Jakarta — Over 120 forestry leaders and experts from 20 countries across the Asia-Pacific have convened in Chiang Mai this week to strengthen regional collaboration on sustainable forest management under the theme “Healthy Forests Feed the Future”, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a statement. The gathering marks the Thirty-First Session of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC 31) and Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 2025, jointly hosted by Thailand’s Royal Forest Department and FAO. “This platform reinforces our shared commitment to conserve forests as a source of life, livelihoods, and food security,” said Nikorn Siratochananon, Director General of Thailand’s Royal Forest Department. Alue Dohong, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, underscored that “healthy forests are the backbone of healthy food systems,” noting their essential role in providing wild foods and sustaining agriculture through ecological services.