Climate Change Adaptation

Hundreds of farmers and cooperatives receive soil testing support and training on soil and crop nutrition

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A series of technical training workshop were held as part of the Tropical Fruit Quality Improvement Project, aiming to enhance production capacity, fruit quality, and market competitiveness.

Delegates attended the training in Dong Thap province. Photo: Dong Thap News

The training program, focusing on soil nutrition, took place consecutively on August 9th, 12th, and 13th in Dong Thap, Binh Thuan, and Long An provinces, with the participation of delegates from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Farmers’ Associations at all levels, Agricultural Service Centers, and Agricultural Extension Centers and cooperatives.

The lecturers of the training program were leading experts in agriculture from the Netherlands and Vietnam, including: Mr. Peter Prins, Director of Eurofins Soil, Water and Agriculture Consulting (Netherlands); Dr. Lam Van Ha, Southern Center for Soil, Fertilizer and Environmental Research; and Dr. Nguyen Quang Chon, expert at Eurofins Chromatography Hai Dang Company.

Mr. Peter Prins, Technical Advisor of the project, speaking at the training session in Long An province. Photo: Long An News

The program disseminated useful information to agricultural officials and farmers about the effectiveness of soil testing as well as the importance of nutrition for crops, the proper use of fertilizers, guidance on how to take accurate soil samples, and introduced the latest technologies in soil analysis such as infrared technology.

As part of the program, delegates had the opportunity to visit demonstration models such as the application of new technology in dragon fruit production in Binh Thuan and Long An provinces, pomeloes in Ben Tre, and mangoes in Dong Thap.

The training program also provides a platform for agricultural officials and farmers to exchange production experiences and seek cooperation opportunities.

Overview of the event in Binh Thuan province. Photo: Binh Thuan News

At the end of the training, participating units developed specific action plans, including sampling, analysis, and application to production for about 300 cooperatives and production households in the project provinces. The results of the soil analysis will be used as a basis to propose solutions for smart farming methods, save costs, improve the quality of export fruits, and increase economic value. The project will fully support the cost of soil testing and consulting for about 300 households. This activity lays the foundation for the Vietnam Farmers’ Union and Eurofins to expand soil analysis services more widely to farmers in Vietnam.

A farmer representative raises a question to an expert. Photo: Long An News

In agricultural production, soil and crop nutrition are closely related. The results of soil analysis and testing are the basis for supplementing the necessary nutrients, reasonably for crops to grow well, reduce carbon emissions, save production costs, and improve the quality of export fruits, increasing economic value.

According to Mr. Peter Prins, Director of Soil, Water and Agriculture Consulting Company (Netherlands), for over 100 years, farmers’ organizations in the Netherlands have established many soil laboratories. Based on soil testing, Dutch farmers find ways to fertilize accurately (based on crop requirements) to avoid overusing fertilizers, helping to save production costs and reduce pollution.

Dr. Lam Van Ha, a researcher at the Southern Center for Soil, Fertilizer, and Environmental Studies, gave a presentation on optimizing fertilizer use. Photo by Tran Le Hieu for MCNV.

The Tropical Fruit Quality Improvement Project is financially sponsored by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, implemented in 04 provinces of Binh Thuan, Long An, Ben Tre and Dong Thap. The Medical Committee Netherlands – Vietnam (MCNV) plays an important role in coordinating and facilitating the flow of advanced technology and information from leading EU technical partners to Vietnam, that benefits Vietnamese farmers and fruit exporters./.

Education tour: Nurture the love for nature

Archive, Climate Change Adaptation, Improve Livelihoods, News, News Center

Planting trees in an area of landslide due to the 2020 historic floods

MCNV in cooperation with the Deutsche Forstservice GmbH (DFS), Forest Science Center for North of Central Vietnam (FSCV), and Dong Ha High School organized an “Eduction on Nature and Environment” tour to MCNV’s project site in Huong Hoa district of Quang Tri province, Vietnam on the 30th of July 2022.

