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Planted forests
With the world population projected to reach 9.8 billion people by 2050, the need for food, fuel, fibre and other biobased products and services is set to rise sharply. At the same time, countries worldwide are making ambitious afforestation, reforestation, and ecosystem restoration pledges.
Well designed and sustainably managed planted forests can be a winning strategy and help meeting these growing demands, by providing timber and other wood products, as well as non-timber forest products and ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, restoration of degraded lands and watershed maintenance.
As the United Nations specialized agency responsible for sustainable use of forests and land, FAO has an important role not only in facilitating technical improvements in planted forests, but also in setting and implementing norms for usage.
What are planted forests?
Planted forests are forests predominantly composed of trees established through planting and/or deliberate seeding (Global Forest Resources Assessment - FRA 2020 Terms and Definitions). They include but are not limited to plantation forests. Plantation forest is defined as an intensively managed planted forest that at maturity is composed of one or two species, has one age class, and has regular tree spacing. Forest that is planted for ecosystem restoration or protection and forest that resembles natural forest at stand maturity is not defined as plantation forest.
FAO's work
FAO has a role to play in ensuring that global supply meets the demand in wood biomass sustaining the world’s agrifood systems while duly taking into consideration societal expectations for inclusive and restored productive landscapes, especially by:
- Analysing and sharing data and information on global wood production from planted forests;
- Capitalizing and disseminating knowledge and good practices for the responsible management of planted forests that are adapted and resilient to climate change, environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable;
- Identifying promising approaches and enabling their piloting at field level;
- Leveraging partnerships and resources as a cross-cutting strategy to implement and upscale the above.
News
FAO and EU launch 15 million euro project to boost sustainability of Uganda’s forestry sector
Kampala/Rome, 10/4/2024 - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has launched a 15 million euro ($16.29 million) project funded by the European Union to help Uganda’s forestry sector contribute more sustainably to the economy and the environment.
Videos
Publications
Unasylva 254: Towards more resilient and diverse planted forests
10/11/2023
This Unasylva presents novel findings and state-of-the-art information on planted forests. These forests support livelihoods - including through timber...
Fostering linkages between sustainable wood supply and forest and landscape restoration in Asia and the Pacific
05/06/2024
Enhancing sustainable wood supply from restoring degraded lands with planted forests, and agroforestry systems.
The State of the World’s Forests 2024: Forest-sector innovations towards a more sustainable future
22/07/2024
This edition provides highlights on the state of the world’s forests and explores the transformative power of evidence-based innovation in the forest...
Relevant links
- Smallholder planted forests and trees for climate, restored landscapes, and livelihoods - webinar series
- IUFRO Taskforce on Resilient planted forests serving society and the bioeconomy
- European Institute of Planted Forests
- TreeDivNet network
- Management of planted forests - Sustainable Forest Management Toolbox
- International Commission on Poplars and Other Fast-Growing Trees Sustaining People and the Environment
- Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World
Responsible management of planted forests - voluntary guidelines
31/12/2006
Planted forests have an important role to play in providing a wide range of goods and services. Wood products have advantages over competing products...
Unasylva 254: Towards more resilient and diverse planted forests
10/11/2023
This Unasylva presents novel findings and state-of-the-art information on planted forests. These forests support livelihoods - including through timber...