Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission charts course for sustainable forest management

The Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) meets in Panama City, Panama, this week to determine a course of action for mobilizing resources for forests across the region.

Latin America and the Caribbean is home to 23 percent of the world’s forests, which cover 47 percent of the region’s total land area, store vast amounts of carbon, provide vital ecosystem services and sustain economic activities, yet face threats from wildfires, pests and deforestation.

“Sustainably managing forests in Latin America and the Caribbean is not just a regional priority – it’s a global imperative,” said Ewald Rametsteitner, Deputy Director of FAO’s Forestry Division. “The Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission is a unique platform for countries to work together to preserve some of the world’s most extensive, vital and biodiverse forests while supporting the people whose livelihoods depend on them.”

FAO data warn that annual forest loss fell from 5.5 million hectares in the 1990s to 2.7 million in the period 2015–2020. An improvement, but still insufficient given the magnitude of the climate crisis.

“As we look ahead to COP30, and within the framework of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the call is to see forests not only as the lungs of the planet, but also as tables set for the future. Protecting them means ensuring clean water, fertile soils, healthy pollinators, and food for millions of people”, said Juan Ferrando, Forestry officer of FAO for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Scaling up forest financing

The 34th Session of the Commission brings together heads of forestry services, government officials from member countries across the region and FAO experts. Representatives of international organizations, NGOs and civil society, academic and research institutions, and the private sector may attend in an observer capacity.

The Session will explore a range of topics, from how to make forest management and tree planting more sustainable to the challenges and opportunities associated with restoring forests and forest landscapes. Integrated approaches to controlling wildfires, pests and invasive species, promoting biodiversity, and advancing forest-based bioeconomy approaches are also up for discussion.

Also on the agenda is the urgent need to scale up forest financing to realize the huge mitigation potential of forests and collective commitments to halt deforestation, for which a strategic mix of international and domestic finance from both public and private sources is needed.

About the Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission

The Latin and Caribbean Forestry Commission (LACFC) is one of six regional forestry commissions created by FAO to serve as a neutral forum where member countries can discuss vital policy issues impacting the forestry sector and advise FAO on the forestry programme to be implemented in their respective regions.

Established in 1948, the LACFC now comprises 37 member countries, including the dependent territories of France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Member countries actively cooperate at the regional and subregional levels through various networks and within the four subregional groups for the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, the Amazon and the Southern Cone.

The LACFC convenes every two years to formulate policies and make recommendations on matters of common concern, which are reviewed at regional and international fora, such as the FAO Regional Conference, the Committee on Forestry (COFO) and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF).

The provisional agenda for the meeting can be found here.