Introduction: history and conceptual framework

This chapter describes the history of criteria and indicators work at CIFOR, as an introduction to the subsequent chapters in this book. It also outlines the conceptual framework used to place human well-being within the topic of sustainable forest management. This includes a definition of human well being that includes security and sufficiency of access to resources now and in the future; economic opportunity; decision making opportunity; heritage and identity; justice; and health and safety. The chapter also briefly describes the social science methods used to assess human well being; and provides a summary of CIFOR's social criteria and indicators.