Building FSC certified forests

Realizing that FSC certification is a “passport” for planted forest wood to penetrate demanding markets, forest growers and businesses in Thai Nguyen province are actively coordinating to expand the area of ​​FSC-certified forests.

FSC certification is a necessary condition for planted forest wood to be processed and exported.

FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council - a non-governmental, non-profit organization, founded in 1993 to promote sustainable forest management globally. FSC certification affirms that forest products have a clear, legal origin, and are harvested from sustainably managed forests. As a result, FSC both encourages environmentally friendly and economically efficient forest management activities and helps consumers have a basis for choosing responsible and sustainable products.

Realizing the importance of FSC certification, Thai Nguyen province has recently coordinated with relevant agencies to actively implement the issuance of sustainable forest certification. Thanks to propaganda and orientation work, up to now, most forest owners have clearly understood the significance of FSC certification in enhancing the value of planted forests and sustainable development.

After the merger, Thai Nguyen province has more than 585,000 hectares of forestry land, creating a great driving force for developing the forestry economy into an important sector, contributing to helping people eliminate hunger, reduce poverty and get rich from the forest. Currently, the area of ​​FSC-certified forests is mainly concentrated in the southern communes of the province with more than 17,700 hectares; while in the northern communes, the number of households that know about and participate in the certification of planted forest wood is still limited.

Practice in many localities shows that when people approach the FSC model, the economic efficiency is clear. In Trang Xa commune, over the past ten years, people have gradually realized the economic efficiency of afforestation. From 2020 to now, the commune has planted nearly 400 hectares of new forest, the coverage rate is maintained at over 54%, the annual forestry value reaches over 20 billion VND.

Mr. Hoang Van An, Head of Dong Bai Hamlet, Trang Xa Commune, said: Hamlet cadres have been trained three times on the FSC program, then directly propagated to people to understand that this is a model of sustainable forest development, associated with forest product export. People see the obvious benefit that when logging, they will not be forced to lower prices by traders, because there are businesses that guarantee the harvest, thereby increasing the value of the forest. Initially, 15 households have registered to participate and people have great confidence in the program.

Mr. Hoang Van An, Head of Dong Bai hamlet, Trang Xa commune, introduced the acacia forest that is being built to have FSC certification.

In Nghia Ta commune, Mr. Nong Dinh Thang, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said: The local people's economy mainly depends on the forest. Previously, due to the exploitation of acacia and fat trees when they were not old enough, the economic efficiency was low, not commensurate with the potential. Currently, the commune is encouraging households with conditions to switch from growing small timber to large timber.

“Some households want to build forests that meet FSC certification to earn higher income. However, what worries the government and people is the need for businesses to accompany them, both supporting guidance on certification and purchasing planted forest wood products,” Mr. Thang shared.

Currently, Dong Hy commune has nearly 200 hectares of forest with FSC certification. Mr. Duong Minh Tri, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said: compared to conventional planted forest wood, the certified area has much higher economic value, so the government is focusing on guiding and mobilizing people to register to participate.

Along with expanding the area of ​​certified forests, Thai Nguyen also has a great advantage in processing. Statistics show that the southern communes of the province currently have over 600 establishments processing and trading forest products, while the northern region has over 240 wood processing establishments. Most of the wood products through enterprises and companies have been exported to major markets such as the US, Japan, Korea, EU, China, etc.

This is an important advantage to ensure the output of people's planted forest wood. However, in order for wood products to be able to enter processing factories, it requires the synchronous and drastic participation of sectors, levels and people in expanding the area of ​​planted forests that meet quality standards.

According to experts, the forest area with FSC certification will become a sustainable raw material area, and is considered a “passport” to help improve the quality of forestry products and expand access to demanding markets. The economic value of certified forests can be 20-30% higher than that of conventional planted forests.

Thai Nguyen province identifies sustainable forest management as an important direction for forestry economic development, thereby promoting people's economic life. With the potential and advantages of forests, in the period of 2025-2030, expanding the area of ​​FSC-certified forests is considered one of the key tasks.

Mr. Nguyen My Hai, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, affirmed: The potential of the province's forests is huge. In the coming time, it is necessary to continue to promote the granting of FSC certification for planted forest wood, thereby creating favorable conditions for products to easily penetrate large markets. In particular, the northern communes currently have over 264,000 hectares of natural forest, which is a potential source for exploiting carbon credits, opening up a channel to increase economic value from forests for the people.

FSC certification affirms the value of wood products in the international market and demonstrates the direction of sustainable forestry development. Effective forest management not only creates a stable source of income for people but also contributes to protecting the ecological environment. This is also an important step for Thai Nguyen to build a green, harmonious and long-term agricultural and forestry economy.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202509/xay-dung-nhung-canh-rung-dat-chung-chi-fsc-32e4e00/