Diversifying forestry products, sustainable poverty reduction in rural areas
(Baonghean.vn) - Climate change has a significant impact on forestry production of households, cooperatives, and cooperative groups. This raises the issue of diversifying forestry products in the context of climate change, in order to improve the economic efficiency of forests and sustainably reduce poverty.
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Overview of the workshop. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Morning of August 11, in Vinh city,Institute for Cooperative Economic DevelopmentIn coordination with Nghe An Cooperative Union, organized the Workshop "Cooperatives and small forestry households diversify forestry products, sustainably reduce poverty in rural areas to respond to climate change".
Attending the workshop were comrades: Dr. Nguyen Manh Cuong - Director of the Institute for Cooperative Economic Development, Vietnam Cooperative Alliance; Dr. Ho Thanh Ha - representative of the international organization FFD in Vietnam; representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and a number of forestry cooperatives of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Ngai, Thua Thien Hue.
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Nghe An has 132,500 households participating in planting, trading and protecting forests with an assigned forest area of 240,000 hectares. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
According to the report, up to now, the whole country has 181 cooperatives, 1 cooperative union, 320 forestry cooperative groups, accounting for only a small number of the total number of cooperatives, cooperative unions and cooperative groups in the fields of agriculture, forestry and fishery currently operating. The cooperative economy in the forestry sector is currently slow to develop, the association and cooperation have not been implemented synchronously; small scale, low capital, low revenue, low economic efficiency...
Besides,climate changesignificantly impacting the forestry production of households, cooperatives, and cooperative groups. This raises the issue of diversifying forestry products in the context of climate change to improve forest economic efficiency and sustainably reduce poverty.
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| Many cooperatives producing and trading forest products have had close links in consuming forestry products. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
In Nghe An, the whole province has 132,500 households participating in planting, trading and protecting forests with an assigned forest area of 240,000 hectares; the whole province has 168 cooperatives producing, trading or having members participating in the production and trading of forestry-related products with a total of 32,160 members.
In recent times, many cooperatives have boldly invested in vehicles, machinery, equipment, and technology in afforestation, exploitation and processing, and linked with businesses in the consumption of forestry products, contributing to improving production and business efficiency. Typical examples include: Thanh Thuy Forestry and General Service Cooperative (Thanh Chuong); Hoanh Anh Cooperative (Quy Chau); Minh Thanh Agricultural and Construction Cooperative, etc.
However, the activities of thecooperative,Cooperatives and farmer households participating in forestry production and business in the province still face difficulties: Investment resources for the forestry economic sector are still limited; the qualifications of cooperative and cooperative management staff are limited; the level of intensive cultivation of cooperative members and forest planting cooperatives is still low (only reaching 50-70 million VND/ha/forest business cycle); The consumption of forestry products faces many challenges...
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| Mr. Vo Van Bien - Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of Tay Kim Forest Certification Cooperative Union (Huong Son, Ha Tinh) shares experiences in forest management and large timber plantation. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
At the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Ba Chau - Chairman of Nghe An Cooperative Union made a number of recommendations: There should be mechanisms, policies, and resources to support farmers, cooperatives, and cooperative groups with loans and support capital; Build and replicate value chain linkage models between cooperatives and cooperative groups in afforestation and forestry business...
Representatives of cooperatives that grow, produce and trade forest-related products in Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Ngai provinces presented difficulties and problems in practice regarding loans, production linkages and consumption of forestry products; forest planning issues; training and improving knowledge and skills for cooperative management staff...
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Mr. Nguyen Cong Hien - Director of Minh Thanh Agricultural and Construction Cooperative (Yen Thanh) shared experiences in supporting members to develop effective agricultural and forestry economy. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
At the workshop, delegates also listened to speakers present issues: Guidelines, policies and programs for the development of agricultural and forestry cooperatives in the period of 2021-2025, with a vision to 2050; Climate change and diversification of forestry products; Experience in consulting on the development of forestry cooperatives in Thua Thien Hue province; Experience in supporting members in developing agricultural, forestry and industrial economies; Experience in providing forest development services for cooperative members, etc.