Forests: Guardians of food and water

Forests are indispensable to global food security, nutrition and the livelihoods of millions. They offer a variety of wild foods that are vital to rural communities.

Beyond sustenance, forests play a pivotal role in maintaining soil fertility, regulating climate and preserving biodiversity. They contribute directly to human diets by providing essential nutrients and support sustainable agriculture by maintaining ecological balance.

Approximately 5 billion people on the planet rely on forests and non-timber forest products for food, medicine and income. Forests and trees have offered since ancient times a wide range of edible products, such as nuts, mushrooms, honey and meat, supplementing diets with key vitamins and minerals.

Moreover, forests play a crucial role in freshwater availability. More than 75 percent of the world's accessible freshwater comes from forested watersheds, making their conservation essential for drinking water, irrigation and hydroelectric power.

In China, extensive afforestation efforts and ecological restoration programs have significantly expanded forest coverage.

As of 2023, China's forest area reached 247 million hectares, with planted forests covering 92.4 million hectares – the largest in the world.

In 2024, China planted 4.45 million hectares of trees, raising the country's forest coverage to over 25 percent, with total forest stock volume exceeding 20 billion cubic meters.

These efforts, supported by policies like the Grain for Green Program, have helped mitigate climate change, reduce soil erosion and improve biodiversity.

Jia Liming, professor and dean of the School of Forestry at Beijing Forestry University, stated that in 2024, China's annual forest food production exceeded 200 million tonnes, averaging 140 kilograms per capita, making it the third-largest agricultural product after grain and vegetables. The annual production of woody oil crops, such as oil-seed camellia and walnut, reached 9.68 million tonnes, while woody grains, including chestnut, jujube, persimmon and pine nut, totaled 14 million tonnes a year. This has significantly eased the pressure on grain and oil supply. Moreover, the development of forest food does not occupy arable land.

Jia noted that over the 40 years since the launch of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), nearly 1.7 million hectares of farmland shelter forests and 7.9 million hectares of windbreak and sand-fixing forests have been established. As a result, grain production in the TSFP area has increased by 15 to 20 percent.

Forests serve as important carbon sinks, absorbing approximately 25 percent of global carbon emissions annually, thereby mitigating the negative impact of climate change on agriculture. The Saihanba Mechanized Forest Farm, with its 75,000 hectares of planted forest, sequesters 810,000 tonnes of CO2 and releases 550,000 tonnes of oxygen each year, Jia added.

International organizations are actively involved in forest conservation. The Food and Agriculture Organization promotes sustainable forest management to maintain forests' ecological and economic benefits.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, through its World Heritage program, recognizes over 200 forest sites as World Heritage Sites, covering more than 69 million hectares. These forests play a vital role in carbon sequestration, absorbing around 190 million tonnes of CO₂ annually.

On International Day of Forests 2025, themed "Forests and Foods," people are reminded of the interconnectedness of forest conservation, food security and water resources. The well-being of both people and ecosystems is ensured by protecting forests.

(Cover designed by CGTN's Yin Yating)