Discussion Forum 6: Agro-ecological Landscapes for Food Security, Resilient Ecosystems and Livelihoods: Integrating forests and food systems

This discussion forum offers an opportunity to discuss the transformational changes needed to develop over-arching frameworks such as agro-ecosystems that integrate landscape level approaches for both forest and farm livelihoods and food security. The forum will explore how current landscape management and restoration efforts could be expanded to include opportunities for maintaining, enhancing and restoring the sustainable productivity of crop and range lands, integrated with current efforts focused on forest ecosystems. Food producers, family farmers, forest and farm producer organizations, and indigenous peoples are already key actors and potentially major drivers of this integrated approach to sustainable landscape management. This requires better engagement with these producer groups, especially with agriculture and other relevant ministries, and establishing actual cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination mechanisms to make things happen. Even achieving the significant targets for forest restoration may also be more likely when combined with this perspective. Using an agro-ecosystems lens involves maintaining intact landscapes, improving management practices and technology to increase productivity and avoid degradation, and applying a more integrated approach when restoration is needed. This integrated approach enhances the possibility of transformational change for food systems, climate resilience and the SDGs.