Why is resource tenure important for forest restoration and tree planting? Tenure security has been correlated with successful restoration. But what does this mean, how does one analyse it, and how does it play out in different contexts? How do questions around resource tenure impact global, national and sub-national restoration initiatives? The Interdisciplinary Expert Panel of our Velux-Stiftung funded project on the governance of tree planting and forest restoration has prepared a Policy Brief to answer these questions.
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March 18, 2026
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Conservation, Development, Research, Sustainability | Tagged: FLR, forest restoration, tenure, tree planting | 
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Why forest transitions aren’t always sustainable: nine pitfalls
May 22, 2024Stopping and reversing deforestation is a foremost priority in much of the tropics. Numerous policies and programs try to stem forest clearance, encourage tree planting, and restore forest landscapes. The hope is to promote “forest transitions” similar to the historical turnaround in forest cover trajectories in wealthy temperate countries. Such efforts have become all the more urgent given the climate and biodiversity crises. Yet it is often assumed that more forests is better and more sustainable, without careful consideration of how and where it happens, who wins and who loses, and what kinds of forests. In a recent open access paper, we identify nine pitfalls to such assumptions. Hopefully this inspires researchers, policymakers, and leaders to promote more diverse transitions to sustainable forest use and management.
Leave a Comment » | Acacia, Interdisciplinarity, Political ecology, Research, Sustainability, Vietnam | Tagged: afforestation, biodiversity, climate-change, conservation, deforestation, environment, extraction, forest restoration, forest transition, forests, livelihoods, plantation forestry, political ecology, power dynamics, productivism, reforestation, southeast Asia | Permalink
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Bourse doctorale : aspects fonciers (terre, arbres) dans la gouvernance du reboisement à Madagascar
September 12, 2023We are offering a funded PhD scholarship for research on the governance of tree planting and forest restoration in Madagascar, focused on land and tree tenure, building on Ribot and Peluso’s (2003) theory of access. Come join us in an exciting University of Lausanne – University of Antananarivo collaboration funded by the Velux Stiftung. Students will be based in the doctoral school GRND at the University of Antananarivo, with co-supervision by Prof. Bruno Ramamonjisoa, me and Stephanie Mansourian. Deadline October 1.
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1 Comment | Madagascar, Research | Tagged: forest restoration, governance, land tenure, PhD scholarship, tree planting | Permalink
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Bourses doctorales sur la gouvernance de l’afforestation et de la restauration forestière à Madagascar
July 10, 2023Two new funded PhD scholarships for research on the governance of tree planting and forest restoration in Madagascar (one focused on land and tree tenure and resource access; the other focused on the dynamics, networks, and power relations of involved actors and institutions). Come join us in an exciting University of Lausanne – University of Antananarivo collaboration funded by the Velux Stiftung. Students will be based in the doctoral school GRND at the University of Antananarivo, with co-supervision by Prof. Bruno Ramamonjisoa, me and Stephanie Mansourian. Deadline August 20.
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Trees threaten grasslands in Madagascar more than fire
June 10, 2020Malagasy grasslands are often ignored, or worse, deplored. Biological research concentrates in the forests, many still shrinking despite conservation efforts. Yet research by plant ecologist Cédrique Solofondranohatra adds another layer of argument to the case that Malagasy grasslands have an ancient history and are important reservoirs of biodiversity themselves. Despite this, recent tree-planting efforts for climate change mitigation (of the ‘trillion trees‘ mode) often seem to take the easy path formed by a century of habit: planting exotic pines, acacias, and eucalypts in the grasslands, perceived as open, available, fire-damaged, and worthless. A much more laudable goal would be to restore trees to areas recently deforested.
1 Comment | Fire, Madagascar, Research, Sustainability, Uncategorized | Tagged: forest restoration, Madagascar, tree planting, tropical grasslands | Permalink
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Christian Kull 