Overview
OptFORESTS is a European project, funded through the Horizon Europe programme, whose main mission is to support the protection and sustainable use of forest genetic resources (FGR) in Europe by strengthening cooperation and knowledge sharing to promote climate change adaptation and biodiversity-friendly forestry practices.
OptFORESTS will strongly contribute to the EU's key strategic guideline "Restoring ecosystems and biodiversity in Europe and managing natural resources sustainably to ensure food security and a clean and healthy environment” and will provide new fundamental and applied research and policy support on the role of FGR in biodiversity enhancement, sustainable management of forest ecosystems, forest product supply chains and the tree nursery sector.
Background
Faced with the challenges posed by climate change, new European policies call for new forest management aiming at increasing resilience of European forests and intensified efforts to restore forest ecosystems through massive tree plantations by 2030, in full respect of ecological principles. This can only be achieved if forest genetic resources (FGR) are better known, protected, and managed sustainably, and forest reproductive material (FRM), such as fruits, seeds, cones and plant parts, is used adequately, supported by a well-developed nursery sector and widespread social acceptance.