The Yale Chapter of International Society of Tropical Foresters is currently planning the 22nd Annual ISTF Conference at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, which will take place January 28-30, 2016.

Tropical Forests for Sustainable Development: Shaping our Post-2015 Future with Knowledge from the Field

The world is at a pivotal junction as countries negotiate the proposed United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals that will inform the post-2015 global development agenda. Tropical forests play an important role in a wide range of issues connected to post-2015 development, including poverty alleviation; food security; human well-being; water conservation; gender empowerment; energy access; sustainable economic growth, production and consumption; combating climate change; and promoting sustainable resource use and development.

The 22nd Annual ISTF Conference, held from January 28-30, 2016, will provide an exciting opportunity for field researchers and practitioners to join with policymakers in a discussion about the role tropical forests will play in the post-2015 development agenda and in enhancing our ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Because of the timely nature of this discussion, tangible products from the event will inform the early conceptualization of post-2015 global development actions and define a path forward for tropical forest and development communities in determining how existing initiatives can support post-2015 sustainable development.