🌿 Happy International Day of Forests 2025 ! 🌿

This year’s theme—"Forests and Food"—reminds us of something deeply important: forests are not just trees; they are a source of life, food, and culture for indigenous communities worldwide.

For generations, indigenous people have relied on forests for everything—food, medicine, shelter, and spiritual identity. They are not just residents of the forest; they are its caretakers, living in harmony with nature and taking only what they need. And yet, when it comes to conservation efforts, they are often the ones who suffer the most.

When species become endangered, who do we hold responsible? Too often, restrictions are placed on indigenous communities, limiting their access to the very forests they have nurtured for centuries. But these communities are not the ones clearing thousands of hectares for large-scale agriculture or construction. They are not the ones destroying biodiversity at an industrial scale.

Is it really fair to deprive people of their food, culture, and livelihood when they are not the cause of the problem? Shouldn’t we focus our efforts on stopping mass deforestation instead of restricting those who have coexisted with forests for generations?

The real threat isn’t the sustainable harvesting of food by indigenous people—it’s the large-scale destruction of forests, which wipes out biodiversity, disrupts ecosystems, and takes years to recover.

On this World Forest Day, let’s reflect on how we protect nature without harming those who depend on it the most. Conservation should not come at the cost of human dignity and heritage. 🌍💚