Conference Theme and Topics

The conference theme was: “The Supply of Forest Products and Services from Small-Scale Forests, Agroforestry, Farms, and Community Lands.”

The conference brought together researchers, managers, policymakers, and community representatives from across the world in one of the globe’s longest-inhabited landscapes, providing a unique focus on understanding how traditional approaches to managing small areas of forests and trees (whether owned individually, by family, or collectively) can be supported and enhanced to ensure sustainable provision of a wide range of products and services. While most human societies have developed ways of sustainably managing and using small areas of forests and trees, the social, environmental and institutional characteristics that enable this are highly variable. It is important to know how traditional and small-scale forest management can be supported and enhanced to ensure sustainable provision of products and services, especially under pressures of climate change, poverty, and industrialisation. Recognising that much of the world’s forest research is oriented to large-scale management by governments and industry, this conference highlighted the essential role of small-scale landowners and local people and their forests and trees in addressing the global challenges.

In addition to topics related to the theme, all papers that addressed one or more of the topics related to Small-scale Forestry or Forest History and Traditional Knowledge were considered. These additional topics included, but were not limited to: