Planting trees to support the media campaign on forest plantation, restoration, and greenhouse gas reduction

Bac Kan province currently has 485.996,0 hectares of natural forest areas; in which, the planned area for forestry is 417.539 hectares, accounting for 86% of the total natural forest area. The coverage rate reached 73,38% in 2023, the highest level in the country. Taking advantage of this strength, the FFF Program in the province has contributed to supporting farmer members in sustainable agricultural production, mitigating the impact of climate change, and specially creating a significant shift in the farmers' mindset and awareness toward agricultural production and livelihood development under the forest.

The FFF program in Bac Kan is divided into 2 phases: Phase 1 (2014-2017), in Chu Huong and My Phuong communes, Ba Be district; Phase 2 (2018-2022), focused on 3 communes (Phuong Vien, Cho Don district and My Phuong, Yen Duong, Ba Be district). Phase 2 extend, from 2023 to 2025 and will be implemented in 5 communes, including Yen Duong, My Phuong, Thuong Giao (Ba Be); Phuong Vien, Yen Phong (Cho Don).

Over the time, the program has promoted the farmers’ effective income; contributed to change people's mindset and actions toward planting and developing the forest economy. Accordingly, The FFF Program has enhanced the capacity of Farmers' Unions officials at all levels, providing more effective support to farmers; enabled cooperative groups, cooperatives to choose products, produce toward chains, changed their production thinking to the market, organized production, managed quality, jointly invest, process to increase value, diversify products.

The program has also strengthened linkages among forest and farm producers, strengthened relationships and collaboration between farmers and communities; connected cooperative groups and cooperatives with local governments, relevant agencies, and departments. Regarding the environment, it has supported cooperative groups and cooperatives to develop sustainable agroforestry production and business plans, apply environmentally friendly farming measures, organic production, biodiversity conservation, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with sustainable forest development and protection.

During implementation, 15 roundtable conferences were held in the province, from commune to provincial levels, to spread central, provincial, and district levels’ policies related to agricultural and forestry development; find solutions to support cooperative groups and cooperatives in developing sustainable forest production and farms; adapting to climate change.

Currently, the Farmers' Union of the province has guided the establishment and supported the maintenance of 11 cooperatives, cooperative groups with 147 members and 1 cooperative union, focusing on planting and caring for star anise, growing organic rice, beekeeping under the forest, processing arrowroot starch, raising cattle...Cooperatives and cooperative organizations have the opportunity to engage in capacity development training courses, technical training, and forums organized at all levels and sectors.

The program has also helped build and maintain 13 agricultural and forestry economic growth models. In Yen Duong commune, Ba Be district, there are 7 models of planting Nep Tao organic rice, medicinal plants such as: Celastrus hindsii, adenosma glutinosum, organic pumpkin; fish farming on Nep Tai rice crops, arrowroot planting, handicraft, and experiential tourism. In addition, My Phuong commune is supported with four models of organic pumpkin growing; planting amomum longiligulare in the forest, planting and caring for anise, cinnamon, celastrus hindsii tea and medicinal plants. Phuong Vien commune maintains three models, including planting ardisia silvestris trees under forest, caring for manglietia conifera forest, and planting and caring for anise trees.

Furthermore, the FFF Program Management Board of Province has cooperated with the Silviculture Research Institute (SRI) to create an intensive farming model of long-rotation forest plantations; worked with the Center for Organic Agriculture Promotion and Studies (COAPS) to develop a model of planting medicinal plants (Celastrus hindsii, papaya); supports the development of product identifiers, established Bac Kan PGS Coordinating Board, guides cooperative groups, cooperatives maintain the organic production models, issued PGS organic certification for 23 turns of products; support cooperative groups and cooperatives in processing organic products such as green pumpkin tea, arrowroot vermicelli, Nep Tai rice; guides the development of labels, packaging labels, product traceability stamps and create conditions for cooperative groups and cooperatives to participate in fairs, events, promote festivals, etc. Thereby raising the yearly income of cooperatives by 20-25%.

Organic products have been connected by cooperatives for consumption in specialty products, clean and organic food, and OCOP stores in many provinces and cities across the nation. In addition, the Coordination Board has also supported putting products on the Postmart.vn e-commerce platform

Cooperative groups and cooperatives frequently encourage farmers to apply environmentally friendly production techniques, organic production, actively preserve and expand long-rotation forests, and increase value beneath the forest canopy, contributing to achieve sustainable development. Up to now, there are two cooperatives and one cooperative group working to establish a Green Credit Fund, which will provide loans to members to invest in growing medicinal plants, producing and processing arrowroot starch, raising cattle, which will manage and develop forests sustainably and respond to climate change.

Beyond the outcomes, there are several difficulties in putting the FFF Program into practice. The relationship between cooperative members and producers to form raw material areas is not strong enough, the routes to production regions remain challenging. The products have not found a stable market and are facing price fluctuations due to the small and unfocused production land. The area of organic production and long-rotation forests remains limited, and the value of these plantations has not increased below the forest canopy since some people are unaware of their benefits.

To address these challenges, the Farmers' Union of province continues to assist cooperative groups and cooperatives in organizing production and business activities, developing certified products according to standards and supporting trade promotion. At the same time, maintaining the construction of forest and farm models, long-rotation forest plantation, growing medicinal plants under the forest canopy; spreading the expansion of organic production and processing models for organic products; collaborating with relevant departments to build and replicate agroforestry production models, helping farmers boost their income; and developing specialty products based on local strengths.

Some photos of the Forest and Farm program in Bac Kan.

Vice Chairman of People’s Committee of Province, Mr. Nong Quang Nhat, spoke at the ceremony

Beekeeping cooperative groups at Dia Linh commune, Ba Be district

Ta Anh cooperative groups grow medicinal herbs under forest in My Phuong commune, Ba Be district