FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO 28)

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News: India highlighted its forest and landscape restoration initiatives at the 28th Session of COFO in Rome.

About FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO)

FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO)
Source – NOA
AspectDetails
About
Establishment
  • It was established by the FAO Conference at its 16th Session in 1971.
Frequency
  • It meets once every two years and may hold additional sessions when necessary.
Members
  • COFO has 128 Members.
  • It is open to FAO Members that notify their intention to participate.
Reporting structure
  • It reports to the FAO Council on programme and budget matters and
  • to the FAO Conference on policy and regulatory matters.
Working structure
  • Six Regional Forestry Commissions support regional dialogue,
  • While the Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agro-silvo-pastoral Systems supports work on dryland ecosystems.
Function
  • It reviews FAO’s forestry programmes and international forestry problems and promotes concerted action by Members and FAO.

About COFO 28

  • Location: The 28th Session of COFO was held at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy.
  • Organiser: The session is organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
  • Theme: The session theme is “Forests for food, resilience and prosperity.”
  • Concurrent event: 10th World Forest Week, organised in conjunction with the COFO session.
  • Focus Area: The session focuses on sustainable forest management, forest and landscape restoration, climate action and resilient forest landscapes.
  • Key Highlights
    • Forest and tree cover: India’s forest and tree cover stands at 82.74 million hectares, covering 25.17% of its geographical area.
      • The FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 ranks India 9th globally in forest area and 3rd in net annual forest area gain.
    • Carbon sink: India created an additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2021.
    • Bonn Challenge: India aims to restore 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030.
    • Landscape Restoration: The Aravalli Green Wall has identified around 6.45 million hectares for restoration, while MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) focuses on mangrove restoration.
    • Afforestation Campaign: Under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam–Plant4Mother, more than 3.5 billion saplings have been planted.
    • International Cooperation: India called for country-driven implementation, technology transfer, capacity development and sustainable financing, especially for developing countries.
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