Taking stock of work and employment research in the forest sector
Work and employment generated in the forest sector play a vital role in improving livelihoods and the well-being of people, many of whom are in rural areas across the globe. The sector covers several classifications of economic activities such as forestry and logging, manufacturing of wood and products of wood, manufacturing of pulp, paper and products of paper, and further extends to agroforestry and mangrove forests. The characteristics of the labour market in the forest sector vary substantially among countries and regions. For instance, job losses due to the increased mechanization and growing demand for skilled workforce have been observed in many countries, notably in the Global North. Meanwhile, a high degree of informality is the most salient feature of the forest-related labour market of several economies in the Global South. A number of decent work deficits persist in the sector, often related to occupational safety and health (OSH), gender inequality and poor-quality employment, in which workers earn their livelihoods in inadequate working conditions. The recent pandemic, climate change, and other crises have further exacerbated these existing challenges, particularly among workers in the most disadvantaged situations, such as individuals in insecure forms of work, migrant workers, women, youth, indigenous and tribal peoples.
Given the distinction of the labour market in the forest sector worldwide, policy strategies that tackle the long-standing challenges in the forest labour market can vary from context to context. It is thus essential to understand the state of work and employment in the sector before drawing conclusions and reinforcing their relevance to policymaking and practice. Despite some existing literature over the past decade, there is still lots of space for contributing studies in this discipline. A key editorial goal of this SI is, therefore, two-fold. First, it aims to assemble a spectrum of quality research covering a wide range of topics related to work and employment in the forest sector. Papers published in this SI will contribute to a deeper understanding of the current status of forest-related employment and how it is developed across economies and regions. Second, taking stock of relevant studies from various geographic and levels of analyses offers a lens for identifying knowledge gaps and future trends in this field of research. To fully represent the multifaceted aspects of work and employment in the forest sector, we invite studies that address one or more of the following topics, but not limited to:
- Contribution of forests and the forest sector to employment
- Causes and consequences of informal economy in the forest sector
- Data and methods for measuring employment indicators relevant to the forest sector
- OSH for the forest-related workforce, including the effectiveness of OSH infrastructure, policies, and legislation
- Adequate earnings and social security coverage for forest-related workforce
- Women and youth in the forest-sector labour market and gender inequalities at work
- Green, blue job opportunities
- Governance in the world of forest-related work, such as forest certification, labour standards
- Education and training required for the future workforce
- Sustainable business models of forest- based value chains relevant to the labour aspects
Guest editors:
Dr. Rattiya S. Lippe
Thünen Institute of Forestry, Braunschweig, Germany
Email: rattiya.lippe@thuenen.de
Dr. Tatiana Lizbeth Ojeda Luna
Universidad Nacional de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
Email: tatiana.oluna@unl.edu.ec
Dr. Doris Mutta
African Forest Forum, Nairobi, Kenya
Email: D.Mutta@cifor-icraf.org
Dr. Jörg Schweinle
Thünen Institute of Forestry, Braunschweig, Germany
Email: joerg.schweinle@thuenen.de
Manuscript submission information:
Submission deadline: 31 May 2025
For submission details, click on the link below: