Grassroots support for the world’s 1.5 billion smallholder farmers – who are highly vulnerable to climate threats – to help them diversify their crops, products and practices is increasing food security while conserving forests, storing carbon and creating resilient landscapes.

A new guide published by FAO aims to help small forest producers and their organizations to access private investment and finance for sustainable forest-based businesses.

Forest restoration must go beyond increasing biomass and improve ecology, lives, and livelihoods simultaneously. Approaches should increase climate resilience and prioritize income generation through green jobs and addressing food insecurity and malnutrition.

A new FAO-supported guide launched today aims to boost the income of family farmers while increasing tree cover on the world’s smallholder farms.

Today sees the start of the International Conference on Forest Education – a three-day event to shine a light on the important role forest education plays in maximizing the contributions of forests and trees to the Sustainable Development Goals and in overcoming the growing disconnect between people, nature and forests.

Well-trained foresters are vital to address some of the world’s greatest problems and to achieve the SDGs. Climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, emerging zoonotic diseases, rural poverty, and malnutrition all have direct links with the state of the world’s forests and the people that manage and protect them.

Households in rural Zambia rely heavily on fruits collected from forests for a more balanced diet, reports a new study carried out by FAO and the Center for International Forestry Research.

There is growing evidence that human actions to change the use of land – such as cutting down forests to make space for crop and livestock production – can be a major driver in outbreaks of zoonotic diseases.

Sustainable farming that works in harmony with nature is key to improving the lives of rural mountain populations and helping to achieve many of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Thriving mangroves are critical to the future of many of the world’s most vulnerable coastal communities. Rich in biodiversity, they serve as nursery grounds for fish and shellfish, while their roots act as a filter for sediment, cleaning up waterways.

Next time you bite into a square of fairtrade chocolate, stop a moment to reflect on where your sweet treat has come from. About six million people around the world depend on farming cocoa for their livelihoods.

Tokyo 2020 has pledged to be the most sustainable Olympics yet. The sustainability concepts include strengthening the sustainable consumption and production of forest products to replace non-renewable materials and sources of energy. 

On International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, David Kaimowitz, Senior Forestry Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Manager of the Forest and Farm Facility, explains why empowering Indigenous Peoples can help fight our climate, nature and health crises.

As many countries suffer wildfires due to soaring temperatures, FAO Forestry Officer Peter Moore explains that to reduce the damage caused by wildfires, governments must introduce sustainable forest and land management practices before blazes begin.

Latest figures show paper production plummeted but paperboard production increased during 2020.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and FAO joined forces this week to train twelve young people to become champions for conservation and forests.

The Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission highlighted the strategic role of the region’s forests for improving life, combatting climate change and halting biodiversity loss.

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) has reopened its call for nominations for the Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award, an honour granted to an individual who has made extraordinary efforts to improve the world’s forests and the lives of the people who depend on them. <...

Direct support to community-managed funds will help address challenges including climate change, biodiversity loss and rural poverty in the Brazilian Amazon.

Addressing climate change, land degradation and conflict in humanitarian interventions can lead to ‘game-changing’ solutions for dryland ecosystems and their communities.