Forests cover just over 30 percent of the global land area, yet they provide habitat for the vast majority of the terrestrial plant and animal species known to science. Unfortunately, forests and the biodiversity they contain continue to be under threat from actions to convert the land to agriculture...

In light of the current coronavirus pandemic, FAO has decided to postpone the Sixth Session of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Forest Genetic Resources to a later date. The meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Rome, Italy on 12-14 May 2020.

The new dates for this meeting will...

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests in 2012. The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests...

A Circular State Letter (available in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish) has been sent to Members and observers summarizing the expected contributions and inputs to the work of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

Concerning forest genetic resources, countries are invited to review the list of...

In sub-Saharan Africa, forests and trees sustain livelihoods and nutrition of millions of people. The genetic diversity of trees offers largely untapped opportunities for preventing hunger, alleviating poverty and managing forests sustainably. Tree seed systems involve the selection, procurement, documentation, storage, testing and delivery of forest reproductive material at national...

At its Seventeenth Regular Session (Rome, 18-22 February 2019), the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture adopted a funding strategy for the implementation of the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation, Sustainable Use and Development of Forest Genetic Resources. The funding strategy is annexed to the