"SFM, according to internationally agreed language, is a dynamic and evolving concept that aims to maintain and enhance the economic, social and environmental value of all types of forests, for the benefit of future generations"

Never the less Sustainable Forest Management can not be seen in isolation from rural development and land use planning. Forests are a substantial and integrated part of the rural areas. Therefore SFM must closely fit into national, regional and local treatment of the rural environment. People living at rural land are closely interacting with forests. Either by chopping down forest for agriculture needs, by harvesting forest products and using ecosystem services of forests for their livelihood or by relaying on the protective functions of their forests. Sustainable Forest management is able to manage the provision of all those functions in parallel as long as it will be treated as an integrative part of rural development and of land use planning.

Definition of SFM by CIFOR: Managing  (permanent) forest  to achieve one or more clearly specified objectives of management with regard to the production of a continuous flow of desired forest products and services (e.g. carbon) without undue reduction of its inherent values and future productivity and without undue undesirable effects on the physical and social environment►

Definition of SFM by UNFF: Sustainable forest management as a dynamic and evolving concept aims to maintain and enhance the economic, social and environmental value of all types of forests, for the benefit of present and future generations►

Sustainable Forest Management is quite a controversial subject when beeing discussed in the general public. One aspect of many is on how SFM can contribute to a reduction of poverty. Below you can find five viewpoints on how SFM can reduce poverty. It is an example of the remarkable wide range of rationale...

In the Bali Action Plan, SFM refers to the application of forest management practices for the primary purpose of sustaining constant levels of carbon stocks over time, but the we note states that implicit in the term SFM is that other values of the forest should not be disregarded.

Definition of SFM by European Forest Convention: "Sustainable forest management” means the stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfill, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic and social functions, at local, national and global levels, and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems;