Hundreds ha of FSC forest timber qualified for export to Europe but still 'waiting' for consumption

Enterprise brings expectation

The FSC standard is a certification for forest managers or manufacturers to ensure criteria of sustainable development and balance forest environmental protection values with the social benefits of related partners.

The FSC sustainable forest management and certification project has been implemented in Bac Kan Province since 2017 by WOODSLAND Vietnam Joint Stock Company in collaboration with Bac Kan Province. The project was expected to increase income for local residents. The quality of timber from FSC certified forests is qualified for export to Europe thus the process of planting and caring for the forest must strictly follow the enterprise’s instructions.

A model to assess the pre-feasibility of sustainable forest management and forest certification was surveyed among household groups in six communes of Cho Moi District, including Cao Ky, Nong Ha, Hoa Muc, Thanh Mai, Thanh Van, and Nhu Co. After evaluating their conditions, three communes of Cao Ky, Nong Ha, and Hoa Muc were selected to implement the Pilot Model of Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification (FSC) with the participation of 322 households and individuals. The total forest area involved in the model is up to 921 hectares.

Forest owners with FSC certificates were to benefit from a commitment to stable and long-term consumption by WOODSLAND Joint Stock Company at a higher price of more than VND100,000/m than that of common forests. The theoretical objective of this project is to contribute to strictly managing the forests with products easily be traceable the origin and with environmental indicators (soil, water, climate, biodiversity…) improved due to the application of international standard forest management methods.

Social issues such as labor safety, wages of local workers, benefits and responsibilities are clearly identified and strengthened. Transport systems are also maintained and upgraded...

During the implementation of the FSC forest project, Bac Kan Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has directed local authorities at all levels to continue maintaining and developing the FSC certification group, at the same time promoting the image of certified forests, their potential and capacity to supply forest certified wood for domestic and international FSC wood processing enterprises.

Bac Kan Province has strengths of forestry and especially in developing timber and medicinal products on a total forest area of ​​more than 300,000 hectares. However, the province has not been able to exploit this strength to improve local people's income.

In 2020, Bac Kan's wood export volume is less than 100,000 m3. Its new products are only processed at a rudimentary level (mainly the peeled and chip wood). Currently the province has only two plywood processing and exporting factories.

People are disappointed

The implementation of the pilot FSC model was scheduled to take place from May 2017 to February 2018. FSC forest certification acknowledged local forest owners and managers in their efforts to sustainably manage forests. It helped people participating in forest certification groups have a better sense of environmental protection, and showed a greater sense of community in forestry production, bringing high long-term and stable economic efficiency.

The model was undertaken closely from the process of planting, caring, and harvesting, ensuring wood quality for export to the European market.

However, after more than four years of implementation, for unknown reasons, the enterprise that signed a commitment to consume wood-theWOODSLAND Vietnam Joint Stock Company- has announced in writing that it will not buy wood for growers.

Meanwhile, more than 921 ha of FSC certified forests, mainly concentrated in Cho Moi District, now have reached an old age but have not been exploited, making forest owners very disappointed.

Some owners tried to wait for businesses to purchase according to their commitment but many others could not wait so had to accept selling to traders to have money for covering their lives and planting new forests. It must be added that they are suffering from great loss because they have to sell their FSC timbers at the same price as conventionally normal planted timber.

Mr. Dinh Anh Tuan, Vice Chairman of Nong Ha Commune’s People's Committee said: "In the forest areas that the FSC certification project implement are implemented, the process of forest care and other activities are all done under the guidance of the WOODSLAND Vietnam Joint Stock Company officials."

To grant an FSC certification, the forest area must undergo two appraisals and the results were that all participating households basically met the criteria. However, when they were granted certificates of eligibility for exploitation, these forest areas did not see the enterprise coming to purchase their products.

"Some growers can't wait so they have to harvest the timber and sell it at market prices. The above incident makes us very difficult to explain to people," said Mr. Tuan.

It can be seen that forests development following European standards is the right direction, creating favorable conditions for Bac Kan planted timber to export and improve value. However, the selection of business cooperation partners is not thorough, bringing a lot of consequences when problems arise, at the same time affecting people's thoughts, making them feel uncomfortable and disappointed.

Therefore, leaders of Bac Kan Province and specialized agencies are urgently seeking ways to solve such problems so that to help forest grower consume their timber.

Ms. Do Thi Minh Hoa, Vice Chairman of Bac Kan Provincial People's Committee informed: that currently, Bac Kan Province has found another enterprise to replace WOODSLAND Vietnam Joint Stock Company.

This unit has signed with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and to bear the cost of assessment and committed to buying products for growers. However, the process took a long time, so some people have exploited and sold their timber to private traders.

According to Mr. Nguyen My Hai, Deputy Director of Bac Kan Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the WOODSLAND Vietnam Joint Stock Company has issued a document not to purchase the above FSC standard timber. Currently, there is a unit from Hanoi that has replaced it to conduct wood procurement, but due to many complicated procedures (because the project is related to foreign countries) and the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has not been implemented.

At present, the whole province has 274,000 ha of natural forest and nearly 100,000 ha of concentrated forest-the highest forest coverage rate in the country (73.4%). Such "green lungs" not only contribute to environmental protection, but also create abundant aquatic resources, help prevent natural disaster and serve for socio-economic development.

However, forest growers and keepers in Bac Kan are suffering many disadvantages because it is difficult for the province to collect fees in forest environmental services to support them. The reason is that Bac Kan has few hydropower plants (different from Hoa Binh,  Son La and Lai Chau).

The state's support for contracted forest protection is also very low (only VND400,000 /ha/year), so it is difficult for forest keepers to ensure their livelihood.

Thus, Bac Kan Province requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide financial support for it to implement three projects on improving capacity for forest fire prevention and fighting, supporting the issuance of FSC certification and developing medicinal plants under the forest canopy.

(Ms. Do Thi Minh Hoa, Vice Chairman of Bac Kan Provincial People's Committee)