Cow grazing among trees.
Forests and trees for agriculture benefit the climate. Photo: Aida Bargués Tobella.

SLU researchers co-lead FAO report on climate, forests and agriculture launched at COP30

News published:  17/11/2025

SLU researchers Paul Egan and Aida Bargués Tobella have played an important role in a forthcoming FAO report, "Climate and Ecosystem Service Benefits of Forests and Trees for Agriculture". The report will be launched during COP30, 19 November, both online and onsite in Belém.

Their work underscores that fully tapping into the value of forests and biodiversity is vital for agriculture—especially as climate change heightens the urgency for integrated landscape strategies that benefit both farmers and natural ecosystems.

Paul Egan and Aida Bargués Tobella provided essential scientific contributions showing that forests and trees are indispensable partners for farming systems. In addition to their widely recognised importance for storing carbon and preserving biodiversity, forests influence local climate and rainfall, protect soil health, and maintain water supplies. These services enhance crop yields, support resilience to climate pressures, and ultimately support the well-being, security, and livelihoods of rural populations.

“Despite solid evidence, the benefits that forests and trees provide to agriculture remain largely overlooked. Global policy still treats forest and tree-cover protection as competing with agriculture, rather than recognizing how essential trees and forests are for resilient food production. This report brings that evidence forward, going beyond carbon to highlight these crucial contributions.” - Aida Bargués Tobella

Launch of the new report

The forthcoming launch event will kick-start a broader discussion on how to scale up initiatives that foster mutually reinforcing connections between agriculture and forests during a time of accelerating environmental change.

Even with these significant advantages, global policies and development agendas often fail to acknowledge how forests support agriculture, frequently presenting conservation and food production as competing goals. The new FAO report—produced by more than 40 experts from 25 organisations and significantly shaped by the insights of Paul Egan and Aida Bargués Tobella—aims to shift this perspective. It brings together global evidence showing that forest-derived ecosystem services play an active and essential role in achieving productive, resilient, and sustainable agriculture.

SLU's co-led of two chapters in this report in many ways typifies the type of international research that goes on at SLU, which helps our researchers gain valuable experience across low- and middle-income countries. Both chapters in particular draw on experiences from past cooperation with UN FAO, such as with farmer field schools and farmers' agroforestry cooperatives in Nepal. In homing in on the evidence of where forest conservation and agricultural production goals can be mutually reinforcing, we hope that this report will serve as catalyst for global policy and development frameworks and practitioners alike. - Paul Egan, SLU researcher and co-lead.

Key message: Forests and trees are essential allies for agriculture, and integrated land-use approaches strengthen climate adaptation and rural well-being.

Watch the launch here

Date and time: Wednesday 19 November, 10.00-11.00am GMT-3 (14.00-15.00 CET). 

The two SLU chapters which were co-led by Aida and Paul were:

  •  The critical role of forests and trees in regulating the water cycle on the local scale 
    • Malin Lundberg Ingemarsson, SIWI (co-lead) 
    • Aida Bargués-Tobella, SLU & AGROTECNIO - CERCA Center (co-lead) 
    • Jules Bayala, CIFOR-ICRAF 
    • Michael Coe, Woodwell Climate Research Center 
    • Sara Casallas Ramirez, FAO 
    • Jigchen Norbu, FAO 
  • Biodiversity-mediated forest benefits and their contribution to agriculture
    • Paul Egan (SLU) (co-lead)
    • Selorm Kugbega (SEI) (co-lead)
    • James Reed (CIFOR-ICRAF) 
    • Amy Ickowitz (CIFOR-ICRAF) 
    • Terry Sunderland (UBC) 
    • Sima Fakheran (Isfahan University of Technology)
    • FAO Nepal tbc

 

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