as an international organic inspector for a German certifier. The client at that time was AlbDucros. Since then, the only clients I have closely inspected were  exporters  or  collectors  of medicinal  and  aromatic  plants.  The work  as inspector has offered to me  the possibility  to  look closely at  the problems of  the sector, like the lack of sustainability, low quality, etc.   In 2004, I was involved in the Regional Development Programme of GTZ11 initially to try developing a market  information system for MAPs and then to try establishing a cooperative  of MAP  collectors  in  Dukagjin,  a  very  remote  northern  area,  with  high poverty,  lack  of  education,  etc.  We  managed  to  establish  the  cooperative  ‘Herba‐Dukagjin’  and  to  improve  the  quality  of  the  products. At  that  time, we  published  a monograph on the sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants.    In 2006,  I was contracted by GEF‐UNDP12  to  raise  the awareness of  inhabitants of mountainous areas to remove the pressure from forest resources by using solar dryers for drying medicinal plants and forest fruits.  

10 ANFI – Albanian National Forest Inventory Project 11 GTZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit  12 GEF (UNDP) – Global Environmental Facility (United Nation Development Programme) 

  In 2008 I got involved in the identification of farmers in several locations of Albania to cultivate rare but  important medicinal plants, namely Primula officinalis and Gentiana lutea. This project is continuing with the support of GTZ.   I have also been involved in a project funded by the Austrian Development Agency for  the  cultivation of organic herbs  in Albania  for an Austrian  trader, which was very successful resulting  in  the  identification of several farmers and  the exportation of more than  20  tons  of  organic  raw material  from  cultivation  and wild  collection  only  in  one season.  

V. GEOGRAPHIC POSITION AND CHARACTERISTIC VEGETATION OF THE REGION  The  southern mountainous  region  extends more or  less  from  the  central mountainous area in the North, Prespa and Leskoviku in the East, up to the Ionian Sea in the West with an  average width  of  100  km  and  length  of  130  km, with  a  roughly  triangular  form, surfacing  about  6000  km2.  In  general,  its  geological  constitution  is  dominated  by carbonate  rocks  of  Mesozoic  and  in  a  small  part,  from  terrigenous  formations  of Quaternary.  

The main morphographic feature is the highly regular intersection of mountainous ranges  with  valleys,  or  anticlines  with  synclinals.  Exceptions  from  this  rule  are Kurvelesh,  Tomorr‐Leskovik  range  and  Delvina  hollow.  The  region  is  known  for arduous  slopes and  flat  ridges, by  representing all  the  types of  relief:  erosive  structural, fluvial, carstic, and erosive‐denudes.  

The climate is typical Mediterranean with features of a mountainous climate, with changes  from  west  to  east,  related  to  relief,  orientation  of  valleys,  saddlebacks  and defiles. The annual average  temperature decreases  from 17.6°C  in Saranda  in 11.4°C  in Leskovik  and  the  sum  of  annual  temperatures  from  6224°C  in  Saranda  to  4234°C  in Leskovik  or  rainfalls  from  1279 mm  per  annum  to  1163°C  in  Leskovik, where  in  the middle warm season of  the year, 315.6 mm of rainfalls  fall  in Leskovik and 251 mm  in Saranda. 

Devolli, Tomorrica, Osumi, Vjosa, Drino, Shushica, Kalasa, Bistrica and Pavllo are the main rivers accompanied by  torrential bourns of Borshi, Kudhësi, Dukati or Bënça, Dëshnica, Lengarica, Luftinja and Vokopola. 

The most common soils are the grey and brown soils. Forest dun soils are limited to  pastures  and mountain  peaks, with  exceptions  of  the  few  forests  of  beech, whilst pasture‐mountainous soils are located from Kurvelesh at Tomorri Peak, Çika Peaks and other mountainous peaks. The vast dissemination of  calcareous  formations,  the highly fragmented relief, craggy slopes, poor vegetation,  irregular precipitations,  the  long stay of  livestock  in  pastures,  frequent  fires,  all  constitute  serious  impediments  to  the  soil formation process because the active layer of soils is very rinsed and the grass cover of it is almost missing while the stones have come up to the surface, a significant indicator of their skeleton and poorness.  

Natural  conditions,  especially  the  soil,  but  also  the  long  summer  drought, constitute  impediments  to  the  development  of  vegetation.  Carbonate  formations  and carstic processes related to them diminish the capability of water retention, by resulting 

in  many  slopes  eroded  from  forestry  massive.  Even  in  low  valleys  and  lands,  the unlimited support of climate,  induces grazing of  livestock with high numbers of herds and for a long period of grazing. As a consequence, the vegetation covers are constantly poor. The placing of continuous fires as a traditional part of forestry management brings to a continuous decline of biodiversity and falls in the resistance of ecosystems. The most common  is  the Mediterranean makia, which  arrives up  to  800  –  900 m  and  in valleys arrives  in  the vicinity of Kolonja  lowland, which  is made up by known  shrubs of  this formation,  among  which  is  worth  mentioning:  myrtle,  bay,  bear‐berry,  mastic  tree, kermes  oak,  evergreen  oaks  and  stink  bush. Among  the  trees  present  in  this  belt we would underline the sumac (Quercus aegilops ssp. macrolepis Kotschy).  

The second belt is that of oaks, which ascends up to 2000 m of altitude and has a relatively  wide  dissemination,  especially  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  region.  It  is represented by the species of Turkey oak, pubescent oak, Hungarian oak, Macedonian oak. In this area,  in a small number, one can  find also chestnuts, horse chestnut, maple, ash,  lime‐tree, European hop hornbeam and field maple.  Table 3 – Forest resources by district for South Albania 

Surface (ha) according to management systems District 

Higher forests  Lower forests  Shrubs Total 

Delvina  1572 6902 8499  16’973Devolli  10’522 4679 2691  17’892Gjirokastra  4954 24’479 15’148  44’580Kolonja  15’533 16’200 9737  41’469Korça  35’314 34’451 3450  73’215Përmeti  4637 19’251 23’666  47’553Saranda  9249 5593 10’297  25’139Tepelena  3548 11’892 18’731  34’171Vlora  12’293 27’252 27’279  66’825Southern region  97’622 138’807 119’498  367’817Albania  448’919 623’799 429’438  1’502’157 The  third  belt  is  constituted  by Mediterranean  coniferous,  like  Southern  fir,  black  pine Bosnian pine, that cover a small surface in the upper parts of the mountains and in special areas descend until  the  ground  level.  In  a  very  small  region  of  this  belt,  beech  is  also found,  accompanied by  the herbaceous vegetation,  characteristic of  its  area.  Its  area  is represented as very  limited maybe because of  the  long period of summer drought. For this  reason,  it  has  created  ‘islands’  in  Tomorr, Kulmak, Dobrushe, Helmës, Mount  of Qelqës, Frashër etc., by placing its western border in Nëmërcka mountain.  

Changes  to  the  vegetation  cover  are  noticed  not  only  among  the  phytoclimatic areas within the Region but also among the slopes of the same mountains. These changes are related mainly to the orientation of the slopes and consequently to the microclimates, which  favour  the  high multitude  and  richness within  it  as well  as  the medicinal  and aromatic plants. 

Figure 1 – Soil regions in Albania (Zdruli, P., 2001) 

  

 

 

 

 

Figure 2 – Soil depth classification of Albania 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Similar  to all Albania,  in  the  southern Region,  in general,  forest and pasture  lands has historically been commune or state property. In 1946, as a result of the agrarian reform, the  entire  forestry  surface  became  state‐owned  as  it  still  now,  with  some  minor exceptions.  The  communist  government,  paid  attention  to  the  increase  of  agricultural production and harvesting of natural  resources,  especially  to  the production of  timber and wood to fulfil the needs of the growing socialist industry.  Table 4 – Comparison of forests by governance in relation to the surface occupied in the southern region 

     

  

Indicator  Higher forests Lower forests Shrubs  Total Southern region  97’622 138’807 119’498 367’817Albania  448’919 623’799 429’438 1’502’157As a percentage  21.74 22.25 27.82 24.48

Figure 3 (from data of Table 4)      The results of such economic policy were: a forest  utilization  which  exceeded  the  double  of  their growth rate, opening of new agricultural lands from the forestry fund and extensive grazing without criteria. As a  consequence,  the  forest  and  pasture  surface decreased to 30% during the period 1950‐1992 and the  inventory  of  the  timber,  wild  animals  and valuable plants declined by 50 % in forestry areas that are located close to inhabited areas. 

The  belt  of  alpine  pastures  occupies limited territories in altitudes above 2000 or 2200 m (Tomorr, Gribë, Çikë, Nërmëçkë, Lunxhëri). This region is rich of medicinal, aromatic and honey‐producing plants and constitutes a great wealth for the country13. 

The network of protected areas is very  important for Albanian. Based on IUCN14 criteria, a  total surface of 165.400 ha  is classified as protected. Out of  this, 98943 ha are located in the Southern region (see Table 5).   5.1 Pastures Southern  pastures  of Albania  are mainly  located  in  the  southern  districts  of  Saranda, Delvina, Gjirokastra and Vlora. Moreover, in border districts like Tepelena, Përmeti and Mallakstra, there are winter grazing areas of common features. The pastures of southern Albania are characterised by a Mediterranean climate  that means: plenty of  rainfalls  in winter, average temperature of 10‐11°C, Mediterranean vegetation, with unclear border from  other  categories  of  surfaces with Mediterranean  shrubs  and  stubs.  Their  greater dissemination is found in the districts of Vlora, Gjirokastra and Saranda.    5.2 Southern pastures ‐ the place of livestock and medicinal plants The  term  “pasture”  in Albania  takes  a  different meaning  from  the  analogue  terms  in other  languages. Currently,  this  term means non‐cultivated surfaces, open and covered mainly  with  natural  herbaceous  vegetation,  where  woods  plants,  especially  shrubs, occupy  a  relatively  small  part. However,  it  is  not  clear  how much  this  occupied  part should be. Furthermore, there are no data how much space is occupied by rocks in this pastures. As a result,  there  is confusion about  the exact plant structure of  the pastures. Notwithstanding,  most  of  them  are  grazed  lands.  In  fact,  these  undefined  surfaces, contain most  of  the medicinal  and  aromatic plants, which  are massively disseminated and collected periodically. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that in a forest with normal crown density, the light is little and the number of herbaceous plants adapted to be grown  is very  limited.  In arable  lands, medicinal plants are grown only along  their borders  or  close  to  canals,  due  to  the  fact  that  cultivation  eliminates  the  natural vegetation.  Within  the  Mediterranean  makia  or  the  belt  of  shrubs  in  general,  the preferred  placed  for  medicinal  plats  are  pastoral  clearings.  These  clearings  are established  after  a  succession  of  fires  for  several  succeeding  years  in  forestry/pastoral  13 Gjeografia Fizike e Shqipërisë Nr 2 Tiranë 1991. 14 IUCN – International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources 

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

700000

Pyje te larte Pyje te ulet Shkurre

fields. 

Table 5 – Protected areas according to IUCN, a space for medicinal plants 

Category IUCN 

No  Approved  Region  Name PA  District Surface (ha) 

Region Albania 

  4  1996  Gjirokastra Kardhiq  Gjirokastra 1800   Total Category I  1800  14500 

9  1966  Vlora  Llogora  Vlora  1010   10  1966  Korça  Fir of Drenova Korça  1380   13  1996  Gjirokastra Fir of Hotova Përmeti  1200   16  2000  Vlora  Butrinti  Saranda  2500   

II 

17  1999  Korça  Prespa  Korça  27750   Total Category II  33840  56440 

19  1996  Gjirokastra Fir of Sotira  Gjirokastra 1740   20  1996  Vlora  Syri i Kaltërt Delvina  200   III 21  1996  Gjirokastra Zhej  Gjirokastra 1500   

Total Category III  3440  3490 28  1968  Vlora  Karaburun  Vlora  20000   29  1969  Vlora  Pishë Poro  Vlora  1770   31  1969  Korça  Cangonji  Devoll  250   37  1977  Berat  Bogovë  Skrapar  330   38  1977  Korça  Krastafillak  Korça  250   41  1996  Vlora  Rrëzomë  Delvina  1400   

IV 

43  1996  Korça  Shelegur  Kolonja  430   Total Category IV  24430  42898 

51  1996  Korça  Nikolicë  Devolli  510   V 

52  1999  Korça  Pogradec  Pogradeci  27323   Total Category V  27833  29873 

54  1996  Korçë  Piskal‐Shqeri Kolonja  5400   VI 

56  1996  Korçë  Guri i Nikës  Pogradeci  2200   Total Category VI  7600  18200 

Total      4 regions  20 PA  10 districts 98943  165401  The grazing surface for each family is variable in the four districts of the Region shown in Table 6. For  instance,  in Delvina, each  farmer  family has a grazing surface of 1.9 ha;  in Vlora, this figure amounts to about 4 ha while for Saranda and Gjirokastra is more than 6 ha.  If we  look at  the average number of  livestock  for  farmer  family,  the  figures are yet differentiated:  this  number  for Delvina  is  very  high  (45  heads/family),  for  Saranda  30 heads/family and  lower for Gjirokastra and Vlora (about 22 heads/family). For Delvina, the high number of livestock per family is due to the husbandry tradition in the area of Vërgoi  and  that  the  migration  of  livestock  in  the  border  districts  implies  this overpopulation of livestock.    Moreover,  the number  of  small  livestock per  surface  of  land  is higher  than  the country rate. In Delvinë, for 1 ha of grazing land the load is 21 heads of small livestock, number which practically, in the natural grazing cannot be afforded even in cases when 

the grazing productivity is high. Beside nomadism in other pastures (especially summer pastures), affording the grazing of animals could be solved (in the possible minimum) by grazing in forestry surfaces (land categories which frequently is not represented as such in the cadastral registers and in this district are approximately 10.000 ha. From the other side, this load can be afforded also with the grazing in the fields during special periods after harvest by reducing the number of to 5 heads/ha. The load per pastoral surfaces in the  other  districts  is  high:  5  heads/ha  for  Vlora  and  Saranda  and  3.5  heads/ha  for Gjirokastra.    

Figure 4. The load of small livestocks per surface and the number of peasant families

05

101520253035404550

Delvine Sarande Gjirokaster Vlore

Pastoral surface/family

No of livestock/family

  

Figure 5. Livestock load of the surface (heads/ha) 

0

5

10

15

20

25

Delvine Sarande Gjirokaster Vlore

No. of small livest./ha of pasture

No. of small livest./ha of pasture +arable land

  5.3 Socio – economic observation Excluding Korça, where  the  farmers  support  their  activity with  agriculture  and  have livestock  or  other  natural  resources management  as  additional  activities,  in  Tepelena, Gjirokastra,  Përmeti,  Vlora  and  Delvina,  agriculture  is  represented  almost  by  small gardens  close  to  the  houses, mainly  for  the  production  of  vegetables while  the main incomes  are  generated  by  livestock  production,  which  causes  overexploitation  of vegetation by staying in nature in almost all the days of the year. 

