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Izabella Teixeira, Minister of Environment, Brazil
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness
on sustainable management, conservation and development of all types of forests. Sustainable forest
management is a multilayered concept that aims at securing biodiversity, productivity and vitality while
ensuring that goods and services derived from forests meet everyday needs. The theme of
Forests for People
highlights the value of forests and their economic and social relationship with humankind. Sustainable
forest management can also contribute significantly to sustainable development, poverty eradication and
the achievement of internationally agreed commitments, including the Millennium Development Goals.
With receding forests, expanding deserts, changing rainfall patterns and rising sea levels, climate change
will disproportionately affect the world’s poorest communities. Among them, the most vulnerable group will
be women. They are usually responsible for gathering firewood, water, and food supplies for their families,
and deforestation makes it harder to secure these resources. The involvement of women in forest governance
would benefit forest and biodiversity conservation efforts. The local communities’ livelihoods are directly
linked to the conservation and sustainable use of forests’ natural resources.
The Brazilian National Forest Programmes are formulated in order to ensure that forest-based people and
the next generation will have the opportunity to marvel at the forest. Brazilian forests directly support the
livelihoods of at least ten million people, and are home to a great portion of the global terrestrial biodiversity.
Forests provide essential ecosystem services such as watershed protection, water flow regulation, nutrient
recycling, rainfall generation and disease regulation.
Our future depends upon our forests and the protection of forests depends upon us. We must act now.
This UNFF publication is a golden opportunity to fast-track a wide range of positive initiatives and
programmes that address multiple challenges, and encourage countries and people to use the new optimism
and best practices surrounding forests in catalyzing long-lasting and transformative solutions.
Izabella Teixeira
Minister of Environment
Brazil