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Credit FAO Pietro Cenini
African Forestry and Wildlife Commission calls for increased push to halt deforestation and enhance restoration
10/09/2022
Kinshasa – Concrete action is needed to halt ‘alarming trends’ of deforestation and forest degradation in Africa, the 23rd Session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission (AFWC) heard last week in Kinshasa.
Credit FAO
Joint study estimates at least 12 million large buckets of wild forest foods collected in Zambia annually
30/08/2022

Rome – The volume of wild foods harvested from forests in Zambia likely exceeds the volume of sawnwood produced in the country, according to a new joint study carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Center for International Fore...

Credit FAO
The future of sustainable forestry and wildlife in the spotlight at Africa regional meeting
22/08/2022

The 23rd Session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission opened today in Kinshasa, hosted by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Commission is the most important continental forum to discuss policy, scientific and technical issues relating to forestry and w...

FAO Michael-Tewelde
Environmental sustainability is a key part of humanitarian work in dryland regions
19/08/2022
Rome – Humanitarian interventions in the world’s dryland areas blighted by conflict must, in the context of the climate crisis, also address the environmental impacts of the conflicts such as those exacerbated by the forced displacement of people, according to a new policy b...
AFWC
The case for a bio-economy to fight hunger and the climate crisis in Africa
18/08/2022

The African Forestry and Wildlife Commission’s upcoming session is in Kinshasa and will look at bio-economy opportunities and other issues facing the continent.

©FAO Luis Tato social protection
Climate finance needs rethinking to reach Indigenous Peoples on the ground
09/08/2022
To realize the COP 26 pledge to spend USD 1.7 billion between 2021 and 2025 to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and forest communities to tenure of their ancestral land and support them as guardians of the world’s forests, funds need to be channeled directly to Indigenous Peoples. This re...
West African Land Cover Reference System
West Africa develops regional system to map and monitor land cover
27/07/2022
Rome – A new system designed to harmonize the way land cover is categorized across West Africa was outlined in a report published this week. The West African Land Cover Reference System (WALCRS) proposes a common framework for the 17 countries in the region so that maps and data can be more easily and effectively prepared, shared and used.
Time to realise the potential of sustainable wood for the Planet
27/07/2022
Wood is renewable, recyclable, climate friendly and incredibly versatile. A journey into how this material can help shape a more healthy global economy.
Felled logs are inspected and numbered before loading at Chetumal in Quintana Roo
Latin America leads the way in developing innovative timber traceability systems
22/06/2022

Governments seeking to develop national timber traceability systems to comply with tightening international standards can look for inspiration to Latin America, a joint report by the FAO-EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Programme and the World Resources Institute (WRI) h...

Droughts will change our world unless we act now
17/06/2022
Droughts have always happened, but they are becoming more frequent and severe. Over the last two decades, droughts have impacted 1.4 billion people in the world, increasing in number and duration by almost 30% since 2000. While Africa is seeing the greatest increase in severity and frequency of d...
Credit Belgian Monarchy
King and Queen of Belgium visit FAO forestry project in Democratic Republic of the Congo
10/06/2022
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium have praised efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Miombo forest to balance livelihoods with restoring the forest ecosystem, on a visit to the region this week.
Forests, plastics, and the circular economy
03/06/2022
Single-use cutlery pollutes our oceans and takes thousands of years to decompose in landfills and trash heaps. Plastic forks and knives may photo-degrade with exposure to the sun, but they become microplastics that continue to pollute our environment. This is where wood and forests come into the ...
Photo by Axel Fassio CIFOR-ICRAF flickr
Sweden and Kenya showcase North-South partnership inspiring collective action for forest farmers
01/06/2022
Rome - The experience of a forest farmers association in Kenya inspired by Swedish foresters’ experience and supported by Swedish aid organizations was today hailed as an example of what North-South partnership can achieve at a one-day event ahead of Stockholm+50.
The ACSFI supports the Ministerial Call on Sustainable Wood
ACSFI supports the Ministerial Call on Sustainable Wood
30/05/2022

The ACSFI is an FAO statutory body composed of senior executives from the private forest sector worldwide. It provides a unique forum for dialogue between FAO and the private sector to enhance the understanding of emerging opportunities, and to identify and stimulate strategic actions by FAO, ...

1 billion ‘dryland-like’ hectares under threat, FAO study confirms
1 billion ‘dryland-like’ hectares under threat, FAO study confirms
13/05/2022
Abidjan/Rome – An additional one billion hectares of land – so called “presumed drylands” face similar challenges to the world’s drylands, according to a new report launched today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Forests can heal an ailing planet – but champions needed
11/05/2022
We need greener, more sustainable pathways to avoid destroying the future, not only for those who will come after us, but maybe even for ourselves. The principles of sustainable forest management need to be applied beyond forests in the quest to develop greener, more circular bioeconomies.
Young people call for more opportunities, training and political participation in the forest sector
XV World Forestry Congress: Young people call for more opportunities, training and political participation in the forest sector
10/05/2022
Seoul – Over 600 youth and young professionals engaged in the forest sector have called for better opportunities, training and a platform to make their voices heard in a call to action issued at the close of the XV World Forestry Congress (WFC).
©Pixabay
Five plants hidden in our everyday lives
10/05/2022
Essential to lives and livelihoods, wild plants need attention too.
Newly adopted Seoul Forest Declaration identifies priority action areas
Newly adopted Seoul Forest Declaration identifies priority action areas
09/05/2022
Seoul – The world’s largest ever gathering on forests has adopted a declaration identifying priority areas with potential to lead to a green, healthy and resilient future.
Ministerial Forum on Forest Finance
Sustainable long-term financing vital to successfully maintain and restore the world’s forests
05/05/2022

Seoul - Shifts in policies are needed to divert financial flows away from actions that harm forests and to incentivize investment in conservation, restoration and sustainable use, Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the Unit...