The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification program helps farmers and businesses transition from business-as-usual timber production to more sustainable practices, which currently offers almost three times higher economic benefit to producers. The program requires producers to carefully manage social and environmental impacts associated with timber production, such as good practices for planting, thinning, and harvesting timber (e.g., acacia). On June 17-21, USAID’s Green Annamites project trained staff and members of Quang Nam Forestry Development and Investment Joint Stock Company (QNAFOR) and Hiep Thuan Agriculture Cooperative in Quang Nam province to assess newly planted and thinned acacia plantations in accordance with FSC standards. Earlier, the USAID project also provided these two partners with technical trainings on planting and tending timber plantations following FSC standards.

So What? With USAID’s support, QNAFOR and the Hiep Thuan Agriculture Cooperative are now sustainably producing 1,800 hectares of FSC-certified acacia timber, which is not only helping meet the booming domestic furniture industry’s demand, but also reducing Vietnam’s dependence on imported timber while protecting the environment.