The Great Forest Dialogue Day gathered nearly 100 discussions on the significance of forests – hundreds of participants searched for common scenarios for the future of forest use

The event, organized by the Kone Foundation’s Metsän puolella initiative and DialogueAcademy, encouraged a wide range of people from across Finland to organize discussions on the significance and future of forests. Based on the discussions, an open access summary will be compiled, which aims to build a more shared understanding of forest use and the changes needed in the future. 

Forests, their significance, and use in Finland are under a profound transformation. Although Finland has a strong narrative of being a land of the forests, in reality there are countless conflicting meanings, values, and interests associated with them. In the future, differing perspectives must be reconciled for forest use to be in line with the limits of nature’s carrying capacity. 

On the event day, anyone could organize a forest-themed dialogue, with the perspective being freely decided by each organizer. The topics of the discussions varied widely, covering subjects such as reforestation, the role of forests in reindeer herding and craftsmanship, the decision-making opportunities for youth, restorative forestry, nature value markets, and Finnish forest colonialism.

The aim of the dialogues was not to reach consensus but to build a multi-voiced understanding of the future of forests in Finland. Based on the notes taken of all the dialogues, an anonymized public summary will be prepared, which anyone can use in renewing their practices related to forest use. 

“The Great Forest Dialogue Day showed how important it is to discuss and try to understand the different perspectives and interests related to forests. Once the results are gathered, we hope they won’t go unused. Everyone has a responsibility to listen to the different views, hopes, and fears about the future of our forests,” says Mari Pantsar, Change Manager of the Metsän puolella initiative.

A wide range of citizens participated in the dialogues 

The purpose of the event was also to broaden the discussion to include those who do not typically participate in forest debates. The participants included active members of the Martta Association, individuals with intellectual disabilities involved in The Finnish Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (FAIDD), kids from a kindergarden, traditional artisans using birch bark, and ninth-grade students from Piispanlähde Middle School. 

“It’s great to see the variety of dialogues about forests, especially at the local level. Even if there are still some important perspectives missing, and some actors have had more resources to participate than others, the range of topics discussed is very broad,” says Minka Virtanen, coordinator of the Metsän puolella initiative.

The discussions also included researchers, environmental organizations, educational institutions, art communities, and private individuals. 

In the forest industry, companies such as Metsä Group and MTK held several discussions in different locations. WWF Finland invited to discuss the reform of nature-based financial policies, while the Finnish Environment Institute covered the diverse benefits of forests and restoration efforts. New and urban forest owners also voiced their opinions. 

The outcome of the dialogues and future scenarios for forests will be published in the autumn

Next, DialogueAcademy will analyze the notes taken during the dialogues. In September, a large summary of the discussions will be published, highlighting the key themes that emerged. A similar summary was produced in November 2024 for confidential forest dialogues. The potential overrepresentation of certain groups will be taken into account in the analysis and presentation of the data. 

Later in November, alternative future scenarios for forests in Finland will be published based on the summary. The scenarios will also be available on the Kone Foundation’s website. 

For more information

Mari Pantsar
Metsän puolella Change Manager 
050 382 0755
mari.pantsar@koneensaatio.fi 

Minka Virtanen  
Metsän puolella Coordinator 
040 670 4205 
minka.virtanen@koneensaatio.fi