A Documentary Study of Current Status of Forest and Environment in Iran and their Role in Food Security

Forests and the environment play important role in providing income, food, energy, medicines and genetic resources, and a variety of essential materials for the well-being and living conditions of the people and the preservation of culture. In this research, an attempt has been made to elucidate the functions of forests and the environment in Iran and their links to food security and nutrition by reviewing documents and referring to statistics and data of national and international organizations. Direct forest and environment ecosystem services include the sale of wood products, fuel wood or firewood and by-products or   non-wood products. In this study, the statistics related to Iran's forests were briefly pointed out, which include revenues from the harvesting of wood and non-wood products, energy obtained from firewood in cooking for optimal use of food and the direct role of some  non-wood products in direct provision in the food system. Indirect forest and environment ecosystem services play a major role in the “availability” and “stability” components of food systems, including biodiversity, climate change, water regulation and quality, and soil and nutrient cycling conservation. Biodiversity makes production and livelihood systems more resilient to shock and stress including climate change. Climate change and climate diversity threaten the provision of a wide range of important products (timber and         non-timber) and forest environmental services. In this study, while examining the relationship between global environmental changes and food security, the strategies for overcoming the current situation were enumerated.