Beside  considerable  demographic movements  and  decrease  of  the  pressure  on nature, it is difficult to make forecasts about the trends of the population migration in the future.  

Generally,  children  after  the  elementary  school  are  obliged  to migrate  towards Tirana or other centres of cities of the South,  including emigration  in Greece, especially for the border districts. However, the Vjosa valley, the field of Korça or fields of Dropulli and  Delvina,  besides  the  Ionian  Coast,  seems  to  show  more  interesting  economic alternatives.  It  seems  that  tourism  is  increasing  the  local  incomes  but  it  is  difficult  to foresee  that  this development will  support  the  traditional  agriculture  and  how will  it impact  the  pressure  on  nature.  The  dilemma  between  the  number  of  small  livestock  and incomes from other sources, i.e. medicinal plants remains open.  

Table 6 – Land ownership in Tepelena  

 

    5.4 Consequences of grazing/overgrazing on the presence and productivity of medicinal and aromatic plants Environmental  deterioration  in  pastures  and  forests  of  the  South  is  a  combination  of ecological,  climatic,  social  and  legal  factors.  The  high  number  of  heads,  absence  of interest  to  combine  the  food  with  fodder,  maybe  with  the  trend  to  overexploit  the common  property,  absence  of  legal  framework  as  well  as  the    lack  of  support  to initiatives  for  the  use  of  territory  at  family  level,  all  these  have  resulted  in  a  low productivity and limited potential for medicinal plants.   5.5  Erosion  of  lands  from  vegetation  and  decrease  of  the  variability  of  species (decrease of biodiversity) From  the  observations  and  studies  carried  out  by  different  research  teams  from  the Institute of Animal Production before  the  ‘80s, grazing outside  the appropriate periods and  especially  the  overgrazing  cause  the  diminishment  of  the  vegetation  due  to  the eating very close to the soil level of all the quantity of grass. In cases of famine, animals in nature  (small  livestock,  cattle  and  perissodactyl),  plants  with  a  fibrous  root  system become  prey  of  their  extraction  by  uncovering  the  soil  surface.  From  the  other  side, 

Arable land (ha) 

Number of families 

No land  105 < 0.1  814 0.1 – 0.2   418 0.2 – 0.5  1641 0.5 – 1   2381 1.0 – 1.5  1088 1.5 – 2.0  442 2.0 – 3.0  246 > 3.0  36 Total  7171 

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

No soil< 0.1

0.1-0.20.2-0.5

0.5-11.0-1.5

1.5-2.0 2.0-3.0 >3.0

considering  that  the  endemic herbaceous plants are highly palatable by  the  sheep and considering  the  high  frequency  of  eating,  therefore  the  possibilities  for weakening  its growth are higher.  In  this case,  the consequences are considerable on  the ability of  the soil  and  the  grazing  quality  in  the  forthcoming  years. Moreover,  the  misuse  of  the grazing becomes a  inducing element  to  increase  the  level of desertification and creates positive premises for the increase of erosion.  5.5.1 Soil compaction is another consequence of overgrazing. This phenomenon is caused by the hoofs of the livestock. In the case of an overload of more than 3 SEU15/ha/year and grazing  of  goats  on  60%  of  the  time  in  free winter  grazing  for  a  long  period  of  time (autumn  ‐  spring),  the  compaction  of  soil  becomes  more  evident.  Soil  compaction decreases its fertility up to 30%. This diminishes the possibility of re‐growth and normal development of medicinal plants. 

5.6 Cattleman, collectors of medicinal and aromatic plants and pastures The  administration  of  grazing  surfaces  is  not  a  priority  for  the  cattleman;  they  are concentrated on animals  that are grazed and on  the milk they milk by appreciating  the plants  chosen by  the  animals. For  the majority of  them,  the management of  shrubs  in pastures cannot be otherwise than the fire or mechanical cutting. Issues for cattlemen are mainly the absence of maintenance, because the herds are mostly cared by shepherds, but also the multiuse of surfaces.    Collectors of medicinal plants are not interested for the livestock or fires in pastures. This  is due  to  the  fact  that  these areas are outside  their priority. They know  the  small ‘islands’  with  medicinal  plants  hidden  among  the  rocks  or  in  shrubby  patches  of mountainous slopes. Their interest is to collect as much as possible with easier methods, knowing that the next year another collector can take their place. 

VI. SORTS OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS AND THEIR PRODUCTION POTENTIALS  Collection, use and marketing of wild medicinal and aromatic plants  in Albania have a long  story  as  the  modern  civilisation.  Greek  and  Roman  thinkers  have  mentioned Albania  in  their  writings  for  great  wealth  of  medicinal  plants.  Simple  people  were collecting  plants  for  their  needs  and  for  sale, while  traders were  trading  these  plants along  the  famous roads of Europe, Middle East and Asia. Governmental powers of  the Mediterranean basin were  looking  to ensure valuable plants as part of  their campaigns for building the states.  

As  other  agrarian  countries,  rural  communities  in  Albania  have  been  heavily based on  forestry  sources  for  their purposes  including  shelters, pastures,  food, energy, furniture and tools. However, besides these products in Albania, there is a long tradition also for the collection and trading of medicinal plants, which are still practiced today but mainly old women and children  in  the districts of Gjirokastra, Përmeti, Delvina, etc.  In many  villages  of  Albania,  several  persons  are  well  know  for  making  wide  use  of  15 SEU – Sheep Equivalent Unit 

medicinal plants  for  curing different diseases  for man and animals. This knowledge  is being inherited from generation to generation within a family which was becoming well known for that.  

Under  the National  Inventory  of  Forest,  a  special  study  on  non‐wood  forestry products was carried out. In this study, progressive data have been used, since before the ‘90s.   6.1 Potential production of NTFP   Before the fall of the communist regime in the ‘90s, Albania was one of the main producers of NTFP in Europe, especially for the production of medicinal plants, aromatic plants and spices. Production, processing and marketing was managed by a state‐controlled network and well‐organised.  To  ensure  the  quality  of  production  and  to  fulfil  the  standards  of Western European markets,  there was  an  effective  system  of  certification managed by  a qualified staff working in laboratories that were fulfilling the necessary requirements. Final products were exported through Agroeksport (later Albimpeks) which was a foreign trade enterprise dealing with the exportation of agricultural products.   The national  inventory of medicinal, aromatic and ether‐oleaginous plants, carried out in 1988 (see Table 7) and data of the same period from Agroeksport (see Appendix 3) offer us  an  overview  of  the  sustainable production potential  of medicinal,  aromatic  and ether‐oleaginous plants.  Table 7. Potential production of medicinal and ether‐oleaginous plants 

Surface, production and incomes 

Incomes with prices of 1988 

  

Group of plant 

parts 

  

Surface (ha) 

Production (ton)  000 leke  000 $ 

Yield (kg/ha)

Flores  175’153 2’751 46’131 5’237  15.7Folia  257’641 109’143 199’879 25’348  423.6

Herba  666’851 25’617 192’292 13’953  38.4Fructus  164’373 6’866 63’812 17’742  41.8Semen  4’434 58 944 272  13.1

Cortex/Pericarpium  26’671 4’565 17’262 3’289  171.2Radix/Rhizoma  86’647 2’610 22’754 2’203  30.1

Different  97’286 20’898 34’576 3’039  214.8Essential oils  8’842 40’500 22’275 391  4580.4

Total  1’487’898 213’008 599’925 71’474  143.2 The size of the surface assessed as productive for medicinal, aromatic, ether‐oleaginous and tannifer was 1,487,898 ha or 51.7% of total country’s surface. This is basically all the forest and pasture area which  could be defined as a potentially productive  space. The total  potential  production  is  estimated  about  213,008  ton with  a  value  of  about  71.5 million dollars. These numbers are more than the double of the production ever achieved in Albania.  

  Since in the current study we only take into consideration the products collected from  forests and pastures  (cultivated production  is outside our estimate),  in practice  is difficult to separate the two categories. This is due to the fact that  is difficult to classify the products on  the basis of  their origin,  if  they are coming  from  forests/pastures or  if they are cultivated, or if they are coming from arable lands, abandoned lands or terrains. In  an  efforts  to  be  strictly  following  the  generally  accepted  classification  “non‐wood forest products”  (NTFP),  the  author has  accepted  a  categorisation  according  to  species, because is almost known if a species is generally collected in the wild or cultivated.     A reason for this change is the neglecting of the economic factors that makes natural resources marketable  like  the  density  of  dissemination,  availability  of man  power  and distance  from markets. The quantities of potential production of NTFP are based on  the field data  from periodical  inventories of  forests  carried out  every  10 years.  In  the  recent years, this activity is not carried out. The last forestry inventory is that carried out in 1985 while  the  last  inventory  of  pastures  is  carried  out  in  1981.  These  inventories  should  be updated to include changes to the forestry and pastures fund, especially after the political changes, land reforms after 1990, etc.  Table 8. Potential quantities for harvest of some non‐wood forest products by species at country level (based on the Inventory of 1988) 

No  Product/Name  Unit  Quantity 1  Pine resin  ton  2,000 2  Bay leaf  ʺ  130 3  Sage leafs  ʺ  180 4  Red junipers fruits  ʺ  160 5  Black junipers fruits  ʺ  40 6  Total ether‐oleaginous plants  ʺ  700 7  Total other medicinal plants  ʺ  800 8  Total different essential oils  kg  30,000 9  Brut willow bars  ton  16,000 10  Greek mountain tea  ʺ  50 11  Chestnuts fruits  ʺ  350 12  Amadou  ʺ  2,000 

 Whilst genuine efforts have been made to present credible and detailed information, the view  frequently  lacks  resolution  in  relation  to  medicinal  and  aromatic  plants  (and similarly  for other NTFP). This  is due  to  the  fact  that NTFP are generally  collected  as small scale and the collectors almost never afford the bureaucracy and cost of registering their activity according  the  categories of  land use  (forestry  fund, arable  fund or urban fund).  Sophisticated  actions  based  on  the  distribution  of  species  and  production according  to  the  categories of  land use or  the use of geo‐botanical  information  for  the verification  of  results  has  not  being  possible.  Appendix  1  shows  the  main  list  of medicinal and aromatic plants.  

6.2 List of main species  The analysis has been based on a list of “main species” that has been provided by the ex‐Directorates of Districts in the districts as well as by the Research Institute of Forests and Pastures. For the lack of some special data, we have used a packet of simple hypothesis, related to the potential development of medicinal/aromatic plants.  

o First,  the  high  number  o  important  species  should  be  correlated  to  the biodiversity  in  a  certain  area.  Higher  the  biological  diversity,  higher  is  the number of expected medicinal/aromatic species.  

o Second,  the  biodiversity  is  correlated  to  the  favourable  ecological/climatic conditions of the country, which brings to the conclusion that low/coastal lands should  be  relatively  rich  in  biological  diversity  in  comparison  to  the  sloppy mountainous/alpine areas exposed to harshly weather conditions.   

o Third,  human  intervention  in  the  ecological  or  sub‐structural  integrity  of forestry/pastoral resources directly  limits the biological diversity and, as such, the quantity or dominance of medicinal/aromatic plants. 

o Under this study’s framework,  it  is supposed that  the data collected at national level can be  interpolated at  regional  level, by  taking  in due consideration not only  the  climatic  differences  and  features,  but  also  by  adapting  also  to  the percentage  that  the  forests  and  pastures  occupy  in  the  studied  Region.  In general,  the  interpolation  of data  is  accompanied by  their  confrontation with numerical data at district level or with interviews carried out during the study on medicinal plants in different districts. 

 Even  the  following  table, which  lists  the medicinal  plants  according  to  the  classes  of altitude,  is  taken  from  the  study of  the markets of  forestry products16. The data are at country  level  by making  verification  in  the  territory  of  the  Region  under  study  and shows the diversity of species for two main categories (agriculture and forests), divided into three classes of altitude.   Table 9 – Number of species of aromatic plants according to categories and altitude classes  

Number of species by category (n) Agricultural  Forestry Altitude (m)  Altitude (m) 

No  Category of species 

0 ‐ 400  401 ‐ 800  800 ‐ 1600  0 ‐ 400  401 ‐ 800  800 ‐ 1600 

1  Number of primary species 

4 4 2 2  4  3

2  Number of secondary species 

5 4 1 2  3  4

3  Number of other species 

5 2 0 1  3  5

4  Total number of species 

14 10 3 5  10  12

 

16 Analysis of market and marketing of forest based products, Ref Alb – FP – C1/01, prepared by a consortium of DRN, ECO c/o DRN leading company. Financed by World Bank, Tirana  November 2003 

The table rejects the above hypothesis and raises several additional questions, as well as induces further thinking. What should draw the attention of the observer, whilst the total number  of  species  is  similar  for  both  categories,  is  the  inverse  distribution  of  species according to the classes of altitude.    The simplest explanation would be some systematic errors associated to the well know  fact  that Albanian  forests  are mostly developing  in mountainous  isolated  areas, whilst  the  fields  and  lowlands,  reachable  and  more  fertile  have  an  agricultural destination. In this case, the possibility to record different species is directly linked with the  development  of  a  category  (layer).  “More  forest  areas  =  a  better  chance  to  better distinguish  the medicinal/aromatic plants  growing  in  the  forest” would  be  the  simple formula (which can be used, in the contrary, in arable lands).     First,  the  absolute  numbers  of  species  are  found  in  the  agricultural  areas  of lowlands.  Meanwhile,  this  observation  is  in  line  with  the  second  hypothesis  (from above), while  the  results  related  to  it are  rejected  from  the  comparison of  the  relevant figures for forests of lowlands.    Moreover, in forest areas, the abundance and presence of species seems to grow with the increase of altitude class. Thus, the altitude of an area alone is not decisive for the offer of medicinal/aromatic plants in Albania.   Table 10. Typology of abundance and multitude of main medicinal and aromatic species 

Agricultural category  Forest category Altitude (m)  Altitude (m) 

 Type of species 

0‐400  401‐800  800‐1600  0‐400  401‐800  800‐1600 

blackberry leafs Cherry plum juniperGreek 

mount. tea  juniperGreek 

mount. teaGreek mount. 

