Research Institute of Forestry Policy and Information (RIFPI), officially founded in February 1964, is a vice-department-level public research organization under the Chinese Academy of Forestry located at No. 1, Dongxiaofu, Xiangshan Road, Haidian District of Beijing.

　　1. Main missions
　　The RIFPI’s main missions include: soft science research on forestry and tracking research on world forestry development; library literature research and service as well as the construction of information network; scientific forestry journals editing and publishing; and sci-tech novelty retrieval, consultations and technology development.

　　2. Scientific research work
　　World forestry research is the traditional research field that the RIFPI has been working on, which has secured a nationally unique advantage. The important monographs edited and published by the RIFPI have imposed domestically wide influences, including Development Trend of Overseas Forestry and Forest Industry published in the 1960s, Foreign Forestry Overview in the 1970s, World Forestry in the 1980s, Research on Foreign Policy for Forestry Industry in the 1990s, and the recently published Contemporary World Forestry and World Forestry Hotspot Issues 2010.
　　Since the 1990s, the RIFPI has continuously expanded its research fields, and won relatively strong disciplinary advantages in terms of macro forestry strategy and planning, valuation of forest ecosystem services and green GDP, forest product market and trade, collective forest tenure reform, state-owned forest management system, forestry cooperative economy, participatory development and community forestry, forest certification and sustainable management, environment management for plantation forest, urban forestry policy, forestry policy on climate change, forestry history and ecological culture, network information sharing, management of forestry intellectual property, digital library construction and so on.
　　Since 2001, the RIFPI has undertaken more than 350 research projects, including over 280 projects domestically funded and more than 70 international cooperation projects. Since its foundation, the RIFPI has published 603 papers and 66 monographs, obtained 5 issued patents and 5 computer software copyrights, developed 3 sectoral standards, and won 19 provincial-level awards or prizes. In 2011 alone, the RIFPI had 135 ongoing projects, published 39 papers (including 3 papers in SCI-listed journals) and 9 monographs, and gained 3 new practical patents and 1 computer software copyright.
　　With regard to international cooperation, the intelligence research institute of Chinese Academy of Forestry has established literature exchange relationships with many forestry developed countries since the 1950s. As of the 1990s, the RIFPI has maintained and developed close cooperation with international organizations such as FAO, ITTO and WWF as well as some countries and regions like the EU, Germany, Finland and Japan. After 2006, the RIFPI has executed more than 50 international cooperation projects, mainly funded by FAO, ITTO, Ford Foundation, the EU, the Nature Conservancy, German Tech-Cooperation Company (GIZ), Rainforest Alliance, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the other international organizations. The RIFPI has sponsored or organized more than 10 important international conferences and training workshops, including the Sino-Finnish High-Level Forum on Rural Forestry Reform and Sustainable Forest Management, the 4th session of International Workshop on Sustainable Forestry and Market Development, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sessions of Asian-European Symposium on Urban Forestry in collaboration with the Danish Center of Forest, Landscape and Planning of Copenhagen University, and the side event Forest Carbon Management Beyond 2012 at the second FAO’s Asian-Pacific Forestry Week. The RIFPI has dispatched scientific researchers, more than 150 person-times, to around 30 countries for academic exchanges, field excursions, lectures and advanced studies as visiting scholars, as well as for international conferences and training courses as participants, up to 25 person-times annually. Meanwhile, it has hosted the visits of experts and officials from more than 30 countries and international organizations, annually more than 35 person-times. In the RIFPI, there are 4 professionals who hold posts in international organizations and 6 professionals who act as the evaluation experts of major international cooperation projects for the Ministry of Science and Technology.

　　3. Library literatures and internet information service
　　The Library of Chinese Academy of Forestry, set up in 1958, is one of Asia’s largest professional libraries of forestry, which is now affiliated with the RIFPI. After the construction and development for more than 50 years, the Library now holds a collection of more than 400 000 literatures, with nationally most forestry journals and books in Chinese and foreign languages. Besides, the compositions and manuscripts by forestry researchers and well-known experts are the valued holdings of the Library. The Library has established literature exchange relationships with 150 units in China as well as 150 research institutes and forestry colleges from more than 40 countries or regions. Currently, the Library has achieved the automated management for book acquisition, cataloguing and circulation, and created the information portal of forestry science and web resources navigation system. The new library, with the flooring area of more than 5000 m2, will be soon put into use.
　　The RIFPI has engaged in constructing databases and information website since 1982. In 1998, China Forestry Information Website (http://www.lknet.ac.cn) was formally opened and accessible. After nearly 30 years development, the Website now provides 60 million full-text papers in Chinese, 50 million abstracts of papers in English, more than 800 on-line scientific journals, and over 80 self-built databases with 4 million pieces of information. The user visits exceed 1.7 million person-times every year. The website has become the authoritative one in forestry sector with the largest amount of information and the widest coverage.
　　With an eye to the main research fields in forestry sector and the Institute itself, the RIFPI edits and publishes 8 scientific forestry journals in Chinese or English, including 7 public issued journals, i.e., World Forestry Research, Chinese Forestry Science and Technology (in English), Practical Forestry Technology, International Wood, World Bamboo and Rattan Newsletter, China Urban Forestry and China Green Pictorial, and 1 internal publication World Forestry Dynamic Update. Two journals as World Forest Research and Practical Forestry Technology are listed as the core Chinese journals. The Practical Forestry Technology and China Urban Forestry won Liangxi Prize for Forestry Books and Journals.
　　The RIFPI set up the Sci-Tech Novelty Retrieval Office in the 1990s to provide the novelty retrieval services for the initiation, examination and acceptance of projects and the application for awards. In February 1994, this Office was accredited as the National Class Ⅰ Novelty Retrieval Body. In 2002, the Zhonglin Lvxiu New Plant Variety Right Agent Office was established based on this Office, providing agency services on applications for new plant variety right for a number of Chinese and foreign clients.

　　4. Talents and graduate education
　　In 1964 when the RIFPI was initially set up, there was only 40 staff in total. By the end of 2011, there was 97 in-service staff, and 70 retired staff. Of all the in-service staff, there are 7 senior researchers, 45 associate researchers, and 30 assistant researchers. In the RIFPI, 20 researchers have earned PhD degree, 16 received master degree and 45 obtained bachelor degree. Seven employees from the RIFPI have successively enjoyed the Special Allowance of the State Council.
　　By the end of 2011, there were 11 master student supervisors, and 2 PhD student supervisors. The Institute has admitted 53 master students in total, with 36 students graduated and 17 students in studying. A total of 34 PhD candidates has been admitted, including 25 PhD graduated and 9 in studying. There have been 13 post-doctor fellows, of which 9 have finished their studies and 4 are staying in the postdoctoral station.

　　After 50 years’ development, the RIFPI has grown into a research institution engaged in comprehensive basic research and public services, focusing on soft science research in the fields of forestry economics, policy study, management science, sociology etc., specializing in development dynamics of overseas forestry sector, and providing book literature services and internet information services. It has played an important role in supporting government decision-making, promoting science and technology innovation and developing international communications.

　　Address: Research Institute of Forestry Policy and Information, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Wanshoushan, Haidian District, Beijing
　　Post Code: 100091
　　E-mail: office.kx@caf.ac.cn
　　Tel:（010）62889710