21 March 2013: On the occasion of the first International Day of Forests, 21 March 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) released the latest edition of its Infosylva newsletter. The publication highlights upcoming events and news items related to both FAO and forests.

The newsletter highlights an initiative by the Chinese Government to establish 118 tourist hostels managed by woodcutter families, an action meant to boost protection for forest resources by providing woodcutters with an alternative source of income. The edition also includes an article on India, which adopted a dual policy of liberalizing timber imports and enforcing measures. The results of the policy include a reduction in timber smuggling by 99 per cent. The newsletter also notes a report on the science of biodiversity loss in forests that states that damage to biodiversity from logging in tropical forests has been significantly overestimated.

With regard to upcoming events, the newsletter reports on the Third Mediterranean Forest Week and World Teak Conference 2013, as well as: the upcoming tenth session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF 10); the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)/ FAO/ InnovaWood Seminar on Innovation in the Forest-based Sector; the International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition; and the conference on Forest Products and Technologies for the Future. [Publication: Infosylva No.05/2012]