Planted forests Task Force: IUFRO signs a memorandum of understanding with WWF

It was at its XXV World Congress that IUFRO signed a memorandum of understanding with the environmental non governmental organisation (NGO), World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

A first

This is the first time such a memorandum has been signed by IUFRO with an NGO. The agreement acknowledges the excellent cooperation between the Task Force on planted forests and WWF’s New Generation Plantations (NGP) platform.

Actively involved

NGP has been actively involved in the Task Force for a number of years; during the first edition, Sustainable Planted Forests for a Greener Future, NGP organised study tours to share knowledge about good plantation practices and to learn from others' good examples. It will now play an equally important role in the new edition of the Task Force, Resilient Planted Forests Serving Society and Bioeconomy fulfilling the aims of the deliverable, Science-Society Interface, by organising ‘Encounters’, which will bring together NGOs, scientists and professionals.

Resilient forests for society and bioeconomy

The new IUFRO Task Force, Resilient Planted Forests Serving Society and Bioeconomy, was officially accepted in September 2019. This new edition has a larger group in which all divisions are represented and member profiles are more diverse with more non-academics joining the group.

It aims to pass messages to the European Parliament about the benefit of plantations for bioeconomy and about the resilience issues associated with theses forests. In addition, it will liaise with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and its related bodies, such as the International Poplar Commission (IPC).

Social scientists will analyse topics, such as the perception of planted forests by society, motivating the task force to develop more opportunities for dialogue alongside NGP.

More information

• The first Encounter to be organised in collaboration with the Task Force will take place in Maputo in Mozambique from 18-20 November 2020. More information is available on the here.
• Read the Think Piece, Africa's Social Prosperity and Landscape Resilience, for the Mozambique Encounter.
• Find out more about the IUFRO Task Force on Resilient Planted Forests Serving Society and Bioeconomy

Photo by New Generation Plantations