Celebrating the nutritious gifts of forests in 2025 and beyond

Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in a certain area – that’s the basic definition of a forest. Yet, if we imagine a forest, the inner picture will likely be flooded with all kinds of colours, because forests are much more than what their definition would suggest. 

According to the latest figures, more than 30 percent of Europe’s land surface is covered by forests and it’s slowly but surely growing. We have countries in our region ranking high even on a global scale in terms of forested areas. Forests are clearly a major resource in this part of the world.

People benefit from forests as a place of relaxation and rejuvenation – mentally and physically. For many, wood keeps their homes warm in wintertime and provides fire to cook their meals. But more importantly, forests provide habitat for a plethora of wild animal and plant species, clean the air, and play a crucial role in the global ecosystem processes as the largest terrestrial carbon sink, and there are plenty more benefits. 

However, it’s easy to forget that forests are much more than stock of wood–they are also source of food. 

In 2025, the central theme of the International Day of Forests (21 March) applauds forests for their foods, celebrating the crucial roles of forests in food security, nutrition and livelihoods. 

The gleaning of so-called non-wood forest products (such as nuts, berries, mushrooms, game meat, medicinal plants, and forest honey) provides the basis of subsistence diets for some people, while for others, these products enrich and give welcome variety to their diets.

Moreover, food products from forests are culturally and nutritionally embedded in daily life: 90 percent of European households regularly consume one of the products, while about one-third collect some type of non-wood forest products at least once a year, for self-consumption or sale. In some countries, it is often the poor and vulnerable people of the society who rely on seasonal products of forests to generate income and to feed themselves and their families.

The consumption of forest-sourced food products has multiple nutritional benefits and contribute to diverse diets. Among others, wild meat from forests is an essential source of protein and micronutrients with a lower fat content, and without antibiotics. Forests support food security and provide alternate sources of income during shocks, such as failed harvests or conflicts – and we’ve had many of those in the past years – helping the survival of rural communities when usual food sources get scarce.

Still, the current – and especially the potential future – economic value of food products from forests largely goes unnoticed in official statistics and foresight analysis, as many non-wood forest products are part of the informal economy and not properly registered in official records.

In 1945, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was called to life to defeat hunger and support rural areas. Eighty years later, we are still working on to reach this goal, and forests are our silent, but robust allies in creating sustainable and resilient agrifood systems. 

Let’s protect and celebrate them not only on 21 March, but 365 days a year and save them for future generations!