The FAO Forestry Department and partners are organizing a daylong event to refocus our attention on the primary role that smallholder farmers and their organizations can play in the sustainable management of the world’s forests, particularly within the context of climate change. With the right enabling conditions local communities have shown enormous potential to preserve forest landscapes and to generate economic and social development benefits. Although their full potential remains largely unrealized, their actions can be scaled up to meet climate change mitigation and adaptation targets. A third of global forests are under some form of management by families, smallholders, local communities and indigenous people. These forests represent some of the most important carbon stocks in the world. Secure and enforced rights for these groups can help to ensure mitigation, improve adaptation and develop resilience.