SPAIN - The European Forest Institute (EFI) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) plan to join forces on research including the role of sustainable forest management in achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and to better connect science to policy action.

The two organizations on May 24 signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Barcelona, establishing a partnership to advance and communicate forest science and support sustainable development.

The agreement will help put forests front and center on the global development agenda, according to Marc Palahí, Director of EFI, and Robert Nasi, Director General of CIFOR.

“This is a very strategic move by EFI and CIFOR to build on each other’s strengths and advance forest science for the benefit of forests and people globally,” Palahí said.

EFI and CIFOR together cover the range of forest research from boreal to tropical and make a significant contribution to helping policy makers adapt science into action on the ground. The following areas will be a priority for their collaboration:

• The role forest conservation and sustainable forest management can play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The role of climate smart forestry and the bioeconomy in mitigating and adapting to climate change, and in reaching the Paris Agreement targets.
• Global forest governance, including but not limited to FLEGT and REDD+ questions.

EFI and CIFOR plan to undertake joint research and to develop specific joint initiatives to increase the policy and societal impact of both organizations. Supporting the next generation of forest scientists is also a top priority.

“Working together with like-minded organizations always yields stronger outcomes,” said CIFOR’S Nasi. “With so many question marks hanging over the fate of forests around the world, now is the time to collaborate even more and push for action.”