Forestry in the Contemporary Bioeconomy

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: 25 May 2025 | Viewed by 2035

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Forestry, Wood Sciences & Design, University of Thessaly, 38221 Volos, Greece
Interests: forest economics and innovation; environmental and forestry economic; circular economy and bioeconomy; forest resource
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Guest Editor
Department of Forestry and Natural Environment Management, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55 Athina, Greece
Interests: natural resource economics; forest economics; ecological economics; environmental policy; forest policy; ecosystem services valuation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests play an extremely important role in our economy and society, as they contribute to job creation and are a source of materials, food, medicines, recreation, and clean water; serve as carbon sinks; and are biodiversity arks. For centuries they have been a thriving source of construction, art, tradition, and innovation.

Sustainably produced forest bio-based products can contribute to achieving climate neutrality in the context of the bioeconomy. Respecting the principles of the circular economy is also vital, prioritizing the better use, reuse, and recycling of all wood-based products. In addition to the wood-based economy, forests offer a variety of equally important additional products and services of the bioeconomy and green economy, from food to eco-tourism, elements which underpin the economies and social fabric of rural areas.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to enhance the international scientific debate on the contribution of forests and their value chains, including the final consumption and users of their products and services, to new emerging bioeconomic models of production and development, new entrepreneurial challenges, and economic models for efficient and sustainable use of forest resources in the light of a new innovative philosophy and approach—the forest-based bioeconomy

Dr. Marios Trigkas
Dr. Dimitra Lazaridou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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 bioeconomy
  • circular economy
  • forest value chain
  • entrepreneurship
  • innovation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

26 pages, 3278 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Impact of Leasehold Forestry in Nepal: Enhancing Livelihoods and Preventing Degradation
by Upendra Aryal, Prem Raj Neupane, Bhawana Rijal, Prakash Lamichanne, Ashok Parajuli and Tek Narayan Maraseni
Forests 2025, 16(3), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16030531 - 17 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1281
Abstract
Global forests, valued at over USD 150 trillion and supporting the livelihoods of 25% of the world’s population, are threatened by degradation and deforestation, particularly in developing nations. Several forest management systems are in practice, but leasehold forestry (LF) is considered the best [...] Read more.
Global forests, valued at over USD 150 trillion and supporting the livelihoods of 25% of the world’s population, are threatened by degradation and deforestation, particularly in developing nations. Several forest management systems are in practice, but leasehold forestry (LF) is considered the best for achieving the dual goals of preventing degradation and alleviating poverty. Nepal is a pioneer in LF, prioritizing it since 1978. It is now practiced in 39 districts, covering 43,994 hectares of forests. Using DFID’s sustainable livelihood assessment guidelines (a framework never before applied to LF) and incorporating seven additional indicators identified through extensive literature review and expert consultation, as well as semi-structured interviews with key informants (n = 14) and LF users (n = 228), this study quantifies the contribution of LF in Nepal to 5 core assets and 21 livelihood indicators across three categories: “successful”, “moderately successful”, and “not successful”. The results reveal that LF significantly contributes to natural and financial capital, with a lesser impact on social and physical capital. Among the key indicators, LF has the greatest influence on savings and investment, but the least on infrastructure. This study offers targeted lessons and recommendations for less successful LF initiatives, which can help improve their outcomes. These insights are also valuable for policymakers and stakeholders to refine policies and programs and to optimize livelihood and restoration benefits from LF. Additionally, the baseline data provided will serve as a reference for monitoring and evaluating LF initiatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forestry in the Contemporary Bioeconomy)
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