THE VALUE OF FORESTS TO WORLD FOOD SECURITY

We assembled information on the contribution and value of forests to w orld food security. An assessment was made of the role of forests and non-timber products in the food system of developing countries. We est imated that upwards of 300 million people annually earn part or all of their livelihood and food from forests. A total of about $90 billion in non-timber products are harvested each year. Forests also help to p rotect land water and biological resources, and they play an important role in maintaining the productivity of agricultural and environmenta l systems.