The forest doesn’t care how many hectares you own – certification and sustainability for all in Vietnam
Join us on 29 September for an in-depth workshop discussing group certification in Vietnam.
The forest doesn’t care how many hectares you own – certification and sustainability for all in Vietnam
17 September 2021 Driving innovation
For too long, small and independent foresters around the world have considered sustainable forest management certification out of reach. Something only for large corporations, or industrial-scale landowners.
But by working together, small-scale certified Vietnamese foresters are protecting Vietnamese forests and breaking into international markets at the same time.
PEFC and the Vietnam Forest Certification System (VFCS), our member for Vietnam, are ready to assist with this change. PEFC was founded by a group of small-scale forest owners, and commitment to independent foresters is deeply embedded in our values. VFCS is the internationally recognised national forest certification system of Vietnam, and they drive the uptake of sustainable forest management.
The majority of Vietnam’s forests are owned by smallholders, with individual plots as small as 0.5 hectares. But the forest doesn’t care how many hectares a forester owns, or what kind of supply chain they have. The forest’s only investment is in its own survival.
That’s why PEFC and VFCS believe in finding pragmatic ways to share the burdens of the certification process. While certification is and should be rigorous, the ultimate objective of protecting forests cannot be achieved if certification is out of reach for most forest owners.
That’s why we have pioneered group certification for small scale forest owners, sharing the burdens and expanding market access to those who need it most while giving them the tools to protect the forests that they live in, and while improving their livelihoods.
To further expand equitable access to certification, on 29 September we will hold an in-depth workshop discussing group certification in Vietnam. We will be sharing lessons learned from group certification success stories in central and northern Vietnam, while introducing foresters to industry partners, donors and other forest owners.
Participating foresters will also learn how chain of custody certifications for other actors in the value chain can support smallholder inclusion, and get concrete strategies to obtain private-sector buy-in.
The event will be co-hosted by the Silviculture Research Institute (SRI), the Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences (VAFS) and the Vietnam Administration of Forestry. They are the key stakeholders driving the uptake of the Vietnam Forest Certification System (VFCS), and it is with their outstanding participation and support that we have been able to extend these benefits to forest owners of all sizes.
The event is realized thanks to generous supports from the UN-REDD Programme.
When: 13:30-16:30 ICT, 29 September 2021 - Register now!