FAO Responsible for Zagros Forest Protection

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization “feels responsible” for protecting Zagros forests, according to a FAO official in Iran.

“We have plans to develop sustainable agriculture and feel responsible for helping protect the Zagros region,” Fabio Grita, an assistant to the FAO representative in Iran, was quoted as saying by ISNA.

Covering large swathes of western and southwestern Iran, the oak-rich Zagros forests are precious resources threatened by a variety of factors, including drought, farming and high concentrations of particulate matter, not to mention rampant logging by locals in need of fuel and smugglers looking for a fast buck.

The forests have shrunk by 1 million hectares in the past 10 years due to climate change and the above-mentioned factors.

“Our sustainable agriculture plan spans from 2017 to 2021 and involves the development of rural region and providing food security, while preserving the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” Grita said.