Following the restitution of landownership in Eastern European countries, private forest ownership is often highly fragmented. New private forest owners typically lack knowledge and experience of forest management. Forest owners’ organizations (FOOs) are an instrument for supporting the sustainable management of private forests. However, there is a lack of experience of working through interest groups in the former socialist countries. The aims of this study are therefore to improve understanding of the origins, evolution and current situation of forest owners’ associations and cooperatives in selected Central and Eastern European countries, assess their effectiveness, and analyse lessons learned from experience of legislation, policies, strategies, institutional support and economic aspects. FOOs include forest owners’ associations (FOAs) and forest owners’ cooperatives (FOCs). FOCs focus on management, market support, and the provision of services such as technical and financial support and information and knowledge sharing. FOAs focus on political support, including by representing private forest owners in policy processes, advocating for their interests, and influencing policy and legal frameworks.

Type of Case
Printed publication (book, sourcebook, journal article…)

Publisher
FAO

Region
Europe

Biome
Boreal, Temperate

Forest Type
All forest types (natural and planted)

Primary Designated Function
All