Social Forestry in the Philippines

The Philippines has one of, if not the longest standing experiences implementing social forestry in the tropical world. Nevertheless, there is a timely need to conduct a more comprehensive assessment of the current state of the science and practice of social forestry in the Philippines. We therefore propose to bring the field together in a special section by seeking contributions that can help to answer the following questions:

• How are social forestry policies and programs translated into practice at the local and grassroots levels?.
• Is there empirical evidence that shows the effectiveness and contributions of these policies and practices towards sustainable forest management?.
• What lessons can be learned from these policies and practice of social forestry that might have broader implications for other tropical countries?.
• In what ways can we improve the science and practice of social forestry?.
• What is the role of education in advancing the science, policy, and practice of social forestry in the Philippines and how does it contribute to the overall effort of pursuing sustainable forest management?