The Forestry Department is pleased to support the preparation of the HLPE report on Sustainable Forestry for Food Security and Nutrition to be presented to the CFS in 2017. Considering the increasing recognition of forests' contribution to food security and nutrition, we attach the utmost importance to this HLPE report.
Due to the wide range of products and services provided by forests that are relevant for food security and nutrition (FSN), we believe the study would benefit from an analysis of forests’ contribution across all four dimensions of FSN. Special attention should be paid to the specific role of forests and trees at the household, national and global levels with regard to FSN as they vary in terms of their nature and level of significance. These differences should be reflected and specified in the report. Finally, the report should consider the different functions of forests at different stages of socio-economic development. For example, forests play a different role in developing and developed countries in relation to food security. Such distinctions will allow the report to provide context-specific policy recommendations.
Forest should be understood in a broad sense embracing dense and open forests, shrublands, rangelands, mountains and other non cultivated areas.
Overall comments for the proposed scope
- The proposed “draft scope of the HLPE” needs to have a well-defined objective to provide systematic evidence and analysis on the contribution of forests across all four dimensions of Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) at all levels.
- The contribution of forests to FSN goes far beyond the direct provision of forest foods. A holistic picture, which captures the full contribution of forests across all four dimensions of FSN (including the Availability, the Access, the Utilization and the Stability dimensions), should be established throughout the report, and should be the added value of this particular report. For example, the use of woodfuel as the main type of cooking fuel in about one-third of the World’s households indicates forests’ vital role in cooking practices and care. Therefore, woodfuel plays an important role in ensuring the “utilization” dimension of FSN for about 2.4 billion people (FAO STAT 2011). In addition, the important aspect of increased access to “food” (which encompasses all types of food to fulfil the daily dietary needs) through income generated from forest-related activities, is often overlooked. Further, forests and trees also contribute in other ways to FSN, e.g. support to sustainable agriculture by stabilizing soils, regulating water flows and mitigating climate change.
- The specific functions forests provide at the household, national and global levels with regard to FSN can vary in terms of their nature and level of significance, therefore it will be important for the report to reflect and specify these differences. As an example, edible Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs), including bushmeat and insects may provide a primary source of nutritious food for households in and around forest areas, however, this may not be the main contribution of forests to FSN at national or global levels.
- The different functions forests serve in different stages of socio-economic development should also be highlighted. For example, forests play a different role in developing and developed countries in relation to food security. Such distinctions will allow the report to provide context-specific policy recommendations.
- Last but not least, as forests, including mangroves, play an essential role in fisheries production, an expert on “forestry and fisheries” should also be considered to be included in the HLPE Report project team.
**Please find attached the revised version of the proposed draft scope of the HLPE Report for your consideration.
FAO Forestry Department