India, May 13 -- It is a trillion-dollar question: Why do the poorest in the world continue to languish in poverty while surrounded by a thriving economy? The forest sector accounts for 1 per cent of the global working population, with an estimated annual worth of US $1.5 trillion.

But most of the world's poorest population - living at $3/day- also inhabit forested areas. It emerges that forestry is not significantly contributing to the decline of poverty among this population despite it being the source of sustenance.

On April 27, 2017, the UN General Assembly adopted the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030. This Plan set six Global Forest Goals (GFG) to be met by members by 2030, or in the next four years. The second goal is to en...