The theme for each International Day of Forests is chosen by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.
The theme for 2026 is "Forests and economies".
Celebrating forests and foods
In 2025, forests and foods is the theme for the day, celebrating the crucial roles of forests in food security, nutrition and livelihoods. In addition to providing food, fuel, income and employment, forests support soil fertility, protect water resources, and offer habitats for biodiversity, including vital pollinators. They are essential for the survival of forest-dependent communities, particularly Indigenous Peoples, and contribute to climate change mitigation by storing carbon.
FAO is also proudly celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2025 and FAO International Day of Forests events will mark this occasion by showcasing actions and best practices that promote a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food future.
Key messages
Forests provide food, medicine and livelihoods for billions of people
More than five billion people around the world use forest and non-timber forest products for food, medicine and livelihoods. Forests and trees are a rich source of nuts, fruits, seeds, roots, tubers, leaves, mushrooms, honey, wild meat and insects, providing essential nutrients to people’s dietary intake.
Over 2 billion people rely on wood and other traditional fuels for cooking
Woodfuel has been used since ancient times and is still commonly used by rural households as a source of cooking energy to make food edible.
Forests are crucial for agriculture
Forests support farming by providing homes for pollinators, helping keep the soil healthy, retaining water, offering food and shade for livestock, regulating temperatures, and acting as natural barriers against the wind for crops, as well as enhancing rainfall for agricultural needs.
Forests support rural incomes, boosting livelihoods and nutrition
In some countries and regions, forests and trees provide around 20 percent of the income for rural households, enabling access to nutritious food and diverse diets, particularly for the poorest households.
Forests are vital for water, on which ecosystems and our food security and nutrition depend
Forested watersheds provide freshwater to more than 85 percent of the world's major cities and sustainable forest management has the potential to enhance water quality for over 1.7 billion people residing in large urban areas, contributing to their food and water security.
Forests serve as food safety nets in times of crisis
Forests support food security and diversify incomes during shocks, such as failed harvests or conflicts, to help ensure the survival of communities when usual food sources are unavailable.
Wild meat from forests is an essential source of protein and micronutrients
Wild meat is an important protein source for Indigenous Peoples and rural communities particularly in tropical regions.
Over 3,200 species of wild animals are used as food.
International Day of Forests 2025: Forests and foods
14/01/2025
Nurture the forest to nourish the people.
How will you mark the day?
- Share the video, forest fact animations, logo and banners - available in multiple languages. Check out the International Day of Forest social media kit for more resources.
- Join the conversation on social media using the #ForestDay hashtag. Pass on some of this year's key messages or take a photo of your favourite forest and share online.
- Organize or join events celebrating forests: tree plantings, symposiums, art exhibitions, photo competitions or host a student debate.
- Don’t forget to tell us about it at [email protected] and send us photos so we can add them to the gallery of events happening around the world.
News and stories
Join FAO to celebrate forests for food security, nutrition and livelihoods
Roma (Italy)
Rome 21 March: Opening ceremony at the Global Library of Trees and Flowers - FAO Park
21/03/2025
In collaboration with the Municipality of Rome, the opening ceremony will be held at the Global Library of Trees and Flowers - FAO Park, in Rome’s Doria...
Hybrid Event, Rome (Italy)
Rome 21 March: Forests and foods - celebrating the role of forests in food systems
21/03/2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations held a hybrid global event to find out more about the connection between forests and food.
Spread the word!
Join the #ForestDay campaign by sharing our free material on digital channels and raise awareness about forests.
Video spotsEventsPhoto contestPublications
Related links
- Key messages
- Forests for food security and nutrition
- FAO Forestry Division
- Collaborative Partnership on Forests
- UN Forum on Forests
Contact us
Email: [email protected]
Past years
For more information, visit the International Day of Forests 2019 webpage.
Radio and video interviews
Philadelphia: Community engagement for a greener city
Forestación de laderas para reducir el riesgo de desastres
Simone Borelli, FAO Forestry Officer (English, Spanish)
Stefano Boeri: Innovative urban forestry practices for greener and heathier cities
Publications
Unasylva 250 Forests and Sustainable Cities
Forests and Sustainable Cities: Inspiring stories from around the world
How much do you know about forests and cities? Take our quiz to find out.
Key messages
Forests and energy
Watch and share the International Day of Forests video - available in 8 languages (English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish)
Quiz
Publications
Incentives to promote sustainable wood energy in sub-Saharan Africa
Key messages
Wood energy from the forest: a major source of the world’s renewable energy
Woodfuel provides 40% of today’s global renewable energy supply – as much as solar, hydroelectric and wind power combined. About 50 percent of global wood production (around 1.86 billion cubic meters) is used as energy for cooking, heating, and electricity generation. For 2.4 billion people, woodfuel means a cooked and more nutritious meal, boiled water, and a warm dwelling.
