At the event, ministers and heads of observer organizations will discuss Sustainable Forest Management, resilience, and youth involvement. The focus is on sharing national experiences, addressing challenges, and shaping the future vision of FOREST EUROPE through key thematic sessions.

The event will conclude with the signing of the Bonn Ministerial Documents, reaffirming the commitment of FOREST EUROPE’s signatories and observers to promoting collective actions to “shape our future with resilient forests” through SFM policies and practices.

The post 9th FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

During the meeting, the focal points were the presentation of a report on Novel Green Forest Jobs and the formulation of policy recommendations to promote Green Forest Jobs to policymakers. Experts further discussed important topics like new and innovative roles of jobs in the forestry sector and attractive and engaging ways to communicate these stories to the world. They also talked about how to represent their work effectively at the upcoming IUFRO World Congress in Stockholm.

The second day of the meeting was all about finding better ways to measure the work and jobs in the forestry sector. Participants shared ideas and experiences to improve our understanding of employment in forestry. The meeting ended with a field trip to the nearby Arnsberg forest, where the experts learned about managing forests in the face of climate change and how to deal with forests that have been affected by disturbances like storms or fires.

Photo: Wald und Holz NRW

“We want to thank ‘Wald und Holz NRW’ for their warm welcome and excellent organization,” said Vera Steinberg, workstream leader of Green Jobs and Forest Education and policy advisor at FOREST EUROPE. “Their support made this meeting possible and helped us take important steps to attract the workforce of tomorrow, thus ensuring the sustainable management of our forests.”

The Expert Group Meeting on Green Forest Jobs shows what can be achieved when people work together. By sharing knowledge and ideas, we can build a future where forests thrive, providing benefits for both nature and people.

For further information, please contact:

The post Expert Group Meeting “Green Forest Jobs” paves the way for a sustainable forest sector first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

This year, the International Day of Forests (IDF) theme is ‘Forests and Innovation.’ In alignment with this theme, FOREST EUROPE organized a webinar on 14 March 2024 to commemorate the day. The IDF, which is celebrated annually on 21 March, celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. More than 110 participants joined our webinar, which aimed to highlight the importance of innovation by showcasing existing innovative practices and exploring ways of addressing the topic at the policy level.

Representatives of networks, including the Forest-based Sector Technology Platform (FTP), WoodPoP, and Future Forest Initiative (FFI), as well as start-ups like Breeze Technologies and Forest Mapping Management, provided insights from the practical perspective. They highlighted the uniqueness of their work ranging from their mission, roles, business models for forest owners and other stakeholders, and the integration of technology to address challenges such as wildfire detection and forest mapping processes. Speakers from Austria and Spain shared knowledge about their countries’ innovation ecosystems, contributing to a deeper understanding of the existing policies and the innovation-friendly environment they create. Structures and strategies directed towards foresters and government are necessary for the achievement of smooth dynamics between practice and policy.

In addition, participants had the opportunity to network with other start-ups and networks in the ‘Room for Innovation’ session, comprising of 4 breakout rooms: EFI Bioregions Facility, Firepoctep+ project, Lykaia and Forest.io. See here all the presentations.

Some of the key messages from the speakers on how to promote innovation in the forest sector included the importance of aligning priorities, coordinating policies, fostering cross-sectoral collaboration, creating enabling environments, including funding opportunities and other support services, and integrating policy, science, and practice at all levels. Embracing digital skills and fostering cooperation and co-creation were also emphasized.

Watch here the recorded webinar

The next webinar from the “From the Roots to the Canopy” series will be Spotlight on Forest Genetics: An Unseen Ally in Adapting Forests to Drought on 15 April 2024, 10:00-12:00 CEST, in collaboration with FORGENIUS and EUFORGEN. Mark your calendars and watch the webinar live on youtube.com/foresteurope/live

The post The roots of innovation – setting the course for innovation and sustainable growth in the forest sector first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

On November 9, government representatives and practitioners from all over Europe came together in Berlin for the second FOREST EUROPE High-Level Talks to address one question: How can sustainable forest management help make Europe’s forests more resilient to the consequences of climate change?

