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In a context of political and economic austerity, social innovation has been presented as a solution to many social challenges, old and new. It aims to support the introduction of new ideas in response to the current urgent needs and challenges of vulnerable groups and seems to offer promising solutions to the challenges faced by rural areas. Yet the evidence base of the impacts on the sustainable development of rural communities remains scarce. In this paper, we explore social innovation in the context of community forestry and provide a brief synthetic review of key themes linking the two concepts. We examine a case of social innovation in the context of community forestry and analyse its type, extent, and scale of impact in a marginalized rural area of Scotland. Using an in-depth case study approach, we apply a mixed research methodology using quantitative indicators of impact as well as qualitative data. Our results show that social innovation reinforces the social dimension of community forestry. Impacts are highlighted across domains (environmental, social, economic, and institutional/governance) but are mainly limited to local territory. We discuss the significance of those results in the context of community forestry as well as for local development. We formulate policy recommendations to foster and sustain social innovation in rural areas.
Carla Barlagne; Mariana Melnykovych; David Miller; Richard Hewitt; Laura Secco; Elena Pisani; Maria Nijnik. What Are the Impacts of Social Innovation? A Synthetic Review and Case Study of Community Forestry in the Scottish Highlands. Sustainability 2021, 13, 4359 .
AMA StyleCarla Barlagne, Mariana Melnykovych, David Miller, Richard Hewitt, Laura Secco, Elena Pisani, Maria Nijnik. What Are the Impacts of Social Innovation? A Synthetic Review and Case Study of Community Forestry in the Scottish Highlands. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (8):4359.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarla Barlagne; Mariana Melnykovych; David Miller; Richard Hewitt; Laura Secco; Elena Pisani; Maria Nijnik. 2021. "What Are the Impacts of Social Innovation? A Synthetic Review and Case Study of Community Forestry in the Scottish Highlands." Sustainability 13, no. 8: 4359.
In this paper, we elaborate an Institutional Analysis and Reconfiguration Framework centered around the ‘action arena’ theoretical approach. We develop this framework to analyze institutional reconfiguration to enhance sustainability, and operationalize it using research methods which focus on documentation of the institutional contexts through an extensive literature review and interviews of experts in forest policy. We apply the Institutional Analysis and Reconfiguration Framework to examine forestry institutions, address forest governance, and investigate their effect on socio-economic and environmental performances in forestry of Ukraine. The paper draws on the state of affairs in post-transition forestry, its difficulties, and new prospects for economic and institutional reforms. We examine challenges and opportunities in forestry and suggest key remedies and prospective ways forward. Results show that a combination of path dependency with the rigidity of institutions and a slow pace of economic and political reforms is the major obstacle to implementing decisions regarding sustainable forest policy. A reconfiguration of social practices is required, as well as the development of capabilities and awareness raising amongst relevant stakeholders, to realize the problems, envision alternative futures, challenge existing institutions, shift power relations and create new norms, rules, and decision-making arrangements. The way towards sustainability in forestry largely goes through changing institutions, and a human dimension of institutional changes reflected in the uptake of social innovation.
Maria Nijnik; Tatiana Kluvánková; Mariana Melnykovych; Albert Nijnik; Serhiy Kopiy; Stanislava Brnkaľáková; Simo Sarkki; Leonid Kopiy; Igor Fizyk; Carla Barlagne; David Miller. An Institutional Analysis and Reconfiguration Framework for Sustainability Research on Post-Transition Forestry—A Focus on Ukraine. Sustainability 2021, 13, 4360 .
AMA StyleMaria Nijnik, Tatiana Kluvánková, Mariana Melnykovych, Albert Nijnik, Serhiy Kopiy, Stanislava Brnkaľáková, Simo Sarkki, Leonid Kopiy, Igor Fizyk, Carla Barlagne, David Miller. An Institutional Analysis and Reconfiguration Framework for Sustainability Research on Post-Transition Forestry—A Focus on Ukraine. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (8):4360.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Nijnik; Tatiana Kluvánková; Mariana Melnykovych; Albert Nijnik; Serhiy Kopiy; Stanislava Brnkaľáková; Simo Sarkki; Leonid Kopiy; Igor Fizyk; Carla Barlagne; David Miller. 2021. "An Institutional Analysis and Reconfiguration Framework for Sustainability Research on Post-Transition Forestry—A Focus on Ukraine." Sustainability 13, no. 8: 4360.
