Forests and Transformative Change: Strategic Pathways toward a Sustainable and Equitable Future (2025 FLARE Annual Conference Brief)

The 2025 Annual Meeting of the Forest & Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, and Engagement (FLARE) Network, held in Lima, Peru, convened a panel of international experts to deliberate on the critical intersection of forest conservation and transformative change. The session was chaired by Johan Oldekop (University of Manchester) and featured a roundtable of experts: Wil de Jong (University of Freiburg), Ida Djenontin (Penn State University), Constance McDermott (Oxford University), Pablo Pacheco (World Wildlife Fund), and Arun Agrawal (University of Notre Dame).This brief synthesizes the discussion, which focused on the systemic reconfigurations necessary to address the dual crises of biodiversity loss and social inequity. The panel emphasized that while global trajectories often appear grim, a profound opportunity exists to catalyze positive shifts by realigning governance, restoration practices, food chains, and financial systems based on a vision of collective agency.Learn more about the Forest Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, and Engagement (FLARE) Network at forestlivelihoods.org.