Báo cáo giai đoạn: Improvement of operator skills and technology in small rural sawmills in Vietnam (MS7)

Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development CARD Project Report 027/06VIE Improvement of operator skills and technology in small rural sawmills in Vietnam. MS7: Policy Document The development of rural forest industries in Vietnam By Peter Vinden, Philip Blackwell and Phan Duc Chien May 2010 Project Report 027/06VIE Improvement of operator skills and technology in small rural sawmills in Vietnam. Table of Content 1 Background.............................................................................................................3 2 The establishment of “New Forests” in Vietnam.................................................4 2.1 Summary ............................................................................................................4 2.2 Background.........................................................................................................4 2.3 New Forests........................................................................................................6 3 Forest Industries.....................................................................................................9 3.1 The link between trees, wood and architecture................................................11 3.2 Conclusions......................................................................................................13 4 Forest Industries Research..................................................................................13 4.1 Background.......................................................................................................13 5 Consolidating training and education.................................................................14 5.1 Training requirements.......................................................................................14 5.1.1 Survey of industry attitudes to training ......................................................14 6 Rural Sawmill Development in Vietnam..............................................................17 6.1 Conclusions......................................................................................................22 7 Discussions and Recommendations...................................................................26 7.1 The role of the National Forest Service............................................................26 7.1.1 The conservation of tropical rain forests and native habitats. ...................27 7.1.2 The establishment of “New Forests” to meet the needs and bridge the divide between city dwellers and rural settlers........................................................27 7.1.3 Consolidating supply of raw materials.......................................................28 7.1.4 Consolidating domestic demand for wood products..................................29 7.2 Research ..........................................................................................................29 7.2.1 Research program.....................................................................................31 7.3 Program descriptions........................................................................................34 7.3.1 Program 1. Innovation...............................................................................34 7.3.2 Program 2 Fundamental science...............................................................34 8 Program 3. Novel Technologies...........................................................................36 8.1.2 Program 4. Education and knowledge transfer ........................................37 8.1.3 Potential research partners .......................................................................38 8.1.4 Potential End user organizations...............................................................38 9 Education and training in forestry, wood science and timber engineering and furniture 40 10 Strategies to Assist Rural Sawmill Development in Vietnam. ..........................42 11 Conclusions...........................................................................................................46 Policy Document: The development of rural forest industries in Vietnam Page 2 of 46 Project Report 027/06VIE Improvement of operator skills and technology in small rural sawmills in Vietnam. 1 Background In fulfilling the objectives of the CARD project, specialised reports have focused on providing background information from which detailed analyses could be undertaken of specific sectoral issues within the forest industries in Vietnam. In pulling together potential policy information and detailed recommendations into this final report it is clear that on-going relevant research education and training will only occur if there is an environment and organisation promoting the long-term ongoing pursuit of these activities. The requirements of rural development cannot be looked at in isolation and in the current instance need to be examined in relation to the long-term goals of forestry and the forest industries in Vietnam. Background reports: (i) Review of forest industries in Vietnam (ii) Survey of rural sawmills in Vietnam (iii) Survey of log producers in Vietnam Sector reports (i) Sawmilling (ii) Drying (iii) Wood Preservation (iv) Education training and research Policy and recommendations Chien et al (2010) reviews the current state of the forest products industry in Vietnam and has highlighted the economic importance of the forest industries sector to Vietnam. In brief the sector: • Sawn timber production in Vietnam exceeds 2 million m3 /annum. • Wood exports rank fifth in importance behind crude oil, textiles, footwear and seafood • Exports increased on average by 43% annually between 2000 and 2008. • Vietnam has become the 4th largest global manufacturer and exporter of furniture that together with handicrafts are exported to over 100 countries. • Domestic production of timber is supplemented by significant imports of unprocessed logs. Fifty-three percent of logs processed in Vietnam are imported. The value of timber imports exceeds US$1 billion. • Vietnam uses 11 million m3 of wood / year of which 57% is used for sawn timber for producing outdoor and indoor furniture and construction timber. The percentage end-use of acacia produced by rural sawmills (derived from questionnaires directed at small rural sawmills, Blackwell et al (2009 highlights also the importance of the domestic markets for furniture production. • Domestic production of raw logs from plantations is expected to grow substantially following the Vietnamese Governments objectives (1998) of establishing a 5 million hectare reforestation program. Various estimates (e.g. MARD, 2010) estimate that by 2020, Vietnam could be capable of supplying 20 Policy Document: The development of rural forest industries in Vietnam Page 3 of 46 Project Report 027/06VIE Improvement of operator skills and technology in small rural sawmills in Vietnam. million m3 annually. Currently domestic wood production from plantations is expanding at about 10% / annum. This has offset a reduction