LET'S begin where all good newsletters about Interforst 2022 should; with 2006's Rocky Balboa. For those either unaware of the film's plot or who by now have forgotten about/erased all memory of it (delete as appropriate), let's surmise.

Its star, the eponymous slugger, is one of the world's most successful boxers, with enough belts to keep the Marshmallow Man's trousers in place. However, by the time the movie takes place, he's long since retired, more interested in his restaurant than getting back into the ring.

That's until a simulator – at that time a novelty – pits Balboa against the current world champion. Long story short, the algorithms declared Balboa the winner; much to the chagrin of the young pretender, who eventually sets up a real world fight between the two. On that occasion, Balboa narrowly loses.

What stands out between the fighters is just how different the styles are.

Balboa is a slugger, reliant on his big paw, while the champ is niftier, fitter, harder to catch. While boxing fans would probably be at pains to point out how poor a representation it was of 'real boxing', for the armchair fan the sport's evolution hadn't gone unnoticed.

Sometimes I wonder what would happen if we dropped one of forestry's founding fathers into the modern-day industry. Taking all consideration of safety out (let's assume all would be well), would the skills of old transfer?

Would they be able to keep pace with 2022's harvesters?

Probably not. And the thing is, that's okay.

Forestry Journal: Rocky Balboa Rocky Balboa

Much like Balboa and boxing, the world moves on, industries adapt, and technology brings with it change that would seem so alien to Sam Madill and company that they'd assume it had come from Mars. The same will happen to forestry in 2022.

So, how does this all link back to Interforst? Well, one of forestry's biggest shows is looking to that future, with digital solutions front and centre.

From drones to easier ways to manage woodlands, the Munich event will offer foresters the chance to see how they can adapt their practices to keep up with a fast-changing climate.

One that is bringing its own challenges with it.

READ MORE AHEAD OF INTERFORST

Interforst 2022: Stihl, John Deere and Komatsu among must-see exhibitors

Cost of living, fuel prices and Interforst: Letter from the editor, July 22

Interforst 2022: Digital solutions offer glimpse into forestry's future

Forestry Journal will be in Germany for Interforst, bringing you exclusive clips, interviews and news across all of our channels.

This piece is an extract from today’s Forestry Latest News newsletter, which is emailed out at 4PM every Friday with a round-up of the week's top stories. 

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