Social innovation (SI) impacts are long-term changes that affect different dimensions of territorial capital (i.e., economy, society, environment, governance) for the territory in which SI occurs. Yet, systematic empirical evidence and theoretically sound assessments of the impacts of SI are scarce. This paper aims to fill the gap and assess the different aspects of SI’s impacts in European and Mediterranean areas that are characterized by marginalization processes. To assess the impacts of SI in marginalized areas, we use the evaluation framework developed within the Social Innovation in Marginalized Rural Areas (SIMRA) Horizon 2020 project and apply it to nine SI initiatives related to the fields of agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and rural development. Our findings show that SI produces cross-sectoral (societal, economic, environmental, and governmental) and multi-level impacts (on individuals, community, and society), which have improved the societal well-being, and contributed to the reduction of certain forms of marginality, mainly inside the territory in which SI occurred.
Elisa Ravazzoli; Cristina Dalla Torre; Riccardo Da Re; Valentino Marini Govigli; Laura Secco; Elena Górriz-Mifsud; Elena Pisani; Carla Barlagne; Antonio Baselice; Mohammed Bengoumi; Marijke Dijskhoorn-Dekker; Arbia Labidi; Antonio Lopolito; Mariana Melnykovych; Manfred Perlik; Nico Polman; Simo Sarkki; Achilleas Vassilopoulos; Phoebe Koundouri; David Miller; Thomas Streifeneder; Maria Nijnik. Can Social Innovation Make a Change in European and Mediterranean Marginalized Areas? Social Innovation Impact Assessment in Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, and Rural Development. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1823 .
AMA StyleElisa Ravazzoli, Cristina Dalla Torre, Riccardo Da Re, Valentino Marini Govigli, Laura Secco, Elena Górriz-Mifsud, Elena Pisani, Carla Barlagne, Antonio Baselice, Mohammed Bengoumi, Marijke Dijskhoorn-Dekker, Arbia Labidi, Antonio Lopolito, Mariana Melnykovych, Manfred Perlik, Nico Polman, Simo Sarkki, Achilleas Vassilopoulos, Phoebe Koundouri, David Miller, Thomas Streifeneder, Maria Nijnik. Can Social Innovation Make a Change in European and Mediterranean Marginalized Areas? Social Innovation Impact Assessment in Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, and Rural Development. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):1823.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElisa Ravazzoli; Cristina Dalla Torre; Riccardo Da Re; Valentino Marini Govigli; Laura Secco; Elena Górriz-Mifsud; Elena Pisani; Carla Barlagne; Antonio Baselice; Mohammed Bengoumi; Marijke Dijskhoorn-Dekker; Arbia Labidi; Antonio Lopolito; Mariana Melnykovych; Manfred Perlik; Nico Polman; Simo Sarkki; Achilleas Vassilopoulos; Phoebe Koundouri; David Miller; Thomas Streifeneder; Maria Nijnik. 2021. "Can Social Innovation Make a Change in European and Mediterranean Marginalized Areas? Social Innovation Impact Assessment in Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, and Rural Development." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 1823.
Social innovations can tackle various challenges related to gender equity in rural areas, especially when such innovations are initiated and developed by women themselves. We examine cases located in rural areas of Canada, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, and Serbia, where women are marginalized by gender roles, patriarchal values, male dominated economy and policy, and lack of opportunities for education and employment. Our objective is to analyze five case studies on how women-led social innovation processes can tackle gender equity related challenges manifested at the levels of everyday practice, institutions, and cognitive frames. The analyses are based on interviews, workshops, literature screening, and are examined via the qualitative abductive method. Results summarize challenges that rural women are facing, explore social innovation initiatives as promising solutions, and analyze their implications on gender equity in the five case studies. Based on our results we propose a new concept: reconstructive social innovation cycle. It refers to is defined as cyclical innovation processes that engage women via civil society initiatives. These initiatives reconstruct the existing state of affairs, by questioning marginalizing and discriminative practices, institutions, and cognitive frames that are often perceived as normal. The new concept helps with to assessing the implications that women-led social innovations have for gender equity.
