Deadline for manuscript submissions extended to 11 October - see LinkedIn post!

Submissions are invited for a Special Issue in the journal Forests.

Forestry worldwide is at a crossroads due to the rapidly changing climate; energy, biodiversity, financial and food security crises; and socioeconomic and political uncertainties that deepen deforestation and forest degradation. Innovation, transition and reconstruction of forestry, oriented by policies at the local level and across scales, are necessary to respond to challenges and build green, healthy, prosperous and resilient futures. Global and national policies and actions to be taken are equally important, as they trigger sustainable governance, management and the use of forests by transforming economic, political and social/cultural relationships across places, countries, regions and continents. In the light of recent policy documents, this Special Issue is planned to address the following questions of high importance:

• How could forest policies foster sustainable governance of forests and what are the roles of diverse stakeholders (e.g., businesses, NGOs, local communities, and international organisations) in putting multifunctional forestry (in different spatial and temporary settings/contexts) on sustainable paths?
• How could bottom-up and top-down approaches in forestry (and their combinations) change “the rules and play of the game” (and promote a sustainable forest bioeconomy, the involvement of businesses in the financing of forest restoration/afforestation projects, the creation of green jobs and improving the well-being of forest-dependent communities and a wider society, etc.)?
• How can the valuation of forest natural assets and ecosystem services help finance nature-based solutions, help resolve conflicts, and prevent and alleviate forest losses that inflict costs on society?

Guest editors:  Prof. Dr. Maria Nijnik, Dr. Mariana Melnykovych

Details:  https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/special_issues/CF003M0137

• Deal for Green? Contribution of managerial economics, accounting, and cross-sectoral policy analysis to climate neutrality and forest management; Ljubljana, Slovenia; 25-27 September 2023. Units involved: 4.05.00 and Working Parties; 9.05.03. Proceedings     
   
• Managerial forest economics and accounting as a base for decision making in a changing world; Hamburg, Germany, 5-7 September 2022. Units involved: 4.05.00, 4.05.01, 4.05.02, 4.05.03, 4.05.04, 4.05.05. Book of Abstracts - Opening - Wrap-up session
   
• Managerial, Social and Environmental Aspects of the Forest-based Sector for Sustainable Development: 40th Anniversary Conference for 4.05.00; Brno, Czech Republic; 4-6 October 2021. IUFRO Units involved: 4.05.00, 4.05.01, 4.05.02, 4.05.03, 4.05.04, 4.05.05. Book of Abstracts - Welcome message by IUFRO President Dr. John Parrotta - History of the Research Groups and related Working Parties - Anniversary Certificate - Letter of Appreciation    
   
• The Social and Ecological Value Added of Small-Scale Forestry to the Bio-Economy; Bolzano, Italy; 6-9 October 2020. IUFRO Units involved: 4.05.00, 4.05.01, 4.05.02, 4.05.03, 4.05.04, 4.05.05, Task Force on Unlocking the Bioeconomy and Non-Timber Forest Products. Book of Abstracts  -  Presentation by IUFRO President Dr. J Parrotta  

• Maria Nijnik, Laura Secco, David Miller, Mariana Melnykovych (eds.) 2019. Social innovation to increase the well-being of forest-dependent communities and promote sustainability in remote rural areas; Special Issue of Forest Policy and Economics. May 2019.
  https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/forest-policy-and-economics/special-issue/10H9J184QXV
  Details: https://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/science/divisions/div4/40505/40505-social-innovation-special-issue.doc
  The research papers of the Issue on ResearchGate -  https://www.researchgate.net/project/Special-Issue-of-Forest-Policy-and-Economics-on-Social-Innovation-in-forest-dependent-communities
• Nijnik M, Secco L, Miller D, Melnykovych M 2019. Can social innovation make a difference to forest-dependent communities? Forest Policy and Economics. Volume 100, March 2019, Pages 207-213 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2019.01.001
• Sarkki S, Ficko A, Miller D, Barlagne C, Melnykovych M, Jokinen M,  Soloviy I, Nijnik M, 2019. Human values as catalysts and consequences of social innovations Forest  Policy and EconomicsVolume 104, July 2019, Pages 33-44 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2019.03.006
• Secco L, Pisani E, Da Re R, Rogelja T, Burlando C, Pettenella D,  Masiero M, Miller D, Nijnik M  2019. Towards developing a method to evaluate social innovation in forest-dependent communities: a science-stakeholders collaboration, Forest Policy and EconomicsVolume 104, July 2019, Pages 9-22 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2019.03.011 
• Kluvánková T, Špaček M, Brnkalakova S, Slee B, Nijnik M, Valero D, Miller D, Bryce R, Szabo T, Kozova M, Gezik V 2018. Understanding social innovation for well-being of forest dependent communities: a preliminary theoretical framework, Forest Policy and Economics Volume 97, December 2018, Pages 163-174 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2018.09.016
• Ludvig A, Weiss G, Sarkki S, Nijnik M, Zivojinovic I., 2018. Mapping European and forest related policies supporting social innovation for rural settings Forest Policy and Economics Volume 97, December 2018, Pages 146-152 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2018.09.015
• Melnykovych M, Nijnik M, Soloviy I, Nijnik A, Sarkki S, Bihun Y, 2018. Social-ecological innovation in remote mountain areas: adaptive responses of forest-dependent communities to the challenges of a changing world. Science of the Total Environment Volumes 613–614, 894–906 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.065
• Nijnik M, Nijnik A, Sarkki S, Muñoz-Rojas J, Miller D, Kopiy S, 2018. Is forest related decision-making in European treeline areas socially innovative? A Q-methodology enquiry into the perspectives of international experts. Forest Policy and Economics Volume 92, July 2018, Pages 210-219 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2018.01.001
• IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress Spotlight #47 – Remote forest-dependent communities can benefit through social innovation; http://blog.iufro.org/2017/07/27/httpwww-iufro-orgdownloadfile269025157anniversary-congress-spotlight47-social-innovation-d4_pdf/  
• Sarkki S, Ficko A, Melnykovych M, Barlagne C, Nijnik M, Jokinen M, Miller D, Soloviy I (in press). What are social innovations in social-ecological systems? Four cases of European forest dependent communities, Forest  Policy and Economics
• Bock, B.B., 2016. Rural marginalisation and the role of social innovation: a turn towards nexogenous development and rural reconnection. Sociologia Ruralis 56 (4): 552-573.