This paper develops a broad framework to conceptualize the multiple ways forests contribute to poverty reduction and inform interventions in forest landscapes. The paper identifies five key strategies for reducing poverty in forest landscapes: (a) improvements in the productivity of forest land and labor
(b) strengthened community, household, and women's rights over forests and land
(c) regional complementary investments in institutions, infrastructure, and public services that facilitate poverty reduction for the forest poor
(d) increased access to markets for timber or non-timber forest products
and (e) mechanisms that enhance and enable the flow of benefits from forest ecosystem services to the poor. The practical utility of the framework is tested through a portfolio review of forestry lending by the World Bank Group, the largest public investor in the forestry sector. The paper concludes with a discussion of some key issues that need to be addressed for forest-related investments in poverty reduction to succeed.