Registration for the International Forest Policy Meeting open (27-29th April 2022)!
We are excited and pleased to open the registration for the 4th International Forest Policy Meeting (IFPM4). To enhance scientific exchange and strengthen the forest research networks, the European Forest Institute (EFI), EFI’s Forest Policy Research Network coordinated by the University of Life Sciences in Vienna (BOKU) and Wageningen University and Research, organise three lively days dedicated to the forest policy and governance research with a special focus on forest policy-media-science interface. Moreover, IFPM4 is a platform for early-career and experienced scientists working in forest policy and governance to present, discuss and inform on the latest research. This year, we decided to shed light to the increasingly relevant role that media play in communicating scientific findings and science-informed decision-making. The event will feature different thematic sessions including, keynotes, round tables, graphic recordings, panels and plenary debate, young researchers’ competitions and oral presentations involving experts from all over the world.
The theme of this year´s IFPM will be introduced by the keynote speakers Prof. Sina Leipold, Head of the Department of Environmental Politics at Center for Environmental Research, with strong expertise on political, economic, and social narratives initiating a sustainable transformation, as well as Kalame Fobissie (FOKABS), expert of forest management and policies in tropical countries.
To connect scientists and policymakers, the event will host a debate about Science-Policy-Society interactions within the European Union gathering the perspective of science (forestry departments), policy (European Parliament and the Swedish Forest Agency) and civil society (Environmental NGO FERN). On the science-media front, the investigative journalism session will show the journalistic research process behind the scenes, uncovering how investigative journalists have worked with scientific communities to report about deforestation in the tropics.
More than 100 speakers will build up from there presenting new empirical insights and discussing conceptual developments. The conference will be rich with examples of national forest policy and explanations of forest regime policies from different corners of the world, such as South Africa, Finland, Romania, China, Ghana, and Iceland. Thus, the multifunctionality of forests and their governance will be represented at IFPM4, looking at the increasing role in e.g., climate adaptation, poverty alleviation, social innovation, sustainable urbanisation, recreational purposes, and food consumption. It will be an occasion to exchange knowledge on a wide range of ongoing debates from illegal logging to the role of forest conservation, power relations, cooperation and community forest management initiatives.
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions and repercussions, we gladly took the challenge to organise this conference as a virtual event. True that we will miss our chance to leave our screens and couches, but it will definitely be the opportunity to be more climate-friendly and socially inclusive! By organising this event as a virtual one, we will save a large amount of Co2 emissions (estimated to be 94-190 tons of Co2-eq already in the virtual IFPM3) and open the conference to a wider range of presenters and audience. Networking opportunities will not be missed out: a virtual social event on the second day provides an opportunity to get together, chat about different topics (conference or non-conference related) with participants from all over the world. We look forward to meeting you all for an exciting and engaging event!
You can register here: https://www.eventbrite.fi/e/international-forest-policy-meeting-tickets-265031284707
More infos about the conference and the programme: https://ifpm4.info/
This conference receives funding through NewGo!, coordinated by the European Forest Institute (EFI) Governance Programme Bonn. The project is supported and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).
