Welcome to Just Forests
Forests now cover about 30 percent of all land but are shrinking - Forests contribute to the livelihoods of many of the 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty. They nourish the natural systems supporting the agriculture and food supplies on which many more people depend. They account for as much as 90 percent of terrestrial biodiversity. But in most countries forests are shrinking.
Since 1990 the world has lost about 1.3 million square kilometers of forest, almost 100,000 square kilometers each year. The losses have been greatest in the great tropical forests of Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. Forest products, including timber, are important sources of livelihood for people in developing countries, and forests provide habitat for many plant and animal species. To ensure sustainable development, forests must be managed wisely to continue to benefit future generations.
Some loss of forest is an inevitable part of economic development. But because forests are undervalued in many places, they are subject to more destructive and unsustainable activities than is economically or environmentally justified.
Illegal-logging contributes to habitat destruction, biodiversity decline and resulting poverty for millions of people in developing economies.
Just Forests takes a livelihood approach to help combat illegal-logging. We promote responsible forest management and ethical timber purchasing that tackles problems in a holistic manner, providing solutions that simultaneously have a beneficial effect on human development, livelihood security, wildlife/ecosystem conservation and environmental protection.
Irish Woodworkers for Africa Ltd, is a 'company limited by guarantee' trading as Just Forests.
Irish Charity No: CHY 10686