For those who don’t know, FOREST EUROPE is a pan-European forest policy process at the ministerial level in which guidelines, criteria, and indicators of sustainable forest management are developed. And we had the opportunity to be the youth representatives.

What have we seen? What are the bullet points we, the Youth, take from this day full of panel discussions? This is our perspective on the topic of „growing healthier forests“ and the efforts the government representatives make in their countries.

The high-level meeting focused on the consequences of the climate crisis in European forests. In his welcoming speech, the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, called for knowledge and forces to be pooled in Europe in order to make greater use of them for our forests, which are severely affected by the climate crisis:

“Our forests are important comrades-in-arms in the fight against the climate crisis and its consequences. Our forests do not end at national borders. Protecting our forests and adapting them to the climate crisis is, therefore, a pan-European challenge. We can only overcome it together.”

As we should know, it is not easy to develop a Europe-wide forest policy. Forests in Europe are very diverse in terms of their tree species composition, climatic conditions and the extent of changes caused by climate change, and social relationships to forests are also very diverse.

Accordingly, Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) does not necessarily equal resilient forest management everywhere, as stated by the professor of ecosystem dynamics and forest management at the Technical University of Munich, Rupert Seidl. It needs deliberate considerations and time frames to enhance a process of resilience. The director of the Icelandic Forest Service, Þröstur Eysteinsson, hits the nail on the head: “there is no „one fits all“-solution.”

So why is it still important to talk to each other? In times of fast-changing environmental and climatic conditions, nobody knows how to act for the best. The rule „local is best“ loses its validity, and we need forest experts to be more open-minded to interlinked knowledge from everywhere in the world.

Since the climatic conditions are changing faster than ever, different problems occur, but in many cases other nations have faced these problems already. With collaboration and constructive scientific dialogue, we can profit from problems other nations have faced and work together. One good core concern is, therefore, to build and establish a European platform to pool expertise and research findings on protecting forests from the climate crisis. The planned “Forest Risk Facility” (FoRISK Facility) is intended to be a permanent facility for partners and initiatives to receive assistance for preventing risks, coping with risks, and adapting forests. Shared knowledge is the best knowledge.

The HLPD was very professionally organized. As the youth representatives, we did not have much delegation experience beforehand, so it was a pleasure to get the opportunity here. The Moderator, Jo O’Hara, did a fantastic job and led in an emotional and empathic way through the day.  The content of the panelists was substantial and eloquent, which is important for the broader FOREST EUROPE process.

On the second day, we did an excursion in the Grunewald, which was beautiful in the autumn-shaped colorful forest around Berlin. It was also a great opportunity to get to know each other better and to dive deeper into certain topics in smaller groups.

What we missed a bit during the conversations is a bigger emphasis on how important it is to gather ideas for increasing the acceptance of SFM by society. Social acceptance and participatory processes in forestry activities are the root of every forest strategy that is overseen most of the time. In recent times, when many forests look devastated, it is more important to legitimize the expertise of foresters and to make it visible to everyone that foresters act scientifically and to the best of their knowledge and belief.

A lot of this issue relies on our own acts: Foresters need to be more open-minded to other interest groups and sectors in society. Regarding international collaboration, we need to set the same prerequisites for all signatory states and implement an effective and fruitful exchange. Then, we can set a good example of an efficient and action-oriented policy that gets adapted within the FOREST EUROPE process.

Check here the interviews with the Secretary General of the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF), Fanny-Pomme Langue, and the Communications Manager of the International Union of Forest-Research Organizations (IUFRO), José Bolaños.

The post IFSA reports on the High-Level Policy Dialogue: Forests do not end at national borders – how can united knowledge help Europe’s forests? first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

(Download this document here.)

