The right to food is gradually being established as a priority on the international agenda, but when it comes to the realization of this human right, there is still a need to understand what "right to food" means and how it can be implemented in practice, notably for policy design and programmes.

In the case of forest resources, for example, the crucial role of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) for forest‐dependent people is often underestimated and inappropriate policies and institutional obstacles hinder increasing the contribution of NWFPs to national economies and household food security and nutrition.

Recognizing and securing tenure rights of forest-dependent people, including Indigenous Peoples, and securing equitable access to resources is a fundamental element for securing livelihoods for these communities. The Voluntary guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests in the context of national food security are a key instrument for supporting the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security.

Foods from forests and trees outside forests – such as leaves, seeds, nuts, honey, fruits, mushrooms, insects and wild animals – have been important parts of rural diets for thousands of years. Many forest and tree foods have very high nutritional value. Forest animal foods are rich in readily absorbed iron, zinc and vitamin B12, as well as proteins and fat, and forest leafy vegetables, fruits and nuts are important for the intake of vitamin A, iron, folate, niacin and calcium.

The potential for forest foods as elements of sustainable diets is largely untapped. Key constraints to unlocking this potential are knowledge gaps, issues related to tenure and access, and aspects of sustainability of extraction, among others.

Better integration of knowledge on nutritious forest and tree foods into national nutrition strategies and programmes, and the establishment of cross-sectoral policy platforms bringing together nutrition, food security, environment, agriculture, health, development, conservation and land‐use planning would help develop this potential.

Women and men have differing tasks and responsibilities in the production and provision of food. Many women spend a large amount of time collecting – and have a great deal of knowledge about – forest and tree foods and woodfuel, while men seldom have responsibility for collecting and using natural resources for household use.

Women face gender-specific constraints including access to land, credit, technology, employment opportunities and markets for forest products. Cultural, socio-economic and institutional factors have contributed to the gender disparity in opportunities in the forestry sector. They range from the social perceptions of women’s roles and the time women have to spend on domestic responsibilities and childcare to gender disparities in literacy, education, physical abilities, technical skills and access to training and extension services. 

Empowering women in the forest sector can create significant development opportunities for them and generate important spill‐over benefits for their households and communities.

The ecosystem services provided by forests and trees outside forests often underpin agricultural production and are essential for the well-being of urban and rural communities.

Forests and trees outside forests protect water and soil resources, contribute to soil development, including fertility, regulate climate, and provide habitat for wild pollinators and the predators of agricultural pests. They represent safety nets in case of shocks and increase households' resilience to food insecurity. Environmental degradation compromises the ability of lands and resources to support food security.

A landscape approach to natural resource management can contribute to achieving long-term food resilience. Agroforestry, the integration of trees with annual crop cultivation, livestock production and other farm activities, is an important element of this approach.

The first global conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition recognized that food security is grounded in diversity – in terms of biota, landscapes, cultures, diets, production units and management, and that forests and trees are critical for maintaining that diversity and should be better integrated with strategies for food security and nutrition.

Appropriate policies are needed to:

• Provide secure land and forest tenure and equitable access to resources by applying the principles outlined in the Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security.
• Develop mechanisms for coordination across the agricultural, forestry, livestock, fisheries, energy, mining and other relevant sectors to ensure stronger coherence of food security and nutrition interventions and better policy alignment.
• Promote policies that increase access by smallholders to credit, technology, extension services and insurance, as well as to markets for their forest and tree products and ecosystem services.
• Achieve gender equality in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of food-security, nutrition and poverty-alleviation policies and investment strategies.
• Strengthen mechanisms for the collection and timely dissemination of data on the contribution of forests and trees to food security and nutrition for use in policymaking.