Tropical forests are critical to the future of the planet. They harbor millions of species of plants and animals, and, as natural storers of carbon, they play a key role in combating climate change. They are also home to millions of indigenous people, who have protected the forests and their resources for thousands of years. Penny Davies, Program Officer at the Ford Foundation, explored the forests of Nigeria as a child and has devoted her career to advancing policies that benefit forest peoples globally. She recently sat down with BurnessGlobal’s Coimbra Sirica to discuss the role these communities play in protecting their forests—and all of us from the climate change crisis.

Watch Coimbra’s conversation with Penny.

About this Series

Conversations in Development is a series that features interviews with fascinating people we have known or worked with over our 20+ years in the development space. Through these interviews, we’ll share fresh perspectives on a variety of issues, from agricultural development to global health to forestry, and hopefully spark a dialogue about the top development priorities in the world today.

This project is dedicated to our colleague Jeff Haskins, who passed away suddenly in July 2012. He was a “big ideas” guy, always pushing those he worked with to think about the world differently. We know he would be proud of this project.

Watch a video of ILRI’s Susan MacMillan’s reflections on Jeff.