Finland supports Hue in sustainable forest development

The Hue City Cooperative Alliance recently held a closing event for Project AIN8748, titled “Evidence-Based Forestry Decisions, Sustainable Forest Management and Smallholder Plantation Forest Certification in Vietnam”.

Funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland through the Finnish Agri-Agency for Food and Forest Development (FFD), the project aimed to strengthen the resilience of smallholder forestry livelihoods in Vietnam by promoting forest planning, forest certification, environmental management and climate-smart agricultural practices in Nghe An Province and Hue City.

Over its three-year implementation period (2023 - 2026), the project organised 40 training courses and supported the FSC certification of 1,004.4 hectares of forest, including 533 hectares in Hue City. All seven participating cooperatives developed maps and sustainable forest management plans.

Through the project, more than 1,200 women, over 1,000 young people and 255 ethnic minority people directly benefited. Notably, 17 people with disabilities also gained improved employment opportunities and livelihoods.

According to Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of the Hue City Cooperative Alliance, the project has helped cooperatives strengthen their management capacity, gain access to FSC certification, diversify livelihoods and expand production development opportunities, particularly for ethnic minority women and vulnerable groups.

“Following the project’s completion, the City Cooperative Alliance will continue to support cooperatives in mobilising resources, sharing experiences, seeking production development opportunities and gradually replicating effective models,” Mr. Hung said.

As part of the event, delegates, experts and cooperatives exchanged experiences in developing large-timber plantation forests, maintaining forest certification, diversifying livelihoods and supporting vulnerable groups. The discussions also helped identify solutions to sustain and build on the project’s achievements, contributing to higher economic value from plantation forests while linking production with environmental protection and sustainable forestry development.