From 21 to 23 April 2026, Montpellier hosts one of the most important gatherings in European forest advisory this spring: the FORADVISE Scoping Seminar, organised by the Centre National de la Propriété Forestière (CNPF) — a SMURF Cascade Funding beneficiary — and the Centre de la Propietat Forestal de la Generalitat de Catalunya.
The seminar brings together leading forest advisory centres from across Europe, most of them members of the FOREXT network, the continent's main platform connecting forest extension services. It is a key milestone in the development of FORADVISE, a Horizon Europe project coordinated by the European Forest Institute (EFI), aimed at strengthening forest advisory services across the EU within the AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems) framework.
Six thematic working groups, one shared ambition
The seminar is structured around six Thematic Working Groups covering the most pressing topics for European forestry today: Climate Change and Forest Management Adaptation, Agroforestry, Wood Mobilisation, Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFP), Sustainable Forest Management and Closer-to-Nature Forestry, and Payment for Ecosystem Services.We are particularly proud to highlight that CESEFOR — SMURF's coordinating partner — leads the FORADVISE expert network on Non-Wood Forest Products and Wild Products, one of the six thematic groups driving the project forward. This is a direct expression of the knowledge and networks that SMURF brings to the broader European forest advisory ecosystem.
FORADVISE and SMURF: natural allies
FORADVISE is one of SMURF's closest partners within the Horizon Europe ecosystem. Both projects share the conviction that better-connected, better-resourced advisory services are essential for European forests and the communities that depend on them. This seminar is a concrete step towards building what FORADVISE envisions as a true "network of networks" — and SMURF, through LAURUS Network, is proud to contribute to that shared vision.
For more information about the event, visit the FORADVISE Scoping Seminar page.
To learn more about the project as a whole, explore the FORADVISE project website.
SMURF attends the FORADVISE Scoping Seminar: Strengthening Forest Advisory Services Across Europe
