Forestry

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Forests cover 31 percent of the world's land and are fundamental to life on our planet.

Home to more than half of the world’s land animal and plant species, forests are a direct source of food, income and shelter for millions of people, and provide energy for heating and cooking for 2.6 billion. Forests are key to mitigating climate change, absorbing carbon dioxide from the air, storing more than half the global carbon stock in soils and vegetation and regulating rainfall. If sustainably managed, forests are also a source of renewable raw materials, helping to build an economy which allows nature to regenerate.

Through its Forestry Programme, FAO seeks to restore forests, improve the lives of forest-dependent people, and support countries to manage their forests in a sustainable way. FAO’s work is fully aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, creating more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Highlights

Flagship publication

The State of the World’s Forests 2026

Publications

Forests for food: Nourishing people, sustaining the planet

Event

Committee on Forestry

28 September – 2 October 2026

10th World Forest Week

News

Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers_Photo Credit_FAO_Clifford Adagenera

New report charts how women, youth and Indigenous Peoples can claim greater agency inside producer organizations

15/10/2026

Rome – Forest and farm producer organizations can help women, young people and Indigenous Peoples move beyond participation towards real influence over decisions, resources and benefits, according to a new report.

Youth-led forestry innovation recognized in Transformative Research Challenge

14/10/2026

Rome – The winners of two forestry prizes under the 2026 World Food Forum Transformative Research Challenge for young researchers were announced today at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome.

Global Youth Constituency on Forestry launches at World Food Forum

14/10/2026

Rome – A new global platform connecting young people and youth organizations working in forestry was launched today at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome.

Forestry at FAO

The Forestry Division leads FAO’s work in promoting the sustainable management of forests and balancing economic, social and environmental interests in landscapes surrounding them. It liaises with member countries, partners, civil society and the private sector to encourage more effective policies for management and to strengthen the role of forests in reducing the effects of climate change and helping humanity to adapt to them.

The Division also collects, analyses and shares information on the world’s forest resources and the production, trade and consumption of wood and non-wood forest products. The Committee on Forestry and six regional forestry commissions guide FAO in its technical forestry work.