Social networks of forest owners producing non-timber forest products – network structures and dynamics of exchanges

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs), such as berries, mushrooms, chaga, birch sap and spruce sprouts, are widely used for food and nutrition. Their demand is growing in the food, cosmetics, and health sectors at local and international levels. In Finland, most NTFP enterprises are small, family-owned businesses with limited resources. In this, a key issue is to have adequate social networks, about which there is only a little research information available. This study examines the social networks of forest owners producing NTFPs and explores value exchange within these networks. Data was collected through qualitative in-depth interviews with twenty Finnish forest owners. Thematic coding and a social network analysis (SNA) were used to identify key actors, their connections, and value exchange. Findings highlight the significant role of buyers and forest organizations in the forest owners’ networks, while connections to NTFP organizations were rare. Forest owners primarily sought information from forest organizations and research institutions. Additionally, social value and support from different actors played an important role. The results suggest a need for a low-threshold organization to facilitate information sharing and guidance. The study increases the understanding of the heterogenic and multidimensional value networks of NTFPs and makes the development targets in the NTFPs value networks visible.