By the invitation of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) International, the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) participated in the PEFC-For Trade Regional Conference & Field Dialogue held in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam from 25-26 Oct 2022.
The Vietnam Forest Certification Office (VFCO) and PEFC jointly organised this regional conference, funded by UN-REDD and implemented by PEFC in South East Asian countries.
According to MTC, the event attracted the participation of various international and South East Asian stakeholders, including countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia. The conference gathered all the stakeholders involved in the UN-REDD project with the goal to increase national commitment for legal and sustainable trade in wood products.
The dialogue and conference covered topics related to the Vietnam Forest Certification System (VFCS), best practices on VFCS or PEFC sustainable forest management, and PEFC chain-of-custody certification from PEFC-certified entities, and to understand PEFC’s work on the ground, especially in the rubber sector.
Achievements such as results and impacts for the UN-REDD Initiative “Sustainable Forest Trade in the Lower Mekong region”, and moving forward plans were also discussed.
During the three-day event, conference attendees were invited to join the field trip to learn about fast-growing species plantations, rubber plantations, wood and natural rubber production factories.
The delegates visited several PEFC-certified rubber plantations and production factories in Binh Duong province as well as Bau Bang forestry experimental station, Ben Cat, Binh Duong Province Dau Tieng Rubber Corporation, Dau Tieng Rubber plantation, and Dau Tieng Rubber Factory.
