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On September 4, 2025, the Project Management Board of the project “Informed forestry decisions, sustainable forest management and forest certification insmallholder forests in Vietnam” (AIN 8748) at the Center for Climate Change Study in Central Viet Nam (CCCSC) collaborated with the Hue City Cooperative Alliance (HCA) to hold a working session to discuss the 2025 operational plan.

The meeting was chaired by Associate Professor Dr. Tran Thi Phuong, Director of CCCSC and National Coordinator of Project AIN 8748. Representatives from both units attended: from CCCSC, there was Dr. Van Thi Yen, Project Director, and Ms. Tran Thi Quynh Tien, Project Assistant; from HCA, there was Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Vice Chairman in charge of HCA and Project Director, along with Ms. Ninh Thi Huong, Project Coordinator, and Ms. Pham Thi Lien Hoang, Project Accountant.

The discussion focused on key activities to be implemented by HCA in 2025. According to the plan, the project will continue to support the development of livelihood models for participating cooperatives. At the same time, the project will organize training sessions to address the shortcomings identified in the 2024 FSC forest certification assessment, enhance the capacity of the Alliance and cooperatives in trading certified timber, and support the implementation of large-timber plantation models that meet technical standards and EUDR requirements.

Additionally, other activities include: providing training to enhance climate change adaptation capacity for cooperative members; conducting a study to assess the impact of piloting Plantation Forest Codes in Vietnam; maintaining forest certification for existing forest farmers; and organizing workshops and training courses on sustainable forest management, FSC certification, and finding markets for certified forest products.

The working session successfully reached an agreement on important cooperative contents, contributing to enhancing the effectiveness of sustainable forest management, promoting the cooperative economy, meeting international integration requirements in the forestry sector, and ensuring the full implementation of the project’s required outputs.

Under the “AIN8748 -Informed forestry decisions, sustainable forest management and forest certification insmallholder forests in Vietnam” project, the Center for Climate Change Study in Central Viet Nam (CCCSC) and the Quynh Tam Cooperative jointly implemented a pilot model for intercropping native trees with Hybrid acacia. This initiative took place on August 20-21, 2025, at the household of Mr. To Van Truong in Quynh Tam Commune, Nghe An Province.

The project established an intercropping model on a 0.9-hectare area, planting two native species:  Erythrophleum fordii Oliv and Canarium tramdenum. These native trees have long growth cycles and are well-adapted to the climate and soil conditions in Nghe An.

This model aims to develop large-timber forests, restore the ecosystem, and promote sustainable forest management. From an environmental perspective, intercropping native trees helps restore soil, protect water sources, and increase carbon storage, contributing to climate change adaptation. Economically, planting high-value, long-cycle species like green ironwood and black canarium offers a higher return compared to monoculture Hybrid acacia, while also reducing long-term care costs. Socially, this activity encourages local residents to participate in native and large-timber tree planting programs, raising awareness of forest protection and sustainable resource use.

This activity is the result of a close collaboration between the CCCSC and the Quynh Tam Cooperative. The CCCSC provided high-quality seedlings, technical support for planting and care, and guidance on sustainable forest management methods. The Quynh Tam Cooperative played a key role in connecting with and mobilizing participating households, ensuring the effective implementation of the model.

The AIN8748 project management board and the Quynh Tam Cooperative will continue to monitor the model’s development and aim to replicate it in other areas within Quynh Tam Commune. The goal is to build a sustainable large-timber forest model that both protects the environment and improves community livelihoods.

Photos of the activity implementation

Thinning and clearing the undergrowth before planting native trees

Transporting seedlings to the planting area

Guiding locals on planting techniques

Residents participating in planting native trees

On the morning of August 21, 2025, the survey team conducted a field visit to Hamlets 3 and 8 of Minh Thanh Cooperative. These areas are planned to be the locations for pilot organic rice and cucumber production models.

At the Dong Nuoc Bac area in Hamlet 8, the team surveyed a 1-hectare plot with 6 participating households. The water source from the Khe Nuoc Dam, which runs through an internal canal, was assessed as sufficient and suitable for two rice crops and one local cucumber crop. The consulting team recommended that Minh Thanh Cooperative raise awareness among local residents so they understand and adhere to organic production regulations.

In the Dong Than area of Hamlet 3, there are 6 households growing rice on a total area of 23 sao (a local unit of measurement), using water from the Ho Cau dam. The TBR 25 rice variety is currently being cultivated, and a spring-summer rice model is planned to be established here. The team also visited acacia and camellia forests managed by the cooperative’s members.

In the afternoon, the survey team held a consultation meeting with the leaders of Van Du commune and other relevant parties. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi Phuong, Director of the Central Climate Change Center, presented the AIN 8748 project, while Ms. Vu Le Y Voan, a Senior Advisor at FFF, summarized the survey results on the needs of the cooperative’s members.

All parties highly agreed on building the pilot organic rice and cucumber models. The commune government and social organizations will coordinate and promote the project to change public perception, encouraging safe and sustainable production. The meeting specifically emphasized the importance of securing irrigation water sources and building a stable market for the products.