Tour group at Chenh Venh Eco-tourism Village

Thirty nine students of Dong Ha High School, accommpanied with their teachers and parents in Dong Ha city were the targets of the education tour. The program’s aim was to provide deep understanding of the value of nature including ecosystems and forests, evoking awareness of climate change, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development, and enable the students opportunities to take actions.

Planting trees in an area of landslide due to the 2020 historic floods

“Things in here were quite totally new and strange to me”, Tran Nguyen Phi Uyen – a 17-year-old school girl confessed. “At the time I entered into the forest, I felt anxious and a bit scared of leeches and so [coyly smiling], just like many friends of mine joining in the tour. However, beside the learnt lessons of the nature and environment, I think those were good moments for us to learn to face fears and overcome obstacles.”

Tran Nguyen Phi Uyen on a farm of coffee and passion fruit trees

Introducing indigenous culture and income generation from eco-tourism and non-timber forest products

“I am really impressive of this education tour,” said Hoang Van Minh – Vice Principal of Dong Ha High School. “All the students live in Dong Ha city and hadn’t known about forests and life and culture of indigenous communities. Now they’ve got great experiences. As far as I know, this kind of education tour has first been organized in Quang Tri province, and we expect many more tours of this would serve a greater number of students in the coming time.”

Vice Principal in front of groupwork’s presentation of participating students

Organisations lend hand for sustainable forestry in Vietnam

Climate Change Adaptation, Improve Livelihoods, News, News Center

Article on the Vietnam Investment Review. Author: Nguyen Dinh Dai, MCNV Chief of Central Vietnam Office

The government has recently approved a project worth $3.55 billion to develop the forestry sector in a sustainable manner in the 2021-2025 period. This legal framework aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the implementation of Vietnam’s net-zero commitments.
To achieve the targets, the forestry sector and local government require strategic implementation and good practices in the field. This will be carried out through partnerships with donors such as the EU, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), WWF Vietnam, and MCNV.

*Nguyen Dinh Dai – Central Vietnam chief MCNV Office*

The province of Quang Tri has created strategic results in sustainable forestry development thanks to the support from international organisations, and there are already many interesting stories regarding this.

One regards promoting market links on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) between smallholders and enterprises. Nhien Thao is a local enterprise in Quang Tri province that produces natural-based products such as shampoo, floor cleaning liquids, and dishwashing liquid. NTFPs including soap, black locust seeds, and essential oils are key raw materials for the production of the enterprise.

Currently, Nhien Thao is collaborating with about 150 smallholder forest owners in supplying NTFPs with a value of about $75,000 annually. These smallholders are managing hundreds of hectares of natural forest where they can harvest different kinds of NTFP such as soap nuts, black locust seeds, pomelo, and limes. The enterprise is planning to expand its business and network with smallholders.

In April 2022, the enterprise was awarded the prize of best natural business solutions by the New Generation Plantation and WWF Vietnam. This is a win-win business model for the smallholders and enterprises in contributing to sustainable forest management.

Another example is the long-rotation plantation for tung oil production. It is estimated about 1,500 tonnes of dry tung oil seeds are harvested annually with a value of $650,000 in Quang Tri province. Since 2020, the PROSPER project (on promoting sustainable partnerships between civil organisations and enterprises for sustainable forest management in the context of climate change), co-funded by the EU and MCNV, has supported smallholders in planting about 300ha of tung oil plantation mixed with indigenous species in Quang Tri province.

Tung oil plantation has contributed to forest protection and annual income for smallholder forest owners from harvesting tung oil seed.

With the support of the USAID, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is planning a 5-year strategy for tung oil plantations. This model will contribute directly to annual income for smallholders, increasing forestry cover ratio and carbon capture from the long-rotation of tung oil plantations.

Within the PROSPER project, for the first time in Vietnam, two natural forests of smallholders in Huong Hoa district have earned FSC certification on sustainable forest management, in which three bamboo species are certified FSC. In 2022, the project targets to achieve certification for carbon capture, bio-diversity, and rattan.

