Forest biodiversity can be retained by setting aside protected forest areas for nature conservation or by integrating conservation measures in managed forests. Societal demands towards forest ecosystem services have changed in favour of conservation ideas, and there is a move towards more participatory forest policymaking. This paper investigated the relation between participatory decision-making and forest management developments within twelve European countries. We assessed a) the development of integration and segregation of nature conservation in forest management and the wider forest landscape, and b) how different groups participate in forest-related policy and management planning. Methodologically, we combined natural and social science to explore if the link between the two could be assessed by means of a multi-expert and multi-disciplinary assessment. We concluded that, in the twelve studied territories, integration of nature conservation in forest management was the dominating paradigm, while there is a simultaneous increase in both the areas set aside for nature conservation and the felling to increment ratio. At the same time, there was a noticeable increase in the attention given to nature conservation aspects in the formulation of forest policy. However, the relationship between participation in forest policy development/implementation and integrating nature conservation into forest management was found to be complex. We proposed directions for future research in this domain.

Konflikter, meningsskiljaktigheter och motstånd. Ofta framträder debatten om skogen som en svårlöst kamp med skilda värderingar om vad som är ett långsiktigt hållbart skogsbruk, vem som har tolkningsföreträde över nyttjandet, samt vilken kunskapssyn som ligger till grund för skogspolitiska beslut och praxis. Ibland är debatten även ett uttryck för skilda erfarenheter av att leva och bo på landsbygden respektive i urbana stadsmiljöer. De senaste åren har förhandlingar om nya strategier och lagförslag om skogen arbetats fram, inte bara i Sverige utan även i Europeiska unionen inom ramen för klimat- och miljöpolitiken. Förväntningarna på hur skogen bör brukas och vad den ska leverera till samhället, vilken roll skogen har i klimatomställningen och vem som ska bestämma vilken skog som är mest skyddsvärd, är frågor som i allt större utsträckning tycks avgöras utanför Sveriges gränser. Samtidigt fortsätter den skogspolitiska debatten i Sverige. Allt oftare hörs röster som kräver att politiken ska dra en tydlig gräns för när skogen är en privat eller en gemensam resurs; Stärk äganderätten! eller Låt skogen stå! Det pågår en intensiv diskussion gällande skogspolitikens jämställda mål om produktion och miljö, inte minst om målen uppnås främst genom frivillighet eller lagstiftning, eller om målen ens är möjliga att uppnå på samma mark. Vem eller vilka bestämmer egentligen om och hur skogen ska brukas och bevaras? Hur går det till när olika aktörer samverkar om mål, medel och framtiden för skogens nyttjande? Och varför är det så svårt att komma överens, ibland till och med om vad som är en skog?

This study investigates how and by whom the Swedish (forest) bioeconomy has been shaped so far. We unpack emerging bioeconomies as discursive constructs and use the ‘apparatus of capture’ as a conceptual framework to understand and rethink the Swedish bioeconomy. Based on analysis of empirical data from multiple sources (e.g., online surveys, in-depth interviews, participatory observations), we identify a closed bioeconomy network structure that includes forest industries, major forest owner associations, regional councils and research institutes/universities. The network (re)produces three key storylines that appeal to the majority of parties in the national parliament, defines the boundaries of relevant expertise, and discredits environmental regulation and expertise. Through these storylines the Swedish bioeconomy is turned into an issue of innovation governance, which blurs the boundaries between public and private interests in forests. To counteract future capture, different types of knowledges and forest perspectives need further exploration in Swedish bioeconomy and forest governance.

In recent years, a common theme in social science research, natural resource policies and practical management has been the increasing emphasis on partnerships and other forms of collaborative efforts as effective means to reach tangible and sustainable outcomes. Another significant trend is the increasing focus on the role of the forestry sector in managing the challenges of climate change, and the push towards a bio-based, low-carbon economy is at the epicenter of the public debate in several EU countries. Drawing on research on collaborative processes as well as research on policy design, this paper reviews the current trend to rely increasingly on collaborative efforts to improve sustainability, using forest governance in northern Europe as an illustrative case. It pays particular attention to efforts to balance concerned stakeholders through National Forest Programmes (NFPs), and considers these efforts in an international context. It concludes by elaborating on future research directions and policy recommendations that are critical to achieve intended outcomes in forest governance systems characterized by state-initiated collaborative processes as well as various forms of voluntary initiatives.