This book is based on the report entitled “Forests, Trees and Landscapes for Food Security and Nutrition” which presented the results of the fourth global scientific assessment undertaken so far in the framework of GFEP(Global Forest Expert Panels).
Previous assessments addressed the adaptation of forests and people to climate change; international forest governance; and the relationship between biodiversity, carbon, forests and people.
The loss and degradation of forests exacerbate the problem of food insecurity both directly and indirectly: directly, by affecting the availability of fruits and other forestand tree-based food products, and indirectly by modifying ecological factors relevant for crop and livestock and thereby affecting the availability of food

The current volume reflects the importance of policy coherence and integration more than any previous GFEP assessment. It comes at a time when the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which build upon the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and converge
with the post-2015 development agenda. In this context, the eradication of hunger, realisation of food security and the improvement of nutrition are of particular relevance.
By 2050, the international community will face the challenge of providing 9 billion people with food, shelter and energy. Despite impressive productivity increases, there is growing evidence that conventional agricultural strategies will fall short of eliminating global hunger and malnutrition. The assessment in hand provides comprehensive scientific evidence on how forests, trees and landscapes can be – and must be – an integral part of the solution to this global problem. In other words, we must connect the dots and see the bigger picture.