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What Are the Impacts of Social Innovation? A Synthetic Review and Case Study of Community Forestry in the Scottish Highlands

Author

Listed:
  • Carla Barlagne

    (Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Department, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK)

  • Mariana Melnykovych

    (Economics and Social Sciences Research Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
    European Forest Institute, St. Antoni Maria Claret, 167, 08025 Barcelona, Spain)

  • David Miller

    (Information and Computational Sciences Department, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK)

  • Richard J. Hewitt

    (Information and Computational Sciences Department, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK)

  • Laura Secco

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF), University of Padova, Via dell’Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy)

  • Elena Pisani

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF), University of Padova, Via dell’Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy)

  • Maria Nijnik

    (Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Department, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK)

Abstract

In a context of political and economic austerity, social innovation has been presented as a solution to many social challenges, old and new. It aims to support the introduction of new ideas in response to the current urgent needs and challenges of vulnerable groups and seems to offer promising solutions to the challenges faced by rural areas. Yet the evidence base of the impacts on the sustainable development of rural communities remains scarce. In this paper, we explore social innovation in the context of community forestry and provide a brief synthetic review of key themes linking the two concepts. We examine a case of social innovation in the context of community forestry and analyse its type, extent, and scale of impact in a marginalized rural area of Scotland. Using an in-depth case study approach, we apply a mixed research methodology using quantitative indicators of impact as well as qualitative data. Our results show that social innovation reinforces the social dimension of community forestry. Impacts are highlighted across domains (environmental, social, economic, and institutional/governance) but are mainly limited to local territory. We discuss the significance of those results in the context of community forestry as well as for local development. We formulate policy recommendations to foster and sustain social innovation in rural areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Carla Barlagne & Mariana Melnykovych & David Miller & Richard J. Hewitt & Laura Secco & Elena Pisani & Maria Nijnik, 2021. "What Are the Impacts of Social Innovation? A Synthetic Review and Case Study of Community Forestry in the Scottish Highlands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-25, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:8:p:4359-:d:535893
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Marina Novikova, 2022. "Social Innovation Impacts and Their Assessment: An Exploratory Study of a Social Innovation Initiative from a Portuguese Rural Region," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-24, March.
    2. Néstor Vercher, 2022. "Territorial Social Innovation and Alternative Food Networks: The Case of a New Farmers’ Cooperative on the Island of Ibiza (Spain)," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-22, May.
    3. Néstor Vercher, 2022. "Environmental Conflicts and Social Innovation on the Balearic Islands (Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-22, April.
    4. Jörgen Johansson & Jonas Gabrielsson, 2021. "Public Policy for Social Innovations and Social Enterprise—What’s the Problem Represented to Be?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-19, July.
    5. Winkel, Georg & Lovrić, Marko & Muys, Bart & Katila, Pia & Lundhede, Thomas & Pecurul, Mireia & Pettenella, Davide & Pipart, Nathalie & Plieninger, Tobias & Prokofieva, Irina & Parra, Constanza & Pülz, 2022. "Governing Europe's forests for multiple ecosystem services: Opportunities, challenges, and policy options," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    6. Néstor Vercher, 2022. "The Role of Actors in Social Innovation in Rural Areas," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-24, May.
    7. Francisco Navarro-Valverde & Marilena Labianca & Eugenio Cejudo-García & Stefano De Rubertis, 2022. "Social Innovation in Rural Areas of the European Union Learnings from Neo-Endogenous Development Projects in Italy and Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-18, May.

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