"The more you degrade the environment, the more you dig deeper into poverty," is a statement from Nobel Prize winner and Kenyan environmentalist Prof. Wangari Maathai, who championed and mobilized people to plant millions of trees to combat deforestation and improve livelihoods.
Almost 13 years after her death, the vast lands covered with forests she foresaw and dedicated her life to have been cleared, deforested, degraded and destroyed.
For instance, lobbyists are currently engaged in a bitter dispute regarding the Kenyan government’s phasing out of eucalyptus trees in Karura Forest, a 2,000-acre area that Maathai fought to protect from annexation by the former government. If they relent, the forest will be gone. This kind of battle—forests versus competing interests—plays out across Africa and globally. And the forest is losing ground, and fast. Such global losses mean we are losing forests at a rate equivalent to 10-11 football pitches per minute.
For a world threatened by climate change, you would expect everyone to prioritize the preservation of forests and champion initiatives that can enable a sustainable future for all. However, each day, millions of trees are cut unsustainably. If the situation escalates, there will be adverse effects on the environment and life. A 2020 United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) report indicated that in the past 30 years, 420 million hectares of forest have been lost to other land uses, while another 100 million hectares remain at risk. Meanwhile, Africa's annual deforestation in 2015–2020 stood at 4.41 million hectares of forest.
Forests play a critical role in the absorption of carbon, which contributes to climate change, one of the most pressing issues in the world today. Given the increasing number of floods, droughts, disease outbreaks, pests, and other climate-related impacts, improved forest cover is needed. Such expansions will automatically help prevent the escalation of these climate issues.
Forests and trees are essential in agrifood systems. They provide food for millions of people and sustain rainfall, which is critical for food production. Thus, removing forest cover automatically compounds the climate situation and disrupts agricultural productivity.
The State of the World’s Forests 2024 reports that forests support 80 percent of amphibian, 75 percent of bird, and 68 percent of mammal species. According to another recent FAO report, more than 6 billion people depend on non-timber forest products, including almost 2.77 billion rural users in the Global South Alone.
Despite their immense contributions to life, such as providing human food security, nutrition, and economic power, reckless individuals and organizations have targeted them.
For instance, the Congo Basin (500 million acres of forests), often accurately referred to as the lungs of Africa and the world's beating heart, absorbs more than 1.5% of global carbon emissions. One would expect that such a vital resource would be well protected, yet criminals continue to log illegally and clear the forest unsustainably.
As the world celebrates the International Day of Forests, themed Forests and Food, there is an urgent need to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests as well as promote the solutions that can enable us to protect the forests forever. This day calls upon all people, communities, and stakeholders to take local, national, and international actions to improve the well-being of our forests.
One significant innovation that has emerged over the years to protect our forests is forest certification. This system enables us to monitor and trace products from the forest to the store shelves, ensuring they are produced sustainably. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is regarded as the gold standard for sustainable forestry, offering a market-based solution for forest management. Its strength lies in connecting consumer demand with responsible production, thereby creating economic value in conservation.
Such innovations must be integrated with science and traditional African knowledge to increase forest cover. Responsible innovation will ensure that all relevant stakeholders are taught the skills and knowledge prerequisites for preserving forests. It will also ensure that underrepresented stakeholder groups, such as women, indigenous peoples, and youth, are empowered and supported to advocate for this cause. Responsible innovation will also ensure all partners are brought together to share a common goal and vision for ecosystem restoration.
In January 2025, the African Union adopted its new agricultural development strategy with the promise to drive the continent to increase its agrifood output by 45 percent by 2035. It equally outlines the ambition to transform Africa’s agri-food systems to get the continent to full food security in a decade. If we must achieve this continental target and contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), forests must play a central role.