FSC at the 28th session of the Committee on Forestry (COFO)

What is COFO?

The Committee on Forestry (COFO) is FAO’s highest global intergovernmental body on forestry. It brings together 128 member countries every two years - ministers, heads of forest services, senior government officials and partner organizations - to identify emerging challenges, shape policy direction and guide FAO’s forestry programme.

The 28th Session takes place from 28 September to 2 October 2026 at FAO headquarters in Rome. 

COFO 28 runs alongside the 10th World Forest Week, held under the theme “Forests for food, resilience and prosperity”. The anniversary edition brings member nations, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management and youth delegates into a week of side events, high-level dialogues and exhibitions.

Why FSC is at COFO

COFO is where governments set the direction for forests. For FSC, the session is an opportunity to bring evidence from certified forests into that conversation, showing how credible and verified forest stewardship translates political commitments into practice on the ground.

This year FSC is co-organizing a side event with FAO on scaling sustainable wood innovation, connecting responsible forest management to the construction sector, and to the food security and resilience agenda that anchors World Forest Week.

At COFO 28, FSC aims to:

• Showcase how responsible forest management and certification support climate, biodiversity and food security goals, backed by scientific evidence;
• Partner with relevant organizations on joint solutions for restoration, bioeconomy, and wildfires;
• Connect forest stewardship to market solutions – in particular sustainable wood-based construction and circular bioeconomy;
• Empower the leadership of Indigenous Peoples, smallholders, and local communities in forest value chains;
• Strengthen collaboration with governments, UN agencies, and forest-sector initiatives ahead of CBD COP 17 and UNFCCC COP 31. 

Sessions and side events

FSC side event: From forest stewardship to sustainable buildings

Scaling up sustainable wood innovation for people, nature and climate

Date and time: Wednesday 30 September 2026, 08.00-09.15 CEST
Location: Ethiopia Room, FAO headquarters, Rome
Organizers: Forest Stewardship Council, with FAO
FSC speakers: Sean Nyquist, Programme Manager Value Chain Development
Registration: COFO accreditation required

Forests, cities and livelihoods are under growing pressure from climate change, biodiversity loss, unsustainable production and demographic shifts. At the same time, forests underpin resilient societies and economies – supplying ecosystem services, supporting sustainable food systems, and providing renewable materials for a circular bioeconomy.

This session looks at how certification, policy, finance and partnerships can drive the adoption and scaling of innovation and traditional knowledge, with wood-based construction as a nature-based solution with systemic impact.

Speakers will share experience from innovation hubs and sustainable forest value chains, and set out the gaps and priority actions.

Full event details on the FAO website: From forest stewardship to sustainable buildings. 

If you would like to connect with FSC during COFO 28, please reach out to our team to arrange a meeting: engagement@fsc.org.

Our FSC representatives are available for interviews. For media requests, please contact media@fsc.org.