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 22 August 2023 In May 2023, FAO launched a series of workshops on “Forest food systems and their contribution to food security and nutrition“ to identify and promote priority actions to enhance the sustainable use of forest and tree foods, including wild species. Over 160 participants from nearly 30 countries joined the workshops remotely to exchange knowledge and experiences on enabling the contributions of forests foods to sustainable food systems and optimizing benefits for biodiversity, climate and human health. [more] |
 19 March 2020 The farming of insects such as crickets is helping to fight malnutrition in Madagascar, and could be helping to protect the nation’s forests and primates. Madagascar has the world’s fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition, and is losing a staggering amount of its biodiversity to deforestation, population growth and land degradation. Farming quick-growing crickets that are high in protein (in addition to potentially improving gut health and reducing systemic inflammation) could help to alleviate malnutrition, and reduce the pressure on lemurs – which are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss and hunting. [more] |
 18 March 2020 This recent report calls for a rights-based approach to conservation, and to embrace a broader landscape perspectives approach to assessing dietary diversity and nutrition from forests and tree-based systems. The paper promotes the reconciliation of conservation in protected areas, with the rights to food; the provision of secure land and forest tenure and equitable resource access; increased access of business skills, credit, training, technology and extension services to small forest and farmholders; integrated gender equality across forest policy; and the improved alignment of FSN polices across forestry, agriculture, fisheries, energy, livestock and other sectors. [more] |
 4 March 2020 Non-wood forest products such as honey, shea butter and beeswax have the potential to contribute to food security, nutrition, household incomes and forest conservation in the West Nile region in north-western Uganda. Honey sampled here was found to contain a significant amount of vitamin C and total polyphenol, which can help to support immune system functions. However, several factors are slowing progress, including a decline in bee forage as a result of landscape degradation, distance to markets, poor market information, a lack of training and equipment, and sub-standard harvesting techniques. [more] |
 3 March 2020 Within Indonesia, local Dayak communities are harvesting and selling illipe nut as a premium product and a forest-friendly alternative to cocoa or shea. Used locally as a skincare treatment, the illipe nut butter will now enter the sustainable value chain and supply 100 tons of dried illipe nut – leading to the conservation of almost 68,000 ha of land and bringing prosperity to 500 people. Using a regenerative business model, and in agreement with local CSOs, organisations such as Forestwise and SYSTEMIQ aim to protect and restore tropical forest ecosystems, with a focus on climate action and social impact [more] |
| 20 February 2020 - CIFOR: Agroforestry land restoration technique improves food security in Honduras  20 February 2020 In Honduras, the lives of 300 subsistence farming families have been transformed through a revolutionary agroforestry system: Inga alley-cropping. Since 2012, the Inga Foundation has helped families to plant more than 3 million trees, becoming a model for environmental sustainability and ecological resilience. Regenerating land through this integrated ecosystem approach provides a resilient and organic way to protect wildlife habitats, improve soils and water sources, and achieve food security (100% of families with established Inga alleys achieve food security). [more] |
 6 February 2020 The call to better integrate forests into agriculture, comes as scientists warn of the dangers of agricultural expansion, as Indigenous and local communities continue to face threats from biodiversity loss. The cultural and nutritional contributions of forests and trees to human diets are often overlooked within current food systems. In order to transform food systems and achieve food security and nutrition for all, we must promote an integrated strategy that combines sustainable agriculture and sustainable forestry. [more] |
 18 December 2019 A recent study has found that landscapes with greater blocks of forest are associated with more diverse diets and improved fruit consumption in Africa. Recognising the role of forests and trees in food security and nutrition has become increasingly important as agricultural practices intensify. The paper calls for the recognition of the importance of forests and trees in diversifying diets, and calls for a food security and nutrition strategy that simultaneously promotes access to forests while diversifying agricultural production – increasing access to bio-fortifications and creating income-generating opportunities. [more] |
 28 November 2019 Shifting cultivation, aka swidden agriculture or slash and burn, has long been blamed for environmental degradation and deforestation. Known locally in Bangladesh and northeast India as jhum, this ancient practice can produce diverse landscapes and food systems. Policy-driven attempts to transform jhum into permanent agriculture can often cause tenure insecurity, food and nutrition insecurity, and a reduction in the flow of ecosystem goods and services. [more] |
