The concept of forest sustainability dates from centuries ago, although the understanding of sustainable forest management (SFM) as an instrument that harmonizes ecological and socio-economic concerns is relatively new. The change in perspective occurred at the beginning of the 1990s in response to an increased awareness of the deterioration of the environment, in particular of the alarming loss of forest resources. The book collects original case studies from 12 different countries in four continents (Africa, America, Asia and Europe). These studies represent a wide variation of experiences from developing and developed countries, and should clarify the current status of SFM worldwide and the problems associated with its implementation.