Forest and Farm Facility
Progress in Vietnam:
August-December 2014
Le Thi Thanh Thuy, IUCN Viet Nam
Context
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
1.
1.
2.
3.
Forest cover reached 45%, entirely
due to plantations
1.4 m smallholders manage 3.7 m
hectares of forest
Wooden product exports reached
US$5.7 b in 2012
2.
3.
4.
300.000 smallholders lack sufficient
land for production
Vietnam exported 6.2 m tons of lowvalue wood chips in 2012
Forest producers are weak in market
accessing and pricing and not well
organized
Not effective government efforts to
support smallholders
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
1.
1.
2.
3.
Growing international demand for
legal wood products (EU Timber
Regulation/Lacey Act). VN actively
involved in REDD+, VPA/FLEGT
IKEA has started to organize
smallholders into POs to ensure
supply
Proposal to restructure the
agriculture and forestry is approved
2.
3.
Illegal cutting and clearing rampant in
some provinces
Conflicts between SFEs and
communities
Poor infrastructure in upland areas
SUMMARY
• Implementing agency: Viet Nam Farmer Union
(VNFU) (established 1930)
• Location: Yen Bai (NW) and Bac Kan (NE), large
areas of timber plantation, relatively
accessible from Hanoi, many ethnic minorities
• Partners: MARD, RECOFTC, IUCN
• Budget: US$500,000/3 years
Progress since August 2014…
Pillar 1: Strengthen FFPOs & policy engagement
OUTCOME 1/OUTPUT 1.1: DONE
Consultant
Completed scoping study
Held project launch workshop in Hanoi in
VNFU +FFF
August
IUCN
Draft TOR for baseline study in Yen Bai/Bac
Kan
Prepare international and regional training
VNFU +FFF
in January 2015
FFF
Prepare small grants guidelines
Launching Workshop:
- August 22nd, 2014
in Hanoi
- 101 participants
- Discuss barriers and
support needs,
implementation
plans to help FFPOs
increase incomes
and reduce poverty
- Initiate a multistakeholder
participatory process
to design the
implementation of
FFF in Vietnam
OUTCOME 1/OUTPUT 1.1:
YEAR 1

To be done
 Carry
out baseline study
 Select
6 future trainers to attend regional MA
& D ToT training in Vietnam in Jan 2015
 Carry
out follow up studies: value chain
analysis , etc.
 Hold
meetings in both provinces to review
workplan
 Strengthen
pilot POs by establishing as
cooperatives
OUTCOME 1/OUTPUT 1.2: YEAR 1
• Done
 Organized a consultation
workshop with local
authorities (Provincial
Farmer Union, DARD,
Women Union) and local
communities and
cooperatives in Yen Bai
(August) and in Bac Kan
(October)
 Met IFAD Bac Can, UNREDD Bac Kan to discuss
future collaboration
OUTCOME 1/OUTPUT 1.2:
YEAR 1

To be done
 Assign
VNFU Focal Points as Field
Coordinators in 4 districts (2 per
province)
 FCs
organize focus group discussions to
monitor progress using quantitative
indicators and Most Significant Change
 Train
VNFU and PO leaders in policy
advocacy
OUTCOME 2/OUTPUT 2.1:
YEAR 1

Done: N/A

To be done

Use baseline study and TOT
training to design training
programs for VNFU and PO
leaders

Organize training courses for
cooperatives on group
organization, market analysis,
etc.
OUTCOME 2/OUTPUT 2.2:
YEAR 1
 Done:
VNFU attended RECOFTC training in October on
“Enhancing Livelihoods through Community Forestry” .

 To
be done
 Train
VNFU service units (credit,
contracts, marketing, etc.) to provide
better quality services to POs
 Participate
in trade fairs to showcase
FFPO products and services
OUTCOME 2/OUTPUT 2.3: YEAR 1
DONE: N/A
PLAN

Organize domestic exchange visits between FFPOs

Present results of FFF in regularly scheduled VNFU
meetings to exchange information and lessons learned

Set up an working group from AC at national level to
tackle rising issues and then bring it up at other
multi-sectoral fora at national level.

Support a consultative multi-stakeholders and multisectoral forum to hear more directly the voice of the
farmers from 2 project sites
Pillar 2 - Outcome 3: Crosssectorial coordination, YEAR 1

Done
 Invited
and consulted with all stakeholders in the
project launching and initiated a multistakeholder policy dialogue
 Set
up Advisory Committee; first meeting held in
October; members from VNFU, MARD/VN-FOREST,
NVCARD, VAFS, Cooperative Alliance, SNV,
RECOFTC, Forest Trends, IUCN, SRD, …
 Conducted
meetings with MARD/Forest Sector
Support Partnership, NVCARD, RECOFTC, UNREDD+, IFAD, SRD, SNV, ADDA, IKEA
OUTCOME 3: YEAR 1

To be done
 Organize
AC meetings every 6 months; involve
in site visits
 3-person
core group of committee members
will assist VNFU with outreach and
communications
 Showcase
project results at annual Forest
Sector Support Partnership and other fora at
different levels
Pillar 3 - outcome 4: Link with
national and global agenda, YEAR 1

Done

Invited media to launch workshop in October

Broadcasted and update activities in VNFU
Communication channels( Newspaper, magazine,
Website…) and circulate to VNFU members/FFPOs
nation-wide

Uploaded launching workshop’s video, minutes, scoping
paper to FFF/FAO and VNFU website

Sent all project documents and workplan to Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Natural
resources and Environment, Ministry of Investment,
Ministry of Foreign affairs
Pillar 3 - outcome 4: Link with
national and global agenda, YEAR 1

To be done

Develop communications strategy, translate FFF material
into Vietnamese, maintain VNFU web site

Organize international and regional trainings in January

Complete database of POs in Yen Bai/Bac Kan

PO leaders participate in regional and global events

Organize 3 international exchange visit every year (in June,
IUCN organized Myanmar visit to Nepal)

Participate in regional and global events of FFF such as
Forest Connect International Workshop in January 2015;
WFC by September 2015, AFA regional meeting
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!