Development of forest discourses across Europe: A longitudinal perspective

Using secondary literature and interviews, this paper examines forest discourses since World War II in four countries: Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The national discourses often thematically coincide between the case countries, most prominently in the post-war endeavour to restore forest resources. This period was followed by diverging ideas and practices such as abandonment and fragmentation in Italy, resource con- servation by stealth in Lithuania, multifunctionality in the Netherlands, and ongoing intensification in Sweden. Recently, the national discourses have been re-converging on the environment and the bioeconomy, albeit at different times and intensity. Overall, many national ideological battles follow the global meta-discourses, but linkages to these are much weaker for forestry practices.