Simo Sarkki; Cristina Torre; Jasmiini Fransala; Ivana Živojinović; Alice Ludvig; Elena Górriz-Mifsud; Mariana Melnykovych; Patricia Sfeir; Labidi Arbia; Mohammed Bengoumi; Houda Chorti; Verena Gramm; Lucía López Marco; Elisa Ravazzoli; Maria Nijnik. Reconstructive Social Innovation Cycles in Women-Led Initiatives in Rural Areas. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1231 .
AMA StyleSimo Sarkki, Cristina Torre, Jasmiini Fransala, Ivana Živojinović, Alice Ludvig, Elena Górriz-Mifsud, Mariana Melnykovych, Patricia Sfeir, Labidi Arbia, Mohammed Bengoumi, Houda Chorti, Verena Gramm, Lucía López Marco, Elisa Ravazzoli, Maria Nijnik. Reconstructive Social Innovation Cycles in Women-Led Initiatives in Rural Areas. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (3):1231.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSimo Sarkki; Cristina Torre; Jasmiini Fransala; Ivana Živojinović; Alice Ludvig; Elena Górriz-Mifsud; Mariana Melnykovych; Patricia Sfeir; Labidi Arbia; Mohammed Bengoumi; Houda Chorti; Verena Gramm; Lucía López Marco; Elisa Ravazzoli; Maria Nijnik. 2021. "Reconstructive Social Innovation Cycles in Women-Led Initiatives in Rural Areas." Sustainability 13, no. 3: 1231.
Social innovation is perceived as a collaborative response from civic society actors to societal challenges, and as such is increasingly being recognised as a drive to advance sustainable development. Social innovation promotes civic values, particularly in marginalised rural areas that are often struggling with biophysical and market limits, as well as shortages of public funding. In order to identify diverging development paths (DDPs) for social innovation, in this paper we use two large sets of empirical material from the SIMRA research project. Firstly, for meta‐analyses of social innovation in diverse situations and contexts we use 211 validated social innovation examples. Secondly, we rely on 11 in‐depth cases to reflect on the contexts and dimensions of social innovation. The elaboration of conceptualisation and deductive analyses result in the creation of a typology of social innovation DDPs, with four DDPs identified and explained. The paper provides an improved understanding of how social innovation emerges and develops, and how to capture processes and resulting changes in marginalised rural areas in order to turn such areas’ diversity into strengths. An important conclusion is that social innovation involves both local and external actors, yet cannot develop without specific internal local activity and local knowledge.
Tatiana Kluvankova; Maria Nijnik; Martin Spacek; Simo Sarkki; Manfred Perlik; Robert Lukesch; Mariana Melnykovych; Diana Valero; Stanislava Brnkalakova. Social Innovation for Sustainability Transformation and its Diverging Development Paths in Marginalised Rural Areas. Sociologia Ruralis 2021, 61, 344 -371.
AMA StyleTatiana Kluvankova, Maria Nijnik, Martin Spacek, Simo Sarkki, Manfred Perlik, Robert Lukesch, Mariana Melnykovych, Diana Valero, Stanislava Brnkalakova. Social Innovation for Sustainability Transformation and its Diverging Development Paths in Marginalised Rural Areas. Sociologia Ruralis. 2021; 61 (2):344-371.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTatiana Kluvankova; Maria Nijnik; Martin Spacek; Simo Sarkki; Manfred Perlik; Robert Lukesch; Mariana Melnykovych; Diana Valero; Stanislava Brnkalakova. 2021. "Social Innovation for Sustainability Transformation and its Diverging Development Paths in Marginalised Rural Areas." Sociologia Ruralis 61, no. 2: 344-371.
