Green economic development associated with improving people's income

But village community tourism area, Nam Xuan commune creates conditions for people to develop a sustainable green economy .

Chairman of Nam Xuan Ninh Commune People's Committee Van Dong said: "Clearly identifying that, the Party Committee, government and people need to pay attention to developing a sustainable forest economy associated with the clean agricultural - forestry - agricultural value chain and community tourism to directly increase income for poor households, near-poor households and the local labor force."

According to the Chairman of Ninh Van Dong Commune People's Committee, in the past, forests mainly brought indirect value, most households still relied on small-scale production, low income, and instability. With an average income of only about 33 million VND/person/year, people's lives still faced many difficulties; the level of connection between forest resources and people's livelihoods was not clear, while the pressure of natural disasters and climate change was increasing. From that reality, the commune chose a new approach, which was to take green economic development as the foundation, considering forests as assets and sustainable livelihoods of the community. The first focus identified by the commune was to develop the forest economy in a sustainable direction, linked to the value chain of high-value forest products. The Party Committee and the People's Committee of the commune focused on promoting regeneration, planting large timber forests, developing indigenous medicinal plants, and at the same time assigning long-term forest contracts to the community for management. This direction not only contributes to protecting resources but also ensures that people benefit directly through legal exploitation, payment for forest environmental services and intercropping and under-canopy planting models. The formation of community forestry groups and cooperatives is being encouraged by the commune, aiming to move forestry production from spontaneous to organized, ensuring stable output and higher economic value.

Along with the forest economy, Nam Xuan aims to increase the value of agriculture by developing clean products, typical products and the OCOP Program. In recent years, the commune has had 3-star OCOP products and is continuing to improve many other products based on the advantages of bamboo, secondary forest products and local agricultural products. The goal set by the locality is to turn simple items such as bamboo chopsticks, handicrafts, medicinal herbs, traditional agricultural products into branded processed goods, thereby increasing value and creating more income for households. To do this, Nam Xuan is researching to support people with techniques, building quality standards, packaging products, connecting markets and promoting the application of digital transformation in promoting and consuming goods.

Another important direction of Nam Xuan is to develop eco-cultural tourism associated with the community. Possessing a rich natural forest landscape, unique Thai - Muong cultural identity and many thriving community tourism spots, Nam Xuan has a great advantage in attracting tourists, thereby creating more jobs and increasing income for the people. In the first 10 months of 2025, the commune welcomed about 1,500 visitors, reaching 70% of the plan. This is a positive signal showing that the market is opening up. The commune Party Committee identifies green tourism as not only a new economic sector but also a driving force to encourage people to preserve culture, protect the environment and participate in service activities such as accommodation, cuisine, tour guides, and experiencing local culture. Each service, no matter how small, if organized properly, will create significant additional income for hundreds of local workers.

In order for the green economy to truly bring practical benefits, Nam Xuan pays special attention to people - the key factor of all transformations. The commune has gradually promoted vocational training in forestry, community tourism, market access skills, and digital skills for youth and women. Agricultural and forestry extension programs, production support, and guidance on building new livelihood models have been widely deployed. The digitization of 100% of administrative records and the good operation of the Commune Public Administration Service Center also help people more conveniently access policies, loan procedures, technical support, and implement small production projects.

With strategies and specific steps, the Party Committee and the government of Nam Xuan commune are creating favorable conditions for people to participate in green economic development, not only protecting forest capital, minimizing natural disaster risks, but also opening up a sustainable direction to increase people's income. From large timber plantation models, developing medicinal herbs, expanding OCOP products, to eco-cultural tourism, the commune is building "green economic circuits" spreading to each village and each household. If supported by mechanisms, resources and strong participation of the entire political system, Nam Xuan has the foundation for sustainable development.

Article and photos: Minh Hieu

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/phat-trien-kinh-te-xanh-nbsp-gan-voi-nang-cao-thu-nhap-cua-nguoi-dan-269174.htm