FAO, forests and forestry

Forests cover 27 percent of the land surface of the earth. They protect the environment; they provide essential benefits and services and are a pillar of national economies; they are inextricably woven into the social framework of our very existence

The FAO Forestry Programme addresses one of the most important, complex and controversial issues of modern times - how to use trees, forests and related resources to improve people's economic, social and environmental conditions while ensuring that the resource is conserved to meet the needs of future generations.

In assisting its 174 member countries to conserve and utilize forest and tree resources sustainably, FAO works in partnership with governments, international organizations, international financing agencies, non-governmental groups, the private sector, communities and various interest groups and individuals. It strives to use scarce resources efficiently, share experience and avoid duplication of effort.

FAO's work in forestry is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary effort organized into major programmes. The Programme in Forestry Policy and Planning encompasses the policy, institutional and socio-economic aspects of forestry development. It also includes community forestry.

A village nursery. Sustainable forest management depends on the involvement of the people who live in and around forests.

Forestry and food security

Food security means ensuring physical and economic access to food and adequate nutrition for all people at all times. Trees and forests play an important role in providing food security. They provide food for humans and fodder for livestock, energy for cooking for nearly half of the world's population, medicinal products, employment and income. They help maintain the soil and water resource base and the ecological balance essential to food and agricultural production.

Sustainable forest management practices that include the participation of local people are essential if forests and trees are to effectively address people's needs in terms of food security and overall socio-economic development.

The FAO Forestry Programme plays an important role in FAO's broad-based interdisciplinary approach incorporating all development sectors in achieving food security. This approach, and the role of forestry within it, are dearly set out in the Plan of Action adopted at the World Food Summit, hosted by FAO in November 1996, which states, "Food security depends, inter alia, on sustainable management of fish, forests and wildlife".

The FAO Programme on Forest Resources deals with assessment and management of forest and wildlife resources. Under this programme, FAO prepares and promotes the adoption of guidelines for the management of both natural and plantation forests of all types and the biological diversity they contain. Forest resource assessment - the collection, analysis and dissemination of information on the present status and trends of the world's forests is a key element of the programme. The programme also includes protection of forests from pests and diseases, as well as consideration of the impact of climatic change on forests.

Through the Programme on Forest Products FAO promotes the environmentally sound utilization of all types of forest product, both wood and non-wood, at varying levels of complexity of operation and size of enterprise.

FAO works with its member countries through the Organization's headquarters in Rome, Italy; through a network of decentralized but closely coordinated offices at country, subregional and regional levels; and through field projects across the developing world. The Forestry Field Programme provides direct technical assistance through some 180 field projects, mainly in developing countries. The FAO Investment Centre helps countries increase the flow and performance of investment in the forest sector.

FAO stresses capacity-building in all of its work in forestry development. Emphasis is placed on building national capabilities in forest policy development and strategic planning, on institutional strengthening, on human resources development and on assisting local communities and organizations. This includes assistance in training staff, developing efficient methodologies and supporting research in sustainable forest management.

Community forestry

Community forestry enables local communities to control and manage forest and tree resources. This approach has emerged as a major strategy for sustainable forest resource management in many countries. Sustainable forest management is not possible without the involvement the people who live in and around forests - the people who actually use the forest and depend on its products for their livelihoods.

Understanding the social, economic and cultural relationships between people and forests is a key aspect of community forestry. It is also important to understand the incentives which encourage local people to use and manage their resources sustainably.

Through its Community Forestry Unit, FAO has played a lead role in this field, particularly through the development and use of participatory methods and tools to increase local people's awareness and involve them in all aspects of forest management.

Activities have been concentrated in areas such as communal management of forest resources, food security and nutrition, gender, tree and land tenure, conflict management, non-timber forest products, small-scale forest-based enterprises, marketing information systems and farmers' research and extension. The development and dissemination of information materials has been a priority.

FAO's work in community forestry has been intensified through the Forests, Trees and People Programme (FTPP). Launched in 1987 with the overall goal of strengthening local people's ability to manage and use natural resources, FTPP works through regional and national institutions in Asia, Latin America and East and West Africa..

As community forestry moves into its third decade, there will be new areas to explore, including decentralization of planning and implementation to the district/provincial level, forest management through small-scale private ownership, issues related to natural resource management in economies in transition and an even greater focus on the participatory process in natural resource management. This will complement a continuing emphasis on the development and dissemination of information, methods, tools and training materials.