Fuelwood and charcoal makes up 56 per cent of global wood production and developing countries account for almost 90 per cent of it. Wood is by far the most important source of energy for developing countries and the only source of energy for much of the world's rural areas. These include fibres, resins, latexes, fruits, and traditional medicines. Forests are often important sources of foodstuffs, particularly in times of drought and famine when conventional agricultural crops have failed. For example, in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India, tribal peoples rely on their forests for up to 25 per cent of their basic food requirements.
Tropical forests are also very important economically for plant-improvement breeding.
Forests are also important sources of new pharmaceuticals used to fight cancer, AIDS, and other serious human diseases. The periwinkle plant from the Madagascar forests provides a drug that has proven very successful in treating lymphocytic leukemia. At present, our knowledge about tropical forest plants is limited, but it is improving with ongoing research. Obviously, the great variety of forest products is important by any economic standard. . . .