Beyond Timber: Forest Foods, Biodiversity, and Climate-Smart Livelihoods in Central and West Africa

BackgroundSustainable food systems in tropical Africa depend not only on croplands but also on the ecological, nutritional, and economic functions of forests. For millions of rural and peri-urban households across the Congo Basin and wider Central and West Africa, forests are essential food systems — providing wild foods, non-timber forest products (NTFPs), bushmeat, medicinal plants, and fuelwood that support dietary diversity, income stability, and adaptive capacity in the face of environmental and climatic change. Yet these vital contributions are largely overlooked in national food policies and climate strategies, which continue to prioritise agricultural expansion over integrated forest–food management.The Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest, encapsulates the challenges and opportunities within forest–food relationships under a rapidly changing climate. Agricultural commodity expansion for crops such as cocoa and palm oil is remapping land use and altering access to forest ecosystems, accelerating deforestation, and affecting carbon stocks and biodiversity. These landscape transformations have direct consequences for food availability, nutrition, and the climate resilience of rural households. Simultaneously, climate variability and ecosystem degradation threaten both forest productivity and local livelihoods, while inequities related to gender, tenure, and market access exacerbate vulnerability.Recent policy shifts toward climate-smart and biodiversity-sensitive land management highlight the potential of agroforestry, sustainable forest management, and integrated landscape approaches to reconcile food production, conservation, and climate goals. However, gaps persist in quantifying the contributions of forest foods to food security and nutrition, understanding the governance conditions that sustain equitable forest–food systems, and identifying trade-offs among conservation, commercial agriculture, and livelihood needs. Strengthening the evidence base in these areas is critical to advancing climate-smart strategies that safeguard both people and forests.GoalThis Research Topic aims to illuminate how forest–food systems can underpin climate-smart and resilient food systems across tropical Africa. By linking ecological, economic, and social dimensions, it seeks to integrate forest-based foods and livelihoods into broader climate adaptation and sustainable development frameworks. Specific objectives include:Documenting the roles of forest foods and NTFPs in improving nutrition, income diversification, and climate resilienceAnalysing land-use transitions, deforestation, and climate impacts on forest-food availability and household food securityIdentifying governance, tenure, and institutional arrangements that promote sustainable forest-food systems under climate changeEvaluating agroforestry and integrated landscape approaches that synergise food production, biodiversity conservation, and carbon storageEncouraging transdisciplinary collaboration among ecologists, agricultural scientists, economists, and policymakers to inform equitable and climate-resilient land use decisionsScopeThe Research Topic focuses on the intersections between forests, food security, and climate resilience in tropical African contexts, especially in the Congo Basin and Central and West Africa. It seeks theoretical, empirical, and applied contributions that blend natural and social sciences toward climate-smart solutions.To gather further insights into forest–food system interactions for climate adaptation and sustainability, we welcome submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:Economic valuation of NTFPs and wild foods in household nutrition, income, and climate adaptation strategiesImpacts of deforestation, land-use change, and agricultural commodity expansion on forest-food systems and carbon dynamicsAgroforestry systems as multifunctional climate-smart landscapes linking food security and biodiversity conservationGender and equity dimensions of access to forest foods and NTFP value chainsGovernance, tenure, and institutional mechanisms for sustainable and equitable forest–food managementTrade-offs and synergies among forest conservation, sustainable agriculture, and livelihood resilienceClimate-smart markets, policy instruments, and financing for sustainable forest–food systemsIntegrated and participatory landscape approaches reconciling conservation, food production, and community adaptationAccepted article types: Original Research, Review, Mini-Review, Perspective, and Methods. Topic editors: Jonas NGOUHOUO-POUFOUN, Roger RB Leakey Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81642/beyond-timber-forest-foods-biodiversity-and-climate-smart-livelihoods-in-central-and-west-africa