Dear colleagues, partners and friends,

Thank you for the interest you have shown in inFO news during 2014. We look forward to another important year of fruitful collaboration and reporting in 2015.

Our best wishes to you and your families this holiday season.

Eduardo Rojas-Briales, Assistant Director-General, FAO Forestry Department, and FAO Forestry staff

Editorial: in memoriam - Mr David Harcharik

by Mr Hosny El Lakany

In this editorial, Hosny El-Lakany, former FAO Assistant Director-General, Forestry Department, and currently Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Colombia, Vancouver, Canada, recalls the spirit, humanity and achievements of one of the greatest foresters in the UN system. Read more

FAO Forestry news

World Forestry Congress: calls for ...

		... abstracts, deadline extended to 30 January 2015. Abstracts on the Congress's central theme “Forests and People: Investing in a Sustainable Future” and on topics aligned with any of its six sub-themes will be accepted until 30 January. View more details here in English, French and Spanish.
		... events, deadline 27 February 2015. Applications to organize an event related to the Congress's central theme or on topics aligned with any of its six sub-themes are now being accepted. The Congress organizers welcome proposals for side events, networking events, launches, performances or regional events. View more details here in English, French and Spanish.

FAO-led events at XIV World Forestry Congress

The XIV World Forestry Congress taking place in Durban, South Africa, in September 2015 will be one of the year's major global forestry gatherings, where FAO's forestry expertise and activities will also be showcased. These events will highlight current and planned activities and thinking on many areas of sustainable forest management related to the Congress theme -Forests and people: investing in a sustainable future.  

Read here the first in a series of preliminary event summaries: International Forests and Water Dialogue, 8-9 September 2015

Latest FAO data and analyses reveal significance of forestry sector to national economies

The forestry sector’s contribution to national economies and its significance for forest-dependent people is documented in a newly-released FAO study, covering 1990–2011, on employment, value-added and export earnings. The key findings and estimates, disclosing regional variances in the rate and nature of the sector’s evolution, and analyses of driving factors, data and trends provide robust inputs to policymaking.

Read more in the FAO study Contribution of the forestry sector to national economies, 1990-2011 and visit the FAO Forest Finance webpage.  Read also the comprehensive FAO press release Global wood production grows for the fourth year

Bio-packaging: a boost for sustainable food supply chains and green growth

Locally appropriate bio-based packaging to promote sustainable food supply chains and green economies was a key objective advocated by an FAO Forestry body preparatory meeting as part of FAO’s ongoing dialogue with the forestry private sector. FAO case studies should result in concrete proposals, including improved business models and more integrated bio-packaging-supply chain investment concepts, members proposed.

Read moreat the FAO Advisory Committee on Sustainable Forest-based Industries (ACSFI) webpage “Tackling food loss and waste with bio-based packaging”, a brief note on bio-packaging, and the report of the 56th preparatory meeting of the ACSFI.

Strengthen criteria and indicators, strengthen sustainable forest management

A growing body of evidence confirms that incorporating criteria and indicators (C&I) in forest policymaking, from planning to reporting, is a powerful means of enhancing sustainable forest management (SFM). At a January 2015 workshop, experts will discuss interim results of a multi-partner project, future work on SFM socioeconomic and governance indicators and strengthening C&Is multiple applications in forest policy and practice.  

Read more on the expert workshop on criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, Rome, Italy, 15–16 January 2015, and on the German-funded, FAO-led, multi-partner project “Strengthening Criteria and Indicators (C&I) for Sustainable Forest Management and their use in policy and practice”. 

Global news

Global Landscapes Forum: advancing the agenda on landscape management 

In early December, institutional and civil society representatives from around the world gathered in Lima, Peru, to address the multiple issues and challenges of landscape management at the 2nd Global Landscapes Forum. FAO was a coordinating partner with the Center for International Forestry Research and the United Nations Environment Programme.

Read more on highlights of FAO's involvement and the key outcomes of events that took place during the 2nd Global Landscapes Forum.

Mountain voices raised around the world  

On 11 and 12 December, high-level International Mountain Day events highlighted why action is needed to support mountain peoples. At UNFCCC COP20 in Lima, Peru, Mountain Partnership members joined dignitaries from mountainous countries to hear FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo describe how climate-smart agriculture could help mountain communities increase their resilience to climate change, a major challenge these communities face.

Read more on the One voice for the mountains event held at UNFCCC COP20, Lima, Peru on 11 December, the International Mountain Day celebration at the United Nations in New York on 12 December, and news on other IMD events around the world.

