| QUEBEC CITY,
Canada, September 25, 2003: The United Nation’s
Food and Agricultural Organization is meeting in Quebec
City this week to discuss the advantages of forested lands
to agricultural communities. Forests, long-thought in
developing nations as a hindrance needing to be cleared,
the World Forestry Congress will bring new evidence to
show that keeping the trees is not only easier but leaves
many more benefits than the quickly spent soils that lie
underneath.
The World Forestry Congress will debate how foods –
many naturally occurring – offer developing country
communities “a much-needed safety net, helping
people get by between harvest seasons, when crops fail
or during times of drought, famine or social strife.”
Specialists will also debate how forests support livestock
production with fodder, and, for example in coastal
mangrove swamps, support fisheries. The meeting is expected
to stress the need to conserve forests for these reasons,
and also because they help filter and maintain water
supplies, prevent soil erosion and moderate climates,
benefiting conventional food production.
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