First Vietnam Firms Get Int’l Forest Management Certificates

Two Vietnamese companies have got international forest management certificates in a nine-year program costing $12 million funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Dak To Forestry Company in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum and Truong Son Forest Management Enterprise under Long Dai Forestry Company located in the central province of Quang Binh receive the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, enabling them to effectively manage natural forest. Under the GIZ-supporting program, Vietnam has improved forest sustainable management and promoted trade of forestry products. The program was conducted in five provinces of Yen Bai, Quang Binh, Kon Tum, Dak Lak and Ninh Thuan. Vietnam has implemented different forest programs in a bid to raise the forest coverage to mitigate natural calamities and legal wooden materials to serve the country’s woodwork export which brought about $5.56 billion last year. The country has signed bilateral and multi-lateral agreements, including the European Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) to verify legality of timber and wood products. (Chinhphu.vn Aug 19, info.fsc.org)