During the 22nd Session of the Committee on Forestry - COFO, FAO launched the SFM Toolbox, an interactive web platform to support knowledge sharing for sustainable forest management implementation at local, sub-national and national levels...

Sustainable forest management (SFM) can be viewed as the sustainable use and conservation of forests with the aim of maintaining and enhancing multiple forest values through human interventions. People are at the centre of SFM because it aims to contribute to society's diverse needs in perpetuity.

The United Nations describes SFM as: “[a] dynamic and evolving concept [that] aims to maintain and enhance the economic, social and environmental values of all types of forests, for the benefit of present and future generations”.

This description makes it clear that SFM will change over time but that its purpose is, at a minimum, to maintain all forest values in perpetuity. SFM is a multidimensional concept because it incorporates the four pillars of sustainability - economic, social, cultural and environmental.

What is the SFM Toolbox?

The SFM Toolbox collates a large number of tools, case studies and other resources, organised in modules. It has been created to provide forest owners, managers and other stakeholders with easy access to those resources for the implementation of SFM.

For more Information on how to use the Toolbox, please consult the following website: FAO - Sustainable forest management (SFM) Toolbox

Image credits: FAO