Towards resilient smallholder forestry in Vietnam

Vietnam

February 2021- June 2024

The project is implemented with Cooperative Alliance in 4 provinces, Quang Ngai, Phu Yen, Thue Tien Hue and Nghe An, supported also by the policy and advocacy work at the national level Vietnam Cooperative Alliance. The implementation period is 2021-2024 and the total number of direct beneficiaries (members if FOs directly benefitting form the project)  is expected to be around 6500 persons, around 50 % women. The project aims to build resilience of smallholder forestry livelihoods through increasing the expected financial returns while providing means to address climate and biodiversity concerns.  In particular, the project focuses developing forestry in 15 target cooperatives through promotion of sustainable forest management and forest certification and development of forestry services accessible to the cooperative members. One of the project partners (TTHCA) is also expected to achieve organisational maturity during the project and independently carry on forest certification.  

The project FOs have great potential in forestry but suffer from undeveloped forestry services and low access to finance and markets.  The project FOs could also perform as an actor in carbon markets and PES schemes that are currently being developed in Vietnam, but lack the capacity of managing these complicated processes and information on how to access these new opportunities.   Thereby, the project aims to build capacity of FOs in efficient information management (including systems for forest stock and carbon inventories and monitoring) and prepare FOs for forest certification, carbon and PES schemes. Nature-based solutions and technological innovations are piloted in order to strengthen adaptation and mitigation potential of smallholder forestry. Diversification of forest products and production systems are studied and experimented. Employment opportunities in forestry grow especially for women and youth in forestry. Relevant policies and economic instruments for building resilience of smallholder forestry and rural livelihoods are discussed and advocated at the national level, in the context of COVID-19 pandemic and rapid environmental changes.  

The project strategy is embedded in 1) Capacity building of FOs and their members in sustainable forest management through trainings, exchange visits and model plots. 2) Developing resilient practices through studies, adoption of technological innovations and supporting FO initiatives. 3) Emphasizing  efficient and participatory information management systems in FOs (including forestry, carbon and market information) and 4) Securing long-term economic and environmental sustainability of smallholder forestry through engaging FOs in forest certification.

FFD conducts systematic and participatory gender analysis and action planning in promotion of gender equality. Womens’ participation in project activities, such as technical training and technological transfers is given special attention. FFD and the twinning partner Savotta will raise awareness in FO leadership in importance of gender equality and will propose institutional developments in securing womens’s participation in the FO leadership. Majority of jobs created directly by the project will be assigned to women and youth, including nursery gardens and peeling tasks in harvesting groups.

Twinning partner: Savotta Forest Management Association

Project Funded by: EU through IFAD and FFD