The latest United Nations (UN) FAO report reinforces that sustainable forestry – using timber for construction and replanting after harvest – and halting deforestation is essential to help curb the global climate crisis and help avert major biodiversity loss, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), Ross Hampton said today.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN has released its 2022 State of the World's Forests Report which sets out three key pathways to build more efficient, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems. The report calls for:
1. Halting deforestation
2. Restoring degraded land and expanding agroforestry and
3. Sustainably using forestry to build 'green' value chains.
Ross Hampton said, "The FAO report provides a clear narrative about the benefits of sustainably managed forests to help the world fight climate change and support the environment. Australia can be a world leader in forestry being a force for good.
"The three pathways the report identifies can support global economic and environmental recovery as the world looks to decarbonise and increase the use of renewables. The report makes clear that sustainable forestry is vital to drive the transition to a more efficient and circular bioeconomy underpinned by the use of biomaterials.
"The FAO report provides an exciting narrative and an opportunity to raise awareness and policy dialogue on sustainable forest use as to what the world's forests can contribute to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement," Ross Hampton concluded.
The full report can be found here.
