The creation of a cross-cutting goal on natural resources would be the best way to integrate forestry and woodland management into the post-2015 international development agenda, participants at the United Nations Forum on Forests have heard.

Uma Lele, a scholar and Former World Bank Senior Adviser, outlined how forestry management is closely linked to agriculture and food security, investments in transportation, commodities and financial markets and to biofuels, particularly in developing countries.

Lele reported good news from recent years with forest cover loss slowing considerably in countries such as Brazil and Turkey. China has gained forest cover, as have India and Viet Nam. The number of trees outside forest areas has also increased as has the agroforestry sector.

But Lele believes there is a great deal more to be done as countries need help with mitigation and adaptation, and financing in the forest sector has not increased in recent years.

The UN Forum on Forests is meeting in Istanbul, Turkey with discussions focusing on connections between forests and economic development as well as outcomes relevant to forests from Rio +20 and a post 2015 UN development agenda.

The Forum has included a high-level dialogue with heads of the member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, including Tony Simons, Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre.

Read the full story: As Ministerial Segment Continues, Senior Government Officials Say ‘Time Is Now’ for Decisive Action on Sustainable Forest Management