Ingen ægte grøn økonomi uden verdens skove, mener FNs Fødevare- og Landbrugsorganisation (FAO) op til det store miljøtopmøde i Rio, der formelt indledes onsdag – miljøskånsom skovhugst et vigtigt bidrag til udviklingsmålene.
ROME, 18 June 2012: The world’s forests have a major role to play in the transition to a new, greener economy, a theme being discussed at the Rio+20 Conference.
But to spark that shift, governments must enact programs and policies aimed at both unlocking the potential of forests and ensuring that they are sustainably managed, FAO said Monday.
Some 350 million of the world’s poorest people, including 60 million indigenous people, depend on forests for their daily subsistence and long-term survival, it notes.
“On-farm forestry,” also known as agroforestry, is in some cases contributing up to 40 percent of farm income via harvesting of wood, fruits, oils and medicines.
In a new report, “The State of the World’s Forests 2012 (SOFO 2012)”, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) makes the case that better and more sustainable use of forestry resources can make a significant contribution to meeting many of the core challenges being discussed in Rio.
These include reducing poverty and hunger, minimizing the impacts of climate change, and creating alternative and more sustainable sources of bio-products and bio-energy for human use.
“Forests and trees on farms are a direct source of food, energy, and cash income for more than a billion of the world’s poorest people,” said FAO Assistant Director-General for Forestry Eduardo Rojas-Briales, adding:
“At the same time, forests trap carbon and mitigate climate change, maintain water and soil health, and prevent desertification. The sustainable management of forests offers multiple benefits – with the right programs and policies, the sector can lead the way towards more sustainable, greener economies.”
Supporting livelihoods
Investments in wood-based enterprises can generate jobs, create assets and help revitalize the lives of millions of people in rural areas, according to FAO’s new report.
Despite sometimes having a poor reputation due to concerns over deforestation, wood products – if sourced from well-run forestry operations – can store carbon (CO2) and are easily recycled.
Forest-based industries around the world are innovating competitive new products and processes to substitute non-renewable materials, and by doing so are opening pathways towards low-carbon bio-economies. “The promotion of a sustainable forest-based industry offers a way to improve rural economies while meeting sustainability goals,” says SOFO 2012.
But while the report indicates that the value of forest products exports more than doubled between 2002 to 2010 in certain areas, it also says that more attention needs to be paid to promoting the creation of small and medium scale forest-based enterprises that benefit local communities.
Renewable energy
Læs videre på http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/149592/icode
Hele rapporten kan ses på
http://foris.fao.org/static/sofo/SOFO2012_executiveSummary.pdf
