Why is it in the news?

• The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) released the first global synthesis report on International Forest Governance (IFG) since 2010, titled “International Forest Governance: A Critical Review of Trends, Drawbacks, and New Approaches.”
• The report was released against the backdrop of the 19th session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF19).

Key concerns highlighted in the report regarding IFG:

• IFG has limited success in reducing deforestation, with a rate of approximately 10 million hectares lost per year as of 2020.
• The proliferation of new actors and instruments has made IFG more crowded and fragmented than ever.
• The urgency of the climate crisis has led to the commodification of forests for their carbon sequestration potential. This commodification has resulted in the emergence of new markets for carbon and biodiversity, often prioritizing short-term economic gains over long-term sustainability and justice, termed as the “climatization of forests.”
• The role of community-led and philanthropic financing mechanisms within IFG is limited.

Recommendations proposed in the report:

• Setting prices on environmental and social externalities.
• Recognition and management of public goods.
• Establishment of alternative funding schemes.
• Adoption of a Polycentric governance approach in an interdependent system.