Social Forestry and the Health and Education Agenda

The cornerstone of sustainability is the balance between its three dimensions: economic development, environmental protection and social equity. Moving on from the economic returns and environmental objectives of multi-purpose forestry, the ninth chapter introduces its social dimension, by focusing on the health and education agenda. They are presented together because they have a lot in common in terms of objectives and of strategies. As in the previous chapters, it is shown that economic benefits are not absent from the agenda (in terms of savings in health or better trained youths). Moreover, official programmes as well as those implemented by charitable organisations reveal new definitions of health and education and a new conception of the missions of the State in these areas, to which social forestry can contribute, to a certain extent.

The cornerstone of sustainability is the balance between its three dimensions: economic development, environmental protection and social equity. The latter, however, is very often neglected to the benefit of the other two, at times to the sole benefit of the former.