Co-design a FAIR data framework through an International data platform for a better tropical biodiversity forest management : the case study of the One Forest Vision initiative

The One Forest Vision Initiative (OFVi) was introduced at the One Forest Summit held in Libreville in March 2023 and formalized within the Libreville Plan. It contributes to international negotiations on tropical forest conservation and aligns with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (COP15), notably the target to protect 30% of the Earth’s terrestrial and marine areas by 2030. OFVi is closely linked to the Country Packages (CPs) launched at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in May 2023, which emerged from coordination between the Positive Conservation Partnerships proposed by France at COP27 and the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership. Within this framework, OFVi provides structured scientific support to the research components of several CP signatory countries.

The initiative is led by six major French research organisations—CEA, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD and MNHN—and coordinated by INRAE, CIRAD and IRD. It mobilises higher education institutions through joint research units and national research infrastructures.

OFVi aims to strengthen scientific capacities in tropical forest countries through cooperative research partnerships grounded in internationally recognised scientific standards. A core component of the initiative is the development of data access and processing services, including spatial and in situ observations, value-added products and open knowledge compliant with FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable). Supported by shared data and expertise infrastructures, this approach ensures full national sovereignty over the entire lifecycle of scientific data related to forest conservation.

The initiative promotes interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research approaches that integrate climate regulation, biodiversity conservation, water resources, and the rights and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Its scientific outputs are designed to directly support national conservation strategies implemented within the CP framework.

This contribution presents this original initiative supporting tropical forest conservation by generating and integrating distributed data infrastructures based on FAIR and CARE approaches, including : i) facilitates the transfer of reference datasets, ii) monitoring of environmental change and progress, iii) co-production of knowledge with local communities, iv) capacity building for data production and use in partner countries, v) and the promotion of best practices in data management and openness in line with FAIR principles. 

Finally, OFVi supports the development of national interdisciplinary data infrastructures for research and conservation, in close connection with the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) ecosystem.