Praia, Cabo Verde; 29 May 2025 – After four days of dialogue, shared experiences, and hands-on learning, the Global South-South Knowledge Exchange on Community-Based Forestry: From West Africa to the World has concluded with the adoption of the Praia Joint Declaration on Community-Based Forestry - a non-political shared commitment by countries and communities to strengthen local forest governance, improve rural livelihoods, and position community-based forestry (CBF) at the heart of climate and development strategies. Hosted in Praia on 26-29 May 2025 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency...

Countries in West Africa are strengthening their technical and institutional capacities to support REDD+ readiness, with assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through a dedicated training series on Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV). This initiative is crucial for improving forest monitoring, accessing climate finance, and ensuring sustainable land use. Given the increasing global emphasis on climate action, robust monitoring and reporting systems are essential for ensuring transparency and accountability in REDD+ implementation. It is part of FAO’s multicountry Green Climate Fund (GCF) funded Institutional and Technical Support for REDD+ Readiness in West Africa project, supporting Benin,...

The planet is facing a growing water crisis, and climate change threatens to make it worse. For millions of people, access to clean water for basic needs is already a daily challenge. Furthermore, rising temperatures are stretching this critical resource even thinner. Ecosystems, along with the plants, animals, and humans that depend on them, are demanding more water to survive, while vital industries like agriculture and energy production compete for what remains. As global warming continues to diminish the availability of accessible water, the stakes are growing. In this scenario, forests and trees emerge as silent and powerful allies. They are central to...

Social forestry and Indonesia’s forests If you are lucky enough to visit Indonesia’s amazing natural forests, you will start to understand their scale, vibrancy, and magnificence. The environmental importance of the country’s forests is seen in their being home to diverse range of flora and fauna that is almost unrivalled, including the critically endangered Javan (Rhinoceros sondaicus) and Sumatran (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) rhinos, Bornean (Pongo pygmaeus) and Sumatran (Pongo abelii) orangutan and the Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica). Furthermore, according to data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, an estimated 48.8 million people in Indonesia, many from different customary groups directly rely...

The global market is shifting towards agricultural products that respect forests and adopt responsible business practices, driven by the Paris Agreement's goals to reduce emissions and protect ecosystems. In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), significant progress has been made in building sustainable and low-impact agrifood chains. The UN-REDD Programme, through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and in collaboration with various projects and initiatives, is playing a key role in supporting these advancements.  Joining efforts, technical expertise, and initiatives related to sustainable agricultural markets and trade with those focused on reducing deforestation, in 2023, FAO and...