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In this study, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) teamed up to investigate how transformational change (transformational change) is understood in the scientific literature. The study, the first of its kind to review academic studies on transformational change, focuses on two main questions: (i) What does ‘transformational change’ mean? and (ii) What drives it?

This report presents the results of a study on agricultural plastic products used globally in a range of different value chains. The study assessed the types and quantities of plastic products, their benefits and trade-offs. Sustainable alternative products or practices were identified for products assessed as having high potential to cause harm to human and ecosystem health or having poor end-of-life management. The report is based on data derived from peer-reviewed scientific papers, governmental and non-governmental organization’s research reports, as well as from industry experts, including relevant trade bodies. The report’s recommendations were verified during extensive consultation and review with FAO [...]

Growing international and domestic demand for tropical timber has resulted in critical wood supply gaps for many tropical timber-producing countries, in some instances linked to a surge in illegal logging. Growing shortages of legal timber supply have necessitated the exploration of alternative sources of legally produced timber. Community forestry has been recognized as a potential source that could boost legal timber supply on the domestic market of tropical timber-producing countries. This brief seeks to share the experience accrued across Asia, Africa and Latin America in addressing and overcoming challenges faced in legal frameworks, market access, and capacity building.

Informal forest sector micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are often equated with being “illegal” when their mode of production, source of raw materials, or even their legal existence does not conform with their country’s regulatory requirements. This characterization fails to recognize the complex circumstances many MSMEs faces, especially in countries where the requirements for legality compliance and achieving formal status are not clear. This situation raises a question frequently faced by practitioners who work with forest sector MSMEs – should MSMEs be encouraged to formalize to avoid being labeled as ‘illegal’? Acknowledging that MSMEs have valid reasons to either pursue [...]

To meet global restoration needs and recover degraded forests and landscapes, adequate public and private investments are required to support restoration activities on the ground.The new FAO publication “Local financing mechanisms for forest and landscape restoration: A review of local level investment mechanisms” examines the pathways available to financing restoration for a positive local level impact.The document provides an in-depth study of how financial mechanisms can be coordinated to maximise the leverage of finance and the adoption of practices at scale across the landscape.By examining some of the accessible investment mechanisms and planning strategies, it aims to support discussions, thinking [...]

To support the implementation of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and help achieve its goals, there is a need for a shared vision of ecosystem restoration. A key step in creating a shared vision of ecosystem restoration is to adopt principles that underpin the full set of ecosystem restoration activities. To this end, this brochure presents ten principles for ecosystem restoration including a first principle that orients restoration in the context of the UN Decade, followed by nine best-practice principles. These best-practice principles detail the essential tenets of ecosystem restoration that should be followed to maximize net gain for [...]

To facilitate sustainable management of logged forests in the Caribbean, forest authorities of Belize, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the University of Hamburg as a scientific partner, implemented the regional project “Ensuring Long-Term Productivity of Lowland Tropical Forests in the Caribbean” financed by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The main objective of the project was to support the sustainable management of logged forests to maintain productivity and prevent further degradation. For this purpose, extensive field studies were conducted in the project countries, which resulted [...]

This brochure presents flagship initiatives and programmes designed by members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to contribute to the common goal formulated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres of “turning the tide on deforestation”. The brochure reaffirms the call by leaders at UNFCCC COP26 for action to accelerate efforts to halt deforestation.The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), made up of 15 international organizations, is accelerating efforts to halt deforestation globally. Turning the tide on deforestation within the next decade is crucial to achieve the 1.5 degree Celsius goal of the Paris Agreement, and to tackle not only the climate crisis, [...]

The  Food  and  Agriculture  Organization  of  the  United  Nations  (FAO)  Strategic  Framework  2022-31  outlines  the organization’s  commitment  to  MORE  efficient,  inclusive,  resilient  and  sustainable  agri-food  systems  for  better  production,  better  nutrition,  a  better  environment,  and  a  better  life,  leaving  no  one  behind.  These  four  betters are the aspirations of FAO, and the organizing principles of our work for the coming decade. They demonstrate a  commitment to better nutrition, while linking sustainable production and decent livelihoods with the urgent need  to protect and regenerate our environment.

Since 2020, the EU, FAO and CIRAD have entered into a partnership with governments and food systems actors to initiate a large-scale assessment and consultation on food systems in more than 50 countries, as a first step towards transforming them. The assessments and consultations will gather evidence and knowledge in support of the transition to more sustainable food systems, centered on four core goals, namely food security, nutrition and health, inclusive economic growth, territorial development and equity, and the environment. Country teams led by the government and supported by EU Delegations, FAO Representations and other development partners are driving the [...]