Hansel and Gretel Careers: Jobs Grounded in Forestry Wealth
The World Bank Group's mission to eradicate poverty on a livable planet is closely tied to the creation of jobs in the forestry sector. With over 30% of the Earth's surface covered in forests, sustainable forest management can unlock new employment opportunities, reduce poverty, stimulate economic growth, and protect the environment.
The challenge is particularly acute in emerging economies, where 1.2 billion young people are entering the workforce in the next decade, and only 400 million jobs are projected to be created. This disparity highlights the urgent need for innovative solutions to generate meaningful employment.
Despite rapid population growth and urbanization, rural poverty persists in many of these countries, which are also endowed with substantial renewable natural wealth, including forests, fisheries, and biodiversity. This abundance presents a unique opportunity for job creation, with the forest sector employing approximately 33 million people globally.
The impact of forest jobs extends far beyond the sector itself. For every 100 jobs in the forest sector, 73 additional jobs are supported in the broader economy. This multiplier effect is evident in Zambia, where tourism around South Luangwa National Park generated jobs for 30% of the working-age population, showcasing how forest-linked livelihoods can be a cornerstone of rural development.
Forest-based enterprises are turning natural assets into engines of job creation and growth. From Burkina Faso to Mexico and Brazil, forest entrepreneurs are supported by the World Bank Group to grow their businesses.
In Burkina Faso, Fatimata Ouarme leads Sanigna, an enterprise that transforms baobab fruit pulp into syrup and jam. With the support of the Communal Climate Action and Landscape Management project, Sanigna has expanded its output and strengthened its sales and distribution channels, providing jobs for 15 workers.
In Mexico, Indigenous women-led enterprises are scaling up and going commercial. Laura Pérez, founder of Yuu Vany, transforms native medicinal plants into marketable natural beauty products. The Dedicated Grant Mechanism project provided seed funding and training, enabling her to commercialize her business and participate in women's empowerment networks.
In Brazil, the Cerrado region's biodiversity is harnessed through commercial forestry and restoration efforts. The International Finance Corporate (IFC) is backing a reforestation strategy that will create jobs in sustainable forest management, restoring 280,000 hectares of degraded land.
The World Bank Group's One WBG approach is scaling investments in forests and landscapes, building sustainable forest economies, and creating green jobs. This includes restoring and conserving forest ecosystems, amplifying the voices of smallholders and forest-dependent communities, and developing value chains for timber and non-timber products, ecotourism, and other nature-based enterprises.
These efforts aim to sustainably harness forests as engines of opportunity, placing people and communities in emerging economies on the pathway to prosperity.
