Global Landscapes Forum: 2020 digital edition

Nearly 5 000 people from six continents gathered for the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) Digital Conference “Food in the time of crisis.” from 3 to 5 June 2020.  The online conference was broadcast around the world from 185 countries, launching a dialog conversation on transforming food systems to protect human well-being and planetary health in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The three-day programme of the conference included a number of experts from the UNCCD secretariat who contributed to discussions on such topics as land tenure and drought risk management. 

At the closing ceremony UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw emphasized the important role of ecosystem restoration and sustainable land management in the project of “building back better.” He called for investments in land to address climate change, create green jobs and to develop eco-tourism, resilient agriculture and invest in renewable energy providing basic services that support livelihoods.

Other speakers at the closing ceremony included Siti Nurbaya (Speaker) Minister of Environment and Forestry, Republic of Indonesia; Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme; Naoko Ishii CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Achim Steiner, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme. 

In view of the current situation, the conference, initially scheduled to take place in Bonn Germany, moved to the online platform, allowing a much larger number of participants to interact, connect and network while keeping carbon emissions low and health risks minimal. 

The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, and is led by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank and Charter Members. See also:

• GLF highlights