More from Lima ... 

Refocusing Latin American forestry education to meet region’s future needs 

Representatives from 19 Latin American universities celebrated 50 years of regional forestry education at a workshop at UNFCCC COP20 in Lima, which was co-organized with FAO, a founding supporter, and other partners. Consolidating and strengthening regional forestry education and creating a new regional system to meet future private sector, government and civil society needs were among the workshop’s main pledges.

Read a summary of the event at the website of La Molina University, Peru.

... Using communication to support and strengthen sustainable forest management in Latin America 

Developing local capacity in forest communication is another important dimension of FAO’s support to ten Latin American countries in the sustainable management of their forest resources. Members of the newly-created regional network of forest communicators will assist the strengthening of forest policies and programmes through regular sharing of information on forest and environmental issues. 

Read more in the press release issued by the FAO Representation in Peruon the 2nd workshop of regional forestry communicators in Latin America held in Lima, Peru. Also visit the FAO Forestry Communication Toolkit webpage in English, French and Spanish for more information on the regional communicators networks.

FAO resource tools 

FAOSTAT Emissions database for Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) has been updated with new estimates for agriculture and other land use for the year 2012. These data are now available, for the first time in the world, at the following sites: emissions–agriculture; emissions –land use; new estimates; infographics; Global, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Caribbean. 

The new FAOSTAT update was produced by the FAO Monitoring and Assessment of GHG Emissions and Mitigation Potential in Agriculture (MAGHG) project and funded by the governments of Germany and Norway.

Upcoming meetings and events

Meetings

• FAO expert workshop on criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, Italy, 15–16 January 2015
• Economics of Climate Change Mitigation Options in the Forestry Sector Online Conference, 6-27 February 2015
• Fourth Mediterranean Forest Week, Improving livelihoods: the role of Mediterranean forest value chains in a green economy, Barcelona, Spain, 17-20 March 2015
• World Teak Conference 2015 – Asociación Ecuatoriana de Productores de Teca y Maderas Tropicales, FAO, International Teak Information Network, IUFRO, Guayaquil, Eduador, 11–16 May 2015
• XIV World Forestry Congress, 7-11 September 2015, Durban, South Africa
• 6th International Wildland Fire Conference - Fire of the past, fire in future PyeongChang, Republic of Korea, 12–16 October 2015

Collaborative Partnership on Forests – events calendar, including:

• Second meeting of the Ad hoc Expert Group (AHEG2) on the International Arrangement on Forests – UN headquarters, New York, USA, 12–16 January 2015
• 3rd UN Convention to Combat Desertification Scientific Conference, 9–12 March 2015, Cancún, Mexico
• United Nations Forum on Forests 11: Progress, challenges and the way forward for the International Arrangement on Forests – UN headquarters, New York, USA, 4–15 May 2015

Partner and country events

• On 10 December, FAO participated in the Zimbabwe National Tree Planting Day in Mutasa (Manicaland Province). This year's theme was "Forests for food security and nutrition".  View photos from the Mutasa event.
• US Forest Service 2015 – international seminars and workshops. The US Forest Service International Programs and its partners are pleased to announce seven international seminar opportunities in 2015.
• Feeding the planet - energy for life, Milan, Italy, 1 May to 31 October 2015

Publications

Producing forestry publications to meet your needs

Please help FAO Forestry improve its publications and better meet your needs by completing a short online survey. Your feedback is very important and will help guide our decisions on the future development of the content, format and dissemination of forestry publications.

Please complete the survey here; it will only take five minutes. Thank you!

Publications

• Contribution of the forestry sector to national economies, 1990-2011- FAO, Forest Finance Working Paper FSFM/ACC/09
• Assessing and promoting trees outside forests (TOF) in Asian rice production landscapes, FAO. 2014.

Newsletters

• Sustainable forest management in Central Africa - Information note No. 4, Enhancing the contribution of non-wood forest products to food security in Central Africa - English and French. Read more at the FAO non-wood forest products webpage, English and French, on Central Africa and food security 2013–2016.

Videos

• From animal waste to resources - Hangzhou Tianyuan Agriculture Company rearing fly larvae on pig manure to produce chicken feed protein. Read more at the FAO Forestry insects for food and feed webpage

Subscribe to inFO news

To subscribe, complete the online subscription form.

Terms and conditions

The contents of this page are subject to the same terms and conditions as the FAO website.