tea raspberry 

leafscornflower

winter savory 

Greek mount. tea

sage

oregano    sage hawthorn

Primary species 

sage  sage  winter savory

mallow  acacia rosehip juniper  rosehip mushroomSt. John’s wort  junipers oregano  red clover

winter savory Lemon balm   oreganowinter savory

hawthorn  mallow   juniper

Secondary species 

thyme   Common centaury 

nettle sage Greek 

mount. tearosehips

lavender winter savory

  thyme rosehips

Lemon balm    orchid crab

Pine cone    orchidGreek 

mount. tea

Other species 

mallow    cowslipTotal (n)  14  10 3 5  10 12

Second, in the sense of human intervention, one would expect that the number of species would be higher in lowland forests than in agricultural areas located in the same altitude class.  This  is  not  the  fact  that  comes  out  from  the  observation,  according which  the agriculture  is oriented  toward  the biodiversity with  a  really  low background. The  fact that the level of mechanisation and industrialisation is comparatively low in Albania as a consequence of real failures of the ex‐socialist economy shows the same think.   Why then the number of species increases rapidly in the forest layer, arriving to figures  similar  to  those  of  the  agricultural  area  in  lowlands,  in  the  higher  class  of  the altitude? What the results suggest  is the presence of at  least two basic categories among medicinal/aromatic plants:  those which  are depending on  the  land  cultivated  for  their existence  and,  those  which  are  related  in  particular  way  to  the  forestry  surface. Meanwhile, it might be considered as a general knowledge the fact that areas of high, old and  dense  forests,  especially when  they  are  located  in  high mountainous  and  alpine areas, tend to be homogenous and mainly do not support the growth of a multitude of plants (low). This is not necessarily the case of Albania and demonstrates that the forests in  Albania  are made  up  of  high  leafy  and  shrubby  forests, which  together  enable  a multitude of plant species.   A third possible category would include species that grow better in a structured agro‐forestry  or  forestry‐pastoral  mosaics.  The  following  table  supports  the  current interpretation. This demonstrates the presence of species that are fully developed in the same category  (layer), of species  that develop  in both  layers and  those  that seem  to do not have any relation to a layer or class of altitude.     Due  to  the  absence  of  a  broad  empirical  basis  (regarding  the  ecological, abundance  and  exploiting  techniques  and  their  influence,  regeneration  capacities  of species actually and potentially used), the above interpretation remains mostly theoretic. With the hope that the current national forest inventory (and similar activities for other uses of  land) will  shed  some  light on  the  issue of NTFP, at  this  stage,  is  impossible  to estimate the sustained offer of NTFP.        However, an attempt was made to estimate the current potential of NTFP on the basis of pertinent  figures of FAO17. For  this  reason,  the  expected value of  the  average exploiting value of NTFP is 7.9 kg/ha, assuming that this average is valid for layers with an  average  abundance of  species.  In  the  following  table, where  the number of  species deviates from the average, it is multiplied by a correcting factor (shih Table 11).  

17 FAO – Food and Agriculture Organisation 

Table 11. The action of a corrective factor for the assessment of the exploitation of potential of NTFP  

Layer Number of species 

Connection of the number of species per layer to the average number of 

species per layer Exploitation Potential

(code)  (n)  (c)  (kg/ha) Agric.‐A  14  2.3  18.4 Agric.‐B  10  1.7  13.2 Agric.‐C  3  0.5  3.9 Forest‐A  5  0.8  6.6 Forest –B  10  1.7  13.2 Forest–C  12  2.0  15.8 Urban‐A  0  0.0  0.0 Urban‐B  0  0.0  0.0 Urban‐C  0  0.0  0.0 Average  6  1  7.9  On the basis of the above calculations, the “known suppose” can be formulated on the offer of NTFP by district. In total for Albania, a value of 39’372 ton is the offer.   Table 12: The exploitation potential of NTFP by district 

District  Potential Exploitation Balance  Supply‐Demand 

(name)  (t)  (t) Delvina  320  213 Devolli  299  273 Gjirokastra  1,725  1,452 Kolonja  1,219  1,143 Korça  1,995  1,842 Permeti  1,269  1,207 Saranda  532  415 Tepelena  1,280  1,119 Vlora  1,512  1,069 Total for Region  10,151  8733 Percentage to total for country  25.8  32 Total for Albania  39,372  27,157 

NTFP  (T/year) 

Supply  39,372 

Demand  12,215 Balance  27,157 

  The  following  table  prepared  by  FAO,  further  illustrates  the  development  and abundance of NTFP selected at country level as well as for the districts under study. 

  

      

Acacia Black juniper Hawthorn Rosehips Barblete Lime flowers Mallow Mushrooms Oregano Red clover Sage St. Johns wort Thyme T

VII. MARKET ECONOMIC VALUE AND ORGANISATION OF THE COLLECTION AND SALE 7.1 NTFP Companies 7.1.1 Background  For many inhabitants of rural areas in Albania, the collection of NTFP constitutes an  important source of additional  incomes. Our data show that  frequently  these  incomes  are  higher  than  those  from  agriculture  and livestock management. For a part of  the  families,  especially  for  those  living  in remote  rural  areas  or  those who  own  agricultural  land,  is  the  only  source  of income.  Many families are economically supported by NTFP collected in the forest as a considerable part of their monetary incomes. This is especially valid for families living in plain or hilly areas. Table 13: Average percentage of families collecting NTFP

Average percentage of families collecting NTFP by classes of altitude 0-400 m 401-800 m 800-1600 m Total Layers

(%) FORESTAL 21 17 12 16 AGRICULTURAL 10 6 6 8 URBAN 0 0 0 0 Total 14 13 10 12 100 % = 727,968 families Source = SMP Table 14. Annual quantity of NTFP collected by families

Average quantity of NTFP collected by one family by classes of altitude 0-400m 401-800m 800-1600m Total Layers

(kg/year) FORESTAL 88 114 80 160 AGRICULTURAL 429 17 35 94 URBAN 0 0 0 0 Total 172 44 38 85 Burimi: SMP However, NTFP industries were closed during the change of the system, with a considerable number of 60 to 70000 people are estimated to be involved as harvesters, processors, traders and exporters. Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (2002) estimate a general production of about 7800 ton. This quantity falls in contradiction with the data offered by APFDP18, which give a figure of 50000 ton exported in 199819. Without excluding inaccuracies, the above

18 APFDP – Albanian Private Forestry Development Project 19 Anila Gani (1998) – unpublished. 

discrepancies come as a result of radical changes that the NTFP sector has faced during the last five years.

Incomes generated by people involved in NTFP activities are calculated in about 4 million Lek for 2002 (DGFP20). Therefore, the assessment is divided among the group of harvesters and those traders by making two different observations. It is important to stress that the trading companies are involved also in processing activities (classification, cleaning, extraction). During the transition period after the communist regime, state enterprises that were dealing with the collection and processing of NTFP were privatised. Some of them managed to survive, but others failed due to the economic recession of 1997. Changes to the market economy brought changes in the sector of forests and pastures, especially in the land ownership as a result of other forms of administration like the communal use and private property. However, the reduction of control by the government has brought also to unnecessary changes like illegal cuts, grazing and fires. The development of NTFP sector was neglected by the government and different development agencies, although the enterprises that deal with the production of NTFP have a great importance for the Albanian economy. It is important to underline the fact that these enterprises might start with a minimum capital and gather immediate profits. In the recent years, the government has promoted the development of the NTFP sector by supporting the small and middle enterprises.

Almost all medicinal and ether-oleaginous are collected in nature in wild, frequently during the period of grazing livestock or collection of wood. Frequently, the collectors dry the plant parts in their homes before sending them to a collector or company. Most of NTFP collected in nature are degrading due to collection without following any criteria, especially the collection in an appropriate time is affecting the quality of productions. Among the degrading species we should mention the red juniper, sage, lime tree and wild rose. Among the threatened species we should mention gentian, orchid, birch, Greek mountain tea and meadow saffron. About 6% of the collector of NTFP which we interviewed expressed concerns about the failure of respecting technical rules in the collection without criteria. This number is small in comparison with the concern expressed by other participants of the NTFP sector, for instance exporters and people who now these plants.

There are many companies operating in Albania collect, process and trade on average 130 types of medicinal plants. The market is dominated by 3 of them on the basis of their activities, showing powerful operational and financial means. In Table 15, we have shown the number of companies that are working in the sector of medicinal plants according to the primary processes that they carry out and the size of the company (categorised on: big, medium and small company).

20 DGFP ‐ Directorate General of Forests and Pastures 

Table 15. Companies of medicinal plants, 199921

Type of companies Number Exporters of raw materials 1 - big, 3 - medium Regional companies/Small exporters 75 – small and medium Local contractors (10 companies on average) 750 Collector (average 100 companies) 75.000 Company/processor of essential oils 1 – big, others unknown Company of natural products 1 - big (not working at the moment)

Beside the large companies, small ones are also operating, notwithstanding the difficulties faced in finding markers and direct connections with abroad, the export and range of plants and states where this plants are exported, is increasing every year, as can be found in Table 16. Table 16. Export of medicinal plants, tariffs and prices for years 1997-1999 (DGFP, 2002)

Value Collection Tariff (Lek) Year Quantity

(ton) 000 Lek 000 USD Fresh plant

Dried plant

Average sale price

(Lek)

% of tariff

against price

1997 4,000 767,600 5,483 1.1 4.4 191.4 2.3 1998 8,000 1,269,000 9,063 1.7 6.8 158.6 4.3 1999 8,875 1,443,000 10,300 1.7 6.8 162.0 4.2

It can be noticed that the export is increasing and, with the establishment of business with other markets, there are chances to increase further, by considering also the quantities that are in stock from previous years. Raw materials are exported mainly in Germany and France, less in Italy and other countries of the region. In these countries, plants are consumed or further processed and exported in other countries, in a higher measure in USA. Average prices of some medicinal plants are: hawthorn flowers 1000 lek/kg, lime flowers 600 lek/kg, sage leaves 75 leke/kg, gentian roots 800 lek/kg, chestnut leaves 40 lek/kg, ash leaves 45 lek/kg, leder fruits 500 lek/kg, meadow saffron fruits 1000 lek/kg, wild rose fruits 100 lek/kg, blueberry 700 lek/kg, etc. Prices are depending on the small demands and little quantities. By comparing the average collection tariff with the average price for the sale of these plants, it is shown that the percentage of the tariff against the sale price, it is not more than 4.3%. As it can be seen, the sale prices have declined in 1998 due to destructions and the quantities not sold during the year 1997. In 1999, there is a trend for export and attempts are made to find new markets. The observations made show that the stock of some plants is deteriorating. 21  M. DeCorsey. 2000. Maureen DeCorsey: Revitalization of non‐timber forest products, 2000 

Table 17: Importance of NTFP for companies observed

Products Percentage of

companies involved

Average quantity (kg/year)

Average price (Lek/kg)

Average market size (Lek/year)

Winter savory 20 % 200,000 60 12,000,000Hawthorn 10 % 100,000 80 8,000,000Sage 70 % 124,743 61 7,609,323Lemon balm 20 % 35,000 130 4,550,000Thyme 40 % 58,750 64 3,760,000Pyrethrum 10 % 40,000 70 2,800,000Lavender 20 % 12,500 120 1,500,000Bay leaf 10 % 700 90 63,000Rosemary 40 % 325 108 35,100Nettle 10 % 400 80 32,000Common centaury 10 % 200 150 30,000TOTAL 40,379,423Source: SMP Survey (10 collecting companies). In order to evaluate the situation of NTFP companies, 10 collection companies were studied with 5 indicators distributed in four districts. Seven out of ten collector companies are families with a legal status. Their portofolio contains different products ranked according to the percentage of companies involved in the relevant activities. All trade companies under this study are registered. Four of them are joint-ventures with foreign companies and only one is a shareholder company. These large companies are supplied by 50 to 70 wholesale collection units of regional distribution. Main products marked by 4 to 5 companies observed by their rank as follows (i) sage (ii) winter savory (iii) oregano and (iv) medicinal plants like rosemary, juniper, hawthorn, etc. Only one company is specialised in the marketing of mushrooms. Sage constitutes about 60% to 80% of the company’s turnover. Considering that it is one of the biggest producers of sage in Europe, Albania exports more than 1000 ton per year with a value of about 2.5 million dollars. The inadequate quality is an obstacle for a higher quantity to be exported although the exported quantity is only half of that collected. The export market is dominated by the ex-state company (AlbDucros) purchased by a company with headquarters in America which constitutes about 48 percent of medicinal and aromatic plants in the country. On the basis of companies interviewed,, the main export markets include USA, Germany, Italy and France.

Table 18: Importance of medicinal and aromatic plants

Company Product % of annual turnover

Average purchase price (lek/kg)

Juniper 6 - Oregano 6 - Rosemary 8 - Company 1

Sage 80 110 Blackberry 40 65 Raspberry 10 65 Oregano 25 200 Company 2

Winter savory 25 76 Hawthorn 5 - Oregano 5 - Sage 60 - Company 3

Winter savory 5 - Company 4 Mushrooms 100 200

Rosemary 8 80 Sage 70 135 Thyme 10 90 Company 5

Savory 12 75  7.1.2 Perception of company owners on market situation  On  the basis of  interviews with the companies, prospective of NTFP market are growing. Thus, most of the marketing  companies  are  in  favour  of  the  enlargement  of  their  market  and relevant  investment.  It  should  be  stressed  that  in  this  respect,  Albania  has followed  the example of many businesses  from Montenegro and Bosnia which would  face  a  strong  competition  immediately when  these  countries will  start their activity.   Lack of market information and long-term contracts are the main obstacles that are impeding the opportunities for marketing for both trading and collection companies. The traditional importers are deliberately avoiding having contracts with Albanian exporters in order to get the products with the cheapest price. In these circumstances, every year traders have to intuitively find what will be the products demanded in the next year and in many cases some of them are making errors – they spend all their finances in purchasing products not required in that year or the purchase price by the farmers is much higher than the export price (due to very high price fluctuations in this market). As far as regard the NTFP balance, it is obviously positive which suggests that the current levels of exploitation are far below the reproduction

potential. Therefore, the production and marketing of NTFP can be increased without risks.

Collection of medicinal plants should be considering in two main aspects: - as a source of incomes for rural population; - as products to be exported which influence the increase of exports by

our country; Many peasant families (maybe those with very little incomes) dealing with the collection of medicinal plants, are mainly women and children collecting medicinal plants during the period spring-summer.

Looking at the products exported by our country, it results that medicinal plants constitute an important part. On the basis of approximate calculations, it can be stated that the potential quantity of medicinal plants for exportation is above 35’000 tons.

However, if we will consider the development of such important activity as well as many problems that would cause a decrease in its efficiency but also serious damages to the pool of medicinal plants of the country.

Steps have been made towards the legislation and pertinent regulation but it should be stated that they are little known and even less applied. The current law in power, no. 7722 dated 15.6.1993 “For the protection of the pool of natural medicinal, ether-oleaginous and tannin species” and the regulation to the law “On the collection of medicinal, ether-oleaginous and tannin species” of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food dated 5.10.1993. Moreover, since 1997 another order is in force by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food that prohibits the collection of more than 300 types of plants and their parts.

