Intervention de Maya Leroy au Global forest Summit

Biodiversity is the fundamental basis for human well-being, economic prosperity and peace among nations. The world's forests are priceless natural settings, home to 80% of the Earth's biodiversity. Biodiversity is also the source of many ecosystem services provided by the forests. These services, such as CO2 storage, oxygen production, water filtration and regulation of the climate cycle are essential to human life. However, this treasure of biodiversity is under threat, notably due to deforestation, a phenomenon largely fueled by industrial agriculture. The degradation of forests is deeply concerning since it now exceeds deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.

Between 1970 and 2014, the presence of wildlife within the world's forests has fallen by 53%. In Europe, 60% of the species listed by the Habitats Directive as living in forests or woodlands now show a poor state of conservation as well as an unfavorable trend of evolution. Needless to say, global solutions have to be found urgently and without delay to respond to the alarming forest biodiversity loss around the world. The restoration of forests with rich biodiversity, more resistant to natural hazards and providing ecosystem services, is also instrumental in responding to biodiversity and climate change on a global scale. While the massive decline of forest biodiversity is mortgaging the future of humanity, how can agroforestry, the transformation of companies’ value chains as well as the evolution of forest management practices contribute to preserve this biodiversity? By what means and with whom, should the current wave of global reforestation enable the restoration of diverse forests? Experts at this roundtable will share their thoughts on these questions.

Keynote Speaker: Louise Mabulo, Young Champion of the Earth 2019

Panel discussion:

• Chris Buss, Director of the Forest Conservation Programme of the International Union for Conservation of Nature

• Dr. Hans Bruyninckx, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency

• Virginie Helias, Chief Sustainability Officer of Procter & Gamble

• Dr. Maya Leroy, Professor at AgroParisTech, Chair of the Scientific Board of ECOFOR

• Fran Price, Global Forest Lead of the WWF

• Dr. Izabella Teixeira, Former Environment Minister of Brazil, Co-chair of the International Resource Panel

Moderator: Thomas Friang, Founder & CEO of the Open Diplomacy Institute