The economy depends on forests

Money may not grow on trees, but much of our prosperity does.

- Zhimin Wu

Workers at a block-sawing factory prepare lumber from tree trunks at a sawmill in Molo constituency, Nakuru county in Kenya, which in 2023 removed ban on logging.

(AFP)

Forests quietly support trillions of dollars in economic activity, millions of jobs, and essentials like the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the climate we depend on. In reality, the global economy cannot function without healthy forests.

Forests are far more than timber. They stabilise soils and regulate water vital for agrifood systems and industrial productivity, supply energy and a wealth of forest products, and create space for recreation and ecotourism. The formal forest sector alone contributes an estimated US$1.52 trillion annually to the global economy, while more than half of the world’s gross domestic product — some US$44 trillion — relies on nature, including forests.

For more than two billion people, wood fuel is essential for cooking and heating, and hundreds of millions of people depend directly on forests for their livelihoods. Beyond wood, forests provide foods, medicines, resins, fibres, animal feed and ornamental plants that support around 5.8 billion people worldwide. These non-wood forest products are worth at least US$9.41 billion annually and could grow much further.