Wood energy: powering economic development
Almost 900 million people, mostly in developing countries, are engaged in the wood-energy sector on a part- or full-time basis. Modernizing the wood energy sector can help revitalize rural economies and stimulate enterprise development – greater investment in wood energy production and advanced wood fuels can provide revenue to finance better forest management, more growing forests and more jobs.
Wood and trees: optimal urban living and lower energy bills
Strategically placed trees in urban areas can cool the air by between 2-8 degrees C.
Wood energy: mitigating climate change and fostering sustainable development
Globally, forests hold an energy content approximately 10 times that of the world’s annual primary energy consumption. They thus have significant potential as renewable resources to meet global energy demand.
Forests for energy – now and in a future global green economy
Greater investment in technological innovation and in sustainably managed forests is the key to increasing forests’ role as a major source of renewable energy. In this way, we invest in our sustainable future, in meeting several Sustainable Development Goals and in growing a green economy.
Increased areas of sustainably household and community woodlots and the use of clean and efficient wood stoves can give millions more people in developing countries access to cheap, reliable and renewable energy.
#LoveForests: IDF 2017 video campaign
Thanks to everyone who joined the campaign! We received over 100 videos from across the world. See a compilation video here.
Celebrating forests and water
Take the forest quiz!
Press releases
FAO launches new forest and water programme, FAO Headquarters
Publication: Forests and Water - International Momentum and Action
Key messages
1. Forested watersheds and wetlands supply a significant proportion of the world’s accessible fresh water for domestic, agricultural, industrial and ecological needs
Forests are a key component of watershed management – an integrated approach of using natural resources in a given geographical area drained by a water course. It is by maintaining and providing high-quality freshwater that watershed areas have a pivotal role in the earth’s ecology and contribute significantly to the wealth and welfare of human societies.
2. About one-third of the world’s largest cities obtain a significant proportion of their drinking water directly from forested protected areas.
The populations of major cities such as Mumbai, Bogotá and New York rely on forests for their water supplies. This number will increase as urban centres grow in size and population.
3. Nearly 80 percent of the world’s population – 8 out of 10 people - is exposed to high levels of threat to water security
By 2050, an extra 2.3 billion people are projected to be living in river basins under severe water stress, especially in North and South Africa, and South and Central Asia.
4. Forests act as natural water filters
Forests minimize soil erosion on site, reduce sediment in water bodies (wetlands, ponds, lakes, streams, rivers) and trap or filter water pollutants in the forest litter.
5. Forests minimize soil erosion on site, reduce sediment in water bodies (wetlands, ponds, lakes, streams, rivers) and trap or filter water pollutants in the forest litter.
Forests are at the forefront of reducing the effects of climate change. In respect of water, one benefit is forests’ cooling effect on the environment produced through evapotranspiration and the provision of shade. The impacts of climate change may also be manifested in an increase in catastrophes such as floods, droughts and landslides – all of which may be influenced by forest cover. Moreover, large-scale deforestation can have an impact on precipitation patterns.
6. Improved water resource management can show considerable economic gains
By 2030, the world is projected to face a 40 percent global water deficit under the business-as-usual climate scenario. However, every US$1 invested in watershed protection can save anywhere from US$7.5 to almost US$200 in costs of a new water treatment and filtration facility. In developing countries, a US$15 to US$30 billion investment in improved water resources management could have direct annual income returns in the range of US$60 billion.
7. Forests have a crucial role in building and strengthening resilience
When sustainably managed, forests contribute significantly to reducing soil erosion and the risk of landslides and avalanches, natural disasters which can disrupt the source and supply of freshwater. Forests protect and rehabilitate areas prone to soil degradation and erosion in upland areas.
Forests also reduce the effects of small-scale, frequent or local flooding, and prevent and reduce dryland salinity and desertification. Partial or complete removal of tree cover accelerates water discharge, increasing the risk of floods during the rainy season and drought in the dry season. However, the services provided by ecosystems around the world, particularly wetlands, are in decline. Between US$4.3 and US$20.2 trillion per year of ecosystem services were lost between 1997 and 2011 due to land use change.
2014 theme: Our Forests, Our Future
Press release: FAO launches new satellite-based data on forest resources on the International Day of Forests
The video is also available in:
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | German | Italian | Japanese | Portuguese | Russian | Spanish | Turkish
Media and multimedia
Video Changing landscapes of the Mediterranean
International Day of Forests events
School children planting pine seedlings, Ukraine
Celebrating the International Day of Forests
- FAO headquarters, Rome. March 2013
At FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, an opening ceremony and technical seminar provided updated country-based information on the ways in which forests can maximize landscape products and services. The publication Forests and Water – International Momentum and Action was launched during the seminar.
Tlemcen, AlgeriaIn conjunction with the Third Mediterranean Forest Week, the Day was launched with a press conference, release of the publication State of Mediterranean Forests and tree planting activities in Tlemcen, Algeria.