Having trouble viewing this email? Click here to see an online version.<http://www.fao.org/forestry/infonews/82278/en/> [cid:image003.jpg@01CECB4B.EC646030] No. 14 Editorial Forestry commissions define regional priorities for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa [cid:image002.jpg@01CECB61.8E0F80D0]James Singh, Commissioner of Forestry, Guyana Chair, 28th Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission, Georgetown, Guyana, 9-13 September 2013 In our region, the forest sector's role in development is significant, and we, as sector managers, must transform our management of forests to ensure their sustainability. We can do this if we cooperate and if we approach our understanding of the challenges, and their solutions, within the framework for dialogue offered by FAO's Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission. [cid:image009.jpg@01CECB4B.EC646030]Joseph Hailwa, Director of Forestry, Republic of Namibia Chair, 19th Session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission, Windhoek, Namibia, 30 September to 4 October 2013 Ending illegal logging and poaching in Africa must be the priority of all parties in the continent's forestry and wildlife sectors, was the call of the Hon. Mutorwa, Minister for Agriculture, Water and Forestry of Namibia, at the 19th Session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission. And to help make that vision a reality the members adopted a Recommendation calling for the creation of a sustainable development goal on forestry. Read more »<http://www.fao.org/forestry/infonews/82278/en/> **** FAO news Towards EXPO Milano 2015 A high-level international panel presented the UN system's innovative proposals for Expo Milano 2015 at a side-event at October's Committee on World Food Security meeting. Twenty million visitors are expected to attend the Expo, along with 1 billion virtual visitors, making this the key event of the year for the UN family as it transitions to a post-2015 agenda. Read more »<http://en.expo2015.org/> **** Forestry news Nutritious forest foods inform thinking on food security The value of forest foods was the focus of an FAO Forestry side-event at October's Committee on World Food Security (CFS) meeting. It featured field lessons and the launch of a policy brief on the contributions of forests to food security and nutrition, a theme reinforced at a CFS special event on the role of small-scale producers in strengthening links between food security and natural resources. Read more on the FAO Forestry side-event Nutritious foods from forests<http://www.fao.org/forestry/38822-08932d990272c43dae9a5a14985bb8fe0.pdf>, the CFS special event<http://foris.fao.org/static/data/CFS_RBA_specialevent_flyer_fao_ra_dkn.pdf>, and view the policy brief here.<http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i2969e/i2969e.pdf> FAO and Edmund Mach Foundation collaborate on world mountain forests FAO is joining forces with the non-profit Edmund Mach Foundation to elevate the position of mountain forests on the European and international agendas. The two organizations will work together to strengthen knowledge-sharing and capacity-building, share good practices, assist in project formulation and implementation, and support technical consultations and awareness-raising internationally. Read more »<http://www.mountainpartnership.org/news/news-detail/en/c/201906/> European Commission strengthens focus on European forests Increasing demands on European forests, coupled with other recent social and political changes, have altered the forest-policy landscape, prompting the European Commission to produce a new Forest Strategy. The product of a 2-year consultative process involving the Commission, member states and stakeholders, the Strategy awaits endorsement by the European Parliament and Council. Read more »<http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-850_en.htm> Edible insects: a hit with the reading public An FAO Forestry Paper on edible insects is currently the Organization's best performing e-book title, with over 2000 downloads on mobile devices such as smart phones, tablets and e-readers. Launched at the May 2013 International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition, the publication describes the great potential of edible insects in future food and feed security. Read more »<http://www.fao.org/publications/e-book-collection/en/> **** Global news 11th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification, Windhoek, Namibia, 16-27 September [cid:image010.jpg@01CECB4B.EC646030] Land and soil should be recognized as the foundation of food security and poverty reduction, said Uahekua Herungua, President of UNCCD COP 11<http://www.unccd.int/en/about-the-convention/the-bodies/the-cop/cop11/Pages/default.aspx>. With an estimated 20 percent