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The State of the World's Forests
The State of the World's Forests reports on the status of forests, recent major policy and institutional developments and key issues concerning the forest sector. It makes current, reliable and policy-relevant information widely available to facilitate informed discussion and decision-making with regard to the world's forests.
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The State of the World’s Forests 2018
Nearly three years ago world leaders agreed to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – the central framework for guiding development policies throughout the world. This edition of The State of the World’s Forests is aimed at enhancing our understanding of how forests and their sustainable management contribute to achieving several of the SDGs. Time is running out for the world’s forests: we need to work across sectors bring stakeholders together and take urgent action. The State of the World’s Forests 2018 identifies actions that can be taken to increase the contributions of forests and trees that are necessary to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. It is now critical that steps be taken to work more effectively with the private sector and the informal forest sector must be transformed in order to bring broader economic social and environmental benefits. Seventy years ago when FAO completed its first assessment of the world’s forest resources the major concern was whether there would be enough timber to supply global demand; now we recognize the greater global relevance of our forests and trees. For the first time The State of the World’s Forests 2018 provides an assessment of the contribution of forests and trees to our landscapes and livelihoods. The purpose of this publication is to provide a much wider audience with an understanding of why forests and trees matter for people the planet and posterity.
The State of the World’s Forests 2016
Forests and trees support sustainable agriculture. They stabilize soils and climate regulate water flows give shade and shelter and provide a habitat for pollinators and the natural predators of agricultural pests. They also contribute to the food security of hundreds of millions of people for whom they are important sources of food energy and income. Yet agriculture remains the major driver of deforestation globally and agricultural forestry and land policies are often at odds. State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) 2016 shows that it is possible to increase agricultural productivity and food security while halting or even reversing deforestation highlighting the successful efforts of Costa Rica Chile the Gambia Georgia Ghana Tunisia and Viet Nam. Integrated land-use planning is the key to balancing land uses underpinned by the right policy instruments to promote both sustainable forests and agriculture.