Part II: Solving the "problem" of increasing FSC forest area

Solutions for a green future

Cam Khe District Forest Rangers guide households to plant forests according to FSC standards.

Identifying difficulties

FSC certification brings many benefits to people, increases the value of wood, and increases income per unit area. In fact, in Thanh Son district - one of the localities with large forest and forestry land areas in the province. Comrade Tran Quang Hung - Head of Thanh Son District Forest Protection Department shared: "In the past time, the district has made efforts to implement many solutions to exploit and promote the strengths of forestry development, increase productivity, forest economic value, and increase income for people, including the assessment and issuance of FSC certificates. However, the implementation process still has many difficulties. The main reason is that people's production practices, seed quality, investment and care processes do not meet forest management standards; the production forest area of ​​people is still small".

Currently, climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity. In that context, FSC certification has become an important standard to ensure sustainable forest exploitation and management. In fact, in Phu Tho, with appropriate mechanisms and policies, it has contributed to promoting forest coverage; converting the small timber forest planting model to a large timber forest planting model with sustainable certification combined with the support of international projects... With an area of ​​over 188,000 hectares of forest and forestry land, from 2011 to present, special-use forests have basically been sustainably managed; forest owners are organizations, forestry companies... have implemented sustainable forest management according to FSC standards.

According to the assessment of the competent authorities, the implementation of sustainable forest management is determined to be consistent with the province's forestry development strategy. This not only helps protect natural resources but also ensures benefits for local communities and creates a sustainable economy. However, implementation in localities still faces certain difficulties: The cost of assessment procedures to obtain FSC certification is relatively large; requires standards on area, legal basis for ownership or use of forestry land; the cultivation level of the people is still limited and backward, mainly based on experience and habits; lack of capital for long-term implementation.

On the other hand, production according to the FSC process requires that the source of forestry seeds must be guaranteed and have a clear origin; forest growers must strictly comply with the principles of law, responsibility for use, ownership, community relations and workers' rights... Granting FSC certification is difficult, maintaining it is even more difficult. According to regulations, the assessment process will be re-implemented every 5 years to recognize sustainable forest management, while encroachment and disputes over forest land still occur, somewhat hindering the maintenance and expansion of the area certified for sustainable forest management.

In addition, the awareness and management capacity of some forest owners are still limited, so the motivation and determination to access forest certification are not high. Due to the dependence on organizations and experts in the consulting and certification assessment process, the initial cost is high for forest owners, especially household groups. The problem of planning and selecting inappropriate and unstable production objects greatly affects the process of accessing and ensuring the scale and sustainability of forest certification.

Forest plot produced according to FSC process of Yen Lap Forestry Company, Yen Lap district.

For the goal of sustainable forest development

FSC standard management is an inevitable and superior direction for sustainable forestry development. Based on the actual situation, in the coming time, the province will propose a number of solutions to facilitate the process of forest certification implementation to achieve high efficiency in the province. First of all, specify policies related to sustainable forest management and forest certification, thereby developing specific forestry strategies and planning in the direction of forest certification, especially at the grassroots level. Incorporate forest certification goals into local forestry development plans. Enhance the initiative as well as the management and promotion role of local authorities in this field.

Expressing his views on the solution of FSC certified forest planting, Mr. Phung Manh Thang - Director of Yen Lap Forestry Company, Yen Lap district said: “The unit has participated in FSC certified forest planting since 2011. The FSC certification assessment process is implemented quite strictly every year but in the long term, it is sustainable and has dual benefits. In which, the organization assesses the forest planting planning stage, the forest planting must ensure technical standards, contribute to the restoration of the natural ecosystem, ensure the existence and development of biodiversity in nature; in terms of society, it must ensure the rights of forest workers such as working conditions, labor protection, income...; exploitation conditions must ensure that the reserve does not exceed the forest production output".

Along with that, the functional sector needs to continue to improve the effectiveness of propaganda, dissemination and training to improve capacity and awareness for organizations, individuals, households with forests, the forestry sector needs to pay attention to effectively implementing the Sustainable Forest Management Project and forest certification; the functional agencies need to pay attention to and remove difficulties and obstacles... Only then can we effectively implement sustainable forest management and issue sustainable forest management certificates to meet market requirements on the origin and legality of wood and wood products, the forestry restructuring project, ensuring increased added value, improving the lives and benefits of growers and forest workers.

Comrade Tran Quang Dong - Deputy Head of the Provincial Forest Protection Department said: “To develop sustainable FSC-certified afforestation, bringing dual benefits, all levels, sectors and localities need to promote propaganda to raise awareness of the whole society and directly to forest planters. In particular, certified forests not only bring many environmental benefits, protect land resources and water resources, but also wood and wood products will be exported smoothly, in which many markets only import wood from forests with FSC certification. When forests are granted FSC certification, people's awareness of forestry production will be significantly raised right from the stage of producing seedlings, planting, caring according to standards, sustainable processes, improving forest quality. The group of households granted forest certification will basically not sell round wood but focus on processing sawn timber, raw materials for MDF wood factories, and wood pellets for export to increase value".

Phu Tho is one of the northern mountainous provinces with strengths in developing forest economy. Sustainable forest management is a new direction for forestry economic development with specialized breakthrough policies. With the potential and strengths of forests, being granted FSC certification is an important factor, contributing to sustainable management of forest resources, improving forest economic efficiency for local communities and the whole society, and at the same time is an opportunity to affirm the brand value of local forest products.

Related news:

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  Solutions for a green future

  Decision No. 1288/QD-TTg dated October 1, 2018 of the Prime Minister approving the Project on Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification (FSC) to assess the quality of sustainable forest management, develop a set of standards including principles, criteria, and indicators as a measure when assessing and granting certificates to forests. Accordingly, Phu Tho province directed localities and specialized agencies to promote propaganda and guide forest owners to develop sustainable forest management plans; coordinate in implementing surveys, collecting information, developing plans and propagating to forest owners participating in granting certificates of sustainable forest management. Thanks to that, forests are better protected and increase added value for the forestry sector.

Economic Reporter Group

Source: https://baophutho.vn/ky-ii-giai-bai-toan-tang-dien-tich-rung-fsc-232637.htm