Media Contact: Lindsay Cobb
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International Development Leaders Commit to Agroforestry
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research and Trees for the Future Workshop Partner to Meet the SDGs
March 28, 2019 (New York City) — Trees for the Future (TREES), in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research New York Office (UNITAR), hosted international development leaders and agroforestry practitioners for a day-long workshop on advancing agroforestry to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
UNITAR and TREES focused on the impact of Trees for the Future’s agroforestry-based Forest Garden Approach and its ability to end hunger, poverty and deforestation.
“So many of the problems we’re currently facing – climate change, malnutrition, economic insecurity – are all symptoms of an unsustainable and failing global food system,” explains Trees for the Future Executive Director John Leary. “These workshops and our efforts acknowledge the cause and dig into a truly scalable, replicable, and sustainable solution in planting more trees and Forest Gardens.”
The workshop was the second of a three-part series and focused on Diversification of Nutrition and Income. Participants from NGOs, the UN, and the private sector learned how to design a Forest Garden and become a competent training facilitator. Attendees are encouraged to earn their Trees for the Future Forest Garden Certification and apply agroforesty and permaculture in the communities they serve.
“It’s really interesting to see how this [method] could be adapted to shorter timelines or more resource limited environments,” said attendee Kelsey Weber, International Rescue Committee.
The next workshop will be held on Earth Day, April 22, 2019 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. More details and registration are available at UNITAR.org. For more information on the Forest Garden Training Center, visit training.trees.org.
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Trees for the Future is working to end hunger and poverty for smallholder farmers through revitalizing degraded lands. Learn more about Trees for the Future and see their latest data in the TREES 2018 Impact Report.
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is the dedicated training and capacity building arm of the United Nations and has the mandate to enhance the effectiveness of the UN through diplomatic training. Through public awareness-raising, education, and training of public policy officials, UNITAR has focused on enhancing global decision-making and supporting country-level action, to create a world in which individuals, institutions, and organizations are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and capacities to overcome global challenges.
Contributing meaningfully to the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals requires us to rethink how our organizational capital is structured and interacts. The Institute continuously evolves to best match the needs of the diplomatic community and the UN Agenda. Under the leadership of Executive Director Mr. Nikhil Seth, UNITAR is implementing a wide range of activities across the development spectrum as introduced in its Strategic Framework 2018-2021. These are organized under five thematic pillars: Peace, People, Planet, Prosperity, and Cross-fertilizing Knowledge and Expertise.