Forestry Congress Ends With Calls For Deforestation Control

The XII World Forestry Congress ended Sunday in Quebec City with participants urging political commitment around the world to reduce deforestation, to protect indigenous peoples and forest communities and to enhance forest restoration. The congress was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Canadian government. "Forests have enormous potential to make an invaluable contribution to the imperatives of this era:

for environmental security, poverty alleviation, social justice, enhancement of human well-being, equity for present and future generations," a final statement from the congress said. "However, harmonization between people and the planet cannot be achieved by forest managers alone. Bridges must be built with other sectors," it added.

More than 3,000 participants from 120 countries attended the conference, which had as its theme "Forests, Source of Life."

According to the FAO, around 1.6 billion people rely on forests for their livelihoods. Despite their importance, around 12.4 million hectares of forests are destroyed annually in tropical developing countries, the FAO says (FAO release, Sept. 29).
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