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IUFRO Announcements

2024-02-29

IUFRO-Japan News No. 135

Read the latest issue of IUFRO-Japan News and learn more about the IUFRO World Congress to be held on 23-29 June 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden, IUFRO Research Group 3.08.00 and many other interesting things.

The IUFRO-Japan (IUFRO-J) Committee, http://www.ffpri.affrc.go.jp/labs/iufroj/index_Eng.html is an organization launched in 1970 to promote global and domestic partnerships in forest-related research; it cooperates with IUFRO Headquarters.

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Other Announcements

2024-03-18

Latin America Regional Survey on Innovation in the Wood Value Chain

FAO and Reforestamos Mexico are aiming at identifying innovative forest centers within Latin America. This initiative seeks to strengthen the development of capacities among the young populations (between 14 and 20 years old) of the region who are about to choose their profession or are already at the upper middle level. You are invited to complete the survey available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. This survey is aimed at professionalization and forestry technification centers (prevocational and vocational) and/or universities that have this type of center. Thank you for your participation!

Publications

2024-05-06

International Forest Governance: Trends, drawbacks, and new approaches. A critical review

The Policy Brief summarizes the key messages of the report "International Forest Governance: A critical review of trends, drawbacks, and new approaches", and includes examples of forest governance alternatives for the future. The following key findings are highlighted:

  • The former dominant concept of a centralized International Forest Governance (IFG) in the form of legally binding, or non-legally binding intergovernmental agreements has continued to shift towards a more pluralistic understanding to IFG.
  • A major critique of IFG is its 'limited effectiveness', particularly in reference to its failure to adequately address deforestation, forest emissions, and biodiversity loss. Yet, IFG is still presented as the dominant solution to this problem, resulting in an 'Olympics' of pledges and targets.
  • Forest-related finance for IFG has increased in complexity, with constantly emerging new policy instruments, incentives, standards, and targets in a wide variety of forms. This growing complexity is supported by actors and institutions with interests in short-term economic gain, rather than sustainability and a transition towards just forest governance. Alternative finance remains rare.
  • In the past decade, a 'climatization' of the forest governance discourses has taken place, which becomes evident in the growing public and private forest carbon markets.
  • Formerly, the critiques to IFG were focused on technical aspects, but a 'critical critique' point of view is gaining traction following approaches such as political ecology and critical policy analysis. This form of critique addresses social problems such as power asymmetries, justice, post-colonialism, or exclusion. Often, this critique focuses on uncovering underlying power relations rather than offering specific suggestions for political solutions.

One major conclusion from this assessment is that the complexity of international forest governance is steadily increasing, and further efforts to coordinate actors and arrangements at all levels are urgently needed.
 

Editors: Nelson Grima, Daniela Kleinschmit and Christoph Wildburger

Published by International Union of Forest Research Organizations (2024)

ISBN 978-3-903345-29-4
 

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Non-IUFRO Publications

2024-04-02

Call for submissions: Taking stock of work and employment research in the forest sector

Submissions are invited for a Special issue of 'Forest Policy and Economics'.

This Special Issue aims to assemble a spectrum of quality research covering a wide range of topics related to work and employment in the forest sector. Papers published in this SI will contribute to a deeper understanding of the current status of forest-related employment and how it is developed across economies and regions. It also aims at taking stock of relevant studies from various geographic and levels of analyses offers a lens for identifying knowledge gaps and future trends in this field of research.

To fully represent the multifaceted aspects of work and employment in the forest sector, studies are invited that address one or more of the following topics, but not limited to: - Contribution of forests and the forest sector to employment; - Causes and consequences of informal economy in the forest sector; - Data and methods for measuring employment indicators relevant to the forest sector; - OSH for the forest-related workforce, including the effectiveness of OSH infrastructure, policies, and legislation; - Adequate earnings and social security coverage for forest-related workforce; - Women and youth in the forest-sector labour market and gender inequalities at work; - Green, blue job opportunities; - Governance in the world of forest-related work, such as forest certification, labour standards; - Education and training required for the future workforce; - Sustainable business models of forest- based value chains relevant to the labour aspects.

Deadline for manuscript submissions:   30 November 2024
Guest editors:  Dr. Rattiya S. Lippe, Thünen Institute of Forestry, Germany; Dr. Tatiana Lizbeth Ojeda Luna, Universidad Nacional de Loja, Ecuador; Dr. Doris Mutta, African Forest Forum, Kenya; Dr. Jörg Schweinle; Thünen Institute of Forestry, Germany
Details:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/forest-policy-and-economics/about/call-for-papers#taking-stock-of-work-and-employment-research-in-the-forest-sector

Position Announcements

2024-05-28

Communications and Outreach Officer // 5 June 2024

ITTO is inviting applications for the position of Communications and Outreach Officer. The Communications and Outreach Officer, under the general direction of the Director of Operations and the Executive Director, will be responsible for the Organization's communications and outreach program with the objective of effectively communicating and elevating ITTO's role and visibility in the global forest dialogue. The appointee will also be responsible for the editing and publication of diverse ITTO publications, including the quarterly Tropical Forest Update, TFU. Elements to be incorporated in ITTO communications will include amongst others, the need for economic development in forestry/the timber industry, impacts and contributions to climate change and biodiversity conservation and practices and innovations for sustainable development through sustainable tropical forest management and a vibrant trade of forest goods and services.

