Vietnam – June 13th 2007 – A four-day international conference beganyesterday in Ha Noi to explore the role of non-timber forest product(NTFP) in poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation. ProfitableNTFPs can include a number of food” medicines” and construction materialsand include fibres like rattan and bamboo” edible plant products”resins and gums” tannin and dyes” essential oils” insecticides”medicinal herbs” ornamental plants and animal products. These “minor”forest products could have a major impact on poverty alleviation andpromote biodiversity conservation” said Katherine Warner” WorldConservation Union country group head for Cambodia” Laos and Viet Nam.
Theconference entitled The Role of NTFPs in Poverty Alleviation andBiodiversity Conservation” held by the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development (MARD) and the World Conservation Union” amongothers” is part of the NTFP Support Project being executed by MARD withfinancial support from the Netherlands and technical support from theWorld Conservation Union. Participants in the conference” includingenterprises that have found ways to address rural poverty whilemaintaining biodiversity” are sharing methodologies” product and marketinformation and other lessons learned from NTFP and conservationinitiatives. The third day of the conference will include a trade fairfor NTFP producers to display products and meet potential buyers. OnThursday” the last day of the conference” participants will make afield trip to Quang Ninh Province. The NTFP Support Project has beenongoing in Viet Nam since 1998 in two phases and will continue throughnext month. The first phase in 1998 – 2002″ entitled Sustainable Use ofNTFPs” focused on two field sites in Bac Kan and Ha Tinh. The secondphase” entitled NTFP Sub-Sector Support Project in Viet Nam” began in2003 and took place in five field sites including Bac Giang” QuangNinh” Ha Tinh” Quang Binh and Quang Tri.
The overall objectiveof the project is forest and biodiversity conservation throughstrengthening sustainable use of NTFPs. The project’s main achievementsso far include capacity building for planning and research” thetransfering of sustainable NTFP development methods and raisingawareness on NTFP” according to MARD.
Source: Vietnam News
www.vneconomy.com