The world faces a “narrowing window” to restore forests vital for food security and climate resilience, a new United Nations report has warned. The FAO’s State of the World’s Forests 2026, released at the 28th session of the Committee on Forestry in Rome, says 489 million hectares of forest were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2025, with 1.56 billion hectares of land now degraded.

Inaction costs the global economy between $878 billion and $6.3 trillion a year, the report estimates, while every dollar invested in restoration can return up to $30. FAO director-general Qu Dongyu called restoration a strategic necessity, noting nearly a third of humanity relies on forests for livelihoods.

India was highlighted for its native seed systems and agroforestry strategies under global conservation frameworks. Deforestation rates have slowed from 17.6 million hectares a year in the 1990s to 10.9 million between 2015 and 2025, yet the world remains off track for 2030 goals.