Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

CIFOR-ICRAF harnesses the power of trees, forests and agroforestry landscapes to address the most pressing global challenges of our time – biodiversity loss, climate change, food security, livelihoods and inequity. The Center for International Forestry Research is a nonprofit, global facility dedicated to advancing human wellbeing, environmental conservation and equity. We conduct research that enables more informed and equitable decision making about the use and management of forests in less-developed countries. Our research and expert analysis help policy makers and practitioners shape effective policy, improve the management of tropical forests and address the needs and perspectives of people who depend on forests for their livelihoods. Our multidisciplinary approach considers the underlying drivers of deforestation and degradation which often lie outside the forestry sector: forces such as agriculture, infrastructure development, trade and investment policies and law enforcement. CIFOR focuses on the following research areas: – Enhancing the role of forests in mitigating climate change. – Enhancing the role of forests in adapting to climate change. – Improving livelihoods through smallholder and community forestry. – Managing trade-offs between conservation and development at the landscape scale. – Managing impacts of globalised trade and investment on forests and forest communities. – Sustainably managing tropical production forests.