By December 2020, about 20,000ha of natural forest had been allocated to smallholders in Quang Tri province, in which around one-third received the Payment of Forest Environment Service for forest protection. The rest of the forests are protected voluntarily by smallholder forest owners. The piloted model on FSC-certified ecosystem services offers potential for smallholder forest owners in accessing payment mechanisms for forest ecosystem services and the high-value market of NTFPs of FSC-certified rattan and bamboo.

This association of smallholder forest certification was established in 2014, supported by WWF Vietnam. The association is a representative for smallholder forest owners in FSC certification for acacia plantations and has been a link between IKEA suppliers and smallholder forest owners in supplying FSC-certified wood.

In 2020, under the support of PROSPER, for the first time, the association recruited new natural forest owners as members. This achievement brought a new direction in promoting sustainable forest management of smallholders in both plantations but also the natural forest.

Quang Tri province is considered one of the pioneers in sustainable forestry development strategies. The concrete practices in the field are significant to show scaling up in the aspect of implementing the programme on sustainable forestry development until 2025./.

Source: https://vir.com.vn/organisations-lend-hand-for-sustainable-forestry-in-vietnam-95585.html?fbclid=IwAR00os4tgFue4aBlLtiOmVln0BV8nHRFJBNlgkkiB9Mp3j7HFpK0Rfk_t9I

WWF’s trip to PROSPER project site

Climate Change Adaptation, News, News Center

On a native forest nursery of Son Nguyen Cooperative

On the 18th on June 2022, a delegation from WWF-UK and WWF-Vietnam paid an exposure visit to the sites of the “Promoting Sustainable Partnership between CSOs and Enterprises for Sustainable Forest Management in the Context of Climate Change” (PROSPER) project co-funded by the EU and MCNV in Huong Hoa district of Quang Tri province.

**Visiting a material area of black locust with a patrolling group of Trang-Ta Puong village**

The visiting program was to reinforce the implementation of the Cooperation Framework Agreement dated the 15th of December 2021 between MCNV and WWF for PROSPER and Projects/Programs under Forest Practice of WWF-Viet Nam in Central Annamites Landscape (CAL).

**Stopping over a Tung tree plantation mixed with native species**

By synergizing bilateral resources to make greater contributions to sustainable forest management, the Agreement focuses on the following areas: (i) Improving and maintaining the FSC® forest certification system of Association of Quang Tri’s Smallholder Forest Certification Groups (SFCGs); (ii) Promoting market linkages between smallholders and processing companies in relevant supply chains such as FSC certified bamboo and rattan, and other NTFPs; (iii) Supporting in potential business models for developing the bankable projects on bamboo, medica herbs and so, to access to the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) and Landscape Resilience Fund (LRF); and (iv) Developing project proposals on forest restoration by planting native species and non-timber trees for climate resilience while enhancing the livelihood of local people, etc./.

Exposure visit to PROSPER project sites for designing Education Tour on Nature and Environment

Climate Change Adaptation, News, News Center, What we do

Delegates talking with an ethnic coffee producer on his agro-forestry farm

On the 14th of June 2022, a joint delegation of Gesellschaft für Agrarprojekte (GFA) Consulting Group, Deutsche Forstservice GmbH (DFS) and Forest Science Center for North of Central Vietnam (FSCV) paid an exposure visit to the PROSPER project sites co-funded by the EU and MCNV in Huong Hoa district of Quang Tri province, Vietnam.

***Visiting a Melaleuca Quinquenervia (Paperbark tree) plantation in Huong Phung commune***

The delegates visited agro-forestry coffee models, investigated material areas of non-timber forest products, and joined in an experience tour to tourist destinations in Chenh Venh village of Huong Phung commune, which has been recently known as Vietnam’s first-ever FSC^® certified natural forest managed by the community.

**Landscape exploration at Sa Muoi Hill within the FSC^® certified natural forest**

The purpose of the visit is to assess the possibility of designing and implementing a tourist service on nature and environmental education attached with sustainable forest management in the area. The trip was expected to usher in new opportunities for exploiting the strengths and potentialities of the local, particularly community-managed eco-tourism./.

