The definitions provided here are for the convenience of readers and are not necessarily official FAO definitions.
Agricultural innovation. The process whereby individuals or organizations bring new or existing products, processes or ways of organization into use for the first time in a specific context in order to increase effectiveness, competitiveness, resilience to shocks or environmental sustainability and thereby contribute to food security and nutrition, economic development or sustainable natural resource management.9
Agroforestry. A collective term for land management systems in which woody perennials are deliberately integrated spatially or temporally on the same land management units as agricultural crops and/or animals to create economic, social and environmental benefits.271 The three main types of agroforestry systems are: (1) agrosilvicultural (trees combined with crops); (2) silvopastoral (trees combined with animals, including aquaforestry – that is, trees with fish); and (3) agrosilvopastoral (trees, animals and crops).
Bioeconomy. The production, use, conservation and regeneration of biological resources, including related knowledge, science, technology and innovation, to provide sustainable solutions (information, products, processes and services) within and across all economic sectors and enable a transformation to a sustainable economy.
Cross-laminated timber. A prefabricated engineered wood product consisting of at least three layers of solid-sawn lumber or structural composite lumber where the adjacent layers are cross-oriented and bonded with structural adhesive to form a solid wood element. Panels are prefabricated based on the project design.272
Deforestation. The conversion of forest to other land use, whether human-induced or not.15
Forest. Land spanning more than 0.5 ha with trees higher than 5 m and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use.15
Forest and landscape restoration. A planned process that aims to regain ecological integrity and enhance human well-being in deforested or degraded landscapes. It does not seek to recreate past ecosystems given the uncertainty concerning the past, the significantly altered conditions of the present and anticipated but uncertain future change. It does seek, however, to restore forested ecosystems that are self-sustaining and that provide benefits for both people and biodiversity. For this reason, the landscape scale is particularly important because it provides the opportunity to balance economic, social and environmental priorities.273 FLR typically seeks to improve resilience, productivity and socioeconomic value from restored forests and landscapes, benefiting human well-being, local livelihoods and the environment. It aims to seek a balance between restoring ecosystem services (e.g. biodiversity, soil and water conservation) and productive functions of land for agriculture and related uses that provide food, energy and other products and services for sustainable livelihoods.
Forest degradation. The long-term reduction of the overall supply of benefits from forests, which includes wood, biodiversity and other products and services. In the FRA, countries are requested to indicate the definition of forest degradation they use in assessing the extent and severity of forest degradation.18
Forest ecosystem services. The benefits people obtain from forest ecosystems. These include provisioning services such as food, water, timber and fibre; regulating services that affect climate, floods, disease, wastes and water quality; cultural services that provide recreational, aesthetic and spiritual benefits; and supporting services such as soil formation, photosynthesis and nutrient cycling.274 Forest ecosystem services are the services derived from forests – they include the production of ecosystem goods; the provision of habitat for wild species; climate and water regulation; soil formation and conservation; the generation and maintenance of biodiversity; pollination; pest control; seed dispersal; cultural values; and aesthetic beauty.275
Forest expansion. Expansion of forest on land that, until then, was under a different land use, implying a transformation of land use from non-forest to forest.15
Forest pathway. A development approach involving forests, of which the following three are identified in SOFO 2022:4 (1) halting deforestation and forest degradation as a crucial element for reversing the drivers of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, desertification and the emergence of zoonotic diseases (“halting deforestation and maintaining forests”, also “halting deforestation”); (2) restoring degraded forests and landscapes and putting more trees into agricultural settings as cost-effective means for improving natural assets and generating economic, social and environmental benefits (“restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry”, also “restoration”); and (3) increasing sustainable forest use and building green value chains to help meet future demand for materials and ecosystem services and support greener and circular economies, particularly at the local level (“sustainably using forests and building green value chains”, also “sustainable use”).
Forest sector. The wide range of activities related to sustainable forest management, the provision and production of timber and other wood and non-wood forest products, the protection of forest ecosystems and biodiversity, and safeguarding the benefits of forests.14 Thus, it encompasses all activities involving forests, as well as agroforestry, and diverse stakeholders, including governments, civil-society organizations, the private sector, Indigenous Peoples, vulnerable and marginalized communities, youth and women.
Forest-sector innovation. The process whereby new or existing products, processes or ways of organization, relevant to the forest sector are brought into use for the first time in a specific context to increase effectiveness, competitiveness, resilience to shocks and environmental sustainability. This publication identifies five types of innovation: technological, social, policy, institutional and financial. Forest-sector innovations can help make progress along the three forest pathways – that is, allowing for the enhanced conservation, restoration and sustainable use of global forest resources.
Innovation. Doing something new and different, whether solving an old problem in a new way, addressing a new problem with a proven solution or bringing a new solution to a new problem. In the context of agrifood systems, “to innovate” refers to the process by which individuals, communities or organizations generate changes in the design, production or recycling of goods and services, as well as changes in the surrounding institutional environment, that are new to their context and foster transitions towards sustainable food systems for food security and nutrition. Innovation is also used as a noun to refer to the changes generated by this process. Innovation includes changes in practices, norms, markets and institutional arrangements, which may foster new networks of food production, processing, distribution and consumption that may challenge the status quo.9
Innovation ecosystem. An innovation ecosystem provides the general economic and institutional environment required for innovation to happen.68, 276 It is shaped by a range of economic, social, environmental and other factors. Within the ecosystem, a diverse network of actors interact with each other and with artifacts (such as products, services and technological tools) in complex ways that ultimately trigger innovation creation or provide the enabling conditions in which an innovation can be adopted.
Net forest gain/loss/no change. “Forest area net change” is the difference in forest area between two FRA reference years. It can be positive (gain), negative (loss) or zero (no change).15
Non-wood forest products. Goods of biological origin other than wood derived from forests, other wooded land and trees outside forests.277
Non-timber forest products. All NWFPs plus certain woody materials such as woodfuel and small woods.
Other land with tree cover. Land classified as “remaining land area”, spanning more than 0.5 ha with a canopy cover of more than 10 percent of trees able to reach a height of 5 m at maturity (e.g. orchards and agroforestry systems).15
Other wooded land. Land not classified as “forest”, spanning more than 0.5 ha; with trees higher than 5 m and a canopy cover of 5–10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ; or with a combined cover of shrubs, bushes and trees above 10 percent. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use.15
Scaling up . Expanding, replicating, adapting and sustaining successful policies, programmes or projects in geographic space and over time to reach a greater number of people. In innovation, applies equally to the creation of new products, processes and ways of organization and the broad adoption of existing innovations in new contexts.
Smallholders. Small-scale farmers, pastoralists, forest keepers, fishers who manage areas varying from less than 1 ha to 10 ha. Smallholders are characterized by family-focused motives such as favouring the stability of the farm household system, using mainly family labour for production and using part of the produce for family consumption.278
Soft commodity. A term generally used to refer to commodities such as coffee, cocoa, sugar, soybeans and oil palm that are grown rather than mined.
Soft skills. People’s abilities to communicate effectively with each other and work well together.
Transdisciplinary science. The methodology that addresses topics across and beyond disciplines, through a comprehensive and holistic framework. In this context, it engages disciplines and interdisciplinary research, but should also consider the collaboration between professional scientists and diverse non-academic stakeholders, either individuals or institutions, in order to benefit from and contribute to their understanding of a problem and their specific knowledge. Transdisciplinarity involves interaction at every step of a scientific endeavour.279
