​(News Portal – Dong Nai) - Dong Nai, with its vast forest area, is among the leading provinces in the country for wood production and processing for export. Therefore, businesses in the province are highly supportive of forest planters, implementing various solutions to develop sustainable plantation forestry. ​

Certified FSC Plantation Forests in Xuan Loc District

One significant measure is obtaining Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for sustainable forest management. This certification proves the origin and quality of domestic wood, enhancing competitive advantages in both domestic and export markets.

To date, the province has 3.6 thousand hectares of certified FSC plantation forests. Both businesses and forest planters are increasingly interested, with the goal of expanding the certified forest area in the near future.

Enhancing the Value of Plantation Forests

FSC certification offers many benefits to participants, contributing to increasing the value of plantation forests.

By obtaining FSC certification, the value of plantation forests is increased, thereby improving the income of forest planters per unit area. Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, a contracted forest planter in Xuan Hung commune, Xuan Loc district, who has received FSC certification, stated that FSC is an international certification. To achieve this certification, forest planters must comply with many strict requirements and procedures, such as environmental protection, social responsibility, and natural resource conservation. Specifically, planters are not allowed to use prohibited chemicals for weed control and fungal disease treatment on forest trees. Initially, households contracted for forest planting faced many difficulties due to the numerous regulations and production process constraints, as well as the higher costs and effort required. However, after more than a year of implementation, planters have seen specific benefits such as better tree growth and more fertile forest soil. Particularly during the recent dry season, while many forest areas suffered from drought, FSC-certified plantations had a humus layer that retained moisture, making the soil less arid and preventing drought damage.

For wood production and export businesses, having a clear origin and high-quality wood source is a competitive advantage in the market. Especially, FSC certification creates a competitive edge for Vietnam's wood export products when accessing demanding markets like Europe and the United States. In Vietnam, FSC-certified wood is sold at 10-15% higher prices than non-certified wood. High-end buyers in the global market are willing to pay extra for products made from FSC-certified materials. Thus, businesses proactively obtaining FSC certification will have significant competitive advantages.

Mr. Phan Ich Tri, owner of Linh Duong Woodwork (Bien Hoa City), noted that the global market highly values FSC certification because it verifies product origin. In the future, the global market will almost entirely require FSC certification. The domestic woodwork market also needs green, clean village products. He hopes the authorities will support the rapid increase in FSC-certified forest areas.

Not Meeting Potential

Currently, the province has developed 3.6 thousand hectares of FSC-certified forests in the protective forest area of Xuan Loc. However, the FSC certification process still faces many challenges, slowing the certification progress and not fully realizing its potential.

Mr. Vo Quang Ha, General Director of Tan Vinh Cuu Joint Stock Company (Tavico, Bien Hoa City), one of the largest wood material suppliers in Vietnam, shared that after nearly two years, the company, in collaboration with the Xuan Loc Protective Forest Management Board and forest planters, has successfully certified over 3.6 thousand hectares of hybrid acacia plantation forests. This area of forest is linked to create a chain of FSC-certified plantation wood products, from forests to processing factories for export, marking a first in Dong Nai. Mr. Vo Quang Ha stated that Tavico has been involved in the FSC certification process for two years, enduring significant hardships and costs. This certification effort is tied to the long-term goal of maintaining effective forest planting while harvesting materials that meet export standards for demanding markets.

Mr. Le Van Goi, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the province, emphasized that FSC certification for the plantation forests in Xuan Loc district is very significant. It creates a supply chain from raw material provision to processing and timber trade. Currently, raw materials from Dong Nai's production forests only meet less than 15% of the actual wood demand in the province. Implementing an effective, sustainable wood raw material investment cooperation program is the right and appropriate direction. The wood processing industry in Dong Nai has more advantages than other provinces, having both a developed wood processing sector and raw material areas. However, the challenge lies in the scattered plantation forest areas, the variety of tree species, and the lack of a sustainable product chain linkage to enhance the value of plantation wood.