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Studies and research

  • 2022

Terapia Forestale 2 A new volume on Forest Therapy in Italy

The new volume on Forest Therapy, published by the Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview that aims to become a national reference point for a rapidly expanding discipline. The publication is the result of a research campaign conducted by the CNR, which involved around 1,000 people at more than 30 sites in the Apennines, Alps and urban parks.

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Urbanisation, climate crisis, pollution, worsening mental health, these are some of the major megatrends that are taking place globally. Faced with these challenges, a growing number of studies are pointing to a solution that is as simple as it is effective: nature. In addition to supporting climate crisis adaptation and mitigation strategies, recent research is demonstrating the benefits nature and its elements can bring in terms of health, human wellbeing, and social inclusion. For this reason, today, both abroad and in Italy, more and more Green Care initiatives are emerging, i.e. initiatives that rely on nature to promote human wellbeing. Among the most widespread and well-known there are Forest Bathing, Forest Therapy and Social Farming.

Published by the Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche – CNR (National Research Centre), the new volume on Forest Therapy, offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview that aims to become a national reference for a rapidly expanding discipline. The publication is the result of a research campaign conducted by the CNR, which involved around 1,000 people at more than 30 sites in the Apennines, Alps and urban parks. The aim of this volume is to expose the fundamental reasons that make the forest a therapeutic environment, with great potential in the field of health, as well as an irreplaceable element for the stability of life on our planet.

Davide Pettenella and Ilaria Doimo of Etifor contributed to this book with a chapter on the economic value of forests and Forest Therapy aimed at raising awareness on the importance of these areas. In particular, the analysis of the economic aspects is divided into three parts: the first frames health and wellbeing services within the broader theme of the economics of ecosystem services; the second part describes the direct and indirect economic effects of forest services for wellbeing and health, and examines estimates of the costs and benefits of Forest Therapy; finally, the third part deals with policies supporting the development of Forest Therapy.

BOOK TITLE
Terapia forestale 2

CURATORS
Francesco Meneguzzo, Federica Zabini (CNR)

COAUTHORS
A. Makarieva, A. Nefiodov, U. Bardi, A. Piotti, C. Avanzi, M. Antonelli, D. Donelli, V. Maggini, L. Neri, R. Baraldi, E. Carlo, C. Scintu, F. Attorre, F. Mancini, F. Finelli, F. Becheri, F. Giganti, F. Giovannelli, M. P. Viggiano, D. Pettenella, I. Doimo, F. Re, F. Zabini, F. Meneguzzo, L. Albanese, G. Betti, F. Centritto, G. Margheritini, E. Venturelli, A. Roncoroni, V. Pellegrinelli, V. Penati, P. Garberi, A. M. Debolini, P. Costigliola, I. Butti, A. M. Zamponi, M. Borgi, B. Collacchi, F. Cirulli, L. Massetti, F. Benesperi, R. Romano, R. Rivieccio, L. Crecco, A. Pepe, E. Gallo, F. Firenzuoli

PUBLICATION
CNR Edizioni

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  • 2022

The Upcoming EU Proposal on “Deforestation-free Products”: from Theory to Practice through the Lessons Learned from the EUTR Implementation

This article compares the new proposal for the “Zero Deforestation” Regulation with the current EU Regulation on Timber (EUTR), with the aim to shed some light on the new rules and the implications for the actors involved.

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Over the last few months, the European Commission has been discussing the adoption of a new Regulation to curb deforestation and forest degradation driven by the expansion of agricultural land. Already named “Zero Deforestation”, this proposal aims at aligning the policies on import with EU sustainability goals. When adopted, the new Regulation will substitute the existing EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), expanding its scope and introducing stricter requirements for importers.

This article analyses the main features of the new Regulation. Through a comparative analysis between the new proposal and the EUTR, this article wants to shed some light on the changes and implication of the “Zero Deforestation” Regulation. While the main focus of the EUTR was only on timber legality, the new Regulation introduces specific criteria for five additional agro-commodities, specifically cattle, palm oil, soy, cocoa, coffee, and some derived products such as leather and chocolate. The new Regulation also foresees more detailed requirements for the obligations and due diligence procedures. Specifically, the document introduces innovative elements such as the central information system for recording operator due diligence declarations and country benchmarking. This due diligence statement will also provide essential information for monitoring, namely the geographical coordinates of the farm or plantation where the commodities were grown.

At the same time, the article identifies some critical aspects of the “Zero Deforestation” Regulation. For instance, the new proposal risks to put more economic and bureaucratic burden on both operator and competent authorities, which are already underfunded and understaffed. In connection to this, as the new Regulation involves more actors and from different sectors, greater efforts are needed to ensure a uniform implementation across all EU member states.

Faced with these impending changes, Etifor has developed a new approach to support companies and organisations in making their supply chains deforestation-free. With careful analysis and assessment, our team can identify the best strategy to adapt to the new legislation, assessing risks and adopting innovative tools to comply with the regulation. Learn more about EMMA!

TITLE OF THE ARTICLE
The Upcoming EU Proposal on “Deforestation-free Products”: from Theory to Practice through the Lessons Learned from the EUTR Implementation

AUTHORS
Elena Massarenti (Etifor), Nicola Andrighetto (Etifor), Mauro Masiero (University of Padova)

PUBLICATION
Paper presented at 11th conference of the Italian association of agricultural and applied economics (AIEAA), held on 16th – 17th June 2022 at the University of Tuscia (Viterbo, Italy), organized session: Cap, Farm to Fork and Green Deal: Policy Coherence, Governance, and Future Challenges.