Social innovation is recognised for its potential to turn societal challenges into opportunities and develop sustainable solutions for people and nature. We identify and examine challenges that Ukrainian forestry is facing and apply an “action arena” conceptual approach to explore whether and how social innovation can enhance the sustainable development of forestry. We develop a framework to analyse the reconfiguration of social practices by using research methods that focus on the use of documentation of the institutional contexts and interviewing forest policy experts, as well as stakeholder evaluation of the challenges and ways forward for Ukrainian forestry. We apply the Q-method to identify stakeholder attitudes and examine the role of people in the reconfiguring of social practices and promoting sustainable development of the forest sector. Implications for changing the rules of the game and institutional perspectives on forestry are identified, with examples of social innovation initiatives presented. Results show that to emerge, develop, and be transformative, social innovation must have supporting institutional conditions to create new norms, rules, and social practices. Relevant stakeholders need to envision alternative futures, reshape places, and become more actively engaged in decision-making processes. We identify the key directions for changing the rules of the game and the opportunities that social innovation has to offer.
Maria Nijnik; Tatiana Kluvánková; Albert Nijnik; Serhiy Kopiy; Mariana Melnykovych; Simo Sarkki; Carla Barlagne; Stanislava Brnkaláková; Leonid Kopiy; Igor Fizyk; David Miller. Is There a Scope for Social Innovation in Ukrainian Forestry? Sustainability 2020, 12, 9674 .
AMA StyleMaria Nijnik, Tatiana Kluvánková, Albert Nijnik, Serhiy Kopiy, Mariana Melnykovych, Simo Sarkki, Carla Barlagne, Stanislava Brnkaláková, Leonid Kopiy, Igor Fizyk, David Miller. Is There a Scope for Social Innovation in Ukrainian Forestry? Sustainability. 2020; 12 (22):9674.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Nijnik; Tatiana Kluvánková; Albert Nijnik; Serhiy Kopiy; Mariana Melnykovych; Simo Sarkki; Carla Barlagne; Stanislava Brnkaláková; Leonid Kopiy; Igor Fizyk; David Miller. 2020. "Is There a Scope for Social Innovation in Ukrainian Forestry?" Sustainability 12, no. 22: 9674.
Social innovation is considered a relevant concept to tackle societal challenges and needs in rural areas and to promote smart, inclusive and sustainable growth. The characterising sector of rural areas is agriculture; therefore, the focus of this paper is on social innovation in the field of social farming. Among the many factors leading to the emergence and development of social innovation, agency has been considered relevant in the literature on transformability and transformative social innovation as it is the ability to turn contextual difficulties into opportunities for social innovation and for inclusive growth. This paper proposes an evaluation framework to assess the different dimensions of agency by triangulating quantitative with qualitative data and by using indicators. This paper adopts a case study approach, analysing two cases of social farming in Italy and the Netherlands. The results show that the social innovation idea and the resilience of the agency are among the most relevant dimensions for the emergence and development of social innovations. Finally, this paper discusses the three most relevant factors for agency to lead to social innovation: idea and embeddedness of the agency, transformability of the context through agency´s resilience, and agency as catalyst for empowerment.
Cristina Dalla Torre; Elisa Ravazzoli; Marijke Dijkshoorn-Dekker; Nico Polman; Mariana Melnykovych; Elena Pisani; Francesca Gori; Riccardo Da Re; Kamini Vicentini; Laura Secco. The Role of Agency in the Emergence and Development of Social Innovations in Rural Areas. Analysis of Two Cases of Social Farming in Italy and The Netherlands. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4440 .
AMA StyleCristina Dalla Torre, Elisa Ravazzoli, Marijke Dijkshoorn-Dekker, Nico Polman, Mariana Melnykovych, Elena Pisani, Francesca Gori, Riccardo Da Re, Kamini Vicentini, Laura Secco. The Role of Agency in the Emergence and Development of Social Innovations in Rural Areas. Analysis of Two Cases of Social Farming in Italy and The Netherlands. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (11):4440.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristina Dalla Torre; Elisa Ravazzoli; Marijke Dijkshoorn-Dekker; Nico Polman; Mariana Melnykovych; Elena Pisani; Francesca Gori; Riccardo Da Re; Kamini Vicentini; Laura Secco. 2020. "The Role of Agency in the Emergence and Development of Social Innovations in Rural Areas. Analysis of Two Cases of Social Farming in Italy and The Netherlands." Sustainability 12, no. 11: 4440.
