India presented its latest forest data at the 28th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization Committee on Forestry in Rome, reporting forest and tree cover of 82.74 million hectares, or 25.17 percent of its geographical area. The session, held from 28 September to 2 October 2026 with 128 member countries, ran alongside the 10th World Forest Week. India used the platform to link its restoration work to climate action, food security and rural livelihoods.
What Is COFO?
The Committee on Forestry, known as COFO, is the highest forestry body of the Food and Agriculture Organization. It brings member countries together every two years in Rome to set forestry policy, share technical guidance and shape global cooperation on forests and tree resources.
COFO guides the forestry work of the Food and Agriculture Organization and provides a common platform for policy dialogue among governments, scientists and partner bodies. The Committee was established in 1971 and is open to all member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization. Between sessions, six Regional Forestry Commissions hold regional discussions and feed regional priorities into the global agenda.
The 28th Session of COFO met from 28 September to 2 October 2026 at the Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome, Italy. The session brought together 128 member countries and was chaired by Pierre Taty of the Republic of the Congo. More than 550 delegates joined the talks, along with 17 ministers, deputy ministers and vice ministers and representatives from 38 international and research bodies as observers. The main theme for the session was Forests for food, resilience and prosperity.
What Is FAO?
The Food and Agriculture Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that works to end hunger and improve farming, forestry, fisheries and food systems. It was established on 16 October 1945 at Quebec City in Canada and is headquartered in Rome, Italy.
The Food and Agriculture Organization moved to Rome in 1951 after functioning initially from Washington D.C. The mandate of the Food and Agriculture Organization covers crops, livestock, forests, fisheries and land and water resources. The term agriculture in its Constitution includes fisheries, marine products, forestry and primary forestry products. Forestry became part of its work from the beginning, and the Forestry Division started functioning in 1946. The Food and Agriculture Organization now works with more than 190 member countries and guides global action through technical committees such as the Committee on Fisheries, the Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Commodity Problems and the Committee on Forestry.
India Forest and Tree Cover Overview
India reported total forest and tree cover of 82.74 million hectares, which is 25.17 percent of the total geographical area of the country. This figure comes from the latest India State of Forest Report 2023, published biennially by the Forest Survey of India in Dehradun. The Forest Survey of India works under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and assesses green cover using satellite mapping with field verification.
Forest cover refers to land with dense tree canopy, while tree cover refers to smaller tree patches and scattered trees outside recorded forest areas, including farm trees and urban trees. The report places forest cover at 71.53 million hectares (21.76 percent) and tree cover at 11.20 million hectares (3.41 percent). Compared with the 2021 assessment, total forest and tree cover rose by 1,445.81 square kilometres.
| Component | Area | Share of Geographical Area |
|---|---|---|
| Forest cover | 71.53 million hectares | 21.76 percent |
| Tree cover | 11.20 million hectares | 3.41 percent |
| Total forest and tree cover | 82.74 million hectares | 25.17 percent |
The FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 ranks India 9th in the world in forest area and 3rd in net annual forest area gain. This means India holds one of the largest forest estates in the world and is also among the fastest in adding new forest area each year.
What Is the Difference Between Forest Area and Forest Cover?
Forest area is land legally recorded as forest in government records, even if it has few trees at present. Forest cover is the actual extent of land with dense tree canopy seen through satellite images, regardless of its legal status.
Tree cover means tree patches smaller than one hectare and scattered trees outside recorded forests, such as trees on farms, roadsides and in cities. Recorded forest area in India remains close to 77.5 million hectares, while actual forest cover is about 71.5 million hectares. The gap exists because some recorded forest land is degraded or under non forest use, while new tree growth has appeared outside recorded forests through plantations and agroforestry. The latest assessment shows that most of the recent increase came from outside recorded forest areas, which underlines the role of farmers, communities and city bodies in expanding green cover.
What Was the Theme of COFO 28?
The theme of the 28th Session was Forests for food, resilience and prosperity. The theme links the health of forests directly to food supply, climate strength and rural incomes, and it shaped both the formal talks and the side events in Rome.
