Over 5 Billion People Depend on Forests for Livelihoods, FAO Reports

In a striking revelation, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has reported that over five billion people globally rely on forests for their livelihoods. Despite this significant dependence, the organization highlights that the contributions of forests to food security and nutrition are frequently overlooked in national statistics and policy frameworks.

The FAO's insights were published in a comprehensive report titled "Forests for Food: Nourishing People, Sustaining the Planet," which was developed in collaboration with the Landscape Alliance. This report underscores the essential functions that forests and trees serve, including providing nutritious food, alleviating hunger, and combating poverty.

“By working together and fully integrating forests into national, regional and global strategies, we can build agrifood systems that are more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable,”

stated FAO Director-General QU Dongyu in the report’s Foreword. He emphasized that incorporating forests into agrifood policies is crucial for enhancing the resilience and sustainability of food systems worldwide.

The report also presents alarming statistics: approximately 645 million individuals are projected to experience chronic hunger by 2025, while an average of 10.9 million hectares of forest are lost each year. Such deforestation and degradation not only threaten biodiversity but also compromise essential ecosystem services, ultimately jeopardizing agricultural productivity and access to nutritious food.