Vietnam: The benefits of sustainable sourcing

12 September 2019 News

Certification demonstrates responsible forest management, and key to its success are companies along the supply chain sourcing, manufacturing, and selling sustainably-sourced materials and products.

Forest certification does not stop at the forest gate, its true potential comes to life through the commitment of companies procuring certified material. In turn, these companies benefit from expanded access to international markets with a preference for certified products.

This was one of the key take-aways from the workshop “VFCS/PEFC certification for timber and non-timber forestry products: Opportunities and actions for enterprises”, which took place at the end of August in the Binh Duong province in Vietnam.

“We appreciate the strong interest in what our national forest certification system has to offer to Vietnamese companies, and we are looking forward to collaborating with all interested parties in rolling out our system in Vietnam in the coming month,” said Dr. Bui Chinh Nghia, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Forest Certification Office (VFCO).

More than ninety participants from the forest sector, including forest owners, certification bodies, and representatives from business, especially furniture manufacturers and rubber-based companies, discussed the business benefits that the forthcoming Vietnamese forest certification system (VFCS) will offer. 

"This is a national pride. All stakeholders should contribute to making the Vietnamese system a success," said Luong Chi Hung, Director of Luong Consultancy.

“We believe VFCS/PEFC is an excellent approach for the Vietnamese forestry sector to demonstrate the sustainability and traceability of its supply chain", agreed Tran Minh Tai from TÜV SÜD Vietnam.

The workshop was hosted by Luong Consultancy and the certification body TÜV SÜD Vietnam, and supported by the Viet Nam Forest Certification Scheme (VFCS), our national member for Vietnam.

There is a challenging yet exciting journey ahead for VFCS/PEFC. The workshop was evidence for the promising collaboration among government policymakers, service providers, forest owners and private enterprises.

"It is wonderful to see all the supply chain actors and enabling organizations commit to the development of the Vietnamese system,” concluded Richard Laity, PEFC South East Asia Representative.