We are living in times of drastic changes challenging forests all over Europe.

Our forests are facing disturbances that are increasing in severity, scale, and frequency due to climate change, thus leading to rapidly advancing tree mortality and canopy loss in Europe. Moreover, disturbance events are becoming increasingly complex as different and sometimes emerging disturbances are linked, occur simultaneously, or reinforce each other, exacerbating the current challenges at the national and regional levels. The unprecedented forest damages all over Europe require rethinking and constant analysis of adaptation strategies and approaches to enhance the resilience of forests, landscapes, and society.

So, what do we mean by resilience? Resilience indicates the ability of a system to absorb or withstand changes and disturbance while also maintaining important ecosystem processes and functions. Since 2018, an increase in the disturbance frequency has been observed, and it is likely that forests in Europe may no longer be able to recover from or absorb the damage. The impact on society and the loss of essential ecosystem services and functions that forests provide (e.g., carbon sequestration, healthy soil, drinking water, and wood products) could be irreversible. Therefore, when dealing with resilience in forests and landscapes, we need a holistic approach that considers societal needs, the entire value chain of the forest process, and ecosystem integrity and conservation.

Increasing resilience through SFM practices could provide a way out of the combined climate and biodiversity crisis our forests face.

We may not be able to prevent the disturbances, but every crisis is also an opportunity to transform forests into more resilient ecosystems with enhanced biodiversity. SFM and the integration of nature conservation in active forest management practices have proven successful all over Europe. SFM is a dynamic concept, able to be adapted to changes, and remains the conceptual backbone for the future of European forests. Increasing forest resilience through SFM practices will be instrumental in reinforcing and maintaining the adaptive capacity of forest landscapes and their ability to cope with the tremendous speed and pressure that climate change effects exert on them.

Enhancing forest resilience in Sustainable Forest Management practices includes:

• Pro-active management to prevent and prepare for forest disturbances and mitigate future impacts, for example, by increasing the diversity of tree species, structures, and management methods to create more diverse forests and landscapes to face an uncertain future. Considering most climate-adapted provenances and tree species can be taken up as an option. From the perspective of genetic sciences, it’s important to note that these may not necessarily be native species. Therefore, in shaping future species mixes to enhance resilience against potential disturbances, it’s essential also to consider tested non-native species.
• Comprehensive recovery approaches need to combine forest restoration and climate change adaptation at the same time. In addition, we need to consider different dimensions from the smaller to the larger scale; forests need to be managed as part of the landscape and become an integrative part of landscape restoration concepts.
• Not only do forests and forest management need to become resilient, but also forest value chains and society. With increasing and competitive demands for forest products and services, we must ensure that forest resources and services are put to the best possible use and strike the right balance. This requires developing new technologies and products, well-trained, informed, and receptive personnel as well as efficient communication strategies.
• We need more science to inform decision-makers and practitioners and implement more effectively. There is an increasing need for monitoring disturbances and early warning systems to improve our understanding of forest risks. More research on unmanaged areas should be conducted to comprehend natural adaptation processes better.
• Private forest owners often face new and seemingly insurmountable challenges that may force them to abandon their land. Providing assistance and training to landowners needs to go beyond subsidies and regulatory frameworks; it is necessary to understand their values and objectives while developing policies and increasing awareness.

The need to act on the climate and biodiversity crisis together is growing, requiring international and coordinated actions.

Countries face different challenges at different times, and priorities regarding risk management differ. Climate change and biodiversity loss do not respect borders, and urgency is an issue; solutions must be developed by joining forces, always keeping the country’s differences in mind. As there is “no one-size-fits-all,” locally adapted solutions need to be elaborated, with the transparent involvement of different interest groups.