These activities demonstrate meticulous preparation, from field surveys to policy discussions, creating a solid foundation for the development of organic agriculture at Minh Thanh Cooperative.

 Field Survey of Rice and Cucumber Models

Survey of Camellia Plantations

Post-Survey Discussion with the Cooperative

The FSC® forest certification group of the Hue Cooperative Alliance represents cooperatives managing FSC-certified plantation forests, working toward sustainable forestry practices. These cooperatives, as members of the Cooperative Alliance, share common goals and tasks in planting and managing forests sustainably with FSC certification.

In early February 2024, the FSC® forest certification group of the Thua Thien Hue Cooperative Alliance (now Hue City) received FSC certification from GFA Certification GmbH for five cooperatives: Hoa My Agricultural Cooperative, Thuy Phuong Cooperative, Thuy Duong Cooperative, Thuy Phu Cooperative, and Phu Bai Cooperative. The certification covered 87 member households and 405.74 hectares of plantation forests. As of now, the certified area has expanded to 461.01 hectares, with participation from 105 member households.

Challenges in Linking FSC-Certified Timber Consumption

Due to the limited area of FSC-certified forests, the group faced significant challenges in connecting with FSC-certified timber buyers throughout the year. To address these difficulties, in late December 2024, the Cooperative Alliance continued to seek and meet with companies in the region to establish links for purchasing FSC-certified timber on behalf of cooperative members.

Agreement for Stable Consumption of FSC-Certified Timber

Following discussions and negotiations between the parties, on January 15, 2025, the FSC® forest certification group of the Hue Cooperative Alliance signed a memorandum of commitment with Phat Huy Co., Ltd. to ensure stable consumption of FSC-certified acacia plantation timber.

In this agreement:

• The Hue Cooperative Alliance serves as the bridge and representative for cooperatives with FSC-certified acacia plantations to establish sustainable and stable timber sales.
• The deal promotes sustainable forest management and guarantees stable consumption of FSC-certified acacia timber.
• The negotiated price is 10–15% higher than the market price at the same time, offering better economic returns for cooperative members.
• Timber can be sold in various forms, such as standing trees or self-harvested and transported to the company.

Positive Impacts of the Agreement

This agreement marks a significant step forward for the FSC-certified acacia plantation timber market in Hue. It sets a foundation for encouraging small-scale forestry households and cooperatives to actively participate in sustainable forest management and FSC certification. This move incentivizes better plantation practices while offering higher economic benefits for forestry households.

Future Goals

In the coming years, the Cooperative Alliance aims to mobilize more members to participate in sustainable forest management with FSC certification. This effort is expected to:

• Provide forest growers with a stable source of income.
• Align with Hue City’s broader objectives of managing and developing large-scale acacia plantations for timber production.

Author: Nguyen Nhu Thi

As part of the AIN 8748 project plan, from January 9 to 10, 2025, the Thua Thien Hue Cooperative Alliance (TTHCA), in collaboration with GFA Certification GmbH, organized a conference to evaluate the maintenance of the FSC® forest certification group. Participating members of TTHCA in this maintenance evaluation included five cooperatives: Phu Bai, Thuy Duong, Thuy Phuong, Thuy Phu, and Hoa My.

Participants

The conference was attended by representatives from:

• Thua Thien Hue Cooperative Alliance,
• CCCSC,
• AIN 8748 Project Management Board,
• The advisory support team, and
• Members of the five cooperatives certified in 2024.

Scope of Maintenance Evaluation

The total area assessed for FSC® forest certification maintenance was 461.01 hectares, comprising:

• 405.27 hectares of previously certified land,
• 55.74 hectares of expanded area certified in 2024.

This included 202 plots managed by 105 households. The primary purpose of the conference was to systematically collect evidence of compliance with FSC FM standards, verify the adherence of group members and the management board to these standards, and ensure continued compliance.

Evaluation Process

The representative from GFA Certification GmbH, Ms. Cao Thi Thu Hien, led the evaluation, focusing on:

1. Reviewing record-keeping systems, compliance procedures, and related documentation.
2. Assessing all relevant documents and procedures.
3. Selecting specific plots for on-site inspections and conducting interviews with stakeholders.

Conclusion and Findings

At the conclusion of the maintenance evaluation, Ms. Cao Thi Thu Hien identified six minor non-conformities that the FSC® forest certification group of the Thua Thien Hue Cooperative Alliance needs to address in 2025.

This evaluation ensures the group’s ongoing commitment to FSC® standards and highlights areas for improvement to maintain sustainable forest management practices.

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From December 19 to 20, 2024, the Central Vietnam Climate Change Research Center (CCCSC), under the AIN8748 Project Management Board, organized a training workshop on “Low-Impact Harvesting” as part of the 2024 implementation plan for Project AIN8748. The workshop aimed to enhance the capacity of cooperative members from the Nghe An Cooperative Alliance and the Thua Thien Hue Cooperative Alliance in applying low-impact harvesting techniques.