Nowadays, the collection of plants in the majority of the cases is not controlled and we cannot talk about an organised collection, and even less on a sustainable management. Although collection tariffs are very symbolic, in the majority of the cases they are not known and paid. Therefore, the appropriate licences by the Forestry Service Directorates foreseen by the law and technical regulation are not taken.

Collection in relevant stations in villages has no organisation. Persons dealing with the collection are carrying out such activity without

a license, the material collected is sold to other licensed companies and in other cases, these harvesters are working for the licensed companies. But in both cases, the prices paid to the farmers are small and labour is not rewarded, thus although with a lot of problems many people have abandoned this activity. In this case, the parties are complaining: harvesters for the low prices offered by the collectors and the collectors because they cannot find good markets in the country and as impossible to trade outside the country as they do not know the market as well as other obstacles. The latest is becoming a monopoly of 3 – 4 companies which are dictating the prices within the country.

In Albania, about 90% of the plants for exports are collected in the wild. Appropriate guidelines and methods for wild collection are missing. Some of the problems that can be highlighted are: • Improper collection of NTFP, especially before the maturation or full development; • Intensive harvesting which is very critical when roots are harvested; • Improper techniques which damage the reproduction basis; • Improper storage methods; • Failure to comply with the quotas and list of species forbidden to collect; • Illegal cuts in the forests; • Over-harvesting in the forests. These practices are having an impact on the sustainability and quality of the products, damaging the good name of Albania in the international market. NTFP collectors should be aware of the influence of the reduction of the NTFP sources on the security of their life. It is necessary to disseminate the information of the density of the medicinal and aromatic plants, on the proper collection techniques as well as the quality requirements. These are skills which will increase the comparative advantage that Albania has in the international markets of spices and medicinal plants due to favourable natural conditions and cheap labour. 7.2 NTFP Processing International buyers are hesitating to establish direct links with the Albanian collectors and with small processing companies due to the improper quality and irregular supply. Although the labour in Albania is cheap, most of the final processing is carried out in other countries. International buyers prefer to purchase the raw material with wholesale prices because Albanian final products do not meet with the qualitative requirements.

Even when the raw material is considered as good do to favourable climate for such products like sage and savory, sometimes is difficult to sell this products due to the bad quality. On the basis of our experience and the latest information by the current exporters, frequently the collectors are ready to offer lower prices than to improve the quality. However, the low quality makes the production unmarketable or marketable as another production with a lower value, for instance, the sage leaves would be distilled to produce essential oils. Furthermore, the importers frequently have claimed withdrawal of the products when it has arrived to their warehouses and have requested replacement or compensation. The law quality of NTFP is due to the following factors:

• Harvesters and collectors do not posses the adequate technical knowledge and the necessary capitals to improve the business activity;

• Excess environmental pollution; • Improper storage and processing facilities; • Grading, cleaning and drying are not carried out according to technical

conditions; • Impurities during transport and storage; • Failure to comply with the technical demands • Absence of quality control laboratories

With the exception of a limited assistance by international donors like APFDP, small companies dealing with NTFP so far has received an inconsiderable technical assistance. Most of the assistance consist in support to establish a small business in a successful manner. Another serious problem is the difficulty to get bank loans to purchase the necessary processing facilities. There is an urgent need for technical assistance to improve the quality through improving the handling, drying, storage and packaging. 7.3 Socio-economic impact of NTFP Industry Te focus of this section is the social and economic effect of the NTFP industry on the actors of this sector, i.e. harvesters, collectors, processors and exporters. The actors in the NTFP sector are mainly people that have been working before 1990 in this sector. After the harvest or collection, a discrete processing and marketing is carried out in different phases of the market chain by different categories of the actors. For example, producers of chestnuts are also trading them, whilst the producers of willows are selling bars to processing factories which are then exported as basketry manufactures, etc. The harvesters dry the plants while the collectors are pressing them in balls before selling them the exporters, In other cases, sage or oregano, the products is pressed by the exporters. The marketing chain is organised like a pyramid from the harvesters to the exporters with a almost monopsonistic relation: in each transaction there are many sellers and only one or few buyers. 7.4 Governmental agencies and legislation Three main governmental agencies that are directly involved with NTFP are: • General Directorate of Forests and Pastures (GDFP) • National Registration Centre • General Custom Directorate Ministry of Environment, Forests and Water Administration (MEFWA) is dealing with the management while the other agencies with trade. The lack of coordination among these agencies has created confusion and conflicts. For a more detailed discussion on MEFWA and issues related to forest policies and management see K. Naka 1998. A collector or company should first be registered

as a specialised business for NTFP with the local business registration office and should get a license by the local forest and pastures directorate to harvest or collect medicinal and ether-oleaginous plants. If such business wants to carry out exportation, they should also pay the tariffs and implement the rules issued by the customs.

Albanian laws that are related to the management, harvesting and marketing of medicinal plants include: • Law no. 7623 (13 October 1992) “On Forestry and Forestry Service Police” • Law no. 7722 (15 June 1993) “On the Conservation of Medicinal, Ethero-Oleaginous and Tannin Plants” • Instruction no. 2 of Law no. 8302 (12 March 1998) “Administration of revenues from forests and pastures to be transferred to the communes for use.” • Decision no. 20, dated 20.02.1997 ‘List of Protected Species of the Albanian Flora. • Law no. 7664, dated 21.03.1993 ‘On Environmental Protection’.  • Law no. 8906, dated 06.06.2002 ‘On Protected Areas’. • Law no. 7665, dated 1993, ‘On Development of Priority Areas for Tourism’ • Law no. 8093, dated 1996, ‘On Water Resources’ • Laws nos. 7491 and 7501 (dated 1991); 7715 and 7763 (dated 1993); No. 7855 (dated 1994) • Law no. 7662 (dated 1993) and no. 8529 (dated 1999) ‘On Plant Protection Service’. Although the forestry laws are formulated to achieve certain objectives, the gap between this purpose and the actual implementation remains wide in Albania. Most of our interviewee expressed their concern on the implementation of the laws in power. A developed and efficient court system is key to the successful implementation of any policies, but for the moment such a system is a desire than reality. Most of the unsolved issues that are faced during the implementation of forestry policies in Albania come from the forestry sector and as such are behind the scope of this study. 7.5 Optimum harvesting rates of NTFP Most of he medicinal plants are collected in state-owned forests and pastures. The management of NTFP resources is not appropriate as it does not involve the local population and the government has failed to issue clear, due and applicable penalties against violators. NTFP are for use of everyone and therefore their degradation is accelerated, especially after the fall of the communist regime. The management of NTFP is lacking support of data from inventories and research.

The list of species deteriorated and under risk published in 1997 contains 282 different plants. There have been critics from our interviewers about the

process of defining the adequate rates and quantities of harvest. The rates do not specify the quantities available and places under risk. This lack of information does not constitute a sufficient for the proper management of forest resources. The decision to stop the collection of a species is taken by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Water Administration.

A collector or entrepreneur should register in the very beginning of its activity as a company, becoming a legal person. Then, he should take a license to show the specialisation in the trade of medicinal and ether-oleaginous plants. An annual licence should be taken also by the local forest authority (local forestry service) to collect medicinal and aromatic plants. The entrepreneurs should pay tariffs (based on the plant parts and limit rates) for the plants collected foreseen in the licence as well as taxes (i.e. VAT). They should also get a certificate of origin and permission for transport. Thus, the entrepreneurs should take carry over most of the burden of expenses for the state, which they cover mainly by offering lower prices to the collectors, because the latest have do not have enough power to make deals with the exporters. The local forestry department issues these licences to entrepreneurs/collectors on the basis of statistical rates of recent years. The harvesters harvest the products and the entrepreneurs collect them. The forestry departments do not supervise this process. They do not check the licences issued and do not issue penalties for the violators which have exceeded the contracted rates.

Harvesters of NTFP are not involved in this process. The rates are placed without their approval and the licences are taken by the collectors, entrepreneurs and traders. The harvesters may sell their products only to collectors that have the adequate licence for particular species. Therefore, the number of buyers is limited and the prices are low. In fact, this system is in favour of the buyers and against the harvesters. There are suggestions that the right to issue permission should be transferred to the communes who are the users or owners of the forest land. 7.6 Main issues in the policies and management of NTFP include:  • Absence of long-term concessions. The concession can be a political instrument able to combine the interest and efficiency of the private sector with the implementation of a qualitative management of the forests. Actual rules allow only concession of unused state land for one year, for instance, abandoned plantations, forestry nurseries and refused agricultural land. Many entrepreneurs has expressed the will to carry out investments in these properties. The concessions may also be an adequate mechanism for investments in these properties. Concessions may also be a mechanism for privatisation because a good work can be rewarded with an extension of the rental agreement and further with the permanent privatisation.

• Taxes on the use of communal forest. The current tax for the use of the communal forest is a further barrier for the poor harvesters and collectors. This tax is a new concept for Albania and is removing the incentive of the farmers to increase the production of NTFP. • Inability to distinguish the natural plants from the cultivated ones. The absence of a system to certify the origin of the product will make it impossible the use of the taxation to promote the cultivation. • Lack of collaboration between state agencies responsible for the management of NTFP and users from the private sector. 7.7 NTFP Harvesters The harvesters are the people harvesting or picking NTFP in the nature. Their number in Albania is estimated approximately 76000. Moreover, there are people for which the harvesting of the plants is a secondary activity with a very little economic relevance. These causal harvesters collect medicinal and ether-oleaginous plants only in certain periods of the year when the requirement is high. Lastly, there are harvesters in the rural and urban areas, which are harvesting NTFP for personal use or for direct sale to the peasant local market. The estimation of the number of the last two groups is difficult and requires many expenses.

For instance, under the framework of the Management Plan for Lopës Commune in Tepelena, 19 harvesters were interviewed in that commune. From the calculations of the collected quantities and sale prices, it came out that a family collecting MAPs gets about 20.1% additional incomes in the annual family budget. This is a considerable amount in Albania and it would be very good for a complementary income. But for 71% of the harvesters which do not have a permanent job, the sale of NTFP is their mainly income. 7.7.1 Harvester’s concerns • Distance from collection centres; • Low prices; • Lack of crediting; • Lack of collaboration; • Lack of processing facilities; • Delays in payments; • Lack of markets; • Failure to harvest/lack of demand for some species; • High number of harvesters; • Obstacles from the forestry service; • Harvesting without criteria; • Lack of state control.

About 93% of the interviewee in the district of Tepelena consider the lack of collaboration among them in both harvest and marketing as an important problem.

The greatest part (92%) of harvesters considered that the prices are low and un-justified and almost everyone desired a higher price. 7.7.2 Price issues • Low price; • Price fluctuations; • Collectors win too much; • Prices are decreasing every year; • There is no control on the prices; • There is no control on the markets; • The transfer of the products in several hands; • The trend to keep the prices down; • The high number of collectors; • Lack of partnership in the market; • Insecurity of selling in the market; • Export prices unknown to the harvesters; It is surprising that only few harvesters (less than 3%) believe that they do not have control on the prices; although we know that this is a massive very true phenomenon. The main reason seems to be that the harvesters have accepted the inheritance of the communist system that the collectors have the right to decide the prices and the decision to harvest or not is based on that price. Among the factors that are keeping the level of the prices low we would like to mention: • Market information (prices, standards, contracts of foreign trade) • Harvesting techniques, management, marketing and cooperation skills among the harvesters are weak • Collection system is pyramidal • Lack of partnership and associations 7.7.3 Market issues • The sale market is not guaranteed • The market is not correct • The market is far away • There is no control on the market • The variability of NTFP is being reduced • Inability to sell elsewhere

An important issue for the harvesters is the insecurity of the markets about which 38% of them is expressed that the market is not guaranteed. If we add to this the concerns regarding the fluctuations of the markets or price decreases, the concern on the insecurity becomes more problematic. Other issues which seem important to us is the lack of correctness in the market, the reduction of the NTFP and impossibility to sell elsewhere had a low percentage in our questionnaires. 7.8 NTFP Collectors There is a big network of collectors and entrepreneurs distributed everywhere in the rural areas where NTFP are harvested or collected. Most of them are specialised on the specific products of the area and are equipped with collection centres where the harvesters bring they products and are paid for that. Almost all interviewers sell their products to the local market, which confirms the important presence of the collectors in the marketing chain.

Some of the collectors and entrepreneurs carry out part of the initial processing of NTFP, i.e. grading, drying, packaging and transport. The collectors save their products for a short time, approximately about two weeks, and rarely after the harvesting season. Before the start of the season, the list of prices circulates among the collectors which have special relations with the large companies. The main limitations with which the collectors are faced are: • Lack of capital makes them depended on the large exporters • Lack of crediting by the banks • Lack of (long-term) contracts • Difficulties in circulating the money especially failure to collect the payments in time • Lack of information for alternative markets

VIII. SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF NTFP The main features of the NTFP sector in Albania are: • The level of life of many harvesters is not safe and not at the adequate level. • Harvesters, collectors and traders get a small percentage of the value of the products in the local and export markets; • Market conditions with a low demand combined with the poverty and inability of many harvesters keeps the collection prices small; • All the small producers of NTFP have a lack of trading abilities and market information;

• The domestic market is still not developed: many products are sold in peasant’s markets or along the roads; • Processing technology is obsolete; • Support to small business of NTFP is small. The most part of that has been support to small businesses in general without covering the specific needs and marketing of NTFP; • Lack of financial support, especially the difficulty to get loans. Almost all the transactions are made in cash. Provision of loans is difficult and in most of the case is informal; • There is a lack of technical and marketing support. It should not come as a surprise the fact that the collectors take only a small part of the value. The processors and traders state that this is due to the high costs to get loans and difficulties in payments, is difficult for them to offer higher prices. Moreover, the chain value is frequently complex with products which pass in many hands. The export market is characterised by a high competition at national and international level. The profit margin for the exporters is about 20% but it can decrease to 5% for oregano and savory and increase to 80% for sage. Other facts that influence the correct relations include sharing the risks, timely payment or prepayment and additional support, i.e. transport and training.

These market conditions with a low demand and profit, combined with the poverty and inability of most of the harvesters is decreasing their number because they are looking for other opportunities, for example, migration to big cities or emigration in other countries.

8.1 Sustainable Management of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants This section presents proposals to achieve the development of NTFP along with pertinent recommendations. The proposals can be divided into two groups, some of them are part of the reform processes that the forestry sector is undertaking and others are specific for NTFP. The first group includes the transfer of forestry land and the second group includes the formation of a partnership and provision of support to NTFP businesses. Recommendations are divided into the following categories: • Recommendations that have to do with the enabling environment, mainly the management of the NTFP sources and the legal framework. Special attention should be paid to the certification of NTFP. • Recommendations that have to do with the value chain i.e. increase the equity and sustainability and extending the contacts with the market; • Recommendations that have to do with the fulfilling of the trade services, for instance, establishment and provision of support to cooperatives or business associations of NTFP.