Several participants highlighted the urgency of strengthening cross-border collaboration and transparent dialogues through a FOREST EUROPE Forest Risk Facility (FoRISK). Such pan-European cooperation platform on risk prevention and management is currently being examined by the FOREST EUROPE’s signatories and envisaged to be adopted at the 9th Ministerial Conference on 1-2 October 2024 (further information on the Ministerial decision under preparation can be obtained from the Liaison Unit Bonn upon request).

This discussion prepared the ground for further investigation of the relationship and potential synergies between the two concepts of SFM and resilience building.

The post Take-home messages from the High-Level Talks 2023 first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

Join us for conversations with forestry experts from different pan-European regions as we explore the challenges, solutions, and the way forward to preserve our forests for generations to come. Our speakers will address key issues, including the important role of FOREST EUROPE, how Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) can ensure the multi-functions of our forests, strategies to protect our forests from pests, and the critical role of biodiversity when it comes to managing our forests. Hear their voices, share their passion, and be inspired by their stories.

Discover the benefits of impactful forest policymaking and sustainable practices from different countries in the pan-European region. Listen to our four episodes here!

The post Join our brand-new podcast: Seeing the forest for the trees first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

The current scenario we are facing at the national and international forestry level leads to a critical debate: How can Sustainable Forest Management maintain and enhance resilience in your forest, considering social, economic, and environmental factors?

This event will be hosted by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Berlin having a hybrid character. FOREST EUROPE high-level policymakers responsible for forests and forestry and high-level representatives from FOREST EUROPE observer organizations and other interested stakeholders will be invited to this meeting. The interested public can join this event in Berlin or online.

The host of this event is the German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr. Cem Özdemir. Our panel discussions in Berlin will bring together ministers and other high-level policymakers with representatives of environmental organizations, forest practitioners, researchers, youth, and landowners to provide a space promoting shared understanding and synergies in the pan-European region and beyond.

The event will have two consecutive panel discussions where participants can interact directly with high-level speakers during the debate. To set the scene, renowned researchers will present their latest findings.

Check our High-Level Talks website to stay updated.

The post High-Level Talks 2023 | Growing healthier forests: How can Sustainable Forest Management enhance resilience? first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

Find the final report of the YFPD here

The YFPD was organised by  FOREST EUROPE’s workstreams on Forest Education and Green Jobs, the Rapid Response Mechanism, and the International Forestry Students Association (IFSA). The International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) and Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) partnered in organizing the event.  The YFPD taskforce had the following members: Silvia Abruscato, Vera Steinberg and Juliet Achieng from the Forest Europe Secretariat and Johanna Klapper, Polina Blinova, Nicolas Domke Venegas, Alina Lehikoinen, Simone Massaro, Erica Di Girolami and Elif Duman from IFSA.  

The workshop topics were selected from a series of consultation meetings with IFSA members. The students reported that they had insufficient skills in public speaking, event organization such as conferences, and digitalization in the forest sector but they considered them as important for the success of their careers. During the conference day, well-known forest policy experts expounded on how forest policy works and provided real world examples from Africa, Europe and Latin America. Crucial topics in forestry such as Sustainable Forest Management, halting deforestation and restoration were discussed and the contribution of forest finance to their success was highlighted. The Youth Call to Action and Open Letter on Gender and Forest Education are youth led initiatives presented at the event which highlighted the youth’s contribution to international forest policies. In the climate negotiation the participants acted as representatives of governments, business and civil society and had to establish a concrete plan to limit global warming to below 2°C.  

A clear take-home message from the event was:  

 “The forest sector needs to leave the silos and be open to establishing transparent dialogues about youth inclusion because the youth is the energy and passion in the room.” 

Silvia Abruscato, Forest Europe Secretariat. 

The recordings are available on the event’s webpage: https://ifsa.net/yfpd   

For more information contact: silvia.abruscato@foresteurope.org or  juliet.achieng@efi.int

¹https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/youth

The post Youth Forest Policy Days: discussing the inclusion of youth in forest policymaking first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.