Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Dear all, 

Comments have all been positive and constructive.

UNFF12 in New York last week noted the process to develop the Global Core Set and asked the CPF to present the final set to UNFF13 next year.  Eva Muller of FAO urged people to participate in our online consultation.  So this consultation should have consequences in the real world!

The main general points I have noted are:

  • The Global Core Set of forest related indicators should be composed of meaningful indicators, not simply lists of parameters.
  • Biodiversity seems to be under-represented in the list – probably because of the difficulty of measuring outcomes objectively
  • An indicator of livelihoods of forest dependent people should be included, but is very difficult to formulate properly.
  • Likewise coverage of non-wood products is weak
  • Should we have more “economic” indicators (markets, prices etc.)?
  • Can we find a workable definition for “degraded forest”?

As a comment on the above, we must also avoid inflation on the list, which should not exceed 10-15 indicators.  That means we should be deleting, not adding indicators.  This is difficult as no-one likes cutting important topics.  And every topic is someone’s favourite, in which they have invested time and thought.  As Yeats said, in another context, “Tread softly because you tread on my dreams”. 

Kit Prins 

Facilitator of the online discussion