Focusing on the twelve most forested countries in the world, MegaFlorestais is an informal network of public forest agency leaders dedicated to advancing international dialogue and exchange on transitions in forest governance, forest industry, and the roles of public forest agencies.
MegaFlorestais is a truly unique forum: for over a decade, this informal network has brought together leaders from forest agencies of the 12 most forested countries in the world to advance international dialogue and exchange on transitions in forest governance, the ecological and social value of forests, forest industry, and the role of public forest agencies.
Activities of this network aim to promote open and frank discussions, and foster closer relationships between forest agencies, collectively strengthening their abilities to play leading roles in advancing sustainable forestry and forestry’s contribution to global social and economic development.
Why are these discussions critical?Forests provide a range of essential services: clean air, water, timber, food, etc. In the next decades, forests will continue to play an essential role in achieving the goals of climate change mitigation and adaptation Over 70% of the world’s forests are managed by governments and this is why forest agencies must be able to adapt and learn, and must be successfully led by Leaders with a strong understanding of the global environment and trends that impact the forest sector.
This analysis co-authored by eight former leaders of public forest agencies from across the world reflects on transitions in forest governance and lessons learned for forest agency leaders over the past decade. It highlights the importance of new and innovative efforts to reduce deforestation, promote transparency and inclusiveness, and engage citizens.
Since 2005, forest agency leaders meet every year to discuss global trends affecting forest lands, industry and trade, and how agencies should respond to new demands for forest lands and adapt to the new challenges of forest governance.
Following the 2017 annual meeting of MegaFlorestais, Sally Collins recalls what forest agency leaders can learn from Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest.
A series of international seminars to provide senior government officials with a deeper understanding of global forest governance issues, while preparing them to meet the challenges that lay ahead.
Eight former leaders of public forest agencies across the world co-authored this think piece highlighting five key recommendations for public forest agencies in the twenty-first century
A series of international workshops to better prepare and inform both government officials and civil society organizations for the challenges of forest regulatory reform in their respective countries
MegaFlorestais countries are Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, DR Congo, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Sweden and the USA. They collectively represent over 50% of the world’s forests.
The MegaFlorestais Network is supported by the Rights and Resources Initiative with contributions from the members of the network. The US Forest Service and the European Forestry Institute are also supporters of MegaFlorestais.
The biggest benefit of MegaFlorestais is that, by convening these countries together, it provides an incredible forum for dialogue, for information sharing, and for advancing the health of our forests and our communities globally.
Participant in the 2017 annual meeting of MegaFlorestais
Forestry tends to be very inward-looking so there is very little exposure to international issues until late in one’s career. The Next Generation Seminar is an opportunity to take senior to mid-career officials and expose them to global trends and challenges earlier than would otherwise be the norm.
Next Generation of Forest Agency Leaders Participant
MegaFlorestais has played an important role in accelerating learning and innovation among public forest agency leaders for more than a decade. Our agencies have strengthened our approaches to climate change, tenure reform, and economic development. As the world faces the many challenges climate change brings to our forests and our countries, our need to share ideas and advance understanding is more critical and urgent than ever.
Statement of the MegaFlorestais Leaders
- 2016 Annual Meeting
MegaFlorestais provides me with a unique opportunity to talk to outstanding professionals who are involved with work that is extremely relevant to the Brazilian Forest Service.
Luiz Carlos Joels
- Former Director, Brazilian Forest Service
What is MegaFlorestais?
MegaFlorestais is a truly unique forum: this informal network brings together leaders from forest agencies of the 12 most forested countries in the world and helps them to improve forest governance and find solutions to the challenges they encounter. These discussions are particularly critical as forests provide a range of essential services (e.g., clean air and water, timber, food), and over 70% of the world’s forests are managed by governments.
Over its 15+ years of existence, MegaFlorestais and its suite of activities has become an effective tool to accelerate learning, innovation, and implementation of a common suite of new policy decisions among forest agencies.
LATEST NEWS
June 16, 2023
MegaFlorestais 2023
Fourteenth Annual Meeting of MegaFlorestais: Transforming Forest Management, Delivering Climate and Conservation Solutions The fourteenth meeting of MegaFlorestais, and the first since the Covid-19 pandemic, took place in South Lake Tahoe, California, United States from June 26–29, 2023 and was co-hosted by the United States Forest Service (USFS) and Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI). Forest […] ..
June 21, 2021
MegaFlorestais webinar #3: Impacts of COVID on the forestry sector
On June 21st, MegaFlorestais leaders from around the world met to share the ways their agencies are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has introduced several unprecedented challenges – along with new opportunities – to the forestry sector. This conference, the third in the 2021 MegaFlorestais webinar series, featured presentations by Herman Sundqvist of the […] ..
June 8, 2021
USFS Chief and MegaFlorestais leader Vicki Christiansen announces her retirement
After 40 years of service to the forest industry, United States Forest Service Chief and longtime friend of MegaFlorestais Vicki Christiansen has announced that she will retire this August. Chief Christiansen has attended several MegaFlorestais meetings in the past, always bringing with her an enthusiasm for the spirit of international exchange and learning that defines […] ..
April 22, 2021
MegaFlorestais webinar #2: Confronting illegal logging and designing concessions
On April 22, MegaFlorestais leaders from around the world gathered for the second conference of the network’s 2021 webinar series. Forest agency leaders from Mexico, Peru, Brazil, the United States, Canada, Sweden, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo joined to discuss their experiences with concessions and illegal logging. Steve Gretzinger of Zak Forest […] ..
February 24, 2021
MegaFlorestais Webinar #1: Global Markets in Forest Products
Given the Covid pandemic, MegaFlorestais leaders of Canada, DRC, Mexico, Peru, Sweden, and the USA gathered on February 24 for a webinar on Global Markets in Forest Products. The purpose of the webinar was to present the latest changes in markets and investments, given all the variables of the last few years, including global trade agreements, […] ..
January 24, 2021
Tenure reform victory for Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes in Montana
MegaFlorestais leaders have received exciting news from Montana: The United States government has returned the 18,000-acre territory of the National Bison Range to the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), over 100 years after the Range was removed from their reservation without their permission in the early 1900s. In addition, the CSKT have secured a $1.9 billion water rights […] ..