Romain Thurin (Forest Research, United Kingdom) at BETA to study the French Forest Sector Model

BETA was delighted to welcome Romain Thurin to the AgroParisTech campus from September 15 to 26, 2025.

Romain Thurin is an assistant economist specialising in the economics of sustainable forestry at Forest Research, the research agency of the Forestry Commission in the United Kingdom. His  research focuses on the financial dimensions of woodland creation and management, including costs related to site preparation, planting,  fencing, long-term upkeep, and the economic impacts of wildlife. 

Forest Sector Models (FSMs) are powerful tools that link forest dynamics with economic and policy factors, enabling researchers and decision‑makers to explore how management choices, market forces, and environmental risks interact over time. The French Forest Sector Model, developed by BETA, is one of the most advanced in Europe, capable of simulating complex feedback loops between biological threats, climate change, and human decision‑making.

Romain Thurin visited BETA for two weeks under a Center for Forest Protection grant as a representative of the Forestry Economics Research Unit (FERU) at Forest Research. During this time, he collaborated with Antonello Lobianco to explore how the French FSM and its underlying methods could inform and be adapted to a UK context.