Forests, Food Security and Nutrition
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has published a factsheet on the links between ‘Forests, Food Security and Nutrition,’ in the context of a growing global population and rising demand for food.
The publication notes that while agricultural expansion continues to be a major driver of deforestation, forests provide an important source of food and contribute to overall nutritional health. While forests contribute only 0.6% of the global food supply, they are important for a number of reasons:
- Provision of essential micronutrients
- Employment and income to purchase food for an estimated 54 million people
- Wood energy allows billions to get the most from available foods
- Forests provide stability through resilience and fill gaps in times of food shortage
The factsheet also highlights that children in 21 African countries eat a wider variety of food where there is increased tree cover, partly due to the ecosystem services provided by forests.