IX. POLICIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SECTOR With the policies pursued through deforestations, massive cuttings, uncontrolled grazing and fires, without paying the right attention to environmental aspects, there was not only a reduction of the surface and timber volume of the forestry fund, diminishment of the medicinal plants but also ecological and environmental consequences like soil degradation, extend of erosion, considerable biodiversity loss, up to the level of causing the extinction or threatening and reducing a considerable number of the wild species of the flora and fauna.

It should be mentioned that stopping the trend of diminishment and fast degradation of the forestry and pastoral fund, as well as the achievement of their sustainable development, depends mainly and foremost by the increase of the political willingness at the highest levels.

Recently, the government has stressed the protective and social ole of forests beside the production of timber, by proclaiming the suspension of forest cutting for an undefined period of time. New policies should pay more importance to the conservation and protection of forests, beside the increase of wood and non-wood production. In general, the purposes of the conservation and those of forest production are not contradictory, in the sense that the high timber production can be combined with the corresponding nature conservation.

The long-term objective of the reform in the forestry policy and legislation is to turn into effective instruments for the proper development of the forestry sector. The policy is dynamic and changes continuously beside changes to the national values and needs.

Some general recommendations for the improvement of the policies of the sector, among others, include: - Policy and strategy for the development of the forestry and pastures sector should be reviewed to support the proper directions of the sector and to be improved when necessary, as well as to be incorporated in the policy and strategy for the national economic and social development. Beside short-term and medium-term programs for the development of the sector, long-term programs should have a 40-years period, due to the specificity of the forestry sector with a very long production cycle; - Decentralisation of the forestry and pasture management, including the transfer of the traditional forests and pastures under communal use or property, return and compensation of forests and pastures to legal ex-owners and transfer of the competences to the local government according to laws in power, should be made in close collaboration with other ministries (local government, economy, finance) to ensure the coordination and allocation of relevant funds;

- Transfer of forests and pastures to communes and villages should be considered as the most important aspect of the reform in this sector, through which we can achieve the improvement of the forests and their better management as well as other natural resources related to them. Moreover, the government should declare its strategic objective with the purpose that forests and pastures give for use to be gradually transferred in the future to the owners, when it can be seen that they are properly protecting and managing their natural resources; - Further capacity development of MEFWA, forestry services directorates and associations of communal forests and pastures associations, as well as the public participation, all this related to the process of decentralisation and strengthening the extension service; - Formulation of comprehensive plans for the development of the marketing at regional scale in all the country; further, the communes should be supported for their integration in these regional plans, where economic objectives of development should be reflected based on natural resources, management skills and existing tourist potential; - Planning the management of natural resources and environment should more and more be included in the framework of watersheds, and not more in small units of forest and pastures management. This would facilitate the identification of costs and revenues for the upper and lower parts of the basin, and furthermore would improve the coordination for the planning and integrated development of the area; - During the review of the forestry policies and legal framework, it should be considered that further steps towards private ownership of forests and pastures should be considered as an opportunity for poverty reduction in rural areas. In areas where the transfer of communal forests and pastures has a strong demand for the rights of the users to be transformed into full ownership rights22. - It is recommended that the People’s Assembly or the Government should make a public declaration for forest policies, forest assessment and long-term objective for the development of this sector. Moreover, it is required a clear political declaration to guarantee the ownership or long-term user’s rights of forest resources and their users, which is bother a basic political principle but also a practical step to be taken to achieve the sustainable management of the forests and pastures. Thus, they will be interested to invest for the increase of forest production, for the protection of watersheds, for benefits of the local communities that are traditionally related to the forests as well as biodiversity conservation. - Considering the multilateral importance of the forestry and pastures sector, it is necessary that the attention and budget is bigger than so far for this sector. “We, as policy-makers, are responsible for the achieving, in the forestry sector as in

22 Aide‐Memoire, World Bank Forestry Project, 2003). 

the other sectors, of an equilibrium between the economic, ecological, social and cultural role of forests in the context of sustainable development. New changes are related to the development and institutionalisation of the participatory management systems, as well as to know the rights of the local communities on the forest resources” – it is stressed in the declaration of Vienna Conference, April 2003.

X. INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT There is a need to establish a new organisation (let us call it Office for the Development of NTFP (ODNTFP) which should coordinate the attempts in the NTFP sector to help officers and local organisation to establish development programmes for NTFP and to provide funds for relevant projects. This office should offer to local entrepreneurs the opportunity to get knowledge and information on issues like business advice, development of facilities, assistance in technology, marketing and finance. This organisation can be an association, a rural development agency or extension service. The question whether which of this manners could be achievable and effective is an issue of governmental policy that is behind the scope of this study. Daku (1998) has discussed in details the political framework for the development of the agricultural extension service in Albania. ODNTFP should also carry out the following functions: • Balancing the different interests and act as an arbiter or “honest intermediator” • To execute and pursue the agreement, but defining and executing the agreements and to ensure that the actions are taken following the agreement. • To learn and disseminate the experience of other countries, especially ex-communist countries in the Balkans. Another initiative is the establishment of a small pilot project to assess the best method. A pilot project would allow that the business model to be tested and changed accordingly. Key issues which should receive particular attention are: • Inventory of NTFP and rate system • Establishment of cooperatives or harvesters associations • Ensuring the training of the harvesters • Improving the processing facilities • Introduction of sustainable management practices • Introduction of local trademarks and certification of NTFP Representatives of all the participation groups in the value chain should be involved in the pilot project. The management can be carried out by NTFP in coordination with donors interested to develop this sector. APFDP Project is such a programme, which in the beginning was not dealing with NTFP. But later on, it

was involved in the sector of medicinal and ether-oleaginous plants where its organisers understood its importance for the rural economy in Albania. GTZ experiences in Albania and Bosnia should be studies and applied. At country level, there is a need to have at least to have a pilot project at any time, in order to serve as a source of knowledge for the participants of NTFP which should be organise visits in groups and seminars.

XI. MANAGEMENT OF NTFP SOURCES To solve such issues as unstable quantities harvested, rules that are not applied, arbitrary harvesting rates and lack of information for NTFP sources, should be considering the following measures: • Inventory of NTFP species and research on the most threatened species and he harvesting effects on these plants; • Development of management plan of NTFP; • Review of the ratio system; • Establishment of the monitoring system to evaluate the changes about the status of the most-threatened species; • Obligation for the implementation of laws and regulations Inventory of NTFP species can be made locally by the forestry services of the districts with the technical support of the RIFP and AUT. Most of the studied carried out at national level have required much time and attempts to be finalised. Local studies, beside being fast and cheap, have the tendency to be focused and offer the opportunity to give specific recommendations for the area. These studies can also be part of the normal management plants, which should be carried out every decade. It is very important that the results should be disseminated to the participants involved in the NTFP sector, especially harvesters and collectors. The ratio system should be decentralised by increasing the participation of all the members, especially the harvesters. The organisation of harvesters in associations, cooperatives or professional unions, professional to give them power for negotiations. The ratios should cover special areas and should be updated in the beginning of the harvesting season. These ratios should be given to local communes and companies that represent the local harvesters. The review of the ratio systems should include also local forestry services, ODNTFP or research institutions.

The cultivation is another strategy to decrease the pressure on the wild population of species under the risk of harvest. However, the cultivation of species under risk should not negatively reflect the life of the harvesters. The cultivation should not bring to the intensive management; the good thing is that it limits the re-growth, i.e. re-cutting or planting of seedlings. The research carried out by RIFP before 1990 should be reviewed, extended and distributed.

The cultivation can be carried out by the harvesters or collectors through incentives, especially those that give a boost to their cooperation. Following there are several examples from other countries which have included such measures in the relevant forestry legislation (FAO 199423): • Turkey has established a forestry fund to promote the private companies to deal with the production of seedlings and community forestry activities. • In Pakistan and Sudan, the government offers incentives like seedlings, fertilisers, small plots of lands, technical assistance and soft loans.

XII. SOCIAL EQUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY There is a lack of equity in power inside the value of the chain, which stops the harvesters in effectively participating or with equal conditions. There is also a lack of knowledge about regional and international markets about their structure, participants in it, trends and requirements. The lack of transparency and information on the prices brings to the exploitation of especially marginalised harvesters and collectors. ODNTFP in collaboration with the association of harvesters and other organisations should offer information about the prices for marginalised organisations and individuals in the value chain. The idea of the sustainable exploitation of NTFP is not enough disseminated and the honesty or fairness in the trade relations is in the interest of all those involved in the value chain and the adoption of the sustainable practices is meaningful. The private sector should use manners not regulated by law, i.e. the drafting of best practices and standards for sustainable harvest and correct trade. However, the setting of a minimal price to be paid to the harvesters for special species should be avoided as these practices distort the market. Establishment and support of cooperatives or growers associations should support the latest to deal for a better price and to increase their participation in the process of decision-taking in the ratio systems; in drafting the management plans and the control of the ownership in use. An association or cooperative should address many challenges that should be overcome to bring NTFP in the market. To bring together the production and the markets, should fulfil certain conditions. An entire system should be established to bring the right production of NTFP. The contracts should be drafted and signed. Quality control should be ensured and processing of products to be brought into the market without delay.

The structure of the business in the cooperative forms offers the opportunity to distribute the profit in the middle of all producers while brining the NTFP in the market with an acceptable price by the buyers. This can be achieved because the cooperative offers the following advantages:

23 Forestry project report, 1994 

• The decrease of the costs of production and costs of services are required to be marketed and deliver NTFP with a combination of efforts; • Increase of the quality and values of production by carrying out a high level of processing, storage and quality control; • Increase of the power of negotiation of the representatives of the harvesters to afford the monopsonist request in order to get higher prices and achieve the stability of the market; • Improving the marketing through the survey of consumers, increasing the inventory and deliveries in time of the goods; A simple definition of the cooperative (definition of the Department of Agriculture in USA) is: “A business that is democratically owned and controlled by the users which benefits are taken proportionally with the use”. The harvesters of NTFP can purchase shares in the cooperative to become members-owners. These shares can be purchased proportionally to the quantity of NTFP that a harvester is planning to produce. The cooperative is controlled democratically through the voting, a member, a vote, independently by the individual plans to use the cooperative, it gives the right to the member-owner that will sell it to the cooperative. If the vote is proportionally to the contribution, then the regulation should have articles that will protect that democratic nature of the business structure in a cooperative form.

The benefits should be distributed to members-owners in proportion to the use. The number of actions that a member owns will determine the return of the profit that remains at the end of the year. The value of this surplus will depend on the quantity with which the revenues will overcome the expenses per year. The cooperatives are formed to offer goods or services to the members. NTFP cooperatives might be marketing, purchase or service cooperatives. Many times, the cooperative might fulfil several of these needs.

A NTFP cooperative can be structured in a way to serve the requirements of the NTFP production and deliver them safely to the market. Such a cooperative can own machineries and allow the use of this machinery by its members for planting, harvest or processing at price cost (no profit). The special varieties of NTFP seeds and seedlings can be purchased in wholesale or to be growing in the nurseries of the cooperative. The coordination of purchases, processing, transport and unloading might increase the processing and safety for delivery to the market. ODNTFP or the extension services might offer support to the establishment of the cooperative, offer funds for the starting of the cooperative, offer economic models, opportunities studies and business plans. A detailed study for the opportunities of cooperatives can be carried out in a way that the costs are reviewed in detailed and profit by the management of a NTFP enterprise in the form of a cooperative. With this information available, the NTFP harvesters might compare the variant of the cooperative against other possible structures of the business.

12.1 Auctioning of NTFP – a new idea for the future management of NTFP The above analysis, both historical and current, has shown that the organisation of the NTFP market is characterised by informality, lack of contracts, fraudulent agreements, etc. In thess circumstances, poor harvesters compete with each-other to collect the NTFP first, not respecting the harvesting time damaging their reproduction and decreasing production and leading to extinction. If farmers, instead of selling the products to the first buyer, would agree to keep the product and sell it in an auction agreed to be organised at a certain date with interested companies present would get the highest value added. This would also be good for the companies because they will get a better quality (the product would be categorised in different qualities) which is more and more required by the international market.

The organisation of the harvesters into a cooperative would facilitate such organisation. ODNTFP can help in the process of organising the auction.

XIII. CONTACTS AND MARKET SERVICES FOR NTFP To support NTFP businesses of the government to concentrate the market services by increasing the opportunities of public investment. Public investment for roads, for the development of water resources, water projects, ports and airports, might open new opportunities for NTFP enterprises on which the private sector reacts spontaneously. To improve the contacts with the markets, the government should work with the officers of the European Union to remover or alleviate the tariffs and non-tariff trade obstacles and importing countries. Such an example, the approval of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture in USA for the introduction of papaja and curcubitae from Trinidad in the ports of Southern Atlantic of United States, which has caused an immediate positive reaction by the producers and exporters in this country. The lack of knowledge on market issues increases the risk and discourages the market entry. The lack of updated and accurate information on the potential markets (i.e. as they are structured, how they act, which are the production specifications, which are the quality levels and standards, the normal prices and marketing costs, which are the importation procedures, etc.) is a considerable obstacle for the entry of new enterprises or new exporters in the NTFP business.

XIV. NTFP CERTIFICATION Certification will definitely increase the value of Albanian NTFP. The certification itself might not bring to an increase of the prices, but certainly will bring to the opening of the markets. However, it is just a matter of time when the Albanian producers will be confronted with a formal consideration of the certification and securing the certification process. Moreover, there are previous cases of certification in Albania. By supposing that the wild collected material was not harvested in a

sustainable manner and there was the risk of eradication, from the beginning of the 1990, German importers have required documentation that ascertain that the medicinal plants were coming from cultivated plants. These manners imported by abroad, although the good practice, instead of depending on the consumer, they limit the foreign market in the case when the producers is not able to fulfil the requirements. The certification process might start through three steps which can be implemented in an independent way from each-other: 1. Organisation of NTFP businesses in association as a forum to discuss the certification of an activity to be regulated by law. 2. Identification and documentation of best practices in conformity with the requests of the importers, especially those from EU, to have a rich and variable market. 3. The setting of the contacts with the independent certifiers within and outside the country, new or through existing NGO24s. Each and every attempt by DGFP to define rules at the country level should be avoided. It can collaborate with the certifiers, but their licensing should be independent by DGFP. In its role as an extension service, DGFP should place criteria, indicators, instructions or standards that can be used in the certification.

