In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), we contributed to the 2022 edition of the State of the World's Forests report, focusing on the role of forests in driving a green recovery and fostering sustainable, resilient, and inclusive economies globally. 

The Challenge:

Forests provide critical ecosystem services (FES) that support economies, livelihoods, and climate resilience. However, their full socio-economic contributions are often undervalued in financial and policy frameworks, limiting their integration into sustainable development strategies. Recognizing this gap, FAO sought to strengthen the economic case for forest conservation by incorporating structured ecosystem services valuation data into its flagship report.

Our Approach:

We contributed to Chapter 2.3, which emphasizes on the multifaceted benefits derived from forest ecosystems through services such as climate regulation, air quality improvement, recreation, and the supply of raw materials. By leveraging Ecosystem Services Valuation (ESV) methodologies, we assessed forest contributions across ten ecosystem types worldwide. We systematically extracted and standardized valuation data, to highlight the significant economic potential forests hold for supporting a sustainable, nature-positive recovery.

During this project, we expanded the Ecosystem Services Valuation Database with over 2,700 unique value records on forest ecosystems, enhancing its utility as a key resource for policymakers, investors, and conservationists. The data serves as a practical tool for assessing trade-offs, informing green investments, and integrating natural capital into financial and policy frameworks through mechanisms like natural capital accounting, pricing strategies, and payments for ecosystem services (PES).

Outcomes & Impact:

By expressing forest benefits in monetary terms ($/ha/year), we provided actionable insights for green investment strategies, sustainable finance mechanisms, and policy impact assessments. Our findings underscored the untapped potential of forests globally in unlocking innovative financing for restoration and sustainable management, demonstrating that their economic contributions remain largely obscured in traditional assessments. By valuing their contributions and making them visible, this work underscores forests' essential role not only as biodiversity hotspots but also as economic assets vital for global sustainability. 

The integration of our work into FAO’s landmark report reinforced the growing role of ES valuation in high-level policy and conservation efforts, helping shape nature-positive economic policies at the international level.