of the Earth's land surface degraded, there is huge potential for reversing the loss of soils and biodiversity, promoting improved livelihoods and combating climate change. FAO favours forest landscape restoration to combat desertification Speaking at UNCCD COP 11, FAO Assistant Director-General Forestry, Eduardo Rojas-Briales, advocated forest landscape restoration as a pre-eminent means of combating desertification. Restoration approaches engender social, economic and ecosystem synergies and benefits and merit greater attention and action, he said, including the possible establishment of a UN land convention. Read more <http://foris.fao.org/static/adg/FAO_statement_COP11_24Sept2013.pdf>Read more about FAO's work on arid zone forestry<http://www.fao.org/forestry/aridzone>, its participation in side events at COP 11 as well as some key highlights. Stronger African partnerships for sustainable land management in drylands A side event co-organized by the African Union Commission, EU, FAO and the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD, the WB and GEF on the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative called for stronger African alliances in sustainable land management. The pooling of resources, knowledge and expertise would help boost livelihoods and natural resource management best practices on the continent. Read a news article<http://allafrica.com/stories/201309241197.html> and view a photo gallery<http://www.fao.org/resources/photos/building-the-african-wall-piece-by-piece/en/> showing the development of the Great Green Wall in Niger. Escalating the fight against land degradation A West African model for halting land degradation offers hope to communities worldwide that are struggling to survive in arid lands and can also play a role in meeting the UNCCD's target of zero net land degradation<http://www.unccd.int/en/media-center/MediaNews/Pages/highlightdetail.aspx?HighlightID=110>. Speaking at a side-event at UNCCD COP 11, FAO's Nora Berrahmouni said that policy change, new legislation and farmers' tree ownership were key factors in the success of the model. Read more <http://www.worldagroforestry.org/newsroom/highlights/escalating-fight-against-land-degradation>Soils for food security and ecosystem resilience The fundamental role of soil in food security, climate-change resilience and sustainable development was highlighted by FAO Forestry ADG, Eduardo Rojas-Briales, at a side-event convened by the Global Soil Partnership. Panelists stressed that ensuring recognition of soil's significance in development requires robust interaction with end users and the exchange of rigorous scientific information and data. Read more about the Global Soil Partnership<http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership/en/>. More action needed on dryland landscape restoration Resilience in drylands requires more investment and support for the scaling up of forest and landscape restoration (FLR), including through sustainable forest and rangeland management, according to an FAO-UNCCD side event addressed by outgoing UNCCD Executive Secretary, Luc Gnacadja. GEF representatives said that, under GEF-6, FLR in drylands will be a focal area with increased funding. Read more<http://www.fao.org/forestry/aridzone/restoration/en/> Appointment of Monique Barbut as new Executive Secretary, UNCCD<http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2013/sga1438.doc.htm> UNCCD COP 11 - highlights from IISD<http://www.iisd.ca/vol04/enb04250e.html> Final UNCCD COP 11 press release<http://www.unccd.int/en/media-center/MediaNews/Pages/highlightdetail.aspx?HighlightID=246%20> Selected reading on drylands and desertification * FAO. 2013. Towards global guidelines for restoring the resilience of forest landscapes in drylands<http://foris.fao.org/static/aridzone/Towards_guidelines_for_restoring_resilience_of_forest_landscapes_in_drylands.pdf> * FAO. 2011. Highlands and Drylands. Mountains, a source of resilience in arid regions<http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2248e/i2248e00.pdf> * FAO. 2010. Guidelines on sustainable forest management in drylands of sub-Saharan Africa<http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1628e/i1628e00.pdf> (French)<http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1628f/i1628f00.pdf> * FAO. 2010. Fighting sand encroachment. Lessons from Mauritania<http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1488e/i1488e00.htm> FAO Forestry Paper 172 (French<http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1488f/i1488f00.htm> and Arabic<http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1488f/i1488f00.htm>) * FAO. 1992. Unasylva: Arid zone forestry<http://www.fao.org/docrep/u5200e/u5200e00.htm> Unasylva 43 (168), 1992 Regional forestry communicators work on strengthening