The role of the forest in countries’ efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are widely recognized. To maximize the contribution of forests to the SDGs, a workforce trained in forestry and a broad range of other forestrelated disciplines are needed as are widespread public knowledge and understanding of forest topics. However, recent literature highlights concerns that forest education is often not meeting the fast-changing needs of the labour market and the importance of forests and of forest managers and policymakers is often under-appreciated. The scope of this report covers education and training related to forests, trees outside forests and other wooded land (i.e. natural forests, forest plantations, woodlands, agroforests and urban forests). It includes education delivered through programmes of forestry and forest sciences as well as programmes of broader scope, (e.g. natural resources management, environmental sciences). It covers all levels of formal education: primary, secondary, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and universities and colleges (UC). This report reveals awareness of some overarching actions that would benefit forest education, including ameliorating a negative public image of professional forestrelated jobs and careers; developing better collaboration between educational institutions, the forest sector (private and public) and the general public; improving demographic diversity in the post-secondary student population; and strengthening digital readiness at all levels of education. The data collected by global survey on forest education supplemented by the six regional consultations represent a wealth of current information on the status and needs in forest education.

Drylands cover 41 percent of the Earth's land surface. This publication presents the results of the first global assessment of trees, forests and land use in these lands. The assessment breaks new methodological ground: it relies on the visual interpreation of freely available satellite images, carried out by more than 200 experts in a series of regional workshops. Using a tool called Open Foris ollect Earth, developed by FAO in collaboration with Google, participants gathered and analysed information for mrore than 200 000 sample plots worldwide. For each region, the report summarizes the distribution of forests, other wooded land and other land uses including grasslands, croplands, built-up areas and barren land, across all drylands and by aridity zone. It also estimates tree canopy cover, shrub cover, forest type and presence of trees outside forest. Indicatng that the global drylands contain more than one-quarter of the world's forest area, and that trees are present on 31 percent of the world's dryland area, the report provides a baseline for future monitoring and will support countries in their efforts to identify appropriate investments for the restoration and sustainable management of drylands.

Forest education builds the knowledge, skills, and shared values that underpin sustainable forestry and its contributions to sustainable development goals, such as those set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In recent years, however, international forums have expressed concern that, in most countries, forest-related education is insufficient and outdated. The net result is a lack of awareness and understanding among people of all ages of the importance of forests. Equipping children with knowledge about the vital functions of forests is essential for conserving natural resources for future generations. By nurturing awareness and a sustainability attitude in today's children, we pave the way for responsible environmental stewardship among the adults of tomorrow. This begins with reinforcing environmental education programmes that ignite curiosity about the natural world, ultimately nurturing ecologically literate citizens capable of ensuring the sustainable management of our environment, including forests. Inspiring children from an early age builds an appreciation of forests and encourages them to explore careers that benefit society and the environment. This publication caters to nations and jurisdictions interested in expanding forest education among primary-school-aged children. Drawing from lessons learned by implementing project GCP/INT/349/GER, it offers guidance for decision-makers, educational authorities, and institutions seeking to introduce forest education into their curricula, existing school programmes, and informal education settings.

Designed for primary school children in Grades 3–5 in the United Republic of Tanzania, these education modules are inspired by the principles of the “education for sustainable development” (ESD) approach. The ESD approach is based on learning methods that motivate and empower learners to make informed decisions, change their behaviour and take responsible action for environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society for present and future generations, using a more hands-on and interactive approach than standardized education methods. The modules have been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and the Ministry of Education of the United Republic of Tanzania as part of the project, “Forests for a Sustainable Future: Educating Children”, implemented by FAO and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture (BMEL).

This catalogue aims to improve the dissemination and outreach of FAO’s knowledge products and overall publishing programme. By providing information on its key publications in every area of FAO’s work, and catering to a range of audiences, it thereby contributes to all organizational outcomes. From statistical analysis to specialized manuals to children’s books, FAO publications cater to a diverse range of audiences. This catalogue presents a selection of FAO’s main publications, produced in 2023 or earlier, ranging from its global reports and general interest publications to numerous specialized titles. In addition to the major themes of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, it also includes thematic sections on climate change, economic and social development, and food safety and nutrition.

A global assessment of potential and anticipated impacts of efforts to achieve the SDGs on forests and related socio-economic systems. This title is available as Open Access via Cambridge Core.

Against the backdrop of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use and the pledge of 140 countries to eliminate forest loss by 2030 and to support restoration and sustainable forestry, the 2022 edition of The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) explores the potential of three forest pathways for achieving green recovery and tackling multidimensional planetary crises, including climate change and biodiversity loss. The three interrelated pathways are halting deforestation and maintaining forests; restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry; and sustainably using forests and building green value chains. The balanced, simultaneous pursuit of these pathways can generate sustainable economic and social benefits for countries and their rural communities, help sustainably meet increasing global demand for materials, and address environmental challenges. The State of the World’s Forests 2022 presents evidence on the feasibility and value of these pathways and outlines initial steps that could be taken to further pursue them. There is no time to lose – action is needed now to keep the global temperature increase below 1.5 °C, reduce the risk of future pandemics, ensure food security and nutrition for all, eliminate poverty, conserve the planet’s biodiversity and offer young people hope of a better world and a better future for all.

Building on data that is more comprehensive and reliable than ever before, covering 234 countries and territories, the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015 shows encouraging signs of improved forest management and a global slowdown in deforestation. However these trends need to be strengthened, especially in countries that are lagging behind.

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.

Provides an assessment of the international forest regime, in reponse to calls from many quarters, including the UN Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) and the World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development, as well as several NGOs. The focus is mainly on action taken by countries at the global level, in the framework of legally binding instruments and institutions. It builds on previous analyses of the international forest regime by looking beyond the legal mandates to begin exploring the actual performance of the components against their mandates. With the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) Proposals for Action as the point for departure, the effectiveness and impact of individual legal instruments and global instutions are analyzed, as is the potential for synergy between them.