Institutions:  International Tropical Timber Council (ITTO)
Duty station:  Yokohama, Japan
Closing Date:  5 June 2024, 17:00 hrs JST

Details:  https://www.itto.int/direct/topics/topics_pdf_download/topics_id=7833&no=1


IUFRO Meetings

2023-07-24

International Conference: The Forests Factor - More nature to fight climate change, and the role of protected areas

The international conference "The Forest factor" was held in Rome, Italy, on 6 and 7 June 2023, at the Roma Tre University, with the aim of placing the emphasis on the protection of forests, as an essential element in the fight against climate change, and on their vital importance for biodiversity, the carbon, water and energy cycles on a planetary scale.

Other Meetings/Events

2024-05-13

Wildfire Coexistence in BC: Solutions Symposium

This Symposium will bring together British Columbia’s leading wildfire experts and practitioners to highlight the urgent need to develop a transformative vision and implementation strategy for wildfires before it is too late. We will shed light on the profound impacts of wildfires and tremendous costs to the BC population, emphasizing that the 2017‒2023 fire seasons were not an anomaly but a new and escalating reality fueled by climate change.

Join in June 3-5, 2024, in Kelowna and learn about the stark realities of the societal, health, cultural, environmental, and economic costs of wildfires across British Columbia and the actions needed now.

Date:   3-5 June 2024
Location:  UBC Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, Canada
Organizers:  University of British Columbia Faculty of Forestry & University of British Columbia Okanagan

Details:  https://wildfire-symposium.forestry.ubc.ca/

University Courses, Summer Schools and Webinars

2024-04-22

MSU Forestry Non-credit Courses for Summer 2024

The Michigan State University Department of Forestry is pleased to offer the following non-credit course options for Summer 2024 for individuals interested in online learning. These courses are a great fit for those looking to expand their knowledge on topics of forestry outside of a degree-granting program.

Forest Biogeochemistry and Climate Change
Session 1: May 13 – June 27
Biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients within forest ecosystems. Disturbance, harvesting and forest management effects on the exchange of greenhouse gases between forest ecosystems and the atmosphere.
Contact: Akihiro Koyama, koyamaak(at)msu.edu
Cost: $865
Level: Advanced

Michigan’s Forests
Session 1: May 13 – June 27
Ecological, social and economic roles of Michigan’s forests in historic and contemporary context. Geographic similarities and differences in forest resources.
Contact: Jarred Saralecos, saraleco(at)msu.edu
Cost: $600
Level: Introductory

Introduction to Forestry
Session 2: July 1 – August 15
Historical development of forestry. Forest growth, protection, management, and products. Relationship of national and world economy and policy to forestry.
Contact: Jarred Saralecos, saraleco(at)msu.edu
Cost: $600
Level: Introductory

Organizers: Department of Forestry, Michigan State University
Deadline for application:  The enrollment deadline is the first day of the course.
Details:  https://www.canr.msu.edu/for/non-credit-courses/


Fellowships/Scholarships/Research Funding

2023-06-20

New funding call for Climate-Smart Forestry projects opening soon

FORWARDS will launch around five grant calls with a total value of EUR 6 million to fund 50 projects to set up the ForestWard Observatory. In the first round of grant calls to be launched in July, five projects will be funded for establishing new Climate-Smart forestry and forest restoration trials. Each project will be granted with up to EUR 150,000. Successful applications will result in projects that are expected to commence around the beginning of 2024, with a duration of maximum 18 months. Subsequently during the year and until the project end, FORWARDS will launch many more calls to fund projects across different themes.

In case if you are an organisation working in Climate-Smart Forestry, watch out for the launch at the end of July. The call will be published on EFI’s grants webpage.

FORWARDS is an EU-funded project that will prototype the ForestWard Observatory, a pan-European monitoring and evaluation tool that will help in demonstrating the impact of climate change on forests, guiding decision-making for practical forests management. FORWARDS has received funding from the EU Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 101084481. The project started on 1 November 2022 and ends on 30 November 2027.

Details on the FORWARDS project:  https://forwards-project.eu/
Details on upcoming call:  https://efi.int/news/new-funding-call-climate-smart-forestry-projects-opening-soon-2023-06-20

Fellowship Programs

2014-09-04

Abdou-Salam Ouédraogo Fellowship

Bioversity International established the Abdou-Salam Ouédraogo Fellowship for research on conservation and use of forest genetic resources in sub-Saharan Africa  to honour the memory and celebrate the work of Dr Abdou-Salam Ouédraogo. The Fellowship is awarded annually to a scientist from a university or national research institute in sub-Saharan Africa, with support from the CGIAR Research Program for Forests, Trees and Agroforestry. For more information, please visit: http://www.bioversityinternational.org/about-us/opportunities/fellowships/abdou-salam-ouedraogo-fellowship/.

Awards


IUFRO Awards

no news in this list.

Non-IUFRO Awards

2024-04-24

BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards

The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards recognize and encourage world-class research and cultural creation, prizing contributions of singular impact for their originality and significance. Candidates may be one or more natural persons of any nationality, without limitation of number, that have made independent or convergent contributions to a given advance, whether due to a formal collaboration (with the nominees belonging to one or more groups) or parallel working. The awards are also open to scientific or cultural organizations that can be collectively credited with exceptional contributions to scientific knowledge, cultural creation, the fight against climate change or the conservation of the natural environment.

Organization:  BBVA Foundation
Submit nomination by:  30 June 2024, 16:00 GMT

Details:  https://www.frontiersofknowledgeawards-fbbva.es/conditions/