Key Details:

• Trainer: Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung, an independent forestry expert and consultant.
• Participants: Over 17 attendees from the Nghe An Cooperative Alliance, the Thua Thien Hue Cooperative Alliance, and various member cooperatives:
  • Nghe An Province: Thanh Thuy Agricultural and Forestry Cooperative, Minh Thanh Agricultural Service and Construction Cooperative, Tien Ky Agricultural Service Cooperative, and Quynh Tam Agricultural Cooperative.
  • Thua Thien Hue Province: Thuy Phuong Cooperative, Thuy Duong Cooperative, Hoa My Cooperative, A Roang Agricultural and Medicinal Cooperative, Phu Bai Cooperative, and Thuy Phu Cooperative.

Workshop Content

The training workshop focused on:

• Identifying common mistakes in using harvesting monitoring templates (pre-harvest, during harvest, and post-harvest).
• Techniques for low-impact harvesting.
• Occupational safety when using field equipment such as grass cutters, chainsaws, and machetes.

The workshop was divided into two sessions:

1. Morning Session: Theory-based training at the Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University.
2. Field Practice: Practical training on labor safety at a plantation forest managed by Thuy Phuong Cooperative.

Workshop Objectives

The training sought to:

1. Enhance the capacity of cooperative members in applying low-impact harvesting techniques.
2. Promote labor safety during harvesting activities.
3. Minimize environmental and ecological impacts caused by harvesting.
4. Optimize wood volume harvested by applying proper techniques and maximizing product utilization.

Workshop Results

Participants gained valuable knowledge and skills in:

• Ensuring occupational safety.
• Reducing environmental and ecological impacts.
• Preparing for harvesting (e.g., submitting harvesting applications for FSC-certified forests, preparing tools, forest sanitation, contract procedures, and post-harvest forest cleanup).
• Using and applying harvesting monitoring templates (pre-harvest, during harvest, and post-harvest).

This training helps cooperatives improve their capacity to monitor and manage plantation forest harvesting activities, particularly for members involved in FSC forest certification, fostering sustainable forestry practices.

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CCCSC and FFD are seeking an experienced and qualified independent consultant to conduct a project evaluation study. For detailed information, please refer to the attached Terms of Reference (ToR).

Term of Reference_FFD institutional sustainability_Final

 

The project “Informed Forestry Decision-Making, Sustainable Forest Management, and Forest Certification for Small-Scale Forest Owners in Vietnam (AIN 8748 Project)” collaborated with Quynh Tam Cooperative to organize a training session on an overview of sustainable forest management and forest certification, introducing the FSC standards to the village secretaries, village heads, and some prominent forest owners in Quynh Tam commune.

Leadership of Quynh Tam Cooperative introduced the overall plan and the general situation of forest management and use in Quynh Tam commune.

According to statistics, the forest and forestry land resources in Quynh Tam commune in 2023 amounted to 726 hectares, accounting for 31.3% of the commune’s natural land area. Of this, concentrated plantation forest area is 544 hectares, with an average annual harvesting area of 135 hectares, yielding an average of 14,000 m³ of timber per year (with an average yield of 20 m³/ha/year). However, the harvested plantation timber is only sold to local traders at a limited price, with no opportunity for export to the global market, meaning that the timber products do not reach their full value. To increase the value of plantation forests, the timber products must expand to the global market, and a key condition for the export of plantation timber is that the forests must be certified for sustainable forest management (FSC, PEFC, or VFCS). Recognizing the value of certified forests and the necessity of obtaining sustainable forest management certification, Quynh Tam Cooperative proposed to the Party Committee and the People’s Committee of Quynh Tam commune to allow the cooperative to lead a partnership with local member households to develop a plan for obtaining sustainable forest certification, with support from the AIN 8748 Project.

As the first step in this initiative, on September 18, 2024, Quynh Tam Cooperative, in coordination with the AIN 8748 Project, organized a training conference on promoting sustainable forest management and forest certification, as well as the principles and criteria for joining the forest certification group.

At the conference, the AIN 8748 project officers presented information on sustainable forest management and FSC certification, as well as the principles and criteria for participating in the forest certification group. Village secretaries and heads also shared and discussed issues related to sustainable forest management and common situations encountered in the forest production and business process.

The conference was attended by leaders of the commune People’s Committee, commune forestry officers, forest rangers from Quynh Luu – Hoang Mai, and officers from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quynh Luu district. Through the conference, the district agriculture officers and the commune People’s Committee leadership encouraged cooperative member households to collaborate in obtaining sustainable forest certification. They also provided guidance on investment, product purchasing, and market development, aiming to create stable links and harmonize the interests of all parties involved.

Image: Quynh Luu district agriculture officer speaking at the conference

The conference equipped participants with basic knowledge of sustainable forest management and an understanding of the principles and criteria for joining the forest certification group. This, in turn, motivated forest owners to actively participate in the cooperative’s forest certification group development efforts.

SOME IMAGES FROM THE TRAINING CONFERENCE