XV. SPECIFIC MEASURES FOR THE PROTECTION OF MASSIFS OF MEDICINAL PLANTS BY THE RISKS OF FIRES 15.1 Characteristics of the fires in the vegetation The number and frequencies of fires in the same period for the last five years have decreased. Fires from the carelessness have decreased very much more than those placed deliberately by the shepherds. Forest and pastures as well as medicinal plants are constantly threatened by fires. The damages are depended from the concept of the management of the pastoral surfaces. The core of the dilemma is if we should continue to burn the pastures to improve them seasonably or to stop such fires. Uncontrolled fires destroy heavily the forests and seriously threaten seriously natural sources. Uncontrolled fires that are frequently declared, each year influence on the natural resources for the present and for the future. Impacts caused by the fires are multiple. Fires burn a large number of forest woods that are progressively destroyed. Wood burned are subject to decay

24 NGO – Non‐Governmental Organisation 

processes and then attached by pests and diseases. By destroying the shrubs and woods, the fire decreases the quantity of food for wild animals. Moreover, the fire destroys the land through the lost of humus and organic matter by exposing the bare land by the vegetation in intensive erosion. Burned lands are susceptible to leaching and desertification. Repeated fires in the same place destroy permanently he active layer of the soils by having an impact on their fertility. 15.2 Causes of the fires Fires are divided into two categories: deliberate and occasional. Deliberate are: (i) criminal fires that are caused by different conflicts on the property of the pastures; (ii) fires for the purposes of improving the pastures. Occasional fires are those caused by lightening, accidental by the direct production of the wood coal in forest massifs, of direct woods in forest massifs and especially Mediterranean shrubs fires come from different burnings close to the forests where the latest are bordered with inhabited areas. 15.3 Fires for improvement purposes These fires attack hundreds of hectares every year in the pastures of Saranda, Gjirokastra, Vlora, Tepelena, Përmeti and Mallakastra. Briefly, all the southern areas of the country are attacked since hundreds of years by deliberate fires. They are caused deliberately and placed by the shepherds in the areas where their livestock are grazing. The purpose of these fires is the fight against undesirable shrubs that impede the grazing of small livestock’s, especially goats. From the other side, fires increase the yield of the pastures and improve the herbaceous structure of pastures in favour of leguminous and herbaceous preferred by the goats. Another purpose is the eradication of epizootic parasites that threaten the livestock. Among the current theories on the impact assessment of deliberate fires, two of them are dominant: (i) In the first theory, which includes the surfaces of extensive pastures, supports the fact that fires in this category of pastures are useful. Based on the studies supporting this theory, the ration of damages/improvements is in favour of the improvements. These authors pretend that in extensive pastures, anthropogenous improvement measures have high costs and they are not efficient. The quantity of forage which is collected in the cases of improvement of these pastures do not justify the intervention. On the contrary, although the fire causes impoverishment of the soil and elimination of the woods, improvements to the herbaceous structure are visible. In fact, countries with extensive surfaces of developed agriculture where the controlled fires are foreseen and in these cases the damages may not be a great problem. This practice is applied in countries of Central and South America as well as in Australia and New Zealand. On the contrary, in countries with a high density of livestock, qualitative improvements of plants from the fire are not sufficient to be

applied massively. However, there are countries like those of Mediterranean Europe (Italy, Spain and France) where the practices of burning pastoral lands continue even today. The second theory consist in the fact that dry or semi-dry areas (Mediterranean countries), infected with shrubs with spines as well as spores of epizootic parasitic diseases, improving interventions should consist mainly in the management of the surfaces by spending more work and investments with the purpose of conserving the fragile habitat and other natural or non-natural resources. It is considered that in this region, the ration between negative advantages/impacts should be in favour of the deterioration of the situation. Beside the benefits from the burning are low, the level of risk of fire in these areas is high and its management becomes difficult, especially when this happens during the summer time. Damages by fires continue to be visible in the Mediterranean regions. In our country, they are frequent especially during the summer time and although in small sites, the damage to the vegetation and resources are big. 15.4 Typology of vegetation fires 1. Fires burn the surface layer of the soil and cause damages to the superficial layer of humus in the forest and to the surface vegetation without causing great damages to the forest wood. This type of burning is characteristic for the pastures with high wood. Such a fire is difficult to extinguish especially in soils where the humus layer is thick. 2. Fires burning the herbaceous vegetation: in pastures with herbaceous vegetation, the fire burns quickly only the herbaceous layer and is favoured by the wind speed and meteorological conditions. 3. Fires in mixed surfaces: forests – pastures. These fires cause more damages also due to the big volume of dry material being burned making them very difficult to be managed. In all the types of fires, meteorological conditions are determinant for their duration, therefore it is depended on the size of the damage being caused. Dry weather with high temperatures is much favourable for their dissemination but also for the scale of burn of the ecosystem. In summer due to (i) absence of rainfalls, (ii) low capacity of moisture absorption from the soil and subsoil (especially in calcareous, dolomite and siliceous rocks) and (iii) presence of heat and wind. The moisture contained in the grass, shrubs or wood being burned are of capital importance for the management of fires. During the night, leaves are burned and the fire disseminates slowly due to the atmospheric moisture that they absorb and for this reason the fire can be extinguished more easily during the night.

15.5 Stopping the further degradation of the pastures, through the combination of extensive practices with the intensive pasture The processing of the necessary technical knowledge by the cattleman and other owners for the particular values of the combination of extensive with intensive practices. The free pasture and stall regime should be shared into balanced time for the conservation/improvement of the environment but also for profitability. This body of knowledge, made available to the cattleman, would allow them to process, with the assistance of the economical and developmental organisation, system ecologically and economically sound, able to add value to the countryside and especially to pastures, grazing land and forests. The reduction of the load from 3 SEU/ha/year, currently to a load of about 1.2 SEU/ha/year for a period of 20 years would be a condition for the sustainable development. We would like to stress that Mediterranean European countries are aiming for the next 20 years to reduce the load to about 0.7 SEU/ha/year. 15.6 A strategy for the increase of non-wood forests products The long term objective of the programme for the development of non-wood forest products is to develop such products, without jeopardising the other values for the use of forests. This can be achieved through protection, improvement and cultivation of species by entrepreneurs or farmers, development of products and technologically processed goods which economically effective and for the development of markets for non-wood products. For the high values that the non-wood forestry products have, the components of the programme to be proposed are: - Guaranteeing by law the rights of property on medicinal plants, hunting and other non-wood products, according to the territories where they are disseminated, as decisive for their sustainable development. - Review of the law on medicinal plants, the law on hunting as well as strengthening their enforcement. To put to an end the eradicative methods that are used for the collection of plants or for hunting of wild animals and birds of prey. - Drafting of specific plants for the treatment of the surfaces which are dominated by sage, thyme, bay (Laurus), willow, lime tree, Vallonia oak and wig tree and other species, species with non-wood production values, without aiming wood production, depending on the increase of the product aimed, by ensuring the protection of plants and sustainable production. In other forests too, in general, natural silvi-cultural treatments should be applied, where beside the wood product, to ensure as much variability as possible of non-wood products, by ensuring the their re-growth and proliferation. It can be profitable the cultivation of some plants in lands which have been refused or not allocated yet, as well as in agricultural soils where small production from traditional crops is achieved.

- Review and improvement of the tariffs for the harvesting of non-wood and hunting products; they are paid by the traders who are collecting and trading such products, and not by the simple collectors, by aiming at a more fair income distribution. - Review and definition of the appropriate rules and increasing the care and control for their implementation during harvest, collection and processing of plants, to avoid degradation and losses. The aim should be their maximum processing and use domestically, beside attempts to increase the quality, through the extension service and periodic trainings. The aim should be the exporting of final products with a value added. It is necessary to attempt for identifying other markets (in Europe, USA and Japan as the major importers), which requires dissemination of information on the market. - New inventorying of medicinal plants and other non-wood products, the appropriate assessment of the possible quantities for collection, and on this basis, to define strategies and plans for the conservation (first of all of species being threatened of extinction), multiplication, collection, processing and their trade, to provide a greater support, both politically and financially for the multiplication, processing and sustainable trading of this products, totally organic. The same should be made also for the hunting products. - Development of artisan and industrial technologies to increase the diversity and quality of the products originating from the plants and hunt. - Development of processing industries, market, research and institutional support. It should be aimed the development of the industry for the processing of non-wood forest products in to valuable products. Support should be given to the development of non-wood forest products in surfaces with damaged productivity, for the processes of production and marketing; market studies and dissemination of market information; effective research and extension on the sources, proliferation, care, harvesting and their processing; provision of financial support. - Support to entrepreneurs dealing with non-wood products; it is necessary to start programmes for the development of each particular species or group of species, as well as to draft programmes for the analysis of the situation, conservation and development of the hunting and fishing in mountainous areas. - Assessment of the contribution of non-wood products in the national economy is of great importance, especially in the informal sector, to fulfil the needs, employment and poverty alleviation in rural areas. - Study of the role and weight of non-wood products in rural economies and in the entire economy of the country, including all non-wood products, which will increase also the weight of the entire forestry sector in GDP. - Integration of research with the management of non-wood products under the programme of private and communal forests. - Provision of support for the trade of those organisations that are able to concentrate only on this activity and establishment of a marketing network for

NTFP. - To promote the local and national awareness for the role of non-wood forest products in the rural economy as well as its potential for the development through seminars and trainings. - Improving the quality and reputation of plant and hunting products in our country. - Identification of opportunities to replace imports, especially for products like teas. - Use of internet and other sources of information (publications on the markets, statistics, consultancy services, market price services, etc). Establishment of a website for the Albanian non-wood products. - Promotion of the establishment and strengthening the collaboration among small entrepreneurs and exporters, to fulfil the market needs in quantity and increase their marketability. - Carry out a study on the certification of non-wood products and introduction of these principles in planning and management; - Strengthening the Export Monitoring System on the basis of the Certificate of Origin for controls of wood and non-wood products and increase of their effectiveness. - Collection and dissemination of market information as well as the establishment of a market with a brand for the Albanian non-wood forest products. Exchange of best practice for the best certification schemes within and outside the country. - Proposals for actions on the internalisation of full costs: to explore ways and means for the internalisation of all wood products and substitute products and to carry out market and economic analysis for their influence on the management and costs, as well as on the sustainable management of forests; such analysis should also review the potential costs and benefits of improved efficiency and sustainability in all the levels of the industry; promotion of the exchange of information and experiences for the internalisation of full costs and its applications in the sustainable management of forests and the right political mechanisms. - Proposals for actions on market transparency: increase of transparency for the trade of forest products and services and inclusion of the possible development of the global database; assessment and exchange of information on the ilegal market of forest products nature and outreach; ensuring the multilateral cooperation to improve the methods of trading wood and non-wood forest material, export and price liberalisation for the purposes of developing the industry of wood and non-wood products in the country.

Other references Bego, F. 2001. Report on the criteria and indicators in forests (in Albanian) Bibolli , E., 2003: Legal report “Analsysis and recommendations for the Albanian 

forestry legislation” (in Albanian) DeCorsey, Maureen (2000) Revitalization of non‐timber forest products DPPK (1980) Report on pasture inventory (in Albanian) DPPK (1985) Report on forest inventory (in Albanian) DPPK (1999) Strategy for the development of the forest and pasture sector in 

Albania (in Albanian) DPPK (2000) Trade reform and price policies (informative and evaluation report) 

(in Albanian) DPPK (2002). Forestry and pastoral fund of Albania (in Albanian) DPPK (2002) Strategy for the protection of forests and fires (in Albanian) DPPK (2003) Report on the institutional reforms in the forest sector (in Albanian) DPPK (2003) Effects of the Albanian Forestry Project in the poverty alleviation (in 

Albanian) DPP (2003) Draft – Institutional reform in the forest and pasture sector (in 

Albanian) DGFP (1995) Study on forests and wood industry DRN (2003) Analysis of markets and marketing of forest‐based products FAO (1994) Forestry project report FAO (1998) Developing participatory and integrated watershed management FAO (2003) Study on forest products marketing FAO (2003) Report economic and financial assessment of the forests and pastures 

sector FAO‐Forestry project (2003) Report on poverty alleviation  Fishta, R., Hajno, L. and A. Mehmeti (1997) Studim per mbareshtrimin silvo‐

pastoral ne Shqiperi Forster, R. (2000) Income generation from FPU Associations Hilmi, H and Pelletier, Ph (2000) FAO, GCP/ALB/004/ITA‐Draft Mission Report Hilmi H (2001) FAO, GCP/ALB/004/ITA‐Draft Second Mission Report INSTAT (2003) Statistical yearbook 1993‐2001 IST (2003) National conference for the degradation and soil protection IKPK (?) Ecological observation on virgin forest of Albania (in Albanian) Keilen, K. (2002) FAO, Raport – Wood auctions along the road (in Albanian) Kullaj, E. and F. Liçaj (2004) Medicinal and aromatic plants – manual for the 

harvesters based on the principles of organic production. WIRAM, GTZ 

Kullaj, E. (2005) Public Awareness Campaign under Natural Resources Development Project funded by World Bank. Project Implementation Unit. World Bank 

Kullaj, E. (2006) Final report to the project ‘Improving the welfare and increasing the income generation by introducing sustainable energy technologies: solar dryers for agricultural products’ ALB/05/16. GEF (UNDP) 

Kullaj, E. (2008) Final report to the project ‘Organic herbs from Albania’ (ADA and BlueWaters) 

Kullaj, E. (2008) Final report to the project ‘Cultivation of two important medicinal plants Gentiana lutea and Primula veris in Albania’. 