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  • 2022

Urban Forests and Green Areas as Nature-Based Solutions for Brownfield Redevelopment: A Case Study from Brescia Municipal Area (Italy)

This study analyses two alternative NBS intervention scenarios for the regeneration of a brownfield site in Brescia (Italy). The aim of this research is to contribute to expanding the existing literature on the effective assessment of NBS and to provide an example of how research and practice can be integrated to inform urban management activities.

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In recent years, cities are going through major changes and facing major challenges in terms of sustainability. In order to promote the green transition, today many urban centres needs to plan the regeneration of brownfield areas. In this context, Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) are often considered an effective tool to promote the green transition and the sustainable development of cities, especially thanks to the numerous ecosystem services they can provide. However, even though the effectiveness of NBSs is now recognised, there are still many barriers to their implementation. According to existing literature, one of these barriers is the effective assessment of the benefits provided by NBSs.

In order to fill this gap, this study analyses two alternative NBS-based intervention scenarios for the redevelopment of an urban brownfield area within the municipality of Brescia (Italy). Specifically, these interventions involve an urban forest and meadows with sparse trees. The study assesses nine ecosystem services, both in biophysical and economic terms, through a combination of modeling (InVEST, i-Tree and ESTIMAP) and traditional estimation methods. According to the study’s results, both scenarios improve the stock and flow of ecosystem services compared to the baseline, providing annual flows ranging between €140,000 and €360,000/year. Overall, the results highlight the potential of the proposed NBS to improve urban resilience. Finally, this study provides an example of how research and practice can be integrated to inform urban management activities and provide input for future decision-making and planning processes regarding urban developments.

TITLE OF THE ARTICLE
 Urban Forests and Green Areas as Nature-Based Solutions for Brownfield Redevelopment: A Case Study from Brescia Municipal Area (Italy)

AUTHORS
V.A.

PUBLICATION
Forests, Volume 13, Issue 3 (March 2022)

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  • 2022

Green Infrastructure and Climate Change Adaptation

The volume “Green Infrastructure and Climate Change Adaptation” was produced with the aim to illustrate the benefits of this type of infrastructure. Alessandro Leonardi from Etifor has contributed to this publication with an article on how to design an appropriate and cost-effective forest green infrastructure for water payment schemes to protect and improve water quality.

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The term “Green Infrastructure” (GI) has mainly been discussed from an adaptation strategy perspective in cities and urban areas. However, as this volume shows, GI are relevant for rural and suburban areas too, proving many positive benefits. One of the most important characteristics of GIs is their multifunctionality, as they help maintain biodiversity and traditional landscapes while providing an efficient tool for disaster prevention. This is particularly relevant with regard to climate change, which puts a lot of constraint on grey infrastructures, since they were not designed for such intense and frequent extreme weather events.

The volume “Green Infrastructure and Climate Change Adaptation” was produced with multiple aims in mind. First, to introduce the progress on the evaluation, implementation, and governance of green infrastructure (GI) in Japan and in other countries. Second, to provide scientists, university students, and practitioners with basic information on the structure, function, and maintenance of GI. Third, to accelerate transformative change for green strategies to adapt to climate change.

Alessandro Leonardi form Etifor has contributed to the production of this volume. His contribution describes how to design an appropriate and cost-effective forest green infrastructure for water payment schemes to protect and improve water quality.

ARTICLE’S TITLE
 Forest Green Infrastructure to Protect
Water Quality: A Step-by-Step Guide for
Payment Schemes. 

AUTHORS
V.A.

PUBLICATION
Green Infrastructure and Climate Change Adaptation: Function, Implementation, and Governance.

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  • 2021

Uforest – Training needs’ assessment and stakeholder analysis

Our team worked on the “Uforest Training Needs’ Assessment and Stakeholder Analysis” report. It provides an overview of the existing demand on training needs to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in urban forestry and Nature Based Solutions (NBS).

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Urban forests represent an innovative solution, but there are still few specific training opportunity on this subject.

  • 2021

EU Market Outlooks on Green Care

Our team worked on four EU Market Outlooks, one for each Green4C’s project thematic sectors: Forest-based care; Urban green care; Social agriculture; and Green care tourism. The market outlooks investigate and provide market figures and business models associated to the four main Green Care markets. The different outlooks are separate and will be published on the reference page at different times.

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Nature for Health, Well-being and Social Inclusion

  • 2021

Non-wood forest products for people, nature and the green economy

This white paper is a call to recognise, and to leverage, the potential of NWFP to contribute to policy priorities in Europe, especially in relation to rural development, nature conservation, and human well-being. It shows how leveraging NWFP potential could contribute to the successful implementation of the European Green Deal, and to a greener and more sustainable post-COVID economy restart.

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Recommendations for policy priorities in Europe. A white paper based on lessons learned from around the Mediterranean.
  • 2021

Forests for Water Services: A Step-by-Step Guide for Payment Schemes

The purpose of “A guide to Forest–Water Management” is to improve the global information base on the protective functions of forests for soil and water. Find out more.

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Guidance on designing appropriate and cost-effective forests for water payment schemes that support tree planting and forest management to protect and improve water quality.
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