About Focali
Focali - bridging forest, climate and livelihood research with policy and practice
Focali overview
The Forest, Climate, and Livelihood research network (Focali) was initiated in 2008. Since then, Focali has developed into a nexus that gathers researchers covering a broad range of natural and social science disciplines and connecting them with actors in civil society, public, and private sectors. This creates a broad knowledge base for dialogues that increase system understanding and broad collaboration.
Thematically Focali gathers individuals and actors who are devoted to tackling intertwined challenges related to global forests, land use, biodiversity, climate, food systems, livelihood, development, and governance issues. As we live in a complex world of interlinked socio-ecological challenges research, dialogue and collaborations making this complexity more understandable, enhance synergies, and avoid trade-offs are much needed.
Focali aims to increase knowledge-based decision-making, policy development, and practice in our field at different levels for more sustainable and inclusive development. Through dialogues and outreach facilitated by the Focali network and our collaborations research findings is made available to actors in other sectors in society and the research receive important insights from policy and practice, which is vital to identify knowledge and action gaps.
Through the work carried out over the last 15 years, Focali has become a bridge across disciplines, sectors, and regions in strong collaboration with our members. Thanks to this development Focali is now a recognized and trusted knowledge partner offering a safe space for exchange and learning between multiple perspectives, knowledge communities, and voices in this complex landscape.
In times of multiple interlinked crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss and inequality at the same time as polarization and disinformation are increasing this role is particularly vital to strengthen. Building on 15 years of experience, broad networks, and strong relations we thus invite our members, partners, and new friends to be part of the continued journey to step up our joint contributions ahead.
Focali members
The research network includes about 120 members from a range of natural and social science disciplines. Members are active in research projects and collaborations across the globe, from the Amazon rainforest to the drylands in the Sahel. Global interconnections combined with local developments and perspectives are central for Focali when bridging research, policy, and practice as well as synergies between interlinked issues as climate, biodiversity, food, and local rights. Stay tuned to learn more about our members and klick on the button below to show your interest in joining the network or collaborating with us!
Our activities
Focali facilitates broad dialogues, exchanges, learning events, and collaborations across disciplines, sectors, regions, and levels jointly with members, partners, and interested actors in all sectors. The format for this can range from research – policy roundtables to global online dialogues or in-person workshops and mini-conferences such as the Focali annual meetings. The Focali research network contributes to new collaborations, joint activities, publications, applications, capacity building, information sharing, and horizon scanning.
Our outreach
A key function of Focali is research-based outreach to enhance the utilization of research in policy and practice. Policy briefs, event reports, blogs, videos, social media, and newsletters are some of our methods to reach out as well as joint outreach with partners. To enable easier access to experts and knowledge Focali is building a new web portal. Meanwhile, this web page will share main news and entry points to engage more with Focali ahead!
Sign up for the Focali newsletter under the “get involved” button on the first page and follow us on Linked In, X and YouTube to take part of the latest news and videos.
Organization and partners
Focali has a secretariat currently hosted by Wexsus – West Sweden nexsus for Sustainable Development that has replaced Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development, the former host of Focali. To guide the development of the network, Focali has an advisory group consisting of representatives from a range of research environments at University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology, Lund University, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala University, Linköping University, Stockholm Environment Institute, and Stockholm Resilience Centre. Since 2013, Focali is working in close partnership with the Sida funded SIANI-network at SEI in broad dialogues and outreach. Stay tuned for more information about additional Focali partnerships and connect if you have any questions or collaboration ideas!
Work streams
To follow themes, policy, and practice developments over time and more in-depth, Focali have focused work streams for research-policy-practice interactions with members and partners. Via the work streams, our activities and outreach Focali aim to strengthen our role as a knowledge partner for actors in policy and practice. We further aims to develop more forums for mutual learning and collaboration between local and traditional knowledge and academic research to bridge different knowledge communities and systems.
The Focali secretariat
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Maria Ölund
Project Manager & Partnerships
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Erik Wallin
Strategic Advisor
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Next communication officer tba and financial officer support by Wexsus - University of Gothenburg. Focali members co-lead activities.
The Focali Advisory Group
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Members in the advisory group will be added here.
Focali Work Strems
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Focali work streams for focused research - policy - practice interactions is under development more information will be added here.
Join us on the journey ahead!
Klick on the “get involved” button below to sign up for news and show your interest in joining the network or collaborating!
Note that this is a temporary web page without our history, past publications or overview of members and partners. We are building a new web portal for easier access to the expertise in the network and our activities. Meanwhile, if you have questions or suggestions, welcome to get in touch and follow us on social media as Linked In for the latest updates!