Innovation actions within European Horizon 2020 (H2020) projects aim at testing research results in practice. When supporting social innovations in rural areas, such testing requires the alignment of several rural actors in order to entail behavioral changes beyond the individual level. Recently, social innovation has been recognized as an important tool for rural areas, developing new solutions to respond to wicked problems for improving local living conditions at the grassroots level. In this study, we analyzed the use of an operational framework to support the early governance of social innovation actions. This framework was applied to co-construct seven innovation actions across Europe and the Mediterranean basin applied to forestry, agriculture, and rural development. Our results showed that supporting social innovators and local actors at the early stage of social innovation processes is key for efficiently addressing and tackling challenges and opportunities. Additionally, we showed that the process of defining a social innovation is complex and requires recursive engagement, which might lead to evolution through time, especially in the first phases of the process. Lastly, conducting the feasibility assessment enabled strategic thinking on crucial dimensions for designing a promising social innovation action, such as social networks management, financial sustainability, and know-how. Such findings helped us to draw general lessons for the development and governance of social innovation actions in rural areas, potentially applicable to any rural sector.
Valentino Marini Govigli; Sophie Alkhaled; Tor Arnesen; Carla Barlagne; Mari Bjerck; Catie Burlando; Mariana Melnykovych; Carmen Rodríguez Fernandez-Blanco; Patricia Sfeir; Elena Górriz-Mifsud. Testing a Framework to Co-Construct Social Innovation Actions: Insights from Seven Marginalized Rural Areas. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1441 .
AMA StyleValentino Marini Govigli, Sophie Alkhaled, Tor Arnesen, Carla Barlagne, Mari Bjerck, Catie Burlando, Mariana Melnykovych, Carmen Rodríguez Fernandez-Blanco, Patricia Sfeir, Elena Górriz-Mifsud. Testing a Framework to Co-Construct Social Innovation Actions: Insights from Seven Marginalized Rural Areas. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (4):1441.
Chicago/Turabian StyleValentino Marini Govigli; Sophie Alkhaled; Tor Arnesen; Carla Barlagne; Mari Bjerck; Catie Burlando; Mariana Melnykovych; Carmen Rodríguez Fernandez-Blanco; Patricia Sfeir; Elena Górriz-Mifsud. 2020. "Testing a Framework to Co-Construct Social Innovation Actions: Insights from Seven Marginalized Rural Areas." Sustainability 12, no. 4: 1441.
Ukraine is traditionally deeply dependent on fossil and nuclear energy. However, in response to global climate and energy policies, a major shift towards renewable energy (RE) is presently underway. Apart from ample wind and solar capacities, the country has abundant bioenergy resources, mainly from agriculture and forestry. Particularly in the densely-forested Ukrainian Carpathians, wood is the most prominent bioenergy source used to meet the heat demands of households and public buildings. However, despite increasing forest area and timber volume in this region during the last 50 years, affordable bioenergy from forests remains scarce in many areas. At the same time, local communities suffer from energy scarcity, energy insecurity and high energy costs. In an effort to understand how better use might be made of Ukraine's bioenergy resource, addressing sustainability goals as well as the needs of local communities, this study assesses the significance and future potential of wood energy for regional economies and households from an environmental, economic and social perspective. The study employs a mixed-method approach combining literature review, a Best Practice contest and semi-structured interviews with forestry sector stakeholders in rural areas of Transcarpathia and Lviv. Several reasons were identified for the scarcity of affordable bioenergy, including the export-oriented wood processing industry, the lack of forest road networks and machinery, the short-term character of national forest strategies in relation to bioenergy, and other institutional settings that limit access to forest resources. Illegal logging, corruption, and lacks of transparency in timber markets add further difficulties. To address these problems and to meet the challenges defined by international climate agreements, two key innovative instruments were identified; 1) certification schemes for forest products and; 2) community-driven bioenergy initiatives (e.g. local cooperatives.). These approaches, ideally embedded in a local energy strategy developed by the communities themselves, have the potential to transform energy and benefit communities and the local economy.
Ihor Soloviy; Mariana Melnykovych; Astrid Björnsen Gurung; Richard J. Hewitt; Radmila Ustych; Lyudmyla Maksymiv; Peter Brang; Heino Meessen; Mariia Kaflyk. Innovation in the use of wood energy in the Ukrainian Carpathians: Opportunities and threats for rural communities. Forest Policy and Economics 2019, 104, 160 -169.
