Directly or indirectly, we all depend on forests

Because of their importance to life on Earth, forests have gained the nickname ‘lungs of the planet’ for their role in producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide.

Covering 31 per cent of global land area, forests are also home to most of Earth's terrestrial biodiversity – the variety of life forms on the land's surface.

This biodiversity provides over half of humanity with medicines, livelihoods and food, with the forests’ essential nutrients sustaining millions of people, especially those living near and within forests.

But these forest ecosystems are in danger.

Each year we lose 10 million hectares of forests due to deforestation through clearing or harvesting, and approximately 70 million hectares of forests are degraded by fires.

In a tragic irony, even though forests provide various benefits including food and nutrients,  agricultural expansion into the forested landscape continues to be the primary driver of deforestation, forest fragmentation and the associated loss of biodiversity.

Sciences & Technology

How Australia’s ancient forests became an arid zone

To curb this deforestation for agricultural land, we need to transform our food systems, particularly in the way we produce and consume food.

Forests and livelihoods

Forests provide more than 86 million jobs and support the livelihoods of many more.

They are the primary source of rural income in many countries and regions, contributing significantly to the livelihoods of rural people.

Over 90 percent of people living in extreme poverty are dependent on forests for at least part of their livelihoods.

For the poorest households in rural areas, forests and trees can provide up to 20 per cent of their income, enabling them to access nutritious food and diversify their diet.

But forests contribute more to the livelihoods of rural people through subsistence use of forest products like food, fodder and medicinal plants, as well as for cash income obtained from the sale of non-timber forest products.

Forests also provide cooking energy to make food edible for rural households with wood still being used by more than two billion people for cooking.

Forests support agriculture

Recognising the important role of forests in food security, the theme of the United Nations International Day of Forests (IDF) 2025 is 'Forest and Food', celebrating the crucial roles of forests, both direct and indirect, in food security, nutrition and livelihoods. 

Sciences & Technology

Bushfires are changing the ‘hidden’ understorey in our forests

First and foremost, forests are vital to agriculture and support rural farming practices through various means.

For example, forests help keep the soil healthy and retain water, by regulating the movement of water and reducing the intensity of run-off.

This helps prevent the occurrence of flash floods and maintains availability of water for plants and people.

Healthy forests are home to critical pollinators like bees, some species of flies, butterflies, moths, beetles, birds, bats and other vertebrates that help crop pollination and increase crop yields and quality.

In one documented case forest-based pollinators increased coffee yields by 20 per cent within one kilometre of a forest.

They also improved coffee quality in areas adjacent to forests in Costa Rican landscapes comprising coffee farms, forest fragments and other agricultural uses.

Forests regulate temperatures, act as a natural barrier against the wind for crops and enhance rainfall. All of this helps to sustain agriculture and ultimately contribute to putting food on our table.

Food security and nature’s supermarkets

More than five billion people around the world use forest and non-timber forest products for food, medicine and supporting their livelihoods.

With such a diverse range of food and other services, we can think of forests as nature's supermarkets.

Environment

Seeds of hope lie in forests

Forests contribute to food security of communities by providing a rich source of wild foods like nuts, fruits, seeds, roots, tubers, leaves, mushrooms, honey, wild meat and insects.

Wild meat from forests is a vital source of proteins and micronutrients, particularly for Indigenous peoples and local communities in tropical regions.

More than 3,200 wild animal species have been used as food.

Tree-based foods serve as a safety net, especially during the seasonal shortfalls of food in rural households, while enabling inhabitants to respond to shocks and fill the gap of the food supply.

Despite being critically important for sustenance, these wild-harvested foods are often overlooked as part of a food system that supports improved food security for at least a billion people.

Water security

Besides tangible benefits, forests indirectly support our food security and nutrition through the vital role they play in the Earth’s water system.

Forested watersheds provide more than 75 per cent of our fresh water – contributing to both the food and water security of over half the world’s population.

Forests acting as natural water reservoirs regulate water availability, quality and distribution and maintain consistent water supplies for agriculture.

This ensures stable crop production and livestock sustenance while maintaining protective functions like preventing soil erosion and preserving fertile land necessary for farming.

Food system transformation

While deforestation has declined from 16 million hectares per year in the 1990s, the annual loss of 10 million hectares of forest between 2015 and 2020 is still alarmingly high.

Sciences & Technology

Bushfires are changing the ‘hidden’ understorey in our forests

Current food production practices causing deforestation include cattle ranching, palm oil and soybean production.

These drive the conversion of forests for agricultural production, resulting in the loss of forested areas and their associated ecosystem services.

Forest conversion for agriculture is driven by both domestic and international demand for food and forest products, and largely by consumption of agricultural and forest products in economically developed countries.

This threatens the capacity of the world’s forest to deliver sufficient goods and services, including food security. 

Innovations like agroecological production help restore the productivity of degraded agricultural land and help to reduce pressure on forests.

Agroecology helps integrate ecological principles into farming to improve performance and minimise the negative impacts of agriculture on the environment.

Common agroecological practices include cover cropping, agroforestry, intercropping, mulching, soil and water conservation, and efficient use of fertilisers.

Success requires a contribution from consumers and companies, who can help by purchasing products from sustainable deforestation-free supply chains from countries adhering to zero deforestation commitments.

The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) – which will be implemented from 30 December 2025 – is a much-needed step in this direction.

Environment

One million urban trees

The EUDR is designed to reduce the impact of the EU consumer market on forests globally by preventing products derived from agricultural expansion from entering the EU.

This should foster increased environmental and social responsibility for EU companies wanting to import agricultural and forest-based products.

Because directly or indirectly, we all depend on forests, protecting and restoring our forests will not only benefit the forests themselves, but all those whose livelihoods are supported by the diverse range of ecosystem services forests provide.

Each year 21 March is celebrated as the International Day of Forests (IDF). For more information, you can visit the UN website.