Hanoi, Viet Nam – Forest and Farm Producers Organizations (FFPOs) play a crucial role in improving indigenous communities’ livelihoods and climate resilience. This was a conclusion of the National Advisory Committee virtual meeting of the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) Phase II organized by the Viet Nam Farmers' Union (VNFU). Grassroots organizations’ excellent performance and experiences in 2020 and 2021 have been fed into new policies, and attracted donors and investors to sustain farmers and producers in Viet Nam.

“Over the years, the Vietnam Farmers' Unions has conducted many activities to help farmer members develop forest and farm economic models which combine agricultural production with afforestation, forest management and protection.” said Mr. Mai Bac My, Head of the VNFU Department of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Director of the FFF Phase II.

The meeting chaired by Ms. Bui Thi Thom, VNFU Vice Chair-cum-Committee Head, highlighted the key results of the FFF implementation in Viet Nam over the past year, and its work plan in the last quarter of 2021 and during 2022.

Building on the success of the first phase (2015-2017), FFF Phase II implemented in close coordination with Farmers' Unions at all levels, ministries, branches, departments, authorities and other stakeholders in Vietnam continues to support the development of forest products businesses and to increase the income of women, youth and ethnic minority groups through sustainable management of landscape. Producer organizations have learned how to provide better services to their community members and include them in policy development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation at the local, national and international levels.

In 2020-2021, despite the challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 35 collective producer gross and cooperatives in five provinces have improved the business capacity, market access and finance associated with gender equality and strengthened value chains of 761 official member households (41.5% female, 61.5% ethnic minority, 11.7% youth) and 1,375 associated member households. They have actively searched for market information, negotiated and signed sales contracts for their products, and increased members’ income by 10-20%, which is a clear contribution to sustainable poverty reduction for the involved rural families.

48 participants from FAO Viet Nam on behalf of the donors, relevant line ministries, agro-forestry experts, local communities, FFPOs in the pilot provinces of Yen Bai, Bac Kan, Hoa Binh, Son La, and Thai Nguyen attended the meeting. The FFF II Program Management Board received positive comments on the annual results, as well as some suggestions for 2022 and beyond, such as stimulating new FFPOs, better networking among FFPOs themselves and with related parties, especially enterprises, strengthening communication on sustainable forest management and development, and so forth.

Giving conclusion remarks, Ms. Bui Thi Thom acknowledged, praised and highly appreciated the achievements of the FFF II Program in 2020-2021. She requested the programme to continue delivering on the key tasks during 2021-2022 namely: (1) supporting the networking among FFPOs and promoting linkages between FFPOs and related parties, especially with enterprises, to establish and/or maintain sustainable timber and non-timber product chains; (2) establishing and maintaining long timber rotation models for sustainable forest management and support FFPOs to adapt to climate change; (3) training and knowledge-sharing on digital transformation in agriculture; and, (4) supporting FFF pilot models to replicate within the VNFU system.

For more information about the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), please visit:

FFF website
FAO Viet Nam webpage
Viet Nam Farmer’s Union website