Michel Becker

Prof. Dr. Michel Becker serves as a part-time consultant at the Institute for Environmental Social Sciences and Geography, University of Freiburg since October 2004, following his tenure as Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Forestry (1983-2004) where he led the Working Group 'Market and Marketing'.

His academic credentials include a Post Doctorate in Forest and Timber Policy (1981), PhD in timber demand forecasting methodology (1970), and timber industry studies at Hamburg University (1958-1963).

Becker's research integrates environmental policy, forestry economics, and sustainable regional development with emphasis on wood certification systems, activation of endogenous forestry potentials, and tropical forest governance. His work bridges German forestry practices with international contexts, particularly Bolivian Amazon communities, examining socio-economic dimensions of forest management.

Analysis of his 2000-2007 publications reveals strong interdisciplinary trends connecting decentralized forest governance, community-based resource management, and poverty reduction frameworks. Key thematic clusters include certification market dynamics, non-timber forest product valuation, institutional innovation impacts, and cooperative models in wood industries across European and tropical settings.

No formal scientific awards are documented in the source material.

Becker has contributed to the Karl-Abetz-Preise documentation for private forest development and participated in BW-PLUS environmental research initiatives. His advisory capacity extends to policy frameworks developed through international collaborations, particularly with CIFOR on forest community wellbeing metrics and governance models.

He directs the 'Market and Marketing' working group focusing on wood industry economics and maintains active research partnerships with Bolivian institutions through the CIFOR network, examining forest governance decentralization impacts on rural communities.