The Food and Agriculture Organization opened the week with the launch of the State of the Worlds Forests 2026 report on 28 September. The report presents forest and landscape restoration as a practical route to stronger food systems and to progress on climate, biodiversity, land and food security goals. The Committee also discussed wildfire action through the Global Fire Management Hub, forest based bioeconomy for sustainable food and farming, and the Green Cities Initiative for urban trees and green spaces. These discussions sit within the FAO Forestry Roadmap from Vision to Action 2024 to 2031, which guides the forestry work of the Food and Agriculture Organization for the current decade.
Why Are Forests Important for Food and Livelihoods?
Forests directly support diets, incomes and farm stability for billions of people. More than 5 billion people depend on forests and tree systems for food, energy, income or farm services. In some forest dependent communities, forest foods provide up to 80 percent of daily protein intake and nearly half of all food by weight.
Forests supply more than 50,000 wild species used for food, energy, medicine and materials, including at least 10,000 species eaten as food. Forest foods add variety to diets, supply essential nutrients and act as safety nets during crop failure, climate shocks and economic stress. Trees also support farming through shade, soil protection, water regulation and pollination. In many rural areas, forests contribute up to 20 percent of household income, while the forest sector adds more than $661 billion in direct value to national economies each year. About 1.8 billion people still depend on wood fuel for cooking, which makes sustainable forest management central to both nutrition and energy access.
What Did India Announce at COFO 28?
India used its national statement to present restoration as a climate, food and livelihood strategy rather than a standalone conservation goal. The delegation welcomed the focus on forest and landscape restoration and said sustainable forest management should respond to national conditions and the needs of local communities.
India said it has created an additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2021 through forests and trees. It has now raised its ambition to create an additional carbon sink of 3.5 to 4.0 billion tonnes by 2035 compared with 2005 levels. This target forms part of the national climate pledge to build a larger carbon sink through additional forest and tree cover.
India also reported progress under the Bonn Challenge, a global effort to restore degraded land. India has pledged to restore 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030, of which 21.76 million hectares have already been brought under restoration. The delegation highlighted the Aravalli Green Wall, where about 6.45 million hectares of degraded land have been identified for restoration, and the MISHTI initiative for mangrove restoration along the coasts. The number of Ramsar Sites in India, which are wetlands of international importance, has reached 101. Under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, a nationwide tree planting drive, more than 3.5 billion saplings have been planted with public participation.
India called for international cooperation that supports country led work, skill building, technology transfer and clear results on the ground. It sought stable finance for developing countries and asked the Food and Agriculture Organization to help countries access climate, biodiversity and blended finance for long term restoration. India also supported stronger links between forestry work, the Global Forest Goals and other forest processes, along with wider South South cooperation. It backed the proposed UN Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation 2027 to 2036 as a bridge from restoring degraded land to building productive and inclusive forest landscapes.
What Is World Forest Week and When Is World Forestry Day Celebrated?
The 10th World Forest Week was held alongside COFO 28 in Rome. World Forest Week is organised with COFO sessions to allow governments, experts and partner bodies to exchange ideas, present best practices and shape the global forest debate.
The 2026 Week featured high level dialogues on forest foods, the proposed UN Decade on Afforestation and Reforestation, fire management and dryland forests. Side events covered restoration, bioeconomy, forest data, finance, wildlife, primary forests and the role of trees in cities. The Week also saw the launch of major publications, including the State of the Worlds Forests 2026 and the State of Indonesias Forests 2026.
World Forestry Day, also called International Day of Forests, is celebrated each year on 21 March. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the Day in 2012 to raise awareness of forests and trees. Each year has a theme, and the theme for 2026 links forests with food security. Countries mark the Day with tree planting, school programmes and awareness campaigns.
Key Takeaways
- COFO 28 met from 28 September to 2 October 2026 in Rome with 128 member countries under the theme Forests for food, resilience and prosperity.
- India reported total forest and tree cover of 82.74 million hectares, or 25.17 percent of its geographical area, based on the India State of Forest Report 2023.
- India ranks 9th in forest area and 3rd in net annual forest area gain in the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025.
- The Food and Agriculture Organization, established in 1945 and headquartered in Rome, guides COFO, and the Committee on Forestry was set up in 1971.
- India pledged to restore 26 million hectares by 2030 under the Bonn Challenge and has already covered 21.76 million hectares.
- World Forestry Day is observed every year on 21 March to raise awareness about forests and trees.
