Introducing the Cultivation of Medicinal Plants and Wild Fruits in Forest Rehabilitation Operations on Former Shifting Cultivation Sites in Sarawak Malaysia : Issues and Challenges

Abstract

One of the threats to the practice of sustainable forest management in Sarawak is shifting cultivation. Ongoing rehabilitation measures taken by the State Forest Department in former shifting cultivation areas include natural regeneration, reforestation and agroforestry programs. Reforestation is making slow progress while agroforestry programs suffer from a lack of interest in tree planting by participants. The introduction of the cultivation of medicinal plants and wild fruits, which also addresses concerns about the depletion of the wild stock, may revitalize these programs. However, the venture faces many issues and challenges. In the light of these, a strategy for such an introduction is proposed.