29/05/2026
🌲 Key takeaways from :
Discussions at UNFF21 reinforced that forests are far more than carbon sinks. They support water cycles, protect soils, strengthen food security, and contribute to the well-being of communities worldwide, especially Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
At FSC's side event, From Commitment to Action: Scaling Sustainable Forest Management, Halting Degradation and Deforestation, speakers emphasized that achieving lasting impact will require stronger global cooperation, long-term financing, responsible supply chains, and integrated solutions that connect conservation, restoration, livelihoods, and future generations.
Indigenous knowledge systems, developed over generations through close relationships with forests, continue to embody forest stewardship.
As David Flood, Matachewan First Nation, shared, Indigenous Peoples have long understood that forests are interconnected and that "the trees talk together." Today, scientific studies of mycorrhizal networks echo Indigenous understandings of forest interconnectedness. These fungi connect tree roots, improve nutrient and water uptake, and enhance carbon sequestration. Drawing on this knowledge, David described a project using mycorrhizal associations in the boreal forest that has shown increases in carbon sequestration of between 12% and 30%, depending on the ecosystem.
Beyond climate benefits, this approach is creating employment opportunities through verification, monitoring, and community-based stewardship, with Indigenous Peoples measuring and caring for the health of forests.