collaboration Regional workshops organized recently by FAO Forestry in Viet Nam and Namibia for forest communicators were important steps in the creation of regional forest communication networks worldwide. The aim of the networks is to improve collaboration among forest communicators in their efforts to raise awareness on forests. A global network, facilitated by FAO, should be in place by 2015. Read more about the Asia-Pacific Communicators workshop<http://www.fao.org/forestry/84563/en/> and the Africa workshop<http://www.fao.org/forestry/84564/en/> (Francais)<http://www.fao.org/forestry/84564/fr/> 4th Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership Greater focus on mountains in international processes and more commitment for sustainable mountain development were two of the Erzurum Conclusions adopted at the Mountain Partnership's 4th Global Meeting in Turkey, in September. Members also approved a new strategy, governance document and Steering Committee, and FAO's Thomas Hofer was confirmed as Partnership Secretariat Coordinator. Read more »<http://www.mountainpartnership.org/about/fourthglobalmeeting/en/> Mesoamerican Indigenous Peoples define subregional forestry agenda Strengthening local forest governance and developing a common strategy for policy advocacy in the design of FLEGT and REDD are key needs of Mesoamerican Indigenous Peoples, a Central American pre-congress held in Honduras in September concluded. The FAO-hosted Forest & Farm Facility indicated it will support indigenous groups' inputs to forest policy in the subregion through a formal agreement. Read more »<http://www.fao.org/partnerships/forest-farm-facility/80044/en/> Norway and Germany support Ecuador in emission reductions Norway and Germany have agreed to pay Ecuador for verified reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from forests. The payments will be used, among other things, to strengthen Ecuador's forest governance, carbon reporting and REDD+ initiatives. FAO will support implementation through the UN-REDD Programme, and Germany will also provide a further US$2.6 million to strengthen in-country capacity. (Spanish) Read more »<http://www.rlc.fao.org/es/prensa/noticias/noruega-y-alemania-negocian-con-ecuador-pagos-por-la-reduccion-de-emisiones-de-gases-de-efecto-invernadero-de-origen-forestal/> **** Upcoming meetings and events * Global Forest Resources Assessment and Collaborative Forest Resources Questionnaire workshop<http://forests-l.iisd.org/events/global-forest-resources-assessment-fra-and-collaborative-forest-resources-questionnaire-cfrq-workshop/> - Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, 16-17 October * International forum on the sustainable development of the wood industry in the Congo Basin<http://www.fb2013.org/home/4578713197> - Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, 21-22 October 2013. Read the interview with Robert Simpson, Manager of the EU-FLEGT Programme based at FAO<http://www.fao.org/forestry/eu-flegt/84506/en/>, Rome * 2nd Expert meeting on strengthening finance for sustainable forest management through national forest funds in the Asia-Pacific region<http://www.cifor.org/id/events/upcoming-events/events-list/event-view.html?tx_cal_controller%5Bview%5D=event&tx_cal_controller%5Btype%5D=tx_cal_phpicalendar&tx_cal_controller%5Buid%5D=773&tx_cal_controller%5Blastview%5D=view-list%7Cpage_id-252&tx_cal_controller%5Byear%5D=2013&tx_cal_controller%5Bmonth%5D=10&tx_cal_controller%5Bday%5D=24&cHash=f7c903d64abfea1cb69de1f60b0e8e41> - CIFOR-FAO-GIZ, CIFOR HQ, Bogor, Indonesia, 24-25 October 2013 * 25th Session Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission<http://www.fao.org/forestry/31089/en/> - Rotorua, New Zealand, 5-8 November 2013 * Resumed 4th Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Legally Binding Agreement on Forests in Europe<http://www.forestnegotiations.org/INC/ResINC4> - Geneva, Switzerland, 7-8 November 2013 * UNECE/FAO workshop on impact of climate change on forest work<http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=33309>- Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, 11-12 November 2013 * Strength in numbers: international conference on forest producer organizations<http://www.fao.org/partnerships/forest-farm-facility/83759/en/> - Guilin, Guangxi Autonomous Region, China 25-28 November 2013 * UNECE/FAO regional forum on cross-boundary fire management<http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=33755> - Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, 27-29 November 2013 * Enlarged Executive Committee of the Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions-Silva Mediterranea and fourth Steering Committee of the Collaborative Partnership on Mediterranean Forests<http://www.fao.org/forestry/silvamed/en/> - Tunisia, 2-6 December 2013 * Metsä 2013 - Joint Session of the 37th European Forestry Commission-71st UNECE Committee on Forest and Forest Industry<http://www.fao.org/forestry/efc/en/> - Rovaniemi, Finland, 9-13 December 2013 The Second European Forest Week<http://www.fao.org/forestry/efw2013/en/>, Metsä2013, will be held this December in Finland. This 15-partner initiative will provide a unique opportunity to increase the visibility of the forest sector and its contribution to a sustainable economy. Interested stakeholders can contribute by holding side or parallel events during the Week,as well as by organizing national celebrations throughout Europe. Read more and register here<http://www.unece.org/forests/efw2013.html>. * 21st Session Near East Forestry and Range Commission<http://www.fao.org/forestry/31112/en/> - Jordan, 26-30 January 2014 * The 14th World Forestry Congress<http://www.fao.org/forestry/wfc/en/>, 7-11 September 2015, Durban, South Africa Collaborative Partnership on Forests - events calendar<http://www.cpfweb.org/73953/en/>, including: * 19th Session of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties, Warsaw, Poland, 11-22 November 2013<http://unfccc.int/meetings/warsaw_nov_2013/meeting/7649.php> * Global Landscapes Forum, Warsaw, Poland, 16-17 November 2013<http://www.landscapes.org/> * 49th Session of the International Tropical Timber Council and Associated Sessions of the Committees<http://www.itto.int/workshop_detail/id=2946> - Libreville, Gabon, 25-30 November 2013 * 3rd World Congress on Agroforestry<http://www.wca2014.org/>, Delhi, India, 10-14 February 2014. Call for abstracts is now open, deadline for submissions 30 September 2013. * 24th IUFRO World Congress<http://www.iufro2014.com/>, October 5-11 2014, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Trade and exhibition fair<http://iufro2014.com/IUFRO_2014_Trade_Exposition_and_Sponsorship.pdf> **** New publications and videos Publications * Towards food security and improved nutrition: increasing the contribution of forests and trees.English<http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i2969e/i2969e.pdf>, French<http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i2969f/i2969f.pdf> and Spanish <http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i2969s/i2969s.pdf> * Improving governance of forest tenure, a practical guide<http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3249e/i3249e.pdf> - Governance of Tenure Practical Guide. No. 2, International Institute for Environment and Development and FAO * Forests, Rangelands and Climate Change in Southern Africa<http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i2970e/i2970e.pdf> - Forests and Climate Change Working Paper No. 12 * Fortaleciendo el financiamiento para el manejo sostenible de bosques en America latina y el Caribe a través de los Fondos Forestales nacionales<http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/ar059s/ar059s.pdf> - Forest Finance Working Paper * Proceedings of the workshop on forest products statistics in China - English <http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/ar058e/ar058e.pdf> and Chinese<http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/ar058c/ar058c.pdf> * Forest Tenure Reform in China - results and lessons from the EU-SFA-FAO China Forest Tenure Project<http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/mi285e/mi285e.pdf>- China Forest Tenure * Il est temps de créer des liens entre les forêts et les organisations de producteurs agricoles<http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/ap633f/ap633f.pdf> - année internationale des coopératives, note de synthèse (2012) Articles co-authored by FAO Forestry staff published in specialist journals Biogeosciences * Current systematic carbon cycle observations and needs for implementing a policy-relevant carbon observing system<http://www.biogeosciences-discuss.net/10/11447/2013/bgd-10-11447-2013.html> * The full greenhouse gases budget of Africa: synthesis, uncertainties and vulnerabilities<http://www.biogeosciences-discuss.net/10/8343/2013/bgd-10-8343-2013.html> iForest, biogeosciences and forests * GlobAllomeTree: international platform for tree allometric equations to support volume, biomass and carbon assessment<http://www.sisef.it/iforest/contents/?id=ifor0901-006> Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B (Biological Sciences) * Financing and current capacity for REDD+ readiness and monitoring, measurement, reporting and verification in the Congo Basin<http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/368/1625/20120310.ful> * State and evolution of the African rainforests between 1990 and 2010 <http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/368/1625/20120300.full> * Abstracts in French<http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/site/2013/rainforest_french.xhtml> Video