On 12 May 2026, SMURF organised a dedicated session on Forest Owners Cooperatives during the ERIAFF General Assembly held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The event was implemented under WP7 – Task 7.4 and provided an opportunity to showcase and discuss the experience of forest owners cooperatives from different European countries, highlighting their role in sustainable forest management and rural development.
Although the session took place within the framework of the European Regions for Innovation in Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ERIAFF) network, it was funded by the SMURF project as part of its efforts to promote knowledge exchange and strengthen cooperation among forest stakeholders across Europe.
Forest owners cooperatives are among the most developed instruments for collaboration between forest owners in Europe, although their level of development varies significantly from one country to another. While in some countries they do not exist, in others, such as Sweden, France and Finland, they are key actors within the forest sector and play an important role throughout the wood-based value chain. In some cases, these organisations also bring together forest workers and forestry advisors, creating integrated structures that support sustainable forest management and innovation.
Jointly organised with the Forested Regions Working Group of ERIAFF, the session aimed to present different models of forest owners cooperatives operating across Europe and to explore how they contribute to improving forest management, supporting private forest owners and fostering innovation within the sector.The session featured presentations from experts representing three well-established forestry cooperatives:
Satu Aguilar (Norra Skog, Sweden) presented the Swedish cooperative model and shared insights into cooperative development, environmental management, profit-sharing mechanisms and digital services for forest owners. Her presentation also highlighted experiences gained through large-scale collaborative initiatives, including the LIFE project GRIP on LIFE.
Tammouz Eñaut Helou (UCFF, France) provided an overview of the French forestry cooperative system and explained the important role cooperatives play in managing private forests across the country. Drawing on his extensive experience in European forestry affairs, he discussed the contribution of cooperatives to the competitiveness and sustainability of the forest sector.
Nerea Pagaldai (Tantai, Spain) presented the experience of the Basque forest owners cooperative Tantai, highlighting innovative approaches to balancing productive forest management with biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection.
The presentations generated valuable discussions among participants and provided a comprehensive overview of the diversity of cooperative models operating throughout Europe. Despite their differences, all examples demonstrated the importance of collaboration, innovation and shared management approaches in addressing the challenges faced by forest owners and the wider forestry sector.
The recording of the session is available below, together with the presentation materials shared by the speakers.We would like to thank all speakers and participants for contributing to this successful exchange of knowledge and experiences.
Related links
- Link to the ERIAFF General Assembly 2026
- Norra Skog
- UCFF – French Forestry Cooperatives Organisation
- Tantai
European Forest Owners Cooperatives: Sharing Experiences Across Europe at the ERIAFF Assembly 2026