AMA StyleIhor Soloviy, Mariana Melnykovych, Astrid Björnsen Gurung, Richard J. Hewitt, Radmila Ustych, Lyudmyla Maksymiv, Peter Brang, Heino Meessen, Mariia Kaflyk. Innovation in the use of wood energy in the Ukrainian Carpathians: Opportunities and threats for rural communities. Forest Policy and Economics. 2019; 104 ():160-169.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIhor Soloviy; Mariana Melnykovych; Astrid Björnsen Gurung; Richard J. Hewitt; Radmila Ustych; Lyudmyla Maksymiv; Peter Brang; Heino Meessen; Mariia Kaflyk. 2019. "Innovation in the use of wood energy in the Ukrainian Carpathians: Opportunities and threats for rural communities." Forest Policy and Economics 104, no. : 160-169.
We studied the role of human values in social innovations (SIs) in four forest-dependent communities (FDCs) in Europe. We draw on 71 semi-structured interviews with FDC members in Finland, Slovenia, the UK and Ukraine, and a survey of householders (n = 150) and focus group interviews with related stakeholders in Ukraine. The material collected was analyzed with mixed methods with respect to relational values as catalysts and consequences of SI. Relational values, which are derivative of the relationships between human and non-human world, and responsibilities towards these relationships, were divided into three categories: Doing, Belonging and Respecting. Doing encompasses the individual's perspective of the opportunities offered by nature to individuals. Belonging encompasses a communal dimension of values manifested as the experience of “being at home” in social collectives and landscapes. Respecting addresses environmental and social justice. Common cause for SI was the need of FDCs to sustain or enhance relational values linked to forests while, once emerged, SIs also have potential to become global game-changers. SI encompasses the reconfiguration of: i) forest management and use, ii) decision-making structures and processes, and iii) stakeholder's perceptions of sustainability. Examples include the co-management arrangement between a State forestry enterprise and the local community, buying woodland from the State by the FDCs to enable community forestry, reinvention of traditional forest management, and the active involvement of FDC members in halting illegal logging. As a conclusion, we developed a general value hierarchy accounting for value plurality in which relational, instrumental and intrinsic values can be interpreted from any perspective.
Simo Sarkki; Andrej Ficko; David Miller; Carla Barlagne; Mariana Melnykovych; Mikko Jokinen; Ihor Soloviy; Maria Nijnik. Human values as catalysts and consequences of social innovations. Forest Policy and Economics 2019, 104, 33 -44.
AMA StyleSimo Sarkki, Andrej Ficko, David Miller, Carla Barlagne, Mariana Melnykovych, Mikko Jokinen, Ihor Soloviy, Maria Nijnik. Human values as catalysts and consequences of social innovations. Forest Policy and Economics. 2019; 104 ():33-44.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSimo Sarkki; Andrej Ficko; David Miller; Carla Barlagne; Mariana Melnykovych; Mikko Jokinen; Ihor Soloviy; Maria Nijnik. 2019. "Human values as catalysts and consequences of social innovations." Forest Policy and Economics 104, no. : 33-44.
Tuning participatory processes is often insufficient to achieve transition from authoritative state to democratic and participatory forest governance due to institutional inertia and unwillingness to truly decentralize decision-making power. Social innovations as reconfigurations of relationships between state, market actors, civil society and science can help to meet concerns of local people about forest Ecosystem Services (ES). In Ukraine, the Swiss-Ukrainian Forest Development (FORZA) pilot project initiated a social innovation process complementing regional forest planning with local participatory community development plans in Transcarpathia. This paper examines what kind of changes need to accompany the succession of participatory practices in transition processes from authoritative state to democratic forest governance, and what are the lessons learned for social innovations based on the Ukrainian case study. This paper synthesizes knowledge on the FORZA case analyzed by inductive content analysis, and integrates these local level results with a national survey (N = 244) on Ukrainian forest governance. Transition processes need to go “beyond participation” by (i) legal reforms to better acknowledge ES important for local people, (ii) a change from an exclusive focus on timber to acknowledging multiple ES, (iii) changed spatial and temporal rationales of state-based governance, and (iv) recognition of local people as credible experts. Social innovations can detect key barriers to the transition during the policy experiments, and need to pay significant attention on how the novel practices can be sustained after the pilot, replicated elsewhere and up-scaled. Without such considerations, social innovation projects may only remain as a marginal curiosity.
