he Spanish Ministry opened the conference and welcomed the participants to the fourth Mediterranean Forest Week in the Barcelona's Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site, focusing on following subject: “Improving livelihoods: the role of Mediterranean forest value chains in a green economy”.
The Mediterranean region with its particular scope faces common climatic and ecological conditions and forests and other woodlands are an integral part of Mediterranean landscapes. They are a source of energy, water, food, tourism and many other goods and services as well as other sources of income.
Forest goods and services should be considered as a relevant opportunity to promote the development of a bioeconomy based on sustainable forest management in the Mediterranean region. In order to meet these challenges political and administrative authorities at national, regional and local levels as well as stakeholders, as a whole, are encouraged to adapt their strategies and regulatory frameworks to promote sustainable value chains that contribute to employment generation and to the development of a bioeconomy in the Mediterranean.
The CEPF supported the event as a sponsor and the CEPF Secretary General, Aljoscha Requardt contributed as a speaker to the panel discussion on energy and forests, titled: “What role for forest biomass in the Mediterranean energy mix?’’, which was part of the first day conference program.
He emphasized that the European forest owners welcome wood energy as a new market opportunity. In addition, wood energy provides the opportunity to further develop and implement Sustainable Forest Management and with this strengthen the forest sectors role in an increasingly demanding bio-based economy and society. Forests which have been abundant before get new value. Regular thinning and harvesting operations help to stabilise or even improve the health and vitality as well as productivity of the forests.This counts in particular for the forests in the Mediterranean. Wood energy, as well as the steadily growing investments into new innovative bio-based industries (generating new bio-based products, such as fuel, plastics or other chemical components) are big drivers for new investments into a better land use management.
The one-week event was organised by following organisations:
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
- AIFM - International Association for Mediterranean Forests
- CTFC - Forest Sciences Centre of Catalonia
- EFIMED - Mediterranean Regional Office of the European Forest Institute
- FAO Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions - Silva Mediterranea
- Generalitat de Catalunya
- GIZ - German agency for international cooperation
- MMFN - Mediterranean Model Forest Network
- Plan Bleu - UNEP-MAP- Regional Activity Center
- Algeria - Ministry of Agriculture
- MAGRAMA - Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment of Spain
CONTRIBUTORS
- CPF - Centre de la Propietat Forestal
- Remufor - Spanish Network of Forest Towns
- DIBA - Provincial Council of Barcelona
- COSE - Confederation of Forest Owners of Spain
- UDL - University of Lleida
- SANT PAU - Recinte Modernista Barcelona
SPONSORS
- CEPF - Confederation of European Forest Owners
- IUFRO - International Union of Forest Research Organizations
- Oller - Industrial company fabricating cork stoppers
- Amorim - World main cork producer
- ARCMED - Association of Mediterranean Forest Owners
- FFEM - French Global Environment Facility
- MSC - Master of Science in European Forestry
- MAAF - French Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifood and Forest
Further information about the event can be found at: http://med.forestweek.org/
