Vietnam has 16,247,492 hectares of agri-forest areas, with a forest cover of 42 percent. Of these, 5.5 million hectares (ha) are protection forests, 8.5 million are production forests and 2.2 million are lands without forests. Income from forestry production reached Vietnamese Dong 23.9 trillion (approximately $1B) in 2015 gaining 7.09% since 2013. Total forest product export turnover reached $ 7 billion, up 14% compared to 2014.

Since the 1990s, the Vietnam government has been allocating land use rights over almost 9M hectares of state forestland to households, communities, and economic entities. This has been the Government’s way of involving local people in protecting forests, developing plantations, and improving living standards.

Cinnamon is a thriving forest product in Vietnam. Aside from enhancing the flavor and aroma of food, it can improve blood sugar levels and cure a common cold, among many other medicinal properties.

Cinnamon production has been increasing in Vietnam by 10% every year since 2008. By 2015, the total area planted to cinnamon trees has reached 102, 171 hectares, of which 39% is found in Yen Bai District.

Vietnam has three main types of cinnamon: (1) Cinnamomum cassia also called cinnamon Yen Bai; (2) Cinnamon loureirii or cinnamon Saigon and (3) Cinnamomum verum or cinnamon Ceylon.