Journal of Forest Economics

Call for papers: Special Issue on Mining and the Forest

The preoccupation with shrinking forests has existed for a long time. Today, deforestation and forest degradation are critical issues because forests are not only habitats for biodiversity but also act as aboveground and underground carbon sinks, influencing global weather patterns while providing livelihoods for many people, especially the poorest.

Meeting climate goals requires halting deforestation while implementing low-carbon technologies that rely on mineral ores. One challenge is that the necessary transition increases the pressure on the forests since many forest landscapes contain numerous ores. While other drivers, such as agriculture, often overshadow their contribution to global deforestation, mining activities trigger direct and indirect pressures on forest ecosystems. Mining fuels forest clearances and fosters population shifts: people may be forced to quit their land and relocate, and legal and illegal mining generates new employment opportunities. Moreover, a growing body of literature highlights the urgent need to restore forested landscapes impacted by mining activities worldwide.

In the urgent context of the fight against global warming and protection of the environment, an innovative concept is emerging, namely Forest-Smart Mining, implying mining that recognizes and understands the relationship between forests and other land uses while actively seeking to reduce the damage caused by the latter. Therefore, smart mining requires an understanding of forest ecology and communities, including ecosystem services. However, forests and mining are often considered competing resources due to optimal valuation and management challenges.

The special issue aims to attract cutting-edge research on how mining activities interact with forest preservation in developed and developing countries. It welcomes contributions that:

• Assess the impact of mining on forests and forest-dependent livelihoods.

• Explore the design and implementation of forest-smart mining policies.

• Address the challenges of restoring forest landscapes affected by mining.

The special issue is open to studies employing various methodologies, including economic analytical tools, qualitative and quantitative econometric research, simulation or economic modelling, spatial analysis, and country-specific and cross-country studies.

Submission guidelines

Deadline for submission: June 30, 2025.  Manuscripts must adhere to the Journal of Forest Economics guidelines found on the Journal's website.  Authors submit their manuscript through the Journal's electronic system https://jfe.manuscriptmanager.net/. When submitting your contribution to the special issue, please select the manuscript type “Special Issue on Mining and the Forest”. The submitted manuscript will undergo the Journal's peer-review process.

Guest editors

Pascale Combes Motel, University Clermont Auvergne, Journal of Forest Economics Associate Editor, pascale.motel_combes@uca.fr

Jean-Louis Combes, University Clermont Auvergne, j-louis.combes@uca.fr

Youba Ndiaye, University of Lorraine, youba.ndiaye@univ-lorraine.fr