This presentation by Terrry Sunderland was given at a session titled "New findings on the dynamics between forests, land use and food security" at the Global Landscapes Forum in Lima, Peru, on December 7, 2014. The session discussed direct and indirect roles of forests and trees in food systems, the importance of food production systems across the forest-agriculture continuum for food security, dietary diversity and nutrition, and the ensuing implications for land use. The social, economic and environmental synergies and trade-offs between forests and food security and related management interventions, as well as relevant response options will also be discussed. The debate also touched upon questions of sustainable land use under a post-Kyoto climate agreement.

1. Forests, trees and agroforestry:
What role in food security and
nutrition?
Terry Sunderland
Global Landscapes Forum, Lima, Peru
7thDecember 2014
THINKING beyond the canopy

2. Forests and livelihoods: the evidence
• One billion+ people rely on forest products
for nutrition and income in some way
(Agrawal et al 2013)
• One fifth of rural income derived from the
environment (Wunder et al 2014)
• Wild harvested meat provides 30-50% of
protein intake for many rural communities
(Nasi et al 2011)
• 80% of world’s population rely on biodiversity
for primary health care (IUCN 2013)
• 40% of global food production comes from
diverse small-holder agricultural systems in
multi-functional landscapes (FAO 2010)
• Long tradition of managing forests for food
(IUFRO 2013)
• Forests sustaining agriculture: ecosystem
services provision (Foli et a. 2014)
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3. Are forests and trees important for food and
nutrition security?
 Collection of nutritious
NTFPs
 Farming mosaics may
promote more diverse diets
 Agroforestry and farming
systems
 Ecosystem services of
forests & trees for agriculture
 Availability of fuel wood
 Provision of ‘back up’ foods
for lean season = safety nets
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4. Testing the hypothesis
• Study using DHS nutrition
data from 21 countries in
Africa, integrated with GIS
(Modis) data on % tree cover
to test the relationship
between tree cover and child
nutrition indicators
• Sample: ca.93,000 children
between ages 13 and 59
months in over 9,500
communities
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5. • There is a statistically significant positive relationship between
% tree cover and dietary diversity
• Fruit and vegetable consumption first increases and then
decreases with tree cover (peak tree cover is ca. 45%)
• There is no statistically significant relationship between tree
cover and animal source foods
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Results

6. “Forests sustaining agriculture”
Nutrient Cycling:
All studies conducted in agroforestry
systems (AFS)
79% studies showed a positive effect
of tree presence
Pollination:
87% of studies showed a positive
effect of nearby (0.3 – 1.6km)
forest/forest fragment
Climate regulation:
Yields of some tree crops diminish,
further from forests
Forests, trees = resilience
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7. Multi-functionality at landscape scale
• Combination of separate
land units with different
functions (spatial
segregation)
• Different functions on the
same unit of land but
separated in time
(temporal segregation)
• Different functions on the
same unit of land at the
same time (functional
integration or “real multi-functionality)
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8. GFEP review: Key conclusions
• Diverse forest and tree-based production systems offer
advantages over mono-crops because of their
adaptability and resilience.
• There are a multitude of ecosystem services provided by
forests and trees that simultaneously support food
production, sustainability and environmental and human
health.
• Managing landscapes on a multi-functional basis that
combines food production, biodiversity conservation and
the maintenance of ecosystem services provides
opportunities to achieve food and nutritional security
• Forests and trees alone will not achieve global food
security, but can play a major role
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9. http://www.landscapes.org/
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10. http://www.landscapes.org/
THINKING beyond the canopy