14th World Forestry Congress (WFC XIV) - Forests and People: Investing in a Sustainable Future

The XIV World Forestry Congress will convene on the theme “Forests and People: Investing in a Sustainable Future” and aims to show that investing in forestry results in investment in people, and consequently investing in sustainable development.

The congress will explore how to sustainably tap one of the world’s key resources, forests, through its role in income generation, employment creation and equity and the links between forests and climate change, biodiversity conservation and sustainable water resources, as well as explore the governance structures that best promote implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests. Sub-theme dialogues will address: the role of forests in socio-economic development and food security; building resilience through forests; integration with other land uses; forest product innovation and sustainable trade; better decision making due to forest monitoring practices; and improving governance through capacity building.

In addition to these, high-level politicians and internationally-recognized experts will discuss the global forest agenda, an innovation and investment forum will explore the forest sector’s role in alleviating global challenges, the international forests and water dialogue will launch a Forests and Water Action Plan, and a business networking event aims to strengthen private sector engagement, investments and partnerships. The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015 will be released during the Congress containing the state of the world’s sustainable forest management and what percentage of forests has been lost or gained, along with other trends.

The conference is organized by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO) and hosted by the South African government.