Expert meeting to discuss the draft guiding framework for strengthening coherence between forestry and social protection for forest-dependent communities

Background

Promoting social protection is a critical strategy for reducing poverty and food insecurity, and decreasing vulnerability and inequalities in developing countries. The sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicate the commitment of the international community to end poverty and hunger by 2030, and recognize the urgent need to expand social protection coverage by calling countries to expand coverage of nationally appropriate social protection systems to achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable by 2030 (SDG 1.3).

Most of the food insecure and poor people with the greatest need for social protection live in rural areas and depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. Forest-dependent communities (FDCs) are usually located in remote and disconnected rural areas characterized by low levels of market development and poor access to public goods and social services. The challenges of ecological degradation and climate change are especially relevant to FDCs around the world. FDCs constantly deal with the consequences of market failure and are particularly exposed to risks and repeated shocks. A wide range of environmental, economic, health-related, demographic, social, and political factors are key sources of vulnerability for these communities. FDCs are therefore significantly in need of social protection.

Since 2014, FAO has explored the topic of social protection for FDCs with particular focuses on expanding social protection coverage and strengthening coherence between forestry and social protection for achieving poverty reduction and sustainable forest management. Activities conducted include global literature reviews and country case studies in Burkina Faso, China, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, national workshops, a sub-regional workshop for East Africa, and two COFO side events in 2016 and in 2018. Results show that coverage of social protection interventions to FDCs is very limited despite exposure to various risks and vulnerabilities. Evidence also shows that social protection can accelerate the achievement of forestry policy goals such as forest conservation and restoration, and sustainable landscape management. 

Objectives

The objective of the expert meeting is to provide technical comments and inputs to the draft guiding framework for strengthening coherence between forestry and social protection for FDCs.  FAO Forestry Department is developing this guiding framework in cooperation with the UNU-MERIT with objectives of:

i) providing rationale for coherence between forestry and social protection;

ii) identifying  approaches for expanding the coverage of social protection for FDCs; and

iii) identifying options for improving coherence between forestry and social protection.