On June 9, 2023, the “Forest Management Decision-Making, Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification for Small-Scale Plantation Forests in Vietnam” (VIE8748) project organized the seminar “Sustainable Small-Scale Plantation Forest Development towards Smart Forestry Adapting to Climate Change”.
The objective of the seminar was to provide an opportunity for small-scale forest growers from the Union of Cooperatives of Nghệ An and Thừa Thiên Huế provinces to access sustainable forest management models for forest certification; at the same time, to exchange and share about practical cases in cooperative models of agroforestry with effective adaptation to climate change.
Attending the seminar, on behalf of the Project Management Board, were Dr. Tran Thi Phuong, the national coordinator of the Project, Director of the Center for Climate Change Research in Central Vietnam, Dr. Van Thi Yen, Project Director at the Center for Climate Change Research in Central Vietnam, Mr. Tran Luu Quoc Doan, Project Director at the Union of Cooperatives of Thừa Thiên Huế Province, Chairman of the Union of Cooperatives of Thừa Thiên Huế Province, Mr. Nguyen Huu Truong, Project Coordinator in Nghệ An Province. The seminar also welcomed Mrs. Vu Le Y Voan, Senior Advisor to the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) Program, representatives of the cooperatives participating in the project, as well as guests from the Forest Protection Department of Thừa Thiên Huế Province, the University of Agriculture and Forestry, the University of Hue, the Association of Sustainable Forest Owners of Thừa Thiên Huế Province, and cooperatives in Thừa Thiên Huế Province.
The seminar was opened by Dr. Tran Thi Phuong, the national coordinator of the project. She introduced the project’s objectives and activities, as well as the importance of sustainable forest management and forest certification for small-scale forest growers.
In the afternoon, the seminar was divided into two sessions. The first session focused on the introduction of sustainable forest management models for forest certification. The second session focused on the exchange and sharing of practical cases in cooperative models of agroforestry with effective adaptation to climate change.
In the first session, Dr. Van Thi Yen, Project Director at the Center for Climate Change Research in Central Vietnam, presented the principles of sustainable forest management. She also introduced the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification scheme, which is a globally recognized certification scheme for sustainable forest management.
In the second session, representatives of the cooperatives participating in the project shared their experiences in implementing sustainable forest management models. They also shared their experiences in adapting to climate change through agroforestry practices.
The seminar was a valuable opportunity for small-scale forest growers in Nghệ An and Thừa Thiên Huế to learn about sustainable forest management and forest certification. The seminar also helped to raise awareness of the importance of adaptation to climate change through agroforestry practices.
The following are some of the key findings and recommendations from the seminar:
- Small-scale forest growers in Nghệ An and Thừa Thiên Huế are interested in learning about sustainable forest management and forest certification.
- There is a need for more training and support for small-scale forest growers to implement sustainable forest management practices.
- Agroforestry practices can be an effective way for small-scale forest growers to adapt to climate change.
The project team will use the findings and recommendations from the seminar to develop training and support programs for small-scale forest growers in Nghệ An and Thừa Thiên Huế.