Forestry

The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT), the Principles on Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) and the Policy Recommendations: Sustainable Forestry for Food Security and Nutrition endorsed by the Committee for World Food Security (CFS) provide critical guidance on responsible investments in land and forests to address global challenges of food insecurity, poverty, and inequality while supporting sustainable management of natural resources. The PSM was engaged throughout the years in these processes since 2012.

Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VVGT): Published in 2012: https://www.fao.org/policy-support/tools-and-publications/resources-details/en/c/416990/

These Guidelines were developed by the open-ended working group in sessions in June, July and October 2011 and in March 2012. They are based on an inclusive process of consultations that occurred during 2009-2010. Regional consultations were held in Brazil, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Jordan, Namibia, Panama, Romania, the Russian Federation, Samoa and Viet Nam. 

The PSM produced a statement on the Occasion of the Special Session of the CFS May 11, 2012 to Endorse the Voluntary Guidelines on the Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests. The statement can be found here.

These guidelines were endorsed by the CFS at its Thirty-eighth (Special) Session on 11 May 2012. 

Principles on Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI): Published in 2014: https://www.fao.org/policy-support/tools-and-publications/resources-details/en/c/422954/

The Principles were developed by an Open Ended Working Group over the course of October 2012 – October 2014. They are based on an inclusive process of consultations that occurred from November 2013 – March 2014. Regional consultations and workshops were held in Africa, Europe and Central Asia, North America, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Near East.

The Principles were endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) at its 41st Session on October 15th, 2014.

Policy Recommendations: Sustainable Forestry for Food Security and Nutrition: Published in 2018: https://www.fao.org/policy-support/tools-and-publications/resources-details/en/c/1142481/

The Policy Recommendations on Sustainable Forestry for Food Security and Nutrition have been elaborated building upon the main findings of the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of CFS (HLPE) report on Sustainable Forestry for Food Security and Nutrition. They aim to strengthen the contributions of sustainable management of forests and trees to the achievement of food security and nutrition and contribute to the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security in the overall context of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, recognizing the essential role of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT), and the role of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

The private sector mechanism released in June 2017 a position paper to recommend that the policy recommendations be endorsed in order to safeguard and improve the contributions that the forestry sector makes to food security and nutrition. You can find the position paper here.