Harnessing forest potential: cost-effective climate solutions with co-benefits
Protected, restored, and sustainably managed forests store and sequester carbon, provide global cooling effects, stabilize local climates, contribute to the bioeconomy, and supply products and ecosystem services that enhance the adaptive capacity and resilience of people and ecosystems.
FAO catalyzes local forest solutions by advocating and enhancing sustainable forest management at national and local levels to integrate multiple social, economic, and environmental functions of forests. Community based forestry and social forestry are central to this approach for forest protection and securing rural livelihoods.
FAO’s work in this area supports countries with informed decision-making through data use, promotes the adoption of sustainable forest management practices, and develops low emission- livelihoods in forest value chains. In particular strengthening the role of indigenous peoples, women and marginalized groups are central to our work.
Latest news
FAO report: Restoring forests and landscapes is critical to meeting global food security and development goals
28/09/2026
Rome – Forest and landscape restoration is a cost-effective response to food security, biodiversity, climate, and other development challenges, according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which warns that scaling up action will require greater investment, inclusive governance, and sustained political commitment.
From Food Security to Restoration: 88 Families Reap the Benefits of the Forest Conservation Pathway in the Amazon Biome
17/09/2026
Keeping land and livelihoods rooted in Serra Malagueta
15/09/2026
In the hills of Serra Malagueta, on Santiago Island in Cabo Verde, keeping soil on the slopes is part of keeping farming possible. Long dry periods make it difficult to grow crops and establish young trees. When rain does fall, it can wash away exposed soil. For families who depend on small farms and livestock, caring for the land is closely tied to earning a living.
Latest events
22/9
2026
Session 3: From Consultation to Shared Responsibility - Voices and Rights in Participatory REDD+ Governance
22/09/2026
This webinar's objective is to promote a regional dialogue aimed at identifying enabling conditions and practical solutions for participatory, multi-stakeholder, intercultural, equitable and rights-based REDD+ governance, with particular attention to decision-making processes, access to finance, benefit-sharing, monitoring and accountability. The dialogue will consider both the challenges an...
Latest publications
Programa Productoras de Bosques Nativos: producción, territorio y autonomía de las mujeres Proyecto de pagos por resultados de REDD+ de la Argentina para el período 2014–2016
01/07/2026
This document systematizes the preliminary progress of the Native Forest Women Producers Program (Programa Productoras de Bosques Nativos – PPBN), an...
Climate change mitigation through social forestry actions in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries
19/03/2026
The UN-REDD Social Forestry Initiative (2022–2025), supported by Switzerland, strengthens ASEAN countries’ capacity to integrate social forestry into...
Global transformation of forests for people and climate: Focus on West Africa
16/03/2026
West Africa is home to over 72 million hectares of forests and woodlands that support biodiversity and sustain millions of people’s livelihoods. Yet,...
Community forest management groups in North Western Province, Zambia. Assessment report Covering the districts of Kalumbila, Mwinilunga, Manyinga, Ikelenge and Kabompo
30/12/2025
Zambia has embraced community forestry (CF) as a strategy that places local communities at the centre of sustainable forest management.
Community-based forestry for forests, people and climate in West Africa
28/10/2025
Community engagement in forest management and restoration, as well as in climate action, has been increasingly recognized and implemented in West Africa...
Community-based forestry (CBF) in West Africa series
28/10/2025
The report compiles stocktaking data on Community-Based Forestry (CBF) across West African countries.
Comparative legal study on forests in West Africa
19/11/2024
This publication offers a comparative analysis of forest legal frameworks in seven West African countries — Côte d’Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,...
Strengthening decentralized forest governance in West Africa
18/10/2024
This publication presents lessons learned from subregional dynamics, national legal frameworks, and best practices in forest governance in West Africa....
Open Foris: collection, analysis and reporting of forest information
14/10/2024
Open Foris is a set of free and open-source tools that supports countries in collecting, analyzing, and reporting reliable forest data to improve monitoring,...
Halting deforestation from agricultural value chains: the role of governments
29/09/2022
This paper summarizes the current state of concepts and approaches for addressing deforestation in the trade, marketing, and production of agricultural...
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