in the availability of wood from natural forests. • Seventy-five percent of the current harvest from plantations comprises acacia spp. This percentage is expected to increase. • The plantation rotation age for acacia is approximately 7-8 years. Logs have a small average diameter of approximately 250 mm. Logically there needs to be investment and expansion of forest service activities to ensure that the true potential of forestry and forest industries meet both government and the general public expectations. This report therefore provides background or a potential vision of forestry and forest industries in Vietnam and broad recommendations as to how the sectors might develop. Clearly different people will have different visions as to how forestry and forest industries might develop. The vision given here identifies generic ideas as to why the sector is important. The ideas are presented to provide a discussion point but more importantly a vision of the future that can inspire those in decision making roles of the need to provide clear, long-term policies for rural and urban development in Vietnam. 2 The establishment of “New Forests” in Vietnam 2.1 Summary In an era of rapid global warming and peaking oil and natural gas production, forest ecosystem management of our relic forests and reafforestation of redundant land, should be at the forefront of any campaign to roll back our carbon footprint whilst at the same time maintaining or increasing economic productivity and environmental improvement. This section of the report argues a case for establishing “New Forests”; large public forest lands located adjacent to densely populated cities that re-establish species indigenous to the area, thus expanding biodiversity, protecting endangered species, reconnecting city dwellers with nature and rural culture, improving water quality and waste recycling, providing employment and valuable wood products that expand the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere through planned expansion of relevant forest industries. The objective is to systematically substitute the use of oil, petrol, resins, steel, aluminium plastics and concrete and reduce our dependency on oil whilst at the same time expanding productivity and standards of living as well as providing a sustainable raw material supply for rural industries. This need is urgent in the face of unprecedented population growth and poverty, unchecked exploitation of non-renewable resources, global warming, rural destabilisation and environmental impoverishment. Conservation of the past is not enough. The objective of is to engage in the future, to create a future that is viable and sustainable for future generations. 2.2 Background. According to ancient Greek philosophy all matter is comprised of four ‘roots’ or elements of earth, air, fire and water. Fire and air were classified as outwardly reaching elements, Policy Document: The development of rural forest industries in Vietnam Page 4 of 46 Project Report 027/06VIE Improvement of operator skills and technology in small rural sawmills in Vietnam. where-as earth and water, turned inwards and down-wards. The relationships between these elements is defined by Aristotle who explains that these roots are not just physical manifestations or material substances but also spiritual essences. Hence their representation by gods! Ancient Chinese tradition identifies a fifth element “wood”, a living material that interacts and balances the four roots. The relationships between these roots are as important today as they were to the Greeks and Chinese. They are the global issues that shape sustainability, biodiversity, greenhouse / CO2 emissions (climate), water quality, drought and bush-fires. Forests cover approximately one quarter of the worlds land area. Virtually everyone agrees that forests are important for the products and services they provide, the conservation of biodiversity, maintenance of soil and watersheds, contributions to the storage of carbon, the provision of microclimates and ecosystems, heritage and spiritual values and some would argue the weather. Most societies tend to value these traditionally non-tradable products and services that forests can provide. Timber or wood based products are also significant in the world economy amounting to 2% of global GDP or US$600 billion. These include the provision of shelter, furniture, packaging and paper (some 5,000 or so products), but as important are the non-wood products that are so essential to the economy of subsistence communities for medicines, food and shelter. In the past, forests had a relatively much higher impact on the economy. Samuel Pepys (an English public servant of the 17th Century) identified three-quarters of shipping to be associated with trade in timber. Development or the transition from subsistence to a cash economy has been achieved by many civilisations through exploiting forest resources and today forest exploitation continues to be significant in maintaining the viability of rural communities both in industrialised and emerging economies. Human interaction with forests follows three distinct phases. These include human subsistence where there has and in many instances continues to be a dependence on plant gathering, firewood collection, and hunting to eke out a living. This has often evolved into forest exploitation, the development of a cash economy, an agricultural economy and then industrial development. The degradation and over-exploitation of forests has often led to a backlash, the impoverishment of land needed for subsistence agriculture and crop failures, droughts, desertification, various landslides, disease. In our ancient civilisations various rulers have imposed penalties associated with forest destruction to prevent degradation of the environment. More recently, however, concern for deforestation has come from society and through elected governments. Ultimately, however, as societies develop forests should achieve a steady state of sustainability. Unfortunately in a changing and evolving world the concepts of steady state and sustainability are not totally clear. Concern for deforestation today arises more particularly in the North / South divide. The total land area covered in forest is about 34 million km2 or 27% of global land area. In the North the forest area is now increasing by approximately 2 million ha/year, where-as, in the South, deforestation is occurring at approximately 14 million ha/year (UN 2004). The wide variety of products and services derived from forests has effectively been a free resource from nature, infinitely renewable and sustainable. However, population growth particularly in the 1950’s and 60’s has led to unprecedented deforestation for agriculture and urban development, particularly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The world population has grown from about 1.6 billion in 1900 to 5.7 billion in 1995 and projected to grow to about 9.4 billion in 2050 and stabilise to about 11 billion by 2200 (UN 1998). Policy Document: The development of rural forest industries in Vietnam Page 5 of 46 ... - tailieumienphi.vn