The doctoral dissertation in the field of Environmental Policy will be examined at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies at Joensuu Campus.
Forests are among the most vital ecosystems on Earth. They influence the global climate, maintain biodiversity, and supply both wood and non-wood products essential for the bioeconomy and the development of a carbon-neutral society. Forest conditions and health depend on management and conservation practices, which are shaped by various governance actors. Denis Dobrynin’s PhD dissertation examines the influence of private actors, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and governance mechanisms such as voluntary market-driven certification on shaping sustainable forest management practices and governance. It covers a broad range of discourses and visions related to community participation in forest governance, sustainable forestry, and forest conservation. This PhD research focuses on Russia, which contains 20% of the world’s forests, where non-state forest governance has long coexisted with exclusive state ownership of forests and centralisation.
From a social sciences perspective, the dissertation contributes to a critical analysis of the concepts of multi-level and multi-actor governance by examining cases related to forests. It shows how private actors such as NGOs and private sector can introduce new sustainable forest management discourses into national forest policies and establish non-state mechanisms for forest governance independently of the state. Drawing on examples from Russia, the dissertation covers a wide range of important forest discourses and visions relevant globally, including community involvement in decision-making, primary forest conservation, sustained yield forestry, and the management of forests on abandoned farmland. The dissertation offers reflections on recent geopolitical upheavals and the limitations of private mechanisms in forest governance.
The dissertation explores several new and understudied topics that are relevant to many global regions. For example, it contributes to understanding the controversies surrounding the communities' engagement in forest governance by including Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in forest certification standards. The dissertation provides a deep analysis of two intersecting discourses driven by private governance actors in Russia: one focused on the conservation of intact forest landscapes, and the other on intensive silviculture based on the Nordic experience. This discourse analysis illustrates how former policy opponents – environmental NGOs and forest corporations – can find common ground and collaborate to meet market demands for sustainable forest management and conservation. Additionally, the dissertation offers insights into forest management on abandoned farmland, which lies at the intersection of agricultural, forestry, and environmental policies in both Russia and globally. The results of this study are interesting to policymakers and experts engaged in forest-related issues, including those at the international level, such as international NGOs and United Nations (UN) organisations.
This PhD research employed qualitative social science methods, such as interviews, questionnaires, and discourse analysis. One of PhD dissertation articles uses the Delphi method, a multi-round anonymous expert evaluation with controlled feedback. This method facilitated the development of future alternative forest and land management options and assessed their desirability and likelihood of implementation. Additionally, the research employed autoethnography to reflect on the collected data, drawing on Dobrynin’s practical experience in the forest sector prior to his academic career.
The study was funded by the Kone Foundation.
The doctoral dissertation of Denis Dobrynin, M.Sc., entitled Private Governance Actors and Sustainable Forest Management Discourses: NGOs, companies, and voluntary certification in forest governance in Russia will be examined at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies. The opponent will be Associate Professor Harry Fischer, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and the custos will be Professor Irmeli Mustalahti, University of Eastern Finland. The language of the public defence is English.
