180 Forests
Forests, food, fuel, and medicine
Forests contain a large variety of fruits,
nuts, seeds, roots, insects, and animals
How can we cook
if the food and
firewood from our
forest are all gone!
that serve as food and medicine for people.
When forests are degraded, it often results
in hunger, malnutrition, and illness. People who depend on
these resources must find other ways to survive. When foods
and medicines from the forest are lost, the knowledge of how to
prepare and use them is also lost. In this way, the loss of forests
leads to the loss of important knowledge and traditions.
In places where resources are scarce, people sometimes feel
forced to choose between keeping forests standing and cutting
down trees to plant crops for food. But even for farmers who
clear the forest to plant crops, keeping some trees is important. In areas
where farming competes with forests, it is important to try to keep a balance
between them. (For more about forests and farming, see page 302.)
Women’s burden
Women and children often do the
hard work of collecting and carrying
wood for fuel. The burden of this work
over many years can lead to health
problems. As forests are destroyed,
people must travel longer distances
to collect wood. This gives them less
time to do other necessary work and
to go to school.
Women and children may also
face physical and sexual violence
when they travel to collect wood.
Because of this, in some places
women and girls go in groups to
collect firewood during daylight
hours. By planting and maintaining
good firewood trees close to home,
the people who collect wood can
stay safe and healthy.
Carrying heavy loads over long distances
can cause headaches, backaches and,
especially in children, damage to the spine.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012