Handover of Micro Credit and Saving project to Binh Dai district

Climate Change Adaptation, News, News Center, People with disability and Elderly, What we do

On June 3, 2022, an agreement was signed to hand over the Micro Credit and Saving project in Binh Dai district from MCNV to Binh Dai District People’s Committee and Binh Dai Provincial Women’s Union.

***Participants at the handover ceremony.***

The signing ceremony was attended by Mr. Pham Dung, MCNV Vietnam Country Director, Mr. Pham Huu Toai, Vice Chairman of Binh Dai District People’s Committee – Head of the project management board, Ms. Nguyen Thi Loi, Head of Binh Dai District Women’s Union, Vice Head of the project management board, representatives of People’s Committee the Women’s Unions of 11 communes and townships under the project.

***Mr.Pham Dung, MCNV Country Director speaks at the handover ceremony.***

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mr. Pham Dung said:
“The project symbolizes the long-term cooperation between MCNV and Ben Tre province. MCNV is proud of what the project has achieved, in the aspects of sustainability, financial performance and social impact. With a flexible approach, through microcredit instrument, the project has provided relevant knowledge and capital source to help poor women in Binh Dai district strive toward a better future.
At the same time, the project has provided timely and effective support for the community to tackle the challenge of drought and saltwater intrusion and meet with some of new rural area development criteria.

Following the handover, the project will be operated by the People’s Committee of Binh Dai district and the Women’s Union of Ben Tre province, in accordance with the project regulations, ensuring the optimization of the credit source to meet the needs of poor women in post-COVID economic recovery in the time to come.

• The Micro Credit and Saving project in Binh Dai district was launched by MCNV and sponsors in 2009, starting with two communes with a capital of nearly 300 million VND.
• The project has extended its reach to 11 communes and township, providing micro-credit loans and saving services to around 1,700 regular customers with a total revolving capital of over 12 billion VND.
• Over 8,800 loans are provided to support thousands of women to escape poverty.

•The project will also become one of MCNV’s partners in assisting Ben Tre province and the Mekong Delta region to adapt to climate change.

•The Project Management Board is committed to maintain reporting and the relationships with longstanding Dutch donors such as Mfm, Huzla and individual donors.

Hoi An Roastery visits MCNV in Quang Tri

Climate Change Adaptation, Improve Livelihoods, News, News Center

Visiting an agroforestry coffee farm of an ethnic farmer

On the 2^nd of May 2022, a delegation of Hoi An Roastery (HAR) paid a field visit to Quang Tri province of Vietnam with an aim to investigate market expansion and scale up linkages with coffee producers in the Arabica coffee production hub in Huong Phung commune.

***Visiting a shop with bamboo products that were made by ethnic groups (under MCNV’s support)***

The HAR’s delegates included the owner of HAR Europe BV, Tjarco van Raad (Director of HAR – Europe BV, Caroline de Bruijne (Sales and Marketing Director of HAR Europe BV), Rudy van Bork (Executive Director of HAR in Vietnam) and Davis Dawson IV Ferdinand (Sales Director of HAR in Vietnam).

MCNV is a long-standing partner of HAR and in the past years facilitator of the coffee value chain of HAR, local processor and coffee producers . At a joint meeting with MCNV, HAR’s members were thoroughly updated on the contract farming and visited MCNV’s museum and project sites.

The delegates visited coffee farms, and met up with coffee producers and processor to discuss the sustainable cooperation through the deployment of Stage 2 of the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development bankable project of “Agroforestry coffee production of Hoi An Roastery & Arabica Coffee Smallholders in Quang Tri province, Vietnam”.

Combining community-based tourism with sustainable forests management in Quang Tri

Climate Change Adaptation, Improve Livelihoods, News, News Center, Uncategorized

MCNV recently joined with local authorities in organizing an event to kick start community-based ecotourism in combination with FSC®-certified sustainable forest management in Chenh Venh village, Huong Phung commune, Huong Hoa district. The event brought together representatives of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism, the Forest control department and the Center of Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion of Huong Hoa district and relevant departments.

