The potential offered by social innovation to improve the livelihoods of remote forest-dependent communities will be at the centre of discussions during a special session of the 125th Anniversary Congress of the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO), to be held in Freiburg, Germany, from the 18th to the 22nd September.

Coordinated by Professor Maria Nijnik, a principal scientist at our Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences group, the session will focus on common challenges faced by these communities such as lack of infrastructure, housing, transport links and aging populations as well as global issues including climate change, sustainability and energy and food security.