Lako, Th. (2001) Policies for the development of private forestry in Albania, APFDP (in Albanian) 

Lushaj, Sh., Qilimi, B. and V. Kovaci (2003) Soil degradation problems, alternative protection and control 

MBU (1998) Green strategy for the development of the Albanian agriculture (in Albanian) 

MBU (2002) Annual Report (in Albanian) Midre, M. (?) Report on evaluation of communal forests  Muharremaj, V. (2000) Policies for the development of the communal forests in 

Albania, APFDP (in Albanian) Muharremaj, V. et al. (1990) Forest management. Textbooks for the Faculty of 

Forests (in Albanian) Muharremaj, V. (2003) Forests and pastures of Albania in ‘History of Albanian 

agriculture and agroindustry (in Albanian) Pelletier, Ph. (2001) FAO, GCP/ALB/004/ITA‐Draft Second Mission Report on 

Development of Human Resources PSHVPU (2003) National conference for GIS applications in Albania (in 

Albanian) QRM (1997) International Environmental Laws Sollberg, B. (?) Long‐term trends and prospects in world supply and demand for 

wood (in Albanian) Troendle, C. (2002) Albanian Watershed Assessment, AWAP UNEP: Administration of coastal zone 

Appendix 1. (dokument me vete format ‘landscape’)

Appendix 2. Surface and potential at country level of medicinal and aromatic plants No  Latin name  Surface at 

country level (ha) 

Reserve potential (tons) 

Harvesting time 

Harvesting method 

 1. FLORES 1  Achillea millefolium  2826  76  IV‐IX  with scissors  2  Crataegus monogyna cum folia  29955  400  IV‐VI  with scythe 3  Crataegi monogyna ger.  29955  20  IV‐VI  with scissors 4  Centaurea cyanus cum calice  11330  30  V‐VI  with sickle 5  Centaurea cyanus sine calice  11330  5  V‐VI  with sickle 6  Lavandula vera  65  28  VI‐VII  with sickle 7  Malvae silvestris  45949  27  VI‐VII  manually 8  Papaver rhoeas  11933  57  IV‐V  manually 9  Primula officinalis  517  17  IV‐V  manually 10  Prunus spinosae  4498  28  III‐V  manually 11  Sambucus nigra ger  467  54  VI‐VI  with scissors 12  Tiliae platiphyllos  361  28  VI‐VII  manually 13  Tiliae argentea  654  40  V‐VI  manually 14  Trifolii albi  1329  84  V‐VII  manually 15  Trifolii repens  1766  105  V‐VII  manually 16  Tussilago farfarae  23366  3  II‐IV  manually 17  Verbascum phlomoides  2557  7  V‐VIII  manually 2. FOLIA 1  Aesculus hippocastanum     4  VII‐VIII  with scissors 2  Althaeae officinalis  508  20  VI[‐IX  with sickle 3  Betulae pendula  1012  494  VI‐VIII  with scissors 4  Castanea vesca  10518  4808  VII‐VIII  with scissors 5  Corylus avellana  12814  3922  VI‐VII  with scissors 6  Crataegi monogyna   29955  721  V‐VI  with scissors 7  Fragaria vesca  5205  206  V‐VI  with sickle 8  Fraxini exelsior  5716  1648  VII‐VIII  with axe 9  Hedera helix     20  VII‐VIII  with scissors 10  Juglandis regia  2722  2737  VII‐VIII  with scissors 11  Laurus nobilis  785  252  VI‐VII  with scythe 12  Malvae silvestris  45949  108  V‐IX  manually 13  Melissae officinalis  1465  300  VI‐VII  with sickle 14  Myrtus communis  2593  896  VII‐VII  with scissors 15  Oleae europea  40106  9250  XI‐XII  with scissors 16  Plantago major  22071  68  VI‐VII  with scissors 17  Plantago lanceolata  41448  83  V‐VII  with scissors 18  Rosmarinus officinalis  287  282  I‐XII  with scissors 19  Rubus fructicosi  11248  1658  V‐VII  with scythe 20  Rubus idaeus  2303  425  VI‐VIII  with scythe 

No  Latin name  Surface at country level (ha) 

Reserve potential (tons) 

Harvesting time 

Harvesting method 

21  Salvia officinalis  26410  5389  VI‐X  with sickle 22  Saturea montana  23324  2500  VI‐IX  with sickle 23  Taraxacum officinale  19  60  I‐XII  with scissors 24  Tiliae platyphyllos  361  67  VIII‐IX  manually 25  Tussilago farfarae  23366  326  V‐VI  with sickle 26  Urticae dioica  30856  292  V‐VIII  with sickle 27  Vaccinum myrtilli  13248  618  VIII‐IX  with scissors 28  Verbasci thapsus  1439  195  VI‐VIII  with sickle 29  Visci albi  2620  142  III‐V  with sickle 3.HERBA 1  Achilea millefoli  2826  226  IV‐IX  manually 2  Artemisia absinthi  51  17  VII‐VIII  with sickle 3  Artemisae vulgaris  22384  63  VIII‐IX  with sickle 4  Capsella bursa pastoris  1567  112  IV‐VI  with sickle 5  Erythrea centaurea  32275  84  V‐VI  manually 6  Equisetum arvense  15828  248  V‐VI  with sickle 7  Hypericum perforatum  27356  173  V‐VII  with sickle 8  Melilotus officinalis  512  88  VI‐VIII  with sickle 9  Melissae officinalis  1465  630  VI‐VII  with sickle 10  Ocimum basilicum  485  379  VIII  with sickle 11  Oreganum heracleoticum  42694  945  VI ‐VIII  with sickle 12  Polygoni aviculare  38128  272  V‐IX  with sickle 13  Sideritis syriaca  13765  105  VI‐VII  manually 14  Thymus serpylli  11641  678  V‐VII  with sickle 15  Thymus vulgaris  1773  164  VI‐VII  with scythe 16  Urtica dioica  30856  900  V‐VII  with sickle 17  Verbenae officinalis.  27152  27  VI‐X  with sickle 18  Viscum album  2620  560  III‐V  with sickle 4. FRUCTUS 1  Crataegi monogyna  80  28  VIII‐X  manually 2  Juniperi communis  12662  552  VIII  with stick 3  Malus silvestris  5668  268  VII‐X  with stick 4  Rosa canina  31348  921  IX‐X  with stick 5  Pruni spinosae  4498  95  VIII‐IX  manually 6  Sambuci nigrae  467  62  VIII‐IX  manually 7  Vaccinum myrtilli  13245  371  VIII‐IX  manually 8  Vitex agnus castus  113  75  VIII‐IX  manually 

5.SEMEN 1  Colchici autumnale  1324  11  VI‐VII  manually 

6. CORTEX/ PERICARPIUM 1  Juglans regia  2722  338       2  Phaseolus vulgaris  14812  2008  VII‐VIII  manually 3  Punica granatum  783  78  IX‐X  with knife 

No  Latin name  Surface at country level (ha) 

Reserve potential (tons) 

Harvesting time 

Harvesting method 

4  Salix alba  434  147  III‐IV  with knife 7. RADIX RHIZOMA 1  Alcanna tinctoria  8  1  IX‐X  with pick 2  Althaeae officinalis  508  20  IX‐X  with pick 3  Agropyrum repens  34555  1464  VII‐X  with pick 4  Arctium lappa  1340  66  IX‐X  with pick 5  Cichori intubus  75  6  IX‐X  with pick 6  Iridis fiorentina naturalis  94  19  IX‐X  with pick 7  Iridis fiorentia mundata  94  6  IX‐X  with knife 8  Ononis spinosa  2003  443  VIII‐IX  with pick 9  Primulae veris  571  17  X‐III  with pick 10  Rusci aculeati  2622  64  IX‐X  with pick 11  Sambucus ebulus  634  159  IX‐X  with pick 12  Taraxacum officinalis  78  9  IX‐X  with pick 13  Urticae dioica  30856  156  VIII‐X  with pick 

Appendix 3 – Quantity exported, in stock and domestic contracts (data from Alimpex 1991)   

Quantities in tons  NTFP name  

Exported during 1990 

Stock  on 31.12.1990 

Expected  production  in 1991 

Sage  1200  224  1200 Greek Oregano  620  140  1100 Savory  390  102  750 Wild Thyme  106  32  180 Hawthorn fruits  27  1  110 Linden leaves  32  22  30 Nettle leaves  178  79  250 Garden thyme  80  ‐  ‐ Elder flowers  29  13  50 Raspberry  60  52  ‐ Wormwood  2  1  20 Red Poppy flowers  58  1  90 Hawthorn flowers with leaves  158  141  129 Balm leaves  23  11  50 Black locust flowers  24  17  ‐ Centaury  30  3  40 Ribwort leaves  22  11  15 Elder leaves  ‐  ‐  5 Ash leaves  13  3  35 Mistletoe  10  0  5 Oregano, red  ‐  ‐  5 Yarrow  47  51  ‐ Purple loosestrife  3  2  ‐ Silver birch leaves  250  27  200  

Appendix 1. Main medicinal, aromatic, ether‐oleaginous and tannin plants found in Albania 

No Species Albanian name English name German name French name

1 Achillaea millefolium Barpezmi mijëfletësh Common yarrow Gewöonliche Schafgarbe Achillée noble

2 Aconitum lamarckii Akonit i Lamarkut Lamark’s monkshood Lamark’s Eisenhut Aconit de Lamarck

3 Adiantum capillus-veneris Fier i krojeve; shapkëzi Maidenhair, Venus

Maidenhair Venushaar,

Frauenhaarfarn Capillaire de Montpellier,

Adianthe capillaire

4 Aesculus hippocastanum Gështenjë kali; g. e egër Common horse chestnut Gewöonliche Rosskastanie Maeeonnier d'Inde

5 Agrimonia eupatoria Rrodhëz, kallar Common Agrimony Odermennig Aigremoine eupatoire

6 Agropyron repens Krisje Quack Grass Quecke

7 Alcanna tintoria -

8 Allium sativum Hudhrë, Hudër Garlic Knoblauch Ail cultivé, Aïl, Ail commun

9 Alnus incana Verri i bardhë, verri i egër Grey alder Grau-erle Aulne blan châtre

10 Althaea officinalis Mëllagë e bardhë Marsh mallow Echter eibisch Guimauve officinale

11 Anthylis vulneraria Antilidë plagëshëruese Kidney vetch, Lady’s Fingers Gewöhnlicher wundklee Anthyllis vulnéraire

12 Apium graveolens Selin me erë të rëndë Wild celery Echter Sellerie Céleri odorant

13 Aquilegia vulgaris Kanilqyqe e rëndomtë Columbine Gewöhnliche akelei Ancolie vulgaire

14 Arbutus unedo Mare, koçimare Strawberry tree Westlicher erdbeerbaum Arbousier commun

15 Arctium lappa Rrodhe Greater Burdock Kleine klette Petite bardane

16 Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Rrush i alpeve Alpine bearberry Alpen-Bärentraube Busserolle, Raisin d’ours

17 Aristolochia clematitis Petrik Aristolochia Gewöhnliche osterluzei Aristoloche clématite

18 Artemisia absinthium Pelin Absinthe, Common wormwood Echter Wermut Armoise absinthe

19 Artemisia vulgaris Pelin i rëmdomtë Mugwort Gewöonliche Beifuss Armoise vulgaire

20 Asarum europeum Kopedan Asarum Haselwurz Asaret

Asplenium ruta- muraria Fier i murit Wall-rue Mauer-streifernfarn Rue de muraille