 29 October 2019 Khasi women of Meghalaya, India, are determined to fight climate change through the promotion of diverse Indigenous food systems and agro-ecology. Women growers have created a local-food farmers market, selling local fruits, vegetables, wild edible plants and other forest food. Café’s have also been created to popularise traditional cooking and local practices. These indigenous women are the seed keepers, agro-ecology knowledge repositories, and in times of climate change, are the best equipped to manage food security. [more] |
 15 October 2019 The creation of an Indigenous cookbook celebrating traditional diets in southern Mexico has reignited pride in traditions, native seeds and heritage. The cookbook includes recipes for chipilín mole, tamales, yeba santa and chayote, and highlights the benefits and beauty of more sustainable agricultural practices to smallholder farmers. Maintaining Indigenous knowledge systems in this way can help to ensure food and livelihood security and gender equity. [more] |
 15 October 2019 By diversifying their shopping baskets, consumers worldwide not only improve the nutrition of their families, but support sustainable food production systems, resilient and biodiverse landscapes, and social inclusivity for smallholder farmers. With 90% of the world’s farms owned by 1.5 billion smallholders, the importance of producer organizations in refocusing agriculture on diversity is crucial for encouraging the development of basket-of-produce value chains. [more] |
 20 August 2019 With the Government of India planning to double farmers’ income by 2022, the provision of forest rights and better support for ecosystem services could be part of the strategy that helps a specific segment of farmers who live and with forests. Globally, communities living within forests own or manage at least one quarter of the world’s land surface, with Indigenous Peoples and local communities collectively managing approximately 300,000 million metric of carbon in their trees and soil. [more] |
 16 August 2019 As forests, farming, and food become the next frontier in the climate emergency, there is a pressing need for creative and effective solutions to provide food security and nutrition. A new report – Beacons of Hope: Accelerating Transformations to Sustainable Food Systems – showcases 21 global initiatives that are disrupting the status quo and regenerating landscapes, enhancing livelihoods, promoting Indigenous and cultural knowledge, and restoring health and wellbeing for a resilient food future. One example from Andhra Pradesh, promotes food resilience through chemical-free, traditional farming and agroecological processes, with plans to scale up to 6 million people by 2024. [more] |
 8 August 2019 Following the release of the IPCC report on climate change and land, key recommendations include overhauling current food production systems and promoting smart “regenerative” agriculture, in an attempt to reduce rates of deforestation and promote sustainable forest management. The report also recognises the key role that indigenous peoples hold in managing natural resources, and makes key remmondations to bolster indigenous land ownership rights as a climate change mitigation strategy. [more] |
 8 August 2019 This special report from the IPCC highlights the crucial relationship between land and climate change. It particularly looks at land degradation from a human food security perspective and reflects upon the strong correlations between land degradation and poverty. With climate change having significant impacts on global land resources - in addition to people’s health, livelihoods and wellbeing - a coordinated action to tackle climate change could simultaneously improve land, food security and nutrition, and help to end hunger. [more] |
 5 August 2019 Most climate models compatible with the Paris Agreement determine a two-step process to draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere: the conversion of large areas of land to biofuel crops; and the conversion of land to large forest areas with carbon dioxide-absorbing trees (to absorb the carbon dioxide captured when the biofuels are burned for energy). However, this could compromise sustainable development and may have irreversible consequences for land degradation, food security and desertification. [more] |
 24 July 2019 Forests have shown significant contributions to both the quality and quantity of freshwater fish populations. A study in Nigeria found a consistent and positive association between forest cover around rivers and fish consumption at the village level – suggesting that by improving the productivity of inland fisheries, the presence of forests could considerably boost the amount of fresh fish consumed. The study highlights the need for a multi-sectoral perspective in understanding land use changes, particularly the interlinkages between changes in forests and freshwater ecosystems. [more] |
 22 July 2019 It is estimated the one in seven people worldwide consume wild foods in some form, providing essential micronutrients to hundreds of millions of people. This includes plants, insects, fruits, nuts, and fish from inland fisheries. However, crucial nutritional and conservation data is missing for these wild species. Recognising the role of wild foods in the healthy diets of forest dependent people, and the right of access these foods, could contribute to the debate of nutrition-sensitive ecosystem conservation interventions. [more] |
 11 July 2019 The promotion of edible insects in Madagascar is part of a new effort that aims to solve two challenges: malnutrition and biodiversity loss. As one of the “greenest” animal proteins in terms of their water, land and food requirements, the sakondry is a highly nutritious insect that, with specialized farming techniques, holds the potential to improve rural nutrition and food security, and reduce lemur hunting in a number of areas. [more] |
last updated: Monday, October 18, 2021