New FAO strategy for forests

Tisková zpráva Press Release Communiqué de presse

Brusel, 23 March 2009
 

New FAO strategy for forests

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has new strategy for forests and forestry.

The FAO Committee on Forestry adopted the new strategy at its 19th session (COFO 19) in Rome last week. The theme of the meeting was “Forests in a Changing World”. Discussions centred around long-term sustainable forestry in the context of climate change and the current economic crisis and connected questions of institutional changes in the forestry sector. The representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic also spoke on behalf of the EU at this important event. In parallel with the COFO meeting the World Forest Week was celebrated.

More than 550 participants from FAO member states, UN agencies and international and non-governmental organisations took part in the COFO 19 meeting. They also discussed the new FAO Strategy for Forests and Forestry and the strategic framework on forests and climate change, genetic forest resources, deforestation and financing for sustainable forest management. They also touched on the preparations of the XIII World Forestry Congress in Argentina in the autumn.

At the end of the plenary session the COFO Committee adopted recommendations for other FAO activities in forestry:

• support for the continued development of the strategic framework on forests and climate change, which focuses on the role of forests and their management when mitigating and adapting to climate change;
• a recommendation that FAO should do more to help its member states adopt their forestry policies to economic and environmental changes and changes in society;
• support for the preparation of a report on the state of the world’s forest genetic resources – to be published in 2013
• adoption of the new FAO Strategy for Forests and Forestry which aims to react effectively to current challenges in the forestry sector, primarily the continued deforestation and forest degradation, which are worsened by globalisation and the economic crisis, environmental change, the development in the perception of forests and forestry in society and, finally, enduring poverty in the developing countries.

The Committee on Forestry (COFO) is the most important statutory organ for forestry of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). The COFO sessions normally take place every other year at the FAO headquarters in Rome and are attended by representatives of the state forestry authorities of FAO member states. Its aim is to determine the priorities of FAO in forestry.

The World Forest Week led to a discussion of a number of current issues concerning forests and forestry, e.g. forest fires, and research and education, and also started a dialogue between representatives of state authorities responsible for forest management. One of the main themes was the impact of the global economic crisis on the forestry sector. A large number of participants expressed fears that the economic slowdown will lead to limited investments in forestry and a lower supply of wood. On the other hand, this situation could create investment opportunities, e.g. regarding the contribution of forests and forestry to mitigating and adapting to climate change.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has new strategy for forests and forestry. 

Tereza Dvorácková
Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Agriculture