Since CIFOR last presented a 10-year strategy in 2008, we find ourselves in a world with continually evolving development and environment challenges. Millions of hectares of tropical forests have been converted to agriculture, degraded landscapes amount to nearly 2 billion hectares, and inequality has grown in countries around the world. Yet, there is reason to be optimistic: forest expansion and restoration are gaining ground, the rate of deforestation is slowing, and awareness of the importance of forests is spreading among governments, corporations and the global public

In 2015, key developments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement formed the basis of a new global development framework, at the forefront of which is forestry and landscapes. CIFOR’s 2016-2025 strategy builds explicitly on this new framework, defining the ways in which our forestry research, capacity development and engagement will support and inform the emerging development agenda.