First European Conference of Small Forest Owners’ AssociationsThe first European Conference on Small Forests, held from 20 to 22 May 2025 at FAO headquarters in Rome, brought together over 200 key stakeholders from across Europe, including public institutions, private organizations, non-governmental organizations and many forest owners’ associations.The three-day programme included presentations, panel discussions, technical sessions, networking opportunities and hands-on training at the Castelporziano estate, an Italian state nature reserve.Topics covered by the conference included the state of small forest holdings in Europe, legal and financial support mechanisms, forest owner engagement, forest value chains and markets for ecosystem services. These topics were addressed through in-depth discussions held in nine sessions, which also addressed key issues such as forest land abandonment, low profitability and fragmentation.The event highlighted the role of forest owner organisations in strengthening local value chains and advancing sustainable forest management across the EU. During the practical visit to Castelporziano, participants had the opportunity to meet representatives of 35 organisations selected in the first call for funding under the SMURF cascade project, to network and enjoy a pleasant exchange in an informal setting.This conference was an important step in building stronger cooperation within the European forestry community and demonstrated the key role that small forest owners play in creating a sustainable and inclusive future for European forests. The SMURF project will continue to work in support of this goal.The National Forest Owners Association of Bulgaria participated in this conference as a representative of private forest owners in Bulgaria and as a beneficiary of the SMURF project. We believe that the participation of a representative of the Association in such a large forum at such a high level is an opportunity to exchange experiences with colleagues from many European countries. To understand what their problems are in managing private forests and what their proposals are for dealing with them. And to share our problems and experiences.The conference was held in a special place at the FAO headquarters in Rome and, in addition to representatives from various forest associations, it was also attended by representatives of the European Commission, representatives of ministries, representatives of the European Forestry Institute and many university professors. This shows the desire of these institutions to solve the challenges in forest management.At the end of the event, conclusions were formulated from the sessions and presentations held in this way, which will soon be published on the SMURF project website https://www.smurfproject.eu/.Funded by EU 
#smurfproject #SmallForestHoldings #forestry #forestowners #profitability #smallforestowners #foresteufuture #forestmanagement #sustainability #forestnews #cascadefunding #closetonaturesilviculture
