2012 represents the 20th anniversary of the Model Forest concept and the International Model Forest Network (IMFN). Since it was announced at UNCED in 1992, the network has grown to almost 60 Model Forests in 25 countries covering over 100 million hectares. Model Forests have been involved in a wide range of activities in support of sustainable natural resource management. In this paper, we will provide an overview of the context within which the Model Forest concept emerged in the early 1990s, describe the Model Forest approach and the IMFN, highlight the evolution of the regional Model Forest networks, and provide a few examples of the impacts of the IMFN and Model Forests over the past 20 years.

Model Forest, SFM, landscape, sustainable development