Simo Sarkki; Taras Parpan; Mariana Melnykovych; Lyudmyla Zahvoyska; Juriy Derbal; Nataliya Voloshyna; Maria Nijnik. Beyond participation! Social innovations facilitating movement from authoritative state to participatory forest governance in Ukraine. Landscape Ecology 2019, 34, 1601 -1618.
AMA StyleSimo Sarkki, Taras Parpan, Mariana Melnykovych, Lyudmyla Zahvoyska, Juriy Derbal, Nataliya Voloshyna, Maria Nijnik. Beyond participation! Social innovations facilitating movement from authoritative state to participatory forest governance in Ukraine. Landscape Ecology. 2019; 34 (7):1601-1618.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSimo Sarkki; Taras Parpan; Mariana Melnykovych; Lyudmyla Zahvoyska; Juriy Derbal; Nataliya Voloshyna; Maria Nijnik. 2019. "Beyond participation! Social innovations facilitating movement from authoritative state to participatory forest governance in Ukraine." Landscape Ecology 34, no. 7: 1601-1618.
Attention to social innovation and its role in sustainable development have been rising. However, the knowledge of social innovation pertaining to rural areas, including the forestry sector is lacking. Therefore, in this Special Issue of Forest Policy and Economics we exchange understandings and advance scientific knowledge of the role and place of social innovation in the development of forest-dependent communities and of forest social-ecological systems, underpinning this development. Papers included in this Issue blend diverse theoretical positions into a coherent explanation of spatial variability, case and context specificity of social innovation, encompassing its empirical diversity, complexities and multiple dimensions. The suggested articles improve existing knowledge of determinants of success seeking to answer the question of how to support enhanced governance and social innovations, addressing multiplicity and priorities of social needs, and new social relationships and collaborations. We also provide innovative solutions and sustainable forestry considerations, ideas potentially useful for policy makers and practice communities of different levels, having ultimate aims of increasing the well-being of forest-dependent communities and building the resilience to changes taking place in remote rural areas of Europe and beyond.
Maria Nijnik; Laura Secco; David Miller; Mariana Melnykovych. Can social innovation make a difference to forest-dependent communities? Forest Policy and Economics 2019, 100, 207 -213.
AMA StyleMaria Nijnik, Laura Secco, David Miller, Mariana Melnykovych. Can social innovation make a difference to forest-dependent communities? Forest Policy and Economics. 2019; 100 ():207-213.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Nijnik; Laura Secco; David Miller; Mariana Melnykovych. 2019. "Can social innovation make a difference to forest-dependent communities?" Forest Policy and Economics 100, no. : 207-213.
To better understand how constantly changing human-environment interactions could be better organized to respond to current challenges, we examined the Ukrainian Carpathians as an example case of complex forest social-ecological systems (FSES). We did it by interviewing diverse and relevant local stakeholder (N=450). In particular, we strived to: i) outline how people and nature are linked and interact in coupled FSES; ii) examine the preferences of stakeholders on the forests and associated ecosystem services (ES); iii) map key drivers threatening well-being of FSES and iv) identify potential responses to address the challenges at a local scale. To answer these questions we followed a mixed method route by integrating qualitative (participatory) and quantitative data collection and analyses, with further application of a Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework in combination with the ES approach in order to assess benefits, threats to these benefits, and responses regarding the studied FSES. We found that the key benefit from FSES is timber and non-wood forest products (like berries and mushrooms), but also various regulating services were ranked highly by respondents. To explore social-ecological innovation, with potential responses of forest-dependent communities to challenges they face, we employed a commonly used assumption that governance must fit to the particular characteristics of FSES in order to enable sustainability. For the particular case of the Ukrainian Carpathians, we identified and discussed the following five nonconformities or "misfits" threatening sustainability: 1) Spatial misfit in legislation; 2) Poor contextualization; 3) Trap of the single ES; 4) Participatory misfit; and 5) Robbing the commons. By conceptualizing those key threats, we proposed responses for sustainability. The findings contributed to an advanced understanding of complex FSES, their key challenges and potential solutions in order to secure well-being of people and nature in coupled social-ecological systems, in the conditions of a changing world.
