 Forests give life. The value of growing forests to our economy, our climate and our culture is priceless. Today, the International Day of Forests gives us an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the world's forests and to reaffirm how much forests contribute to sustainable development. Forests give income, food and medicine, as well as ecosystem services like biodiversity and safe drinking water. They are also one of the most powerful forces in our battle against climate change. How can we value forests for the many contributions they make? It is one of the most pressing questions of our time. Luckily, there are two global processes underway that could mark a turning point in history for forests. The first is the inclusion of forests in the next Global Development Framework, the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. The SDGs are being designed to set milestones for advancing development goals like poverty reduction, health and education in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner. Forests will have a major role in this regard. Secondly, between now and 2015, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will seek agreement on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, the main international pact on climate change. The role of forests in mitigating and adapting to climate change will loom large in these negotiations. As we celebrate International Day of Forests, we see many challenges but also opportunities for forests. There is incoming inequality, uneven access to financial and natural resources, unclear tenure, poverty and unsustainable food production. These are not improving fast enough to meet the needs and expectations of 9 billion people in 2050. Many will be in the rising middle class in countries like China, Brazil, India and Indonesia. Many will migrate to cities and take part in the growing economies. Or will want a better life on a healthy planet. Forests can contribute to solving each of these challenges, but we need to think outside the box. That's why here at the Centre for International Forestry Research, we are seeking to redefine forestry. No longer should forests be thought of as the wasteland or a resource to be exploited. They are vital parts of the greater landscape and they feed into natural, political and economic processes across the landscape. In the next two years, as SDGs and a new climate agreement take shape, it will be crucial to integrate forestry as a big part of the solution.