The International Union of Forest Research Organization (IUFRO), a world-wide international organization devoted to forests and related sciences, is helping increase the understanding of the role of forests and forestry in rural development by hosting a European Congress with its partners the Forestry Faculty of the Warsaw Agricultural University and the European Forest Institute.

The IUFRO European Congress, “Forests and Forestry in the Context of Rural Development” will be held 6 to 7 September in the in the Polish capital, Warsaw, at the Campus of the Warsaw Agricultural University.
Policy makers and forest-related practitioners increasingly seek better understanding of how forests relate to rural development. As they work in the context of diverse social, economic, and environmental demands, they find that global developments such as climate change and urbanization influence how forests are viewed and used within rural landscapes.  Yet they lack understanding of the complex relations among forests and other land uses and how to overcome problems they encounter as they create and implement plans, management activities, and policies associated with rural development.
The IUFRO European Congress will address key issues that shape and influence the role of forests and forestry as a means of rural development. A central focus will be the role of research as a foundation for the development of forestry and rural development policies and the planning and managing of natural resources.
The Congress has four themes:  policies supporting rural development, forests and rural development in light of global change, social aspects of forests and forestry in the rural landscape, and the economic role of forests in rural development.
Congress participants will include forest researchers from IUFRO member organizations as well as scientists from related research fields, forest and natural resource policy-makers, land-use planners, forest practitioners, and stakeholders.  For further information about the conference visit http://conference2007.wl.sggw.pl/
http://www.efi.int/news/iufro2007.html