Mariana Melnykovych; Maria Nijnik; Ihor Soloviy; Albert Nijnik; Simo Sarkki; Yurij Bihun. Social-ecological innovation in remote mountain areas: Adaptive responses of forest-dependent communities to the challenges of a changing world. Science of The Total Environment 2018, 613-614, 894 -906.
AMA StyleMariana Melnykovych, Maria Nijnik, Ihor Soloviy, Albert Nijnik, Simo Sarkki, Yurij Bihun. Social-ecological innovation in remote mountain areas: Adaptive responses of forest-dependent communities to the challenges of a changing world. Science of The Total Environment. 2018; 613-614 ():894-906.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMariana Melnykovych; Maria Nijnik; Ihor Soloviy; Albert Nijnik; Simo Sarkki; Yurij Bihun. 2018. "Social-ecological innovation in remote mountain areas: Adaptive responses of forest-dependent communities to the challenges of a changing world." Science of The Total Environment 613-614, no. : 894-906.
The reality of forest sector in Ukraine doesn't correspond fully to high societal expectations. The issues of illegal logging and corruption, management of multiple ecosystem services, the recent ban on round wood export, a lack of transparency have become a concern not only for NGOs but also for mass-media and local communities. It has caused an increase of forest conflicts and worsening of the attitudes towards forestry profession. Institutional transformations in the sector have started and positive trends are observed, but the rules of the game have not changed substantially so far. Additionally, administrative and financial decentralization has not been achieved. Forest policy is strongly state-oriented and follows a top-down approach of organization, although public boards have been introduced to advise regional and central offices of the Agency of Forest Resources. There is a lack of policy coordination and weak cross-sectoral coordination. Although market instruments have been increasingly applied and certification efforts have been intensified, there is still room for deliberately involving governmental, civil society and private sector actors. Analysis of laws, governmental programs and its practical implementation shows that previous policies and strategies did not take into account full range of ecosystem services and the climate change implications on forest management. The evolution of forest policy as a science and as a process is analysed from different perspectives. It is concluded that the principles of ecological economics should be considered as a theoretical foundation for the creation of effective international, national and regional forest policies. The conditions defined would promote that forest policy would correspond to societal expectations. Especial attention is paid to policiy development which integrate ecosystem services in decision-making and stimulate social innovation to overcome the government and market failures.
I. P. Soloviy; M. S. Nijnik; A. M. Deyneka; Mariana Melnykovych. REIMAGINING FOREST POLICY, INSTITUTIONS AND INSTRUMENTS THROUGH CONCEPTS OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND SOCIAL INNOVATIONS: A FOCUS ON UKRAINE. Scientific Bulletin of UNFU 2017, 27, 82 -87.
AMA StyleI. P. Soloviy, M. S. Nijnik, A. M. Deyneka, Mariana Melnykovych. REIMAGINING FOREST POLICY, INSTITUTIONS AND INSTRUMENTS THROUGH CONCEPTS OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND SOCIAL INNOVATIONS: A FOCUS ON UKRAINE. Scientific Bulletin of UNFU. 2017; 27 (8):82-87.
Chicago/Turabian StyleI. P. Soloviy; M. S. Nijnik; A. M. Deyneka; Mariana Melnykovych. 2017. "REIMAGINING FOREST POLICY, INSTITUTIONS AND INSTRUMENTS THROUGH CONCEPTS OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND SOCIAL INNOVATIONS: A FOCUS ON UKRAINE." Scientific Bulletin of UNFU 27, no. 8: 82-87.
Mariana Melnykovych; Ihor Soloviy. Contribution of forestry to the well-being of mountain forest dependent communities in the Ukrainian Carpathians. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleMariana Melnykovych, Ihor Soloviy. Contribution of forestry to the well-being of mountain forest dependent communities in the Ukrainian Carpathians. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMariana Melnykovych; Ihor Soloviy. 2021. "Contribution of forestry to the well-being of mountain forest dependent communities in the Ukrainian Carpathians." , no. : 1.