Awareness of illegal logging, sustainable forest management, and requirements of international certification have increased significantly as part of a three-year project begun in December 2007.
The “Linking Trade Demand and Sustainable Forest Management” project aims at achieving sustainability through market incentives via Viet Nam’s thriving export-oriented furniture industry.
The project has been organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s General Department of Forestry (DoF), the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
“Particularly in the context of our country trying to cope with climate change, we require sustainable economic development,” said Cao Chi Cong, general director of the DoF’s Forest Use Department.
Since 2005, a group of four Vietnamese industry leaders have taken part in WWF’s Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN).
The project helps two State forest companies in Gia Lai Province and a group of poor rural acacia farmers in Quang Tri Province to achieve independent forest certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the world’s leading certification scheme for responsible forest management.
The number of GFTN members in Viet Nam has increased from four to 11.
In addition, the farmer co-operative Quang Tri Forest Certification Group was awarded the first FSC group certificate in the country.
They were able to sell the first timber harvest to GFTN member Thanh Hoa Co Ltd at a significantly higher price.
Furthermore, the State forest companies Ha Nung and Sopai in Gia Lai were issued official land use certificates (red books) and met important pre-requisites for sustainable forest management.
“Although there were some limitations, especially in the area of reforming State-owned forest enterprises, I was impressed by the fact that the project was so successful in utilising market forces to drive biodiversity conservation goals,” said Professor Matthew Auer, an independent evaluator commissioned by SECO.
Brigitte Bruhin, deputy country director representing SECO in Viet Nam, said that SECO’s continuous engagement supported sustainable trade by linking local producers with international markets, and promoting internationally accepted certification procedures.
