Understanding social innovation for the well-being of forest-dependent communities: A preliminary theoretical framework

Abstract

•Presentation of an original definition of social innovations for marginalised rural areas. Key mechanisms that enable efforts for social innovations in forest-dependent communities to emerge and develop.•Transdisciplinary framework of theoretical-empirical expert understanding of SI in forest-dependent communities.•Identification of key factors and SI transition stages for forest- dependent communities in marginalised rural areas.•Determination of the key development trajectories that differ by type of actors and knowledge which enter the action arena.•Determine the adaptive or transformative character of social innovations in forest-dependent communities.