Rainforest in Brazil

Forests and biodiversity Managing forests sustainably

According to the report “The State of the World’s Forests 2020 (External link)” published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), forests still cover almost a third of the Earth’s total land area. They are home to much of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and experts estimate that they provide a vital basis for the livelihoods of a third of the global population .

And yet across the globe an estimated 10 million hectares of forest are destroyed by human intervention every year – that is more than 27,000 hectares per day.

Germany’s efforts to tackle forest degradation

Video
Still from the video "Deforestation-free supply chains"

Sustainable supply chains through forest conservation

We use deforested areas to cultivate agricultural raw materials – like soya, palm oil, rubber, cocoa or coffee. Many governments and companies have already realised that we cannot continue like this.

In over 30 countries and regions, Germany is working at a number of different development policy levels to promote the conservation and sustainable use of forests. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) helps its partner countries to improve their political and legal framework and to reconcile policy in key areas such as agriculture, mining and infrastructure policy with the need for forest conservation.

In connection with the trade in forest products, the BMZ supports certification schemes, sustainable public procurement processes and regulatory measures in relation to deforestation-free supply chains.

to the overview page on biodiversity