Innovations and Dilemmas in Global Forest Governance - The Tortuous Pathway toward a Deforestation-free World: Introduction to the Special Issue

Tropical deforestation remains one of the most pressing socio-ecological challenges, despite decades of international efforts to regulate forest use and commodity trade. This editorial article introduces the special issue “Deforestation-free trade: Global governance challenges and socio-environmental implications in producing countries” and situates its contributions within the historical evolution of global forest governance. We distinguish three “generations” of governance arrangements: a first based on intergovernmental soft law and contested notions of sovereignty and global commons; a second centered on voluntary standards, private certification, and the climatization of forests through REDD+; and a third, currently emerging, characterized by compulsory demand-side regulation (e.g., the EU Deforestation Regulation) and redistributive proposals (e.g., the Tropical Forest Forever Facility). Using the analytical lens of discursive framing, we show how shifting narratives have shaped governance regimes. We argue that territorial approaches (regulations addressing directly the main drivers of deforestation) are more likely to curb deforestation, as compared to value chain interventions (demand-driven regulations targeting global commodity chains associated with deforestation risk). However, they need to be supported by global redistributive mechanisms, to facilitate enforcement. The contributions to this special issue highlight the need for hybrid strategies that combine regulatory measures with cooperative redistribution and recognition of forest-dependent peoples. We conclude that effective global governance of forests requires reframing them beyond carbon and commodities while acknowledging their socio-cultural, ecological, and justice dimensions.