The Forest Feast: Nourishing People, Preserving the Planet

Written by Sabrina Dookie

As we reflect on the theme of World Food Day 2025, "Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future," it is important that we acknowledge and recognise the role of forests in food sustainability for thousands of generations. The 80^th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is also being celebrated this year, underscoring the organisation's dedication to enhancing food systems for a brighter future through world cooperation [1]. Currently, the global food system fails to provide sufficient and nutritious food for all, while simultaneously depleting the Earth's resources through overexploitation. From 2000 to 2018, about 90% of changes in global forest cover were due to agricultural expansion, positioning food production as the primary driver of direct deforestation [2]. Humanity is faced with numerous socio-environmental challenges, including the need to secure food amidst climate change and biodiversity loss [3]. Over 2 billion individuals face food insecurity, with nearly 700 million suffering from undernourishment [4].

However, to every cloud there is a silver lining. There are many reasons to believe that trees and forests are essential to combating some of these challenges. In the current times, forests have rightly received attention for their roles in the conservation of biodiversity and the mitigation of climate change. In pursuit of highlighting these gains, the potential for contributing to food system transformation has largely been overlooked due to the absence of holistic approaches to food systems. The average person may associate forests with their ability to act mainly as carbon stores or perhaps a continuous source of fuel from dead wood, or construction materials from timber. This perception may be considered dangerous to an extent, where one type of ecosystem service may overshadow another.

Forests serve as a critical food source for 1.6 billion individuals worldwide, with the direct provision of wild foods significantly enhancing dietary requirements in various cities and communities. Generally, tree cover is associated with increased dietary diversity and elevated intake of fruits and vegetables [5]. For instance, all nuts and cultivated fruits intended for human consumption are produced by trees. Many of these foods are rich in nutrients, contributing to the reduction of deficiency diseases such as scurvy and anaemia. Agroforestry systems integrate the cultivation of trees with crops and livestock on farmland, facilitating the production of diverse tree and non-tree food sources. Forests also serve as main habitats for various animals that supply meat (‘bush meat’), including freshwater fish, clams, oysters, prawns and crabs, which are considered a primary source of essential nutrients for certain rural communities [6]. Furthermore, forests and trees on agricultural land supply animal fodder, facilitating livestock rearing, which yields nutritionally significant foods, including meat, eggs, and milk.

Why trees and forests are crucial for transforming the food system (Source: Ickowitz, et al. 2022, distributed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Trees and forests also generate income that supports food security and nutrition through the logging industry, ecotourism, and the sale of non-timber forest products such as straw, thatch, and honey. Tree crops generate income for millions of farmers in both developed and vulnerable communities by trading globally recognised commodities, including coffee, cocoa, olive and palm oil, rubber, various nuts, and fresh fruits. The production and export of numerous products serve as vital income sources for growers, traders, and corporations [7]. Trees and forests offer essential ecosystem services for agriculture, such as water and nutrient cycling, soil erosion protection, pest and disease regulation, and nitrogen fixation, among many other processes [8].

Many species of nuts are derived from forest trees, which form the daily dietary intake of millions of people globally (Source: PxHere, distributed under: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)

Numerous fruits and vegetables depend on animal pollinators, which are significantly reliant on trees for habitat and sustenance. The global decline of pollinators underscores the importance of trees in providing habitat. In certain instances, forest detritus may serve as an organic fertiliser that enhances sustainable agricultural practices while minimising adverse environmental impacts. The direct and indirect benefits of trees and forests for food sustainability are strengthened by our efforts to protect and conserve them through various co-management techniques, benefiting both the environment and humanity. As we celebrate World Food Day this year, let us remember the important roles that trees and forests play in global food sustainability. If trees and forests are given the attention they deserve, they can significantly enhance the global food system, promoting both human health and environmental sustainability.

References 

[1] World Food Day | Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.” 2025. World Food Day. 2025. https://www.fao.org/world-food-day/en.

[2] Sylvester, Janelle M, Diana María Gutiérrez-Zapata, Lisset Pérez-Marulanda, Martha Vanegas-Cubillos, Thilde Bech Bruun, Ole Mertz, and Augusto Castro-Nunez. 2024. “Analysis of Food System Drivers of Deforestation Highlights Foreign Direct Investments and Urbanisation as Threats to Tropical Forests.” Scientific Reports 14 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-65397-3.

[3] Filippo Oncini, Steffen Hirth, Josephine Mylan, Clare H Robinson, and David Johnson. 2024. “Where the Wild Things Are: How Urban Foraging and Food Forests Can Contribute to Sustainable Cities in the Global North.” Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 93 (January): 128216–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128216.

 [4] Food and Agriculture Organisation, International Fund for Agricultural Development, UNICEF, UN World Food Programme, WHO Food security and nutrition in the world: transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets http://www.fao.org/3/ca9692en/ca9692en.pdf (2020), Accessed 21st Mar 2021

 [5] Miller, Daniel C, Pablo J Ordoñez, Sarah E Brown, Samantha Forrest, Noé J Nava, Karl Hughes, and Kathy Baylis. 2019. “The Impacts of Agroforestry on Agricultural Productivity, Ecosystem Services, and Human Well‐Being in Low‐and Middle‐Income Countries: An Evidence and Gap Map.” Campbell Systematic Reviews 16 (1). https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1066.

‌[6] Nasi, R, A Taber, and N Van Vliet. 2011. “Empty Forests, Empty Stomachs? Bushmeat and Livelihoods in the Congo and Amazon Basins.” The International Forestry Review 13 (3): 355–68. https://doi.org/10.1505/146554811798293872.

 [7] Arild Angelsen, Pamela Jagger, Ronnie Babigumira, Brian Belcher, Nicholas J Hogarth, Simone Bauch, Jan Börner, Carsten Smith-Hall, and Sven Wunder. 2014. “Environmental Income and Rural Livelihoods: A Global-Comparative Analysis.” World Development 64 (April): S12–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.03.006.

‌[8] Ickowitz, Amy, Stepha McMullin, Todd Rosenstock, Ian Dawson, Dominic Rowland, Bronwen Powell, Kai Mausch, et al. 2022. “Transforming Food Systems with Trees and Forests.” The Lancet Planetary Health 6 (7): e632–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2542-5196(22)00091-2.

Author biography

Dr. Sabrina Dookie is a lecturer and mangrove ecologist attached to the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus (Department of Biology). Her research interests include mangrove restoration, microbial functionality in mangroves, ecophysiological adaptions of mangroves in stressed environments, coastal and marine life management, hydroperiod and sedimentation dynamics, sustainable forestry management, and traditional ecological knowledge and its applications.