Multidimensional Stakeholder Engagement in Forest Governance and Certification Systems
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Economics, Policy, and Social Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 13
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Forests is pleased to announce a call for papers for this Special Issue dedicated to “Multidimensional Stakeholder Engagement in Forest Governance and Certification Systems”.
The sustainable management of our forests globally hinges critically on effective, inclusive, and equitable stakeholder participation, and this Special Issue seeks to explore the complexities and nuances of stakeholder engagement across diverse forest governance frameworks and certification schemes worldwide. We invite original research, reviews, and case studies that delve into the various dimensions of engagement, including power dynamics, knowledge exchange, conflict resolution, equitable benefit sharing, and the integration of diverse perspectives (e.g., indigenous communities, local populations, industry, NGOs, and scientific bodies).
Beyond the formally defined mechanisms within forest certification processes, we are particularly interested in how stakeholder engagement functions in a variety of other critical forest-related governance contexts. These include, but are not limited to, the following areas:
- Community forest management—exploring local-level participation in forest resource allocation, management planning, and benefit sharing.
- Protected area co-management—examining collaborative governance models involving local communities, conservation organizations, and government agencies.
- Forest and landscape restoration initiatives—investigating stakeholder involvement in designing, implementing, and monitoring restoration efforts.
- Forest policy development and implementation—analyzing the roles of different stakeholders in shaping national and sub-national forest policies, legislation, and enforcement.
- Climate change mitigation and adaptation (e.g., REDD+)—focusing on equitable participation and benefit sharing in initiatives aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
- Combating illegal logging (e.g., FLEGT)—exploring multistakeholder approaches to promoting legality and transparency in timber supply chains.
- Biodiversity conservation planning—considering how diverse stakeholders contribute to conservation strategies and protected area management.
We aim to highlight both the well-defined participatory mechanisms within certification and the often more fluid, yet equally critical, engagement processes in these broader forest-related decision-making arenas.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, innovative participatory approaches, impact assessment of stakeholder engagement, challenges and successes in multilevel governance, the role of technology in fostering engagement, and the evolving landscape of forest governance and certification standards regarding stakeholder involvement. We particularly encourage submissions that offer critical analyses, propose novel theoretical frameworks, or present empirical evidence from different socio-ecological contexts.
We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions to this timely and important topic.
Dr. Aureliu-Florin Hălălișan
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- forest certification
- stakeholders’ engagement
- standards
- voluntary certification
- forest governance frameworks
- innovative participatory approaches
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