Historical and political notes on forest cultivation and timber trade in the writings of Cesare Beccaria

Abstract

In the evolution of European forestry thought, there are characters whose contribution is still little known. One of these is Cesare Beccaria, an Italian philosopher and economist who lived in the second half of the 18th century. This article summarises some aspects of Beccaria’sthought on forestry from the book Elementi di economia pubblica. We highlight the philosophical, economic, and political point of view of the author regarding forest management and forest regulation. We emphasize the interference of public institutions in the management of private forests, and the recognition of the value of silviculture as a useful science for the economicdevelopment of nations.