Our forest, our future: conserving and managing biodiversity in the South Pacific, Gaua Island, Vanuatu <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYYd7NEwEI&feature=youtu.be> -Global Environment Facility and FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands Pacific islands are on the frontline of natural disasters and their survival may depend on the integrity of their ecosystems. The video Our forests, our future<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYYd7NEwEI&feature=youtu.be> was produced on Gaua island, where the Government of Vanuatu and the local people have proposed the establishment of a World Heritage site. FAO and the Global Environment Facility are assisting efforts to conserve Vanuatu's biodiversity. Unasylva: a stroll down memory lane In this series, we feature extracts from early editions of Unasylva, FAO Forestry's international journal of forestry and forest industries. Trees, food production and the struggle against desertification In all the photographs attempting to convey the tragedy of the people of arid, drought-stricken Africa, there is a constant, almost permanent thread: whenever there is hunger, there is first ecological misery - lack of water, lack of trees, sometimes not even a sparse grass cover, but everywhere there is dust raised by a hot and dry wind. Arid Africa is naked, thirsty, hungry. Even more alarming, this parched land has in recent years stretched inexorably south. Poverty is now moving insidiously down to the once rich areas of the Sudano-Sahelian and Sudanian regions, the region of the trees. In order to ensure a normal human existence, free from crises of hunger and in an environment with a minimum of stability, what can the forest and the trees provide in terms of food production and the fight against barren landscapes and desertification? It has always been recognized, albeit superficially, that forest and trees had an important role to play, and now this role is becoming increasingly evident. What seems less evident, however, is a real knowledge of the elements ... capable of restoring this role and giving it a significance proportional to the magnitude of the present problem. Equally absent is a full awareness of the steps to be taken and of the appropriate programmes to be implemented in order to achieve this rehabilitation and increase the effective contribution of natural plant formations to solving the problems of hunger and desertification. This means switching from bucolic amateurism to real food production, from small woods to the widespread and continuous presence of trees in the agricultural landscape of the area. The variety and wealth of natural plant species found in forests, savannahs and fallows that can provide food are surprising. Especially remarkable is the fact that during almost any period of the year there is a species, a tree or a bush that can produce something to eat. ... El Hadji Mbara Sène Director of Forests of the Republic of Senegal, Coordinator of FAO's International Year of the Forest activities (1985) (and Former Director, FAO Forest Resources Division) Unasylva<http://www.fao.org/docrep/r5265e/r5265e03.htm>, 37(150), 1985, pages 19-26 Unasylva [cid:image013.jpg@01CECB4B.EC646030]<http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3364e/i3364e.pdf> Newsletters [cid:image014.png@01CECB4B.EC646030]<http://www.fao.org/forestry/37999-047b5e633427bba4d50c07fac77f64a26.pdf> Recent forestry papers Climate change guidelines for forest managers [cid:image015.jpg@01CECB4B.EC646030]<http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3383e/i3383e00.htm> Multiple-use forest management in the humid tropics [cid:image016.jpg@01CECB4B.EC646030]<http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3378e/i3378e00.htm> [cid:image017.jpg@01CECB4B.EC646030]<https://twitter.com/intent/follow?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fao.org%2Fforestry%2F81860%2Fen%2F®ion=follow_link&screen_name=FAOForestry&tw_p=followbutton&variant=2.0> Recent videos Our forest, our future: conserving and managing biodiversity in Gaua Island, Vanuatu, South Pacific [cid:image018.jpg@01CECB4B.EC646030]<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYYd7NEwEI&feature=youtu.be> More newsletters from FAO Forestry <http://www.fao.org/forestry/49665/en/> Forestry News [cid:image019.gif@01CECB4B.EC646030] <http://foris.fao.org/rss/rss-feed-output.do?pageitemId=179948&language=en> To unsubscribe from inFO news click here <mailto:[log in to unmask]&subject=Unsubscribe> Terms and conditions ######################################################################## To unsubscribe from the In-FO-News-L list, click the following link: https://listserv.fao.org/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=In-FO-News-L&A=1