Innovation in forestry: Linking technologies to market signals

Promoting innovation

On May 16, the Vietnam National University of Forestry and other units hosted a Seminar on orienting science-technology development and innovation of forestry for 2022-2030. 

At the event, MARD Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh stated that the demand for wood products and wood-processed products is growing. In 2021, the export value of the wood sector reached USD 15.87 billion, while the trade surplus reached USD 13 billion. The figures are a reference to forecast the growth momentum of the sector this year. 

"The growth rate has demonstrated that the timber industry has enormous potential. Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh added, "In addition, we're moving closer to the point where we'll be able to take the lead in materials processing and significantly improve the quality of timber produced from planted forests." 

According to the leader in agriculture, the government, ministries, and municipalities are paying more attention to the forest industry. Policies and legal standards for the forestry sector are well documented. In addition, the industry is pursuing a number of notable initiatives, such as wood product processing, the planting of one billion trees, and coastal forest plantation... 

The forestry industry has advocated for maintaining 42 percent forest cover, but the land fund is restricted. Mr. Le Quoc Doanh stated, "Now is the moment to develop research, technology, and innovation in order to stimulate the forestry industry and the entire socioeconomic system." 

According to the Deputy Minister, science-technology will not only handle issues with land sources but will also encourage the forestry sector to seek the cooperation of international organizations. Vietnam is able to keep up with the revolution of digital transformation thanks to the valuable experience provided by Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany... as well as the diversification of revenue from carbon credit trading and expenses for forest environmental services. 

Unlike other agricultural industries, auditing forest outcomes takes time. For instance, it takes 5-7 years to harvest a forest tree, which is hundreds of times longer than that of a rice plant and twice as long as that of fruits. 

Mr. Tran Quang Bao, deputy director of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry, stated that in addition to the economic goal, the forestry industry places considerable emphasis on the forest development mission. It aims to plant an average of 4,000 to 6,000 ha per year of protection forest and special-use forests for indigenous and precious plants; to recover 15,000 ha per year of protection and special-use forests; to improve the quality of natural forest, the output, and effectiveness of planted forest, and the combined agroforestry system; and to increase the forest area with a certificate of sustainable forest management to more than 500,000 ha by 2025. 

To accomplish these goals, Mr. Bao emphasized the role of research and technology, especially in the implementation of Vietnam's forestry development strategy for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050. 

The forestry sector is enhancing the management ability of forest owners via the establishment of a supervision system and evaluation of forest resources; application of remote sensing technology and geographic information system (GIS), and information technology in forestry sector management.  By the year 2030, one hundred percent of forest owners will be organizations capable of monitoring, overseeing, and managing forest resources, as well as preventing and controlling forest fires using scientific and technological methods.

Concentrating on the seed selection stage 

Prof. Tran Van Chu, Dean of the Vietnam National University of Forestry, stated at the seminar that the institution is constructing the direction to develop science - technology, and innovation in six fields between 2022 and 2030, including Forestry and Sustainable Development; Processing industry; Environment and Climate Change; Agriculture and Biotechnology; Economy, policy; High technology, digital transformation. 

In addition to choosing, generating, and developing forestry plant seeds, the university supports service activities, consulting, and the transfer of scientific and technological research results into production practice, therefore establishing intimate relationships between research, education, and production. 

The unit's annual goal is to grow the number of scientific and technical subjects, projects, works, and services by at least 10 percent. But by 2025, it aims to achieve a 90 percent rate of scientific and technological mission implementation. 

Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh said that the implementation of science-based technology must be complemented with the development of skilled manpower. The manufacturing process of an organization must be subject to market signals. 

The deputy minister believed that the initial focus of the adoption of research and technology must be put on the stage of seed selection. He said that this is a crucial factor for plant yield and quality. Especially in the forestry industry, where the subject is long-day plants, the environmental effects of agricultural techniques such as fertilization, limited irrigation, and seeds appear to be growing insignificance. 

Recent studies indicate that the forestry industry has recognized 229 varieties, including 95 varieties of six species of acacia, 85 varieties of five species of eucalyptus, 33 varieties of four species of melaleuca, four varieties of Caribbean pine, ten varieties of ailanthus triphysa, terminalia, and two varieties of casuarina. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has acknowledged a total of 102 new varieties between 2010 and 2021. 

The application of science and technology to forest productivity has been underlined by Vinefor Company. The company's Deputy Director Vu Van Huong reported that the unit has operated a nursery garden to produce high-quality plants since 1990 and later transitioned to tissue plant manufacturing. Vinafor plans to develop a tissue culture center in Hoa Binh with an estimated annual capacity of 23 million trees by the end of 2022.