International Day of Forests: How conserving and restoring forests will lead to a food-secure future

The world has a forest area of more than 4 billion hectares (31% of land). Forests are at the heart of our ecosystem and global food systems, yet they are under immense pressure.

This year, under the theme “Forests and Foods,” the International Day of Forests highlights the vital link between forests and food security. From absorbing carbon from the atmosphere to providing sustenance and livelihoods, forests play a critical role in sustaining and feeding the world.

Forests are fundamental to life on Earth, serving as the planet’s lungs by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, regulating global temperatures and hydrological cycles and supporting biodiversity. However, the world has lost 178 million hectares of forest since 1990, an area the size of Libya.

Losing forests leads directly to increased carbon emissions, loss of biodiversity, the degradation of land and the disappearance of livelihoods in rural communities.

Forest conservation and restoration are essential to tackle these multiple challenges. This means preserving forests and plant and animal species diversity within them. It also includes reforestation – planting trees in previously forested areas, urban areas and farmland.

The World Economic Forum’s trillion trees platform 1t.org spearheads public-private partnership efforts to conserve and restore forests. Since its launch in 2020, 92 companies have pledged to conserve, restore and grow more than 9.7 billion trees in 143 countries.

The initiative nurtures the communities of over 200 ecopreneurs scaling restoration and 140 young activists mobilizing for #GenerationRestoration.

One of 1t.org’s pledgers, Fresh Del Monte, has committed to sustainable forestry through its “JUNTOS” programme.

JUNTOS has facilitated the reforestation of approximately 486.6 hectares, created over 400 hectares of wildlife refuges, and developed connectivity corridors for species.

Fresh Del Monte has set aside more than 10,000 hectares of land for biodiversity conservation and created five alliances to educate local communities on the importance of these topics in Costa Rica and Guatemala.

Over 5 billion people depend on forests and non-timber forest products for food, medicine and livelihoods. Over 2 billion people rely on wood and other traditional fuels for cooking.

Forests are also crucial for agriculture. They host pollinators aiding fertilization, regulate water cycles and act as windbreaks for crops. Deforestation is thus a threat to global food supply chains.

Agroforestry – a key restoration measure – integrates trees into farming landscapes. By improving soil fertility, water retention and carbon sequestration, agroforestry helps farmers increase yields while restoring degraded lands.

Based in East Africa, Forested, an ecopreneur winner in the 1t.org-UpLink 2021 Trillion Trees Challenge, is a woman-led ingredient insets company. It partners with smallholder farmers and land stewards to grow, process and supply regenerative agricultural products to global markets.

It also partners with consumer brands, providing sustainably sourced bee products, essential oils, nut butters and other agroforestry ingredients. Beyond supply, it offers verified Scope 3 reductions or insetting units, ensuring sourcing drives real environmental and social impact.

Forested is proving that restoring ecosystems and enhancing biodiversity is not only a conservation strategy but also a scalable, profitable and climate-resilient solution for the future of consumer brands.

Forested watersheds provide fresh water to over 85% of the world’s major cities. Moreover, sustainable forest management can enhance water quality for over 1.7 billion people in large urban areas, contributing to their food and water security.

By regulating water flows and protecting soils, forests enhance the productivity of agricultural land by acting like a sponge, absorbing precipitation and releasing it gradually to help maintain consistent water flow to surrounding communities and agricultural lands.

By decomposing leaf litter and organic matter, nutrient cycling enriches the soil with essential nutrients, enhancing its quality for agricultural use.

In fact, healthy soils support 95% of global food production, help preserve biodiversity, filter water and sequester carbon. However, one-third of global soils are degraded.

Recognizing this challenge, the Forum launched a Global Future Council on Soils. The initiative aims to advance transformative data-driven ideas and solutions to help reverse soil degradation through cross-sector insights.

While forests contribute to industries such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals and eco-tourism, they also serve the traditions and survival of Indigenous communities and rural households and support wellbeing through recreation and tourism.

Agricultural commodity production is one of the biggest drivers of nature loss worldwide and land use causes almost a quarter of global emissions. However, new production models are emerging and we need an agricultural transition on an equal scale to the energy transition.

The Tropical Forest Alliance addresses the negative impacts of agricultural commodities driving deforestation, particularly cattle, palm oil and soy. It works to change corporate practices, public policy and finance flows to accelerate a deforestation-free transition.

A recent example of the shifting supply and demand trade dynamics is the shipment of deforestation and conversion-free soybeans from Brazil to China led by COFCO International and facilitated through the Taskforce for Green Value Chains, launched at the Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions in 2023.

Developments like these have commercial and reputational value, such as gaining recognition from investors, providing a business case to policymakers, bringing confidence to peer companies and showcasing a positive market signal to producing countries.

Forests and food security are deeply intertwined. Without urgent action, deforestation will continue to threaten global food supply, economies, biodiversity and the climate.

By conserving and restoring forests, we can build a resilient and food-secure future for generations to come but collective action is essential.

Governments, businesses, researchers, non-government organizations and individuals must work together to:

This International Day of Forests, let’s commit to protecting these vital ecosystems. Through policy, business or personal choices, we all play a role. A future without forests is a future without food – action must start now.

Ariana Day Yuen, Founder and CEO of Forested, also contributed to this article.