Vietnam houses 235,000ha of FSC-certificated forests

Vietnam now has 235,000 hectares of forest accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for sustainable management, according to statistics from the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST).

Vietnam now has 235,000 hectares of forest accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for sustainable management, according to statistics from the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST).

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s programme on sustainable forest development and certification aims to push the figure to 500,000 hectares in 2020.

FSC certification provides a credible link between responsible production and consumption of forest products, allowing consumers and businesses to make purchasing decisions that benefit the people and the environment.

The VNFOREST said Vietnam’s forestry product exports are expected to reach 9.3 billion USD this year. It reported that the number was estimated at 8.49 billion USD in January – November, up 16.6 percent annually and accounting for 23.42 percent of the total agro-forestry-fishery exports. The sector’s trade surplus was estimated at nearly 6.4 billion USD during the period.

Major markets include the US, Japan, the EU, China and the Republic of Korea, making up 87.33 percent of the total.