Forestry

Search by

Forests cover 31 percent of the world's land and are fundamental to life on our planet.

Home to more than half of the world’s land animal and plant species, forests are a direct source of food, income and shelter for millions of people, and provide energy for heating and cooking for 2.6 billion. Forests are key to mitigating climate change, absorbing carbon dioxide from the air, storing more than half the global carbon stock in soils and vegetation and regulating rainfall. If sustainably managed, forests are also a source of renewable raw materials, helping to build an economy which allows nature to regenerate.

Through its Forestry Programme, FAO seeks to restore forests, improve the lives of forest-dependent people, and support countries to manage their forests in a sustainable way. FAO’s work is fully aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, creating more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Highlights

Event

Committee on Forestry

28 September – 2 October 2026

Event

10th World Forest Week

28 September – 2 October 2026

Flagship publication

The State of the World’s Forests 2026

Publications

Forests for food: Nourishing people, sustaining the planet

News

World Forest Week: FAO urges greater investment and action for the world's dryland forests

02/10/2026

Rome – Forests and trees in the world's drylands sustain the livelihoods, food security and cultural identity of more than two billion people, yet they remain insufficiently recognized in global climate, biodiversity and land agendas, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

World Forest Week: United Kingdom and Germany announce support to strengthen innovative forest monitoring

02/10/2026

Rome – The United Kingdom is strengthening support for forest monitoring with new funding to help countries advance forest monitoring and enable access to forest finance.

World Forest Week: Producer organizations offer cost-effective route to resilience

02/10/2026

A newly launched policy brief from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) makes the case that supporting organized smallholders is one of the most cost-effective ways to advance food security and rural well-being

Forestry at FAO

The Forestry Division leads FAO’s work in promoting the sustainable management of forests and balancing economic, social and environmental interests in landscapes surrounding them. It liaises with member countries, partners, civil society and the private sector to encourage more effective policies for management and to strengthen the role of forests in reducing the effects of climate change and helping humanity to adapt to them.

The Division also collects, analyses and shares information on the world’s forest resources and the production, trade and consumption of wood and non-wood forest products. The Committee on Forestry and six regional forestry commissions guide FAO in its technical forestry work.