Forests and trees play a crucial role in providing nutritious food, and more than 5 billion people worldwide rely on them to some extent for their livelihoods, yet their contribution to feeding people remains largely overlooked in national statistics and policy frameworks, according to a new report.
The report, Forests for food: Nourishing people, sustaining the planet, published on September 15, 2026 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and developed jointly with the Landscape Alliance, highlights the importance of forests in reducing hunger and poverty and calls on countries to include them into agrifood system policies.
The report highlighted the many ways forests support food systems. They provide fruits, nuts, tubers, mushrooms, edible insects, wild meat and other foods, while also supplying fuel, income and employment. Forest ecosystems support soil fertility, protect water resources, sustain biodiversity and provide habitats for pollinators that are essential to agriculture.
More than 50,000 wild species are used for food and medicine worldwide, including at least 10,000 species consumed directly as food. Forest plants and animals are important sources of protein, vitamins and minerals, particularly for Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent communities.
Forests can also make a significant contribution to household incomes. In some areas, forest resources provide as much as 20 per cent of rural incomes, helping poor households gain access to food and maintain more diverse diets. Woodfuel remains essential for cooking or water sterilization for around one-quarter of the global population, while more than 1 billion people rely on medicinal plants for healthcare.
The report emphasizes that forests also support agriculture indirectly. They regulate water, protect soils, recycle nutrients, support pollination and pest control, and provide farmers with inputs such as livestock fodder, fibre and organic matter. During food shortages and economic crises, forests can act as important safety nets by supplying food and income.
The report highlighted regional differences in the contribution of forest foods to food security and nutrition (FSN). In parts of Africa, some communities obtain up to 80 per cent of their daily protein from wild meat.
In Gabon, consumption of around 200 grammes of five specific forest fruits by young people can provide up to 100 per cent of daily requirements for several nutrients.
In the Amazon, fish account for 44 per cent of total food consumed by weight, alongside wild meat, Brazil nuts and acai berries.
In Asia, research also points to strong links between forests and nutrition. India’s Indigenous communities are major users of wild forest foods, while studies have found that children living in areas with greater forest cover can have more diverse diets and lower rates of stunting. Another study in eastern India found that the consumption of wild foods (mostly from forests) was associated with higher dietary diversity scores among women, particularly during the lean season.
In Europe, a survey covering 28 countries found that 90 percent of respondents consume at least one forest food each year, while more than one-third eat game meat annually.
In North America, wild meat is used more for recreation than subsistence.
However, deforestation and biodiversity loss threaten these benefits. An estimated 10.9 million hectares of forest were deforested annually in the decade to 2025. FAO stresses that sustainable forest management, agroforestry, better land-use planning, secure land rights and stronger data systems are needed.
The report called for integrated policies that bring agriculture and forestry closer together, protect biodiversity and ensure that forest-dependent communities participate in decision-making.
Ultimately, FAO argued that forests should be recognised not only as environmental assets but also as vital components of sustainable, nutritious and resilient food systems.