The event was a chance for the participants to expose to exotic eco-tourism services directly provided by Chenh Venh village, such as visiting the campsite in Sa Muoi hill, Chenh Venh waterfall and stream, trekking through natural forests managed by the community, Ro Ve village picnic site while learning about the indigenous cultures embodied in local authentic dishes and performing arts.

In order to put the entire ecotourism services into operation, MCNV and the People’s Committee of Huong Hoa district and Huong Phung commune have spent the last six months assisting Chenh Venh village and the Community Forest Board of the village in the preparation process. Key support includes: converting local residential houses into homestay, installing camping infrastructures (tents, bedding ), restoring the stream bank landscape, installing sign boards, building sanitary facilities, providing training on community-based tourism services, culinary skills, etc.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Chair of Huong Hoa district People’s Committee, Mr. Pham Trong Ho highlighted the advantages of Chenh Venh village in developing community- based tourism, thanks to its magnificent natural landscape and distinctive indigenous culture. He also appreciated MCNV’s practical support, which is believed will lay out a solid foundation for the development of ecotourism in combination with sustainable forest management in the long run.

***Mr. Nguyen Dinh Dai, Chief of MCNV Office in Quang Tri province gives his speech at the event.***

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Dai, Chief of MCNV Office in Quang Tri province, Chenh Venh village comprises nearly 100 Bru Van Kieu households who oversee up to 1,000 hectare of forest. The jobs created and income generated from non-timber products, community-based tourism and ecosystem services play a significant role in helping the locals manage and protect the forest more effectively.

***A lady of Van Kieu ethnic minority in traditional costumes.***

Thanks to PROSPER project by MCNV and the European Union, in 2021, the community forests in Chenh Venh village and Ho village (Huong Son commune) have become Vietnam’s first community forests that received the FSC® certificate issued by the World Council of Forest.

In the time to come, MCNV will continue to support Chenh Venh village in maintaining and developing community-based tourism. In detail, MCNV will help connect the beneficiaries with sponsors and responsible enterprises who are willing to pay for ecosystem services provided by this community, such as carbon absorption, biodiversity and water conservation./.

GSRD – MCNV new partnership to benefit over 1,000 poor women and children in Phu Yen

Climate Change Adaptation, Health and Nutrition, News, People with disability and Elderly, What we do

A conference to kick start the project “Boosting income and jobs for poor ethnic women in Dong Xuan district” (BIJPO) was held on March 25^th by MCNV and Dong Xuan District People’s Committee.

Building on the achievements of the previous Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture project, BIJPO will be implemented in a period of 36 months, from April 2022 to April 2025.

A family in Dong Xuan district, Phu Yen province. Photo: MCNV

BIJPO aims to tackle the new challenges confronting people of ethnic minorities living in remote mountainous areas brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. In particular, BIJPO will focus on boosting the income, improving food security via the improvement of working condition and agricultural production. The project will benefit about 650 women and 500 children of poor and nearly poor households in 15 villages of 6 communes in Dong Xuan district, and therefore, contribute directly to the realization of the National target programme on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in 2021-2030.

As part of the project, 15 new women-led cooperatives will be formally established and receive support in terms of making joint business plan and building joint assets/facilities for its production and business. Operation of the groups will create alternative jobs and income for the poor women in village who are willing to join and commit the common production plans of the groups. Potential business includes debarking machines of acacia wood; producing dry mushroom products; weaving products, etc.

At the same time, the project will facilitate 30 household agricultural production groups. These informal groups will be set up and endorsed by local commune government. Each household production group will include around 15 poor and nearly poor households. The project will provide group members with agricultural production training courses; coaching; seedlings, breeding for improving current crops or implementing alternative cash and non-cash crops. Female members will work together to improve and diversify their household agricultural production such as rearing fish, frogs, chicken, ducks, crabs and planting acacia plantation, fruit trees (banana, papaya) vegetables, or pumpkin. The improved productions aim to create both cash and also non-cash income for these households. The agricultural models will be identified and proposed by group members in accordance with local context and household conditions./.

The seed of prosperity

Climate Change Adaptation, News, News Center

It’s the beginning of dry season in the North of Huong Hoa district (Quang Tri province). Ho Van Dinh is walking along the stream, heading toward the Ta Bang mountain, under the blazing sun.

