HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE
Dryland forests for food, nutrition and resilience: launching collective action for change
Friday 2 October 2026 | 12.15–13.45 CEST | Sheikh Zayed Centre
Interpretation will be available in 6 languages.
Dryland forests sustain the lives and livelihoods of more than two billion people, supporting food and nutrition security, resilient agriculture, biodiversity, climate resilience and rural economies across some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable landscapes. Yet they remain among the least recognized and least financed forest ecosystems globally.
This high-level event will bring together ministers, senior government representatives, forest stewards and international partners to launch a collective agenda for scaling up action on dryland forests. Participants will explore how stronger political leadership, strategic partnerships, increased investment and solutions co-designed with the people who depend on and steward these landscapes can unlock the full potential of dryland forests to contribute to resilient food systems, healthy ecosystems and sustainable development.
The event will introduce the Dryland Forest Call to Action and the proposed Dryland Forest Support Accelerator (DFSA), a country-led mechanism designed to connect policy, finance, technical expertise and knowledge to unlock systemic change and scale effective action for dryland forests and the people who depend on them.
It will also feature Journey through Dryland Forests: A Living Showcase, an immersive experience highlighting dryland forest products, value chains and community-led innovations that demonstrate the contribution of dryland forests to resilient livelihoods, food and nutrition security, women’s economic empowerment and shared prosperity. Lunch will be served at the Showcase.
This high-level event will bring together ministers, senior government representatives, forest stewards and international partners to launch a collective agenda for scaling up action on dryland forests. Participants will explore how stronger political leadership, strategic partnerships, increased investment and solutions co-designed with the people who depend on and steward these landscapes can unlock the full potential of dryland forests to contribute to resilient food systems, healthy ecosystems and sustainable development.
The event will introduce the Dryland Forest Call to Action and the proposed Dryland Forest Support Accelerator (DFSA), a country-led mechanism designed to connect policy, finance, technical expertise and knowledge to unlock systemic change and scale effective action for dryland forests and the people who depend on them.
It will also feature Journey through Dryland Forests: A Living Showcase, an immersive experience highlighting dryland forest products, value chains and community-led innovations that demonstrate the contribution of dryland forests to resilient livelihoods, food and nutrition security, women’s economic empowerment and shared prosperity. Lunch will be served at the Showcase.
The event is organized by the COFO Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems and the GEF-7 Sustainable Forest Management Impact Programme on Dryland Sustainable Landscapes.
Speakers
QU Dongyu
Director-General
FAO
Director-General
FAO
H. E. Evelyn Ndlovu
Minister for Environment, Climate and Wildlife
Zimbabwe
Minister for Environment, Climate and Wildlife
Zimbabwe
H. E. Jorge E. Ávila Antelo
Vice Minister of Environment, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Forest Management and Development
Plurinational State of Bolivia
Vice Minister of Environment, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Forest Management and Development
Plurinational State of Bolivia
Marco Tulio Scarpelli Cabral
Coordinator, COP30 Presidency Roadmap on Enhancing Efforts towards Halting and Reversing Deforestation and Forest Degradation by 2030
Coordinator, COP30 Presidency Roadmap on Enhancing Efforts towards Halting and Reversing Deforestation and Forest Degradation by 2030
Godfrey Magwenzi
Deputy Director-General
FAO
Deputy Director-General
FAO
Fritjof Boerstler
Team Leader ad interim
Biodiversity and Drylands Team & Global Coordinator of the GEF-7 Impact Programmes
FAO
Team Leader ad interim
Biodiversity and Drylands Team & Global Coordinator of the GEF-7 Impact Programmes
FAO
Ümit Turhan
Deputy Head of Department
General Directorate of Forestry
Türkiye
Deputy Head of Department
General Directorate of Forestry
Türkiye
Lesly T Marange
CEO of Glytime Foods
Zimbabwe
CEO of Glytime Foods
Zimbabwe
MODERATOR: Houria Djoudi
Secretariat of the Committee on Forestry Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems
FAO
Secretariat of the Committee on Forestry Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems
FAO