An Interview with Etifor on Nature-Positive Forestry
5th August, 2025
A conversation between Giulia Cecchinato from Etifor and the GoNaturePositive! initiative
GoNaturePositive!: Welcome, Giulia. Could you start by telling us about Etifor and your approach to environmental consultancy?
Giulia Cecchinato: Thank you for having me. Etifor is an environmental consultancy company that puts nature at the heart of decision-making by developing science-based solutions. We work with organisations and companies to improve policies, projects and investments' economic, environmental and social benefits. What makes us unique is our foundation - we were established within the University of Padua, giving us strong scientific grounding, and we're now a certified B Corp benefit company that generates positive impacts on people and the environment.
Our mission is to help organisations maximise their positive impact through six specialised areas of expertise, combining rigorous science with practical experience to create real-world solutions.
GoNaturePositive!: That scientific foundation is crucial for credible environmental work. What does a nature-positive economy mean for your sector, and what is one concrete step your organisation is taking (or recommends) to support it?
Giulia Cecchinato: Nature-Positive Economy for the forestry sector means to give attention to biodiversity from cradle to grave. To avoid the externalisation of negative impacts and responsibilities on nature, all actors of the forest value chain need to be engaged and processes closely monitored. The forest sector plays a key role in the bioeconomy, providing materials that can substitute more resource-intensive ones. Etifor supports companies in assessing their impacts and setting up ambitious nature strategies, putting nature at the hearth of decision making.
GoNaturePositive!: The "cradle to grave" approach is comprehensive. Can you elaborate on what this looks like in practice when working with forest sector companies?
Giulia Cecchinato: When we talk about cradle to grave, we're examining every stage of the forest value chain - from forest management practices through harvesting, processing, manufacturing, distribution, use, and end-of-life. At each stage, we help companies identify their biodiversity impacts and dependencies.
For example, in forest management, we might assess how silvicultural practices affect soil health, water cycles, and wildlife habitats. During processing, we examine energy use, waste streams, and chemical inputs. Throughout the entire chain, we ensure that the forest's role as a biodiversity reservoir and ecosystem service provider is maintained and enhanced, not just exploited.
Our approach helps companies understand that sustainable forestry isn't just about replanting trees - it's about maintaining the complex ecological relationships that make forests resilient and biodiverse.
Giulia Cecchinato
Project Manager | International Project Development Unit | Etifor
GoNaturePositive!: You mentioned the forest sector's role in the bioeconomy. How do you balance this economic potential with biodiversity conservation?
Giulia Cecchinato: This is exactly where science-based approaches become essential. Forests can indeed provide materials that substitute more resource-intensive alternatives - wood instead of concrete or steel, bio-based chemicals instead of fossil fuel derivatives. But this potential can only be realised sustainably if we maintain forest ecosystem integrity.
We help companies develop nature strategies that recognise forests as complex systems providing multiple services simultaneously: carbon storage, biodiversity conservation, water regulation, soil protection, and material provision. The key is designing management approaches that optimise across all these functions rather than maximising just one.
GoNaturePositive!: Looking at the policy landscape, how do current policies support or hinder your sector's efforts toward nature-positivity?
Giulia Cecchinato: Current EU policies and strategies have set a path for the forestry sector, recognising the key role of forest ecosystems in hosting biodiversity as well as providing ecosystem services. While forests are called in as solutions to mitigate climate change, the different interests need to be balanced. The implementation of sustainable and closer-to-nature forest management practices can help to achieve the goal.
GoNaturePositive!: You mentioned the need to balance different interests. What are the main tensions you see, and how can they be resolved?
Giulia Cecchinato: The primary tension is between short-term economic pressures and long-term ecological health. Climate policy often emphasises rapid carbon sequestration, which can favour fast-growing monocultures. Biodiversity policy emphasises ecosystem complexity and native species diversity. Economic policy focuses on competitiveness and market access.
These don't have to be conflicting goals, but they require sophisticated management approaches. Closer-to-nature forest management practices - which we strongly advocate for - can deliver on multiple objectives simultaneously. These practices work with natural forest dynamics rather than against them, creating resilient ecosystems that provide sustained economic, ecological, and social benefits.
GoNaturePositive!: How does Etifor's B Corp certification influence your approach to forestry consulting?
Giulia Cecchinato: Our B Corp certification reflects our commitment to using business as a force for good, which fundamentally shapes how we approach forestry consulting. It means we're legally committed to considering the impact of our decisions on all stakeholders - not just shareholders, but communities, ecosystems, and future generations.
In practical terms, this means we won't just help a company meet minimum compliance requirements. We push for ambitious nature strategies that create genuine positive impact. We measure our success not just by client satisfaction or revenue, but by the actual environmental and social outcomes we help achieve.
GoNaturePositive!: What role do you see initiatives like GoNaturePositive! playing in advancing sustainable forestry practices?
Giulia Cecchinato: GoNaturePositive! provides exactly what the forestry sector needs - a platform for cross-sector dialogue and learning. Forests don't exist in isolation; they're connected to agriculture, water systems, urban development, and tourism. A nature-positive approach requires understanding these connections and coordinating action across sectors.
“Through GoNaturePositive!, we can share scientific insights about forest ecosystem management while learning how other sectors are addressing similar challenges around stakeholder engagement, impact measurement, and policy integration. This kind of knowledge exchange is essential for scaling up nature-positive practices beyond individual projects to systemic change.”
GoNaturePositive!: Finally, what advice would you give to companies in the forest value chain looking to adopt more nature-positive approaches?
Giulia Cecchinato: Start with a comprehensive impact assessment that examines your entire value chain, not just your direct operations. Engage with scientific expertise early - the University of Padua connection that shaped Etifor has taught us that rigorous science is the foundation of effective environmental action.
Most importantly, recognise that nature-positive forestry is not a constraint on business success - it's a pathway to long-term resilience and competitiveness. Companies that understand and work with forest ecosystem dynamics will be better positioned to navigate climate change, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer expectations.
The transition requires investment and commitment, but the alternative - continuing to externalise environmental costs - is no longer viable in a world facing biodiversity and climate crises.
GoNaturePositive!: Thank you, Giulia, for sharing these insights. Etifor's science-based approach to putting nature at the heart of forestry decisions provides a valuable model for the sector.
Giulia Cecchinato: Thank you. We're excited to continue advancing nature-positive forestry through initiatives like GoNaturePositive! and to see how collaborative approaches can accelerate the transition across all sectors.
This interview was conducted as part of GoNaturePositive!'s ongoing series exploring pathways toward a nature-positive economy. Learn more about Etifor at etifor.com and GoNaturePositive! at gonaturepositive.eu