From: noreply@wsu.edu <noreply@wsu.edu>
Sent: Mittwoch, 18. Februar 2026 19:45
Subject: [iufrosmallscale] 2026 IUFRO Small Scale Forestry Conference - 1st Call for Abstracts
2026 IUFRO Small Scale Forestry and Forest History and Traditional Knowledge Joint Conference
The Supply of Forest Products and Services from Small-Scale Forests, Agroforestry, Farms, and Community Lands
Call
for Abstracts
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Small-scale Forestry and the Forest History and Traditional Knowledge Conference
will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, 21-Jul-2026
through 23-Jul-2026, followed by an optional three-day post-conference tour.
The objective of this conference is to exchange knowledge among researchers and other professionals on family and community forest ownership and management, historical facts
and narratives of forests, traditional ways of knowing about forests, and related fields.
The conference website is
https://www.kefri.org/components/IUFRO_smallscale/smallscale.html.
The theme of the conference is "The Supply of Forest Products and Services from Small-Scale Forests, Agroforestry,
Farms, and Community Lands." The conference will bring together researchers, managers, policymakers, and community representatives from across the world in one of the globe’s longest-inhabited landscapes providing a unique focus on understanding how traditional
approaches to managing small areas of forests and trees (whether owned individually, by family, or collectively) can be supported and enhanced to ensure sustainable provision of a wide range of products and services.
While most human societies have developed ways of sustainably managing and using small areas of forests and trees, the social, environmental and institutional characteristics
that enable this are highly variable. It is important to know how traditional and small-scale forest management can be supported and enhanced to ensure sustainable provision of products and services, especially under pressures of climate change, poverty, and
industrialisation. Recognising that much of the world’s forest research is oriented to large-scale management by governments and industry, this conference highlights the essential role of small-scale landowners and local people and their forests and trees
in addressing the global challenges.
In addition to topics related to the theme, all papers that address one or more of the topics related to Small-scale Forestry or
Forest History and Traditional Knowledge will be considered. These additional topics include, but are not limited to:
●
Strengths and challenges of small-scale forestry
●
Understanding long-term changes in people and landscapes
●
Sustainable supply of timber and non-timber products
●
Social benefits and impacts for owners, communities, and stakeholders
●
Enhancing returns from marketing, forest co-operatives, growers’ organizations, and other arrangements
●
Innovations in modeling landowner behavior and decision support systems
●
Adapting traditional forest management to address new problems
●
Traditional knowledge (re)shaping the values and practices of forests
●
Forest histories as a frame to informing present and future forest management
●
Forest tenure and governance systems
●
The role and effectiveness of government policies, programs, and subsidies
●
Research, education, and extension for small-scale and community forest owners and managers
●
Developing and adapting management techniques and technologies specific for the needs of small-scale and community forest owners and managers
Submission Process and Decision Criteria
All abstracts will be reviewed by at least two members of the conference scientific committee. The materials will be assessed based
on relevance to the conference, scientific contribution, novelty/innovativeness, adequacy of the research/study methods, and the organization and writing quality of the abstract. Acceptance decisions, and any comments from the reviewers, will be returned to
the lead author.
The link below should be used to submit proposals. The information requested includes a presentation title, an abstract (maximum
of 1,500 characters), a list of authors and affiliations, and desired presentation type (full oral presentation or speed talk). The speed talks are in place of poster presentations.
To submit a proposal, please use this online form:
https://umassamherst.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0OiqpF2mHdKyBVA.
Timeline
●
Announcement of first call for papers: 16-Feb-2026
●
First call for papers ends: 16-Mar-2026
●
Announcement of decisions from first call for papers: 6-Apr-2026
Additional information
For additional information, please contact us at
smallscaleiufro2026@kefri.org.