UN warns of "narrowing window" to restore forests amid food security risks

The world faces a “narrowing window” to restore forests that are vital to food security and resilience to the climate emergency, the United Nations has warned.

More than 489 million hectares of forests have been cleared since 1990, while an even larger area has been degraded, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) State of the World’s Forests report, The Guardian writes.

The report calls on governments to make forest restoration a national priority, while acknowledging progress in forest protection and tree-planting efforts in different parts of the world.

Over the past two decades, national, regional and global initiatives have committed to restoring more than 1 billion hectares of land. However, only about one-fifth of that area is currently being restored, the FAO said.

“Progress is uneven, and it is insufficient to meet growing global needs,” the report states.

Forests cover about 4.14 billion hectares, or roughly one-third of the Earth’s land surface. They store an estimated 714 gigatonnes of carbon and support up to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity.

Forests also help regulate rainfall and contribute to food security and livelihoods. Nearly one-third of the global population depends on forests for their livelihoods, according to the report.

At the same time, forests are facing mounting pressures. About 127 million hectares of forest are affected by fires each year, while insects, diseases and severe weather events are causing additional damage.

These pressures are compounded by agricultural expansion, the climate crisis, pollution and the extraction of fossil fuels and other natural resources.

“This widening gap between demand and sustainable supply highlights a structural imbalance that threatens both ecological integrity and the long-term viability of forest-based economies,” the report states.

The FAO said restoring forests and other degraded ecosystems could bring significant benefits to communities, food security and economies. Restoring 1 billion hectares of degraded land is estimated to generate $1.8 trillion in benefits each year.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said the report underlined the broader economic and social importance of restoring forests and landscapes.

“The report makes clear that forest and landscape restoration is more than an environmental priority – it is a strategic investment in resilient agrifood systems and rural development,” he said.

Qu warned that delays could increase the costs of restoration and deepen existing inequalities.

“The window for action is narrowing, and delayed or poorly designed restoration will increase long-term costs, exacerbate inequalities and risk locking landscapes into unsustainable trajectories. Given the continued loss and degradation of forest ecosystems, as well as growing global demand for land-based products and services, there is an urgent need to scale up effective restoration,” he said.

By Sabina Mammadli