The EU ministers of agriculture are visiting a forestry farm during the informal meeting in Sweden, held on 13th – 15th of September. CEPF President Christer Segerstéen highlighted the importance of forests’ contribution in mitigating climate change for the ministers. The guests could see on the ground how active forestry helps to restore the carbon balance in the atmosphere.

On Monday 14th CEPF President Christer Segerstéen met with the EU ministers of agriculture at a forest farm in Sweden. The meeting was hosted by Södra - a cooperative of more than 50,000 private forest owners in southern Sweden. The outing focused to show how the individual forest owner can contribute to the overall battle against of climate change, through active management, planting and harvesting practices.

The ministers’ attention was drawn to the fact that through carbon storage and production of bio fuels forests can play an immense role in the restoration of the carbon balance in the atmosphere. Examples from Södra gave evidence of the established, century-long practices of successful regeneration of forests in Europe. The growing stock in the visited area has more than doubled compared to a 100 years ago. At the same time there are many regions in the world, with an even higher potential in the growth of forest, where forests’ significance as a carbon sink could be increased dramatically.

With the combination of both curbing deforestation and an active, responsible management, forests bring about the most natural solution for fighting climate change. This has to be noted by politicians, in order to coordinate actions and promote developments which make such contributions possible.