The Forestry Association of Soria (ASFOSO) held an outreach event on 18 June as part of EU Green Week 2026, presenting the progress and good practices achieved through the Interreg Sudoe SocialForest and FLoRE projects. Held after the Association’s Annual General Meeting, the event brought together around fifty representatives from public authorities, forest owners, companies, associations, technical experts and rural development stakeholders with an interest in sustainable forest management.
Entitled “Investing in the forests of South-West Europe: innovation, sustainable management and rural development through SocialForest and FLoRE”, the event highlighted the strategic role of forest ecosystems in tackling the environmental, economic and social challenges affecting rural areas, while underlining the importance of transnational cooperation in promoting innovative and transferable solutions.
During the opening session, participants stressed the need to invest in forest ecosystems and strengthen cooperation between public authorities, forest owners and local stakeholders as a means of fostering more resilient and sustainable rural development. Pedro Agustín Medrano Ceña, Director of ASFOSO, then presented the main achievements of the SocialForest project, explaining that the pilot action being implemented by the Soria-based organisation focuses on social innovation and on encouraging forest owners to actively manage their woodlands. This was followed by a presentation from ASFOSO technician Amador Martín Gutiérrez, who outlined the activities carried out within the FLoRE project, aimed at restoring several degraded areas using native herbaceous species through techniques such as redileo.
The presentations showcased practical examples of good practices and results achieved under both projects, demonstrating the potential of initiatives supported by the Interreg Sudoe Programme to generate knowledge, tools and management models that can be transferred to other territories across Spain, France and Portugal.
The event concluded with a discussion session during which participants exchanged experiences on forest governance, climate change adaptation, the mobilisation of forest ownership and opportunities for cooperation between public and private organisations. The meeting also encouraged networking and the creation of new partnerships for future initiatives linked to the bioeconomy, biodiversity conservation and the sustainable development of rural areas.
Through this initiative, ASFOSO contributed to the objectives of EU Green Week 2026 by demonstrating how investment in sustainable forest management and nature-based solutions can generate long-term benefits for rural communities, biodiversity and local economies. The event also strengthened the visibility of the SocialForest and FLoRE projects and highlighted the added value of the cooperation promoted by the Interreg Sudoe Programme in addressing shared challenges across the SUDOE area.
