Fast-growing trees have ‘major role’ in helping to solve global challenges

Fast-growing trees including poplars and willows have a major role to play in addressing today’s global challenges, including climate change mitigation and economic recovery from COVID-19 pandemic, the 26th session of the International Poplar Commission and Other Fast-Growing Trees Sustaining People and the Environment (IPC) heard this week.

More than 100 forestry experts and Member Country delegates from over 45 countries gathered for the meeting of the FAO statutory body, which was held online.

“As crucial components of forestry and agricultural systems worldwide, fast-growing trees have significant potential to contribute to the Global Forest Goals, the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Decades on Ecosystem Restoration and Family Farming,” IPC Chairperson Martin Weih said in his opening address.

The session highlighted the potential of fast-growing trees to contribute to the sustainable production of wood for future climate-smart economies. It also underlined their potential to help restore degraded forests and deforested landscapes, and to provide new approaches to agroforestry and measures to protect soil, water and biodiversity.

Participants also discussed how the future work of the IPC will develop the relationship between tree breeding and conservation of genetic pools, landscape protection, biodiversity, food and livelihoods.

Supporting rural livelihoods

Poplars, willows and other fast-growing trees are easily cultivated and adapt well to poor soils. Their broad range of possible uses – from plywood and packing crates to animal fodder and small handicraft – make them ideally suited to support rural livelihoods, alleviate poverty and contribute to sustainable land-use and rural development.

In addition to sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, fast-growing trees can help control erosion, stabilize riverbanks and filter pollutants from soils by storing heavy metal molecules in their wood, which makes them useful for the rehabilitation of degraded and polluted lands.

“The IPC has been able to facilitate the use of poplars and willows to improve production and income, and to restore and reclaim degraded land, but also to make cities more healthy and beautiful,” FAO’s Director of Forestry, Mette Løyche Wilkie, told the session, adding that this was made possible by fostering regional and cross-continent collaboration.

The IPC was founded in 1947 to facilitate restoration of the severely degraded landscapes of Europe after the Second World War. Now comprising 38 member countries, the IPC’s mission is to reduce poverty and improve ecosystem services worldwide by fostering the sustainable management of fast-growing trees. In 2019, the scope of the IPC expanded to fast-growing tree species able to provide similar services provided by poplars and willows, particularly in tropical and sub-tropical countries.

Co-hosted by FAO and the Government of Italy, the 26th session of the IPC was held in conjunction with a two-day scientific and technical congress including more than 120 posters and presentations.