International Forest Industries alarmed about Food Security and Climate Change

Brussels, June 20, 2008

At a recent meeting of International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in South Africa attention was drawn to the intricate relationship between forest practices, food production pressures, liquid biofuel production and land-use choices. The members of ICFPA underlined the critical role of sustainable forest management in addressing these issues.

Food prices during the first three months of 2008 were 58% higher than during the same period in 2007, according to FAO. The Worldbank estimates that this has led to some 100 million people worldwide having been pushed into poverty. Reasons for this price increase, unprecedented during the past 25 years, are considered to be changing food demand patterns, regional and local extreme weather events, rising fossil fuel prices, volatility of the US Dollar, speculation, and the increasing production of liquid biofuels.

By 2050 the world population will increase to 9 billion, all of whom need to be fed. The highest population increase will take place in already vulnerable regions in Latin America, Africa and Asia. For the same period, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has predicted in its 4th Assessment Report a rise in global temperature and sea level, and change in precipitation patterns, connected with an increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

It is very likely that this climate change will impact the availability, accessability, stability and utilization of food. The situation can lead to resource-based conflicts at the national and international levels, and to increased pressure on existing forests.

“We are very concerned about the global development of food prices and the threats of climate change to the livelihoods of people, to international development and food security, and to the world’s forests. “ Mr. Avrim Lazar, Chairperson of the FAO Advisory Committee of Forest And Paper Products (ACPWP) and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) said.

Sustainably managed forests play an important role in contributing to food security, both directly and indirectly. Forests provide employment and income for an estimated 1.2 billion people, thus allowing them to buy food. However, they also directly provide food and livelihoods for an estimated 450 million people worldwide. Forests regulate the water cycle, protect watersheds, and thus protect agricultural production in the lower catchments. They protect and conserve soils, they provide shelter for agricultural crops in agroforestry and mixed cropping systems, they provide fodder for livestock and offer grazing in silvopastoral schemes, and they conserve biodiversity which may provide gene banks for future crops.

Mr. Mike Edwards, former CEO, Forestry South Africa, stressed
“Land – use decisions must reflect the needs of local communities as well as forest ecosystem values and ensure food supply for the local population. The role of sustainable forestry in this is critical. When making land-use choices, national authorities may want to consider trade-offs between different land-use options.”

“Global experience warns of the danger of treating challenges in isolation”, Ms. Teresa Presas, Chairperson, ICFPA and CEO, Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) pointed out. “Climate change, deforestation, and the emerging energy, water and food crisis must be addressed in a cross-sectoral way through land-use policies and decisions that are integrated.”

For more information, please contact Martyn Griffiths at m.griffiths@cepi.org or Tel.: +32 2 627 49 26.