Dinh’s family used to live at the foot of Ta Bang mountain, in Nguon Rao Pin village. However, after the historic flood swept through Quang Tri in October 2020, several massive cracks have appeared in this mountain. To protect people from the hazards of landslide, local authorities have swiftly relocated 32 households living nearby, including Dinh’s, to a safer place.

After climbing up a nearly-2-km bumpy slope, Dinh stopped walking. Pointing toward a land plot filled with stones and rocks, he said: “I planted trees there. The total area is 1.6 hectares”.

***Dinh and a three-month grown Tung tree.***

At the first glance, it seems like nothing can survive on this barren land, except grasses and shrubs. Nonetheless, thanks to the hardwork of Dinh’s family, nowadays, many young tung trees (Vernicia Montana) have started to showcase their vital Eden-green color together with “lat hoa” (Chukrasia tabularis).

“These trees were planted by me, my wife, my three sons and their wives. It took us around 3, 4 days in a row to complete the work. After three months, the survival rate is nearly 100%,” Dinh said happily, while busily filling soil around the root of a young tree.

***A young Tung tree on Ta Bang mountain.***

Dinh’s household is one of 100 households in four villages of Huong Son and Huong Phung commune supported by the project “Promoting sustainable partnership between CSOs and enterprises for sustainable forest management in the context of climate change” (PROSPER project) co-funded by the European Union (EU) and MCNV.

In the year 2021, PROSPER project has partly funded the labour cost for these 100 households to plant tung trees together with other indigenous plants covering a total area of 139.4 hectare. The plantation density is 1,333 trees per hectare, including 1,067 tungs trees and 266 indigenous plants.

In the same year, MCNV has piloted planting tung trees to prevent landslide in several locations in Huong Son, Huong Lap and Huong Viet communes, with a total area of 42 hectares. Earlier, in 2020, two villages in Huong Phung commune receive funding for forest plantation in an area of 120 hectares. So far, the total area of forest plantation in Northern Huong Hoa supported by the PROSPER project has been 300 hectares.

“Planting Tung trees help protect the soil and water. It is easy for Tung trees to grow here, thanks to the suitability with local soils and climates,” said Dinh.

“It also benefits us in terms of income generation. When it comes to the harvesting season, all of us go to collect the seeds. The sale of the seeds helps us earn additional income to afford food for the family,” he shared.

Dinh’s family has been growing tung trees in over 10 years, covering an area of 1,2 hectares. According to Dinh, fresh tung seeds is sold at VND 5,000-6,000 per kilogram, while the price of dried tung seeds is doubled.

***Tung trees can help protect water and soil.***

Normally, a tung tree starts to mature to bear fruits in their third year and yield commercial quantities at three to four years of age. The oil obtained from Tung seeds is commercially valuable, and is popularly used as the ingredients for the production of wood finishing products, paints and ink.

According to a research by MCNV in 2020, tung tree plantation in Northern Huong Hoa covers a total area of 2,400 hectares (in combination with other indigenous trees), and 300 hectares of Tung trees dispersedly planted in household surroundings, yielding an annual amount of dried seeds of up to 1,500 tonnes, equivalent to VND 15 billion per year.

It is estimated that each hectare of tung trees can produce 3-4 tonnes of dried seeds, worth VND 30-40 million/year, if they are properly taken care of.

Recently, Quang Tri province has included tung tree in the list of key species contributing to the province’s implementation plan of the project “Planting one billion trees in the period of 2021 – 2025” launched by the Government of Vietnam./.

Climate Change Adaptation

Hundreds of farmers and cooperatives receive soil testing support and training on soil and crop nutrition

Education tour: Nurture the love for nature

Organisations lend hand for sustainable forestry in Vietnam

WWF’s trip to PROSPER project site

Exposure visit to PROSPER project sites for designing Education Tour on Nature and Environment

Hoi An Roastery visits MCNV in Quang Tri

Combining community-based tourism with sustainable forests management in Quang Tri

The seed of prosperity

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