The French Scientific Committee on Desertification (CSFD) was created in 1997 by the ministries in charge of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Ministry of Environment, Energy and Marine Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Energy and Marine, Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research).

The CSFD acts as an independent body giving advisory opinions. Multidisciplinary, it is composed of twenty members and a president from the main scientific organizations; they are appointed in a personal capacity for three years by the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research.

The CSFD produces, disseminates and promotes scientific knowledge among different audiences; it guides and advises political decision-makers and civil society actors in France and in affected countries. It also strengthens the positioning of the French scientific community in the international context and participates in French delegations during United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification events.