WRI Insights

World Food Day is a day to take a close look at our global food system and see what's working, what's not, and what needs to change. Much of the emphasis around feeding the world tends to focus around [increasing food production](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/05/great-balancing-act-3-needs-sustainable-food-future). But just as important—and often left out of the conversation—is how we treat what’s already been produced.

Local communities are key to protecting the world’s last remaining forests. Indigenous peoples hold legal or official rights to one-eighth of the world’s forests, [about 513 million hectares](http://www.rightsandresources.org/publication/what-future-for-reform/) (1.3 billion acres). Read more about how researchers used Global Forest Watch maps to identify lower rates of deforestation where governments protect communities’ rights.

America’s smartest business leaders are pursuing a strategy unheard of a few short years ago: they are building economic growth while tackling climate change at its source.

Much of the discussion in the environmental world focuses on tipping points—beyond which global warming becomes so great it causes ecosystems and economies to collapse. But former Vice President Al Gore thinks we’re reaching a new kind of tipping point, one where climate change action becomes a priority for governments and businesses.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has a big role to play. It’s expected to become the world’s main mechanism for securing and distributing finance to help developing nations tackle climate change. The multi-billion dollar question is: Can it live up to this expectation?

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. benefits the economy by saving businesses and consumers money and improving public health. A [new study](http://www.wri.org/seeingisbelieving) found that reducing emissions can yield significant economic benefits even before you factor in the advantages of avoiding drought, sea level rise, and other climate change impacts.

In an article written for Johns Hopkins University Water Institute, WRI's Aqueduct team discuss why good data is needed to plan for water stress and a changing climate.

The newly established New York Declaration on Forests aims to restore 350 million hectares of deforested and degraded landscapes into productivity by 2030—an area the size of India. Here we highlight countries that are prime for restoration.

Global Forest Watch (GFW) uses data to monitor changes to the Earth’s forests. What can other climate initiatives gain from the project? In a post originally published for The Guardian, the GFW team discusses public data challenges and lessons learned.

One of the most far-reaching of the commitments from the recent UN Climate Summit is the [New York Declaration on Forests](http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/events/2014/september/23-september-united-nations-climate-summit/Land-Use-and-Forest-Action-Area-Online-Pressroom/), which includes a plan restore 350 million hectares of degraded forest landscapes into productivity by 2030. While restoration [holds great promise](http://www.wri.org/blog/2014/05/7-unexpected-places-forest-landscape-restoration) for many countries, this ambitious new target is especially important for Africa. As we’re already seeing, [if done right](http://www.wri.org/blog/2014/05/restoration-it%E2%80%99s-about-more-just-trees), restoration could boost food and water security, improve livelihoods, and curb climate change in some of the most vulnerable regions on Earth.