Key messages

• Sustainable forest management curbs forest degradation and deforestation while increasing direct benefits to people and the environment.
• At the local level, sustainable forest management contributes to people's livelihoods, income generation and employment. At the environmental level, it contributes to, for example, carbon sequestration and water and soil conservation.
• In 2020, forests covered about 31 percent of the world's total land area; about 4.06 billion hectares.
• Forests contain more than half of the world's terrestrial biodiversity and store carbon in both above- and below-ground biomass.
• Total employment in the forest sector was estimated at 12.5 million people.
• The world’s forest area is decreasing, but the rate of loss has slowed. The world has lost 178 million ha of forest since 1990, which is an area about the size of Libya.
• Fire, forest pests and climate change are also contributing to loss of forests around the world.

Videos

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Publications

A guide to multiple-use forest management planning for small and medium forest enterprises 8 November 2023 This publication offers step-by-step guidance for planning how to take care of and use forests sustainably to meet specific environmental, economic, social and cultural objectives. It shows small and medium-scale forest managers how to address administrative, economic, legal, social, technical and scientific aspects of forest management, applying globally recognized standards. [more]

Traceability and transparency in supply chains for agricultural and forest commodities 20 October 2023 Without halting forest loss, the global community will not be able to meet climate targets. The overwhelming driver of forest loss today is associated with expansion of agricultural production. Traceability and transparency in supply chains for these products are therefore necessary to understand the impact of commodities on forests, and to support the design, implementation, and monitoring of effective solutions to address forest loss. This report was prepared by World Resources Institute, Efeca, and Kanopi Consulting with the technical support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. [more]

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Press releases and editorials

Variety and genetic diversity of new trees key to successful forest and landscape restoration #image($pageItem, $entry) 16 January 2024 Rome – Ensuring the availability of seeds and seedlings from a range of tree species is crucial if we are to meet global targets on the restoration of degraded forests and landscapes, according to a new forestry working paper from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT . [#print("more")]

Charting a transparent path for global forest data and innovative climate action 8 January 2024 Rome – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today launched a new phase of work – supported with $2 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) – to assist developing countries in monitoring and reporting data on both the state and changes in their forest cover more effectively and transparently. [more]

Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission encourages regional action to enhance management of nearly 20 percent of global forests 6 October 2023 Sydney - Action is needed to unlock the full potential of forests to achieve carbon-neutral economies in Asia and the Pacific, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission heard in Sydney this week as it met to discuss the challenges and evolving dynamics of the region’s forests. [more]

More press releases

Expert interviews

Can AI help to protect manage and restore forests? FAO’s Julian Fox discusses how AI can be a gamechanger in helping countries to monitor their forests and tackle illegal activities, in a fraction of the time it took before. [more]

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More expert interviews

Audio

How data helps protect our forests?
Hidden value of forests
 Taking action on halting and reversing deforestation - Interview with Peter Csoka, Senior Forestry Officer
Planning sustainable forests 
 Monitoring carbon stocks in Tanzania