from Vol. 1, No. 1, 1947
By Sir John Boyd ORR
Despite an emphasis on timber supply, this introduction to the first issue of Unasylva makes it clear that from the beginning FAO was aware of the global importance of forests in the provision of goods and services, and recognized that forest conservation was essential to the Organization’s goals of improving the lives of rural people.
Sir (later Lord) John Boyd Orr (1880–1971), of Scotland, United Kingdom, was FAO’s first Director-General (1945–1948). He later won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949.