New FAO “Solutions-tree” Tool Aims to Halt Africa’s Deforestation Crisis

A new innovation, the “Solutions-tree: Solutions to halting deforestation – through sustainable agrifood systems transformation”, was previewed today at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), co-hosted in Japan by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF), the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the UN-REDD programme, and the African Forest Forum (AFF).

The tool, which has been piloted in Benin and Guinea, is designed to provide governments with a structured framework to identify, prioritize, and implement cross-sectoral solutions to address both the direct and underlying causes of deforestation. It will be officially launched in October 2025.

Deforestation: A Persistent Threat

While global deforestation rates slowed between 2010 and 2020, the challenge remains acute in Africa. The continent continues to lose forest cover due to a complex web of factors, including weak governance, land competition between economic sectors, poverty, and insecure land tenure.

Key commodities such as meat, cassava, maize, and cocoa are major drivers of deforestation. Experts argue that without transforming the way these commodities are produced—and without empowering smallholder farmers—efforts to protect forests will not succeed.

“Deforestation is one of the greatest challenges to Africa’s sustainable development. Halting deforestation is not just an environmental goal, it is an imperative for Africa’s food security, climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and socio-economic development,” said Alue Dohong, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, while opening the TICAD9 side-event.

Moving Beyond “Forests vs Agriculture”

One of the main themes of the event was the need to overcome the long-standing trade-off between agriculture and forestry.

“We have to collectively move away from ‘agriculture versus forestry’ trade-offs and work with governments and communities to co-create and scale up transformational solutions that keep forests standing while boosting food security, rural economies and climate goals,” said Serena Fortuna, FAO Senior Forestry Officer and UN-REDD Management Group Member.

This integrated approach—sometimes described as a “quadruple win”—aims to deliver benefits for climate, biodiversity, livelihoods, and agriculture at the same time.

African Experiences: From Benin to Côte d’Ivoire

Countries across Africa are already applying these approaches:

• Benin: Awessou Kohomlan Beranger from Benin’s Ministry of Living Environment and Transport shared how the Solutions-tree is being used to design the country’s REDD+ strategy, emphasizing participatory science and cross-sectoral collaboration.

• Ghana: Roselyn Fosuah Adjei, Director at the Forestry Commission Training Centre, highlighted the importance of cost-benefit analyses for REDD+, which help demonstrate forests’ financial and social value in climate finance.

• Côte d’Ivoire: ITTO’s agroforestry project was showcased as a model for protecting forests while empowering women farmers and improving rural livelihoods.

• AFF: Professor Labode Popoola, Executive Secretary of the African Forest Forum, stressed that forestry strategies must align with agricultural and food security goals to be effective.

FAO’s Wider Work

The PROMIRE project in Côte d’Ivoire, funded by the Green Climate Fund, illustrates the impact of FAO’s broader forestry initiatives. To date, it has trained more than 5,000 cocoa farmers to adopt sustainable production techniques and rehabilitated degraded land by converting it into agroforestry systems.

Looking Ahead: Toward COP30

As panelists closed the event, they urged global leaders to translate commitments into action ahead of COP30, which will be hosted in Brazil’s Amazon region.

“Africa is proving that reducing deforestation and strengthening agriculture are not opposing goals. But unless global leaders act decisively, the window to protect forests is narrowing fast,” panelists warned.

Japan’s Role

In his closing remarks, Kochi Kiyotaka, Director of the International Forestry Cooperation Office at MAFF, reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting Africa’s efforts to integrate forestry and agriculture.

The TICAD platform, established by Japan in 1993, has become a global space for advancing sustainable development, resilience, and partnership with African countries. The unveiling of the Solutions-tree signals a new chapter in collective efforts to end deforestation while building stronger, greener economies across the continent.