Making charcoal manufacturing more efficient can help address climate change and improve rural livelihoods.

That’s the message from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the International Day of Forests, observed this Tuesday, 21 March.

FAO says about half the wood taken from forests is used to produce energy for cooking and heating, of which some 17 per cent is converted to charcoal.

And while more than 40 million people worldwide are employed in the sector, the agency says it is largely informal and lacking in regulations, thus promoting inefficiency and billions in lost revenue.

Sandra Ferrari has been speaking to Eva Muller, Director of FAO's Forestry Policy and Resources Division.

Duration: 4’01”