21 Atropa bella-donna Helmarinë Atropa Tollkirsche Atropa

22 Ballota nigra Ballota e zeze Ballota Schwarznessel Ballote vulgaire

23 Bellis perennis Luleshqerrë shumëvjeçare Daisy Gänsenblümchen Pâquerette vivace

24 Berberis vulgaris Mëlqinjë e rëndomtë Barberry Gewöhnliche berberitze Épine-vinette vulgaire

25 Betula pendula Mështekën e bardhë Silver Birch Hänge-Birke Bouleau blanc

26 Borago officinalis Shajë mjekësore Borage Boretsch Bornmylerë

27 Bryonia alba Stërkungull i bardhë Bryony Zaunrübe Bryone

28 Buxus sempervirens Bush Box-tree Gewöhnliche buschbaum Buis-toujours-vert

29 Calamintha sylvatica Mendërmirë pyjesh Common calamint Echte Waldminze Calament officinal

30 Calendula officinalis Kalendulë Marigold Ringelblume Souci

31 Calystegia sepium Përshëllizë Hedge bindweed Gemeine zaunwinde Liseron des haies

32 Capsella bursa-pastoris Shtrapëri Shepherd's purse Gewöonliche Hirtentächel Capselle bourse à pasteur

33 Capsicum annuum Spec Hungarian red-pepper Paprika Paprika

34 Carlina acaulis Ushonjëz e pakërcelltë Stemless carline Stengellose eberwurz Carline á tiges courtes

35 Carum carvi Karabotit karvi Caraway Echter Kümmel Carvi

36 Castanea sativa Gështenjë Sweet Chestnut Edelkastanie Châtaignier commun

37 Centaurea cyanus Kokoçel i kaltër Cornflower Kornblume Casse-lunette

38 Centaurium erythraea Bar ethesh Common centaury Echtes tausendgüldenkraut Érythrée petite-centaurée

39 Ceratonia siliqua Xhixhibanoz Carob tree Johannisbrotbaum Caroubier à grands fruits

40 Ceterach officinarum Bar-gjarpër mjekësor Rustyback Schriftfarn Herbe dorée

No Species Albanian name English name German name French name

41 Chamomilla recutita Kamomil Chamomile Kamille

42 Chelidonium majus Tamlagjak Greater celandine Gemeines schöllkraut Chélidoine eclaire

43 Cichorium intybus Çikore Chicory Wegwarte, Zichorie Chicorée sauvage

44 Cistus spp. Mënishte Rock rose Sonnenröschen Ciste

45 Clematis vitalba Kulpër e egër Traveller’s joy Gemeine waldrebe Clématite des haies

46 Cnicus benedictus Knik Thistle Distel Cnicaut

47 Colchicum autumnale Xhrrokull vjeshtor Meadow Saffron Herbstzeitlose Colchique d'automne

48 Convallaria majalis Lot zoje Lily of the valley Gewöhnliches Maiglöckchen Muguet de mai

49 Coriandrum sativum Koriandër i kultivuar Coriander Koriander Coriandre

50 Corylus avellana Lajthi Hazel Hasel Coudrier

51 Crataegus monogyna Murriz njëbërthamësh Hawthorn Eingriffeliger Weisssdorn Aubépine monogyne

52 Curcubita pepo Kungull Melon pumpkin Garten-Kürbis Citronille vulgaire

53 Cupressus sempervirens Qiparis Italian cypress Italienische zypresse Cyprès d’Italie

54 Cynodon dactylon Gram Hound's-Tongue Hundsznge Cynoglosse

55 Datura stramonium Tatull Thorn apple Stechapfel Datura stramoine

56 Daucus carota Karotë Wild carrot Möhre Daucus carotte

57 Dictamnus albus Dishël Burning bush Weisser diptam Disctamne blanc

58 Digitalis lanata Luletogëzi leshatak Wolly Foxglove Wolliger Fingerhut Digitale laineuse

59 Dracunculus vulgaris Lulegjarpër i rëndomtë Dragonwort Drachenwurz Serpentaire

60 Dryopteris filix-mas Fieri mashkull Male-fern Männlicher Dryoptéris fougèe mâle

61 Elaeagnus angustifolia Hunap gjethengushtë Oleaster Ölweide Chalef

62 Ephedra distachya Gjunjëz bregdetare Joint Pine Gewöonliches Meerträubel Éphédra fragile

63 Epilobium angustifolium Epilob gjethengushtë Rosebay Willow herb Weidenröschen Épilobe angustifolié

64 Equisetum arvense Këputje arash Field Horsetail Acker-Schachtelhalm Prêle queue de rat

65 Eryngium campestre Gjembardhë fushash Field-eryngo Feld-mannstreu Panicaut améthystin

66 Eupatorium cannabinum Eupatore kërpore Hemp agrimony Gewöhnlicher wasserdost Eupatoire chanvrine

67 Euphorbia myrsinites Rriell mirsinit Blue spurge Walzen-wolfsmilch Euphorbe de corse

68 Euphrasia sp. Eufrazi Common eyebright Augentrost Euphraise

69 Ficus carica car. caprificus Fiku i egër Fig Feigenbaum Figuier

70 Filipendula ulmaria Mbretëreshë e livadheve Meadow Sweet Echtes Mädesüss Reine de prés

71 Foeniculum vulgare Kopër e rëndomtë Fennel Echter fenchel Finnochio

72 Fragaria vesca Luleshtrydhe Wild strawberry Zimt-Erdbeere Fraisier caperonnier

73 Fraxinus angustifolia Frashër gjethengushtë Narrow-leaved Ash Schmalblättrige Esche Frêne à feuilles aiguës

74 Fraxinus ornus Frashër i bardhë Flowering ash Blumen-Esche Frêne à fleurs

75 Fumaria officinalis Fom mjekësor Common fumitory Gewöhnlicher erdrauch Fumeterre officinale

76 Galega officinalis Qerbash Goat’s rue Echte geissraute Rue de chèvre

77 Galium odoratum Ngjitës erëmirë Sweet Woodruff Waldmeister Aspérule odorante

78 Genista tinctoria Gjineshtër ngjyruese Dalmatian broom Wald-ginster Genêt des bois

79 Gentiana lutea Gencianë, sanëz Great Yellow Gentian Gelber Enzian Gentiane jaune

80 Geranium robertianum Kamaroshe e Robertit Herb Robert Ruprechtskraut Géranium herbe-à-Robert

81 Geum urbanum Gjeum qytetesh Clove Root Echte Nelkenwurz Benoite commune

82 Gratiola officinalis Dërnok mjekësor Gratiola Gottes-gnadenkraut Gratiola officinale

83 Hedera helix Urth Ivy Gemeiner Efeu Lierre grimpant

84 Helianthum annuus Lule dielli Sunflower Sonnenblume Hélianthe

85 Hepatica nobilis Hepatika Liver flower Dreilappiges leberblümchen Hépatique à trios lobes

No Species Albanian name English name German name French name

86 Herniaria glabra Herniarie e shogët Smooth rupturewort Kahles Bruchkraut Herniarie vulgaire

87 Herniaria hirsuta Herniarie qimeashpër Hairy rupturewort Behaartes Bruchkraut Herniarie velue

88 Hieracium pilosella Këmbashën leshtor Mouse-ear Hawkweed Maushor Épervière piloselle

89 Humulus lupulus Sumbullar Common hop Gemeiner hopfen Houblon lupulin

90 Hyosciamus niger Matergonë e zezë Henbane Bilsenkraut Jusquiame

91 Hypericum perforatum Lulebasani Perforate St. Johns wort Tüpfel-Johanniskraut Millepertuis perforé

92 Hyssopus officinalis Hisop mjekësore Hyssop Gemeiner ysop Hysope

93 Ilex aquifolium Ashe Holly Gewöhnliche stechpalme Houx à feuilles épineuses

94 Iris germanica Shpatore Flag Iris Deutsche Schwertilie Iris d’Allemagne

95 Juglans regia Arrë Walnut Walnuss Noyer

96 Juniperus communis Dëllinjë më se e rëndomtë Common juniper Gewöonliche Wacholder Génevrier commun

97 Juniperus oxycedrus Dëllinjë e kuqe Prickly juniper Rotbeeriger Wacholder Génevrier oxycédre

98 Laurus nobilis Dafinë Laurel Lorbeerbaum Laurier

99 Lavandula angustifolia Lavandë gjethengushtë English Lavender Echter Lavendel Lavande vraie

100 Lilium candidum Zambak i bardhë White lily Weisse Lilie Lis blanc

101 Lithospermum officinale Kokërrujë mjekësore Gromwell Echter steinsame Grémil officinal

102 Lotus corniculatus Thuepulë brinoke Bird’s foot trefoil Gemeiner hornklee Lotier cornicule

103 Lycopus europaeus Likopës i Evropës Gipsywort Europäischer wolsfuss Lycope d’Europe

104 Lysimachia numularia Bargjergji Creeping jenny Pfennigkraut Herbe aux écus

105 Lythrum salicaria Bargjak Purple loosestrife Blut-weiderich Salicaire commun

106 Malus sylvestris Mollë e egër Wild apple-tree Wild-Apfel Pommier sauvage

107 Malva nicaeensis Mëllagë e Nicës Nicaean mallow Nizzaische Käsepappel Mauve de Nice

108 Malva sylvestris Mëllagë pyjesh Common Mallow Wilde Malve Grande mauve

109 Marrubium vulgare Marubë e rëndomtë White horehound Gewöhnlicher andorn Marrube vulgaire

110 Melilotus officinalis Makth mjekësor Common melilot Echter-Steinklee Mélilot officinal

111 Melissa officinalis Mickël, Bar blete Lemon balm Zitronen-Melisse Mélisse officinale

112 Mentha longifolia Mendër gjethegjatë Long-leaved mint Ross-Minze Menthe à longues feuilles

113 Mentha x piperita Mendër piperë Peppermint Pfeffer-Minze Menthe poivrée

114 Mentha pulegium Mendër pulegë Pennyroyal Polei-Minze Menthe poullot

115 Mercurialis annua Merkurial njëvjeçar Annual mercury Einjähriges bingelkraut Mercuriale annuelle

116 Micromeria juliana Bishtmi i Alpeve Mountain micromeria Berg-Mikromerie Micromérie des montagne

117 Myrtus communis Mërsinë Common myrtle Gemeine Myrte Myrte commun

118 Nasturtium officinale Purqak Water cress Echte bunnenkresse Cresson officinal

119 Nerium oleander Marshallojë Oleander Lorbeerrose Nérion laurier rose

120 Nymphaea alba Lëkue i bardhë White water lily Weisse seerose Nymphéa blanc

121 Ocimum basilicum Borzilok Basilic Basilienkraut Basilic

122 Oleae europea Ulli Olive tree Ölbaum Olivier d'Europe

123 Ononis spinosa Kalmuth gjembor Spiny Restharrow Dornige Hauhechel Ononis épineux

124 Orchis mascula Salep mashkull Early purple orchid Stattliches knabenkraut Orchis mâle

125 Origanum majorana Manxuranë Pot marjoram Dost Marjolaine cultivée

126 Origanum vulgare Rigon Wild Marjoram Gewöhnliche Dost Origan vulgaire

127 Ostrya carpinifolia Mëllëzë European hop hornbeam Gewöhnliche hopfenbuche Charme houblon

128 Papaver rhoeas Lulekuqe Common poppy Klatsch-Mohn Pavot somnifére

129 Petasites hybridus Llopua hibride Butterbur Gewöhnliche pestwurz Pétasite vulgaire

No Species Albanian name English name German name French name

130 Petroselinum crispum Majdanoz Parsley Garten-petersilie Persil cultivé

131 Phaseolus vulgaris Fasulja Common Bean Garten Bohne Faséole

132 Physalis alkekengi Fshikakuqe Alkekengi Wilde blasenkirsche Coqueret alkékenge

133 Pinus sylvestris Hartinë Scotch Pine Wald-Kiefer Pin sylvestre

134 Plantago lanceolata Gjethedell heshtor Ribwort plantain Spitz-Wegerich Plantain lancéolé

135 Plantago major Gjethedell i madh Greater plantain Breit-Wegerich Plantain majeur

136 Polygonum aviculare Bar pate Knotweed Acker-Vogelknöterich Renouée bistorte

137 Polygonum bistorta Nejcë e përdredhur Bistort Schlangen-Knöterich Renouée bistorte

138 Polygonym hydropiper Nejcë piper uji Water-pepper Wasserpfeffer Renouée poivre d’eau

139 Polypoidum vulgare Polipodë e rëndomtë Common polypody Engelsüss Polypode vulgaire

140 Populus nigra Plep i zi Black poplar Scharz-pappel Peiplier noir

141 Potentilla erecta Potentillë e ngritur Tormentil Aufrechtes fingerkraut Potentille dresée

142 Potentilla reptans Potentillë shkëmbinjësh Creeping cinquefoil Kreichendes fingerkraut Potentille rampante

143 Primula veris (officinalis) Aguliçe e vërtetë Cowslip Echte Schlüsselblume Primevére officinale

144 Prunus cerasus Vishnje Sour cherry Sauer-Kirsche Cerisier nain

145 Prunus spinosa Kulumbri Blackthorn Gewöonliche Schlehe Prunellier

146 Pulmonaria officinalis Pulmonare mjekësore Lungwort Echtes lungenkraut Pulmonaire officinale

147 Punica granatum Shegë Punica Punica Punica

148 Pyrus amygdaliformis Goricë Almond leaved pear Mandel-brinbaum Poirier faux-amandrier

149 Quercus robur Rrënjë Common oak Stiel-eiche Chêne pédonculé

150 Ribes alpinum Ribes alpine Mountain currant Alpen-Johannisbeere Groseillier des alpes

151 Robinia pseudacacia Akacje e rreme False Acacia Gewöonliche Scheinakazie Robinier faux-acacia

152 Rosa canina Trëndafil i egër; t. qeni Dog Rose Hunds-Rose Roiser des chiens

153 Rosmarinus officinalis Rosmarinë mjekësore Rosemary Rosmarin Romarin

154 Rubus fructicosus Ferrë Brambles Brombeere Ronce

155 Rubus idaeus Mjedhër Raspberry Himbeere Framboisier

156 Rumex acetosa Lëpjetë e thartë Common sorrel Grosser ampfer Oseille des prés

157 Rumex obtusifolus Lëpjetë gjetheshytë Broad-leaved dock Stumpfblättriger ampfer Rumex à feuilles obtuses

158 Ruscus aculeatus Rushkull gjembor Butcher's Broom Stechender Mäusedorn Fragonhypoglosse

159 Ruta graveolens Rutë me erë të rëndë Wine rue Wein-raute Rue fétilde

160 Salix alba Shelg i bardhë White Willow Silber-Weide Saule blanc

161 Salvia officinalis Sherebelë mjekësore Sage Salbei Sauge officinale

162 Salvia sclarea Shëngjin Clary Muskateller-Salbei Sauge sclarée

163 Sambucus ebulus Qingël Dwarf Elder Zwerg-Holunder Sureau yéble

164 Sambucus nigra Shtog i zi Elderberry Schwarzer-Holunder Sureau noir

165 Sanicula europaea Sanikule evropiane Sanicle Wald Sanikel Sanicle d’Europe

166 Saponaria officinalis Lule sapuni Soapwort Echtes seifenkraut Saponaire officinale

167 Satureja montana Trumza Winter savory Berg-Bohnenkraut Sarriette des montagnes

168 Sempervivum tectorum Burgull pullazesh Houseleek Dach-Hauswurz Joubarbe des toits

169 Sideritis raeseri (S. syriaca) Çaj mali Greek Mountain tea Sideritis, Bergtee Crapaudine des

montagnes 170 Sinapis alba Sinapis alba Sinap i bardhë White mustard Englischer senf

171 Solanum dulcamara Solanë e ëmbël-idhët Bittersweet Bittersüsser nachtschatten Douce-amère

172 Solidago virgaurea Solidagë shufërartë Golden-rod Echte goldrute Solidage verge d’or

173 Sophora japonica Soforë e Japonisë Japanese pagoda tree Japanischer schnurbaum Sophora du Japon

174 Sorbus aucuparia Vadhë e egër Rowan Eberesche Sorbier des oiseleurs

No Species Albanian name English name German name French name

175 Sorbus domestica Vadhë Service tree Speierling Sorbier domestique

176 Stellaria media Stelare e ndërmjetme Common chickweed Vogel-sternmiere Stellaire intermédiaire

177 Symphytum officinale Kufilmë mjekësore Common Comfrey Arznei Beinwell Consoude tubéreuse

178 Tanacetum cinerariifolium

Karajpel me gjethe pulithi

Cineraria-leaved tansy Greiskraut-rainfarn Tanaisie à feuilles de

cinéraire 179 Tanacetum vulgare Karajpel Tansy Rainfarn Tanaisie vulgaire

180 Taraxacum officinale Luleshurdhë mjekësore Common Dandelion Gewöonlicher Löwenzahn Pissenlit vulgaire

181 Taxus baccata Tis Common yew Beeren-Eibe If à baies

182 Teucrium chamaedrys Arrs,Dushk i vogël Wall germander Edel-Gamander Germandrée petit chêne

183 Teucrium polium Bar majasëlli White-Felted Germander Weissfilziger Gamander Germandrée polium

184 Thymus longicaulis Lisër kërcellgjatë Long-Stemmed Thyme Niedergestreckter Thymian Thym précoce

185 Thymus serpylli Small-Leaved Lime Winterlinde

186 Thymus vulgaris Thyme

187 Tilia argentea Silver lime +

188 Tilia cordata Bli si zemër Small-leaved Lime Wald-Linde Tilleul sauvage

189 Tilia platyphyllos Bli fletëgjerë Large-leaved Lime Sommer-Linde Tilleul à grande feuilles

190 Trapa natans Kacirom notues Water chestnut Gewöhnliche wassernuss Macre nageante

191 Trifolium albi - - +

192 Trifolium pratense Trifil livadhesh Red clover Rotklee Tréfle des prés

193 Trifolium repens Trifil zvarritës White clover Weiss-Klee Tréfle rampant

194 Tussilago farfara Thundërmushkë Coltsfoot Huflattich Tussilage farfara

195 Ulmus glabra Vidh i shogët Witch elm Berg-ulme Orme des montagnes

196 Urticae dioica Hithër Nettle Brennessel Ortie

197 Vaccinum vitis-idea Thrashegër mali Cowberry Preiselbeere Airelle vigne-du-Mont-Ida

198 Vaccinum myrtillus Thrashegër Bilberry, Blueberry Blaubeere Airelle myrtille

199 Valeriana officinalis Haraqinë malore Common valerian Arznei Baldrian Valériane officinale

200 Verbascum densiflorum Netull luledendur Large flowered Mullein Grossblütige Wollkraut Moléne a grande fleurs

201 Verbascum phlomoides Netull bezgëngjashme Orange Mullein Filziges Wollkraut Moléne faux-phlomis

202 Verbena officinalis Barshpretkë mjekësore Vervain Echtes Eisenkraut Verveine officinale

203 Veronica becabunga Veronikë bekabungë Brooklime Bach-Ehrenpreis Véronique beccabonga

204 Veronica officinalis Veronikë mjekësore Heath speedwell Echter ehrenpreis Véronique officinale

205 Viola odorata Manushaqe Sweet Violet März-Veilchen Violette odorante

206 Viola tricolor Manushaqe tringjyrëshe Wild pansy Wildes Stiefmütterchen Violette tricolore

207 Viscum album Veshtull Mistletoe Mistel Gui

208 Vitex agnus castus Konopicë Chaste tree Abrahamstrauch Gattelier

209 Xanthium italicum Rrodhe Cocklebur Spitzklette Lampourde

210 Zea mays Misri Maize Mais Maïs