Joutsa Cinema Documentary Saturday: Forest War and Peace

The documentary film “Forest War and Peace” tells the story of emeritus professor ERKKI LÄHDE (88) and his more than 50-year struggle for forests, and especially for their ecologically and economically sustainable use. To pursue this goal, Lähde and his research group developed the so-called continuous-cover forestry method as an alternative to clear-cutting. As early as the 1970s, Lähde began opposing a forest policy based on clear-cutting as the sole answer. When the results of his research comparing different forestry practices contradicted the prevailing clear-cutting policy, the research was banned, Lähde’s reputation was tarnished, and attempts were made to silence him. Thus began his life as a shunned scientist. The arduous journey has left deep scars and required sacrifices, but 88-year-old Lähde has not given up. Through Lähde’s story, the film also examines Finnish forest policy from the 1940s to the present: decades in which only clear-cutting was permitted and forest owners were taken to court if they refused to clear-cut. It becomes clear why and how we have ended up in a situation where forests’ carbon sinks have collapsed and their biodiversity is declining. Although Lähde, emeritus professor of forest soil science and silviculture, is a researcher who swears by science and a hard-nosed economist, he is also a person who senses invisible spiritual phenomena in nature. According to Lähde, these different sides complement one another and are essential to humanity’s survival.