PEFC organised a webinar titled: "Get PEFC Certified - Learn from First Movers in the Rubber Sector", addressing some common questions that come up during the certification process. (Photo: Courtesy of the PEFC) Up to 38 rubber processing plants will get the Programme for the Endorsement ofForest Certification (PEFC) Chain of Custody certificate that provides independentlyverified assurance that the forestry-based product originates from sustainablymanaged forests. This certificate complements the PEFC's sustainable forestmanagement certification, which ensures that forests are managed in line withenvironmental, social and economic requirements.
PEFC is the largest forest certification system in the world and thecertification system of choice for small forest owners, with more than 300million hectares represented across 49 nations. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland,PEFC provides independent assessment, endorsement, and recognition of nationalforest certification systems.
PEFC organised recently a webinar titled: "Get PEFC Certified - Learn fromFirst Movers in the Rubber Sector", addressing common technical questionsthat come up during the certification process.
Joining the webinar, Diep Xuan Truong, a member of Sustainable DevelopmentSteering Committee under the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) said that more than54,500ha of rubber sites, belonging to 12 member companies of VRG, and 22rubber latex processing plants were to be recognised.
Over 60,000 tonnes of certified rubber latex and more than 300,000cu.m ofrubber timber was certified by Vietnam Forest Certification Office, a member ofPEFC.
Truong said that certified rubber products are welcomed in markets around theworld and obtain a higher price than non-certified products.
About 1.1 million tonnes of natural rubber is produced in Vietnam yearly. 60percent of the rubber is supplied by small farming households and the remainingamount is from rubber companies.
According to the General Department of Forestry, Vietnam has about one millionha of rubber plantations. Nearly 70 percent of rubber growing areas aregenerating latex. VRG, a State-owned company, is managing about 38.4 percent ofthe country’s rubber areas, households 51.9 percent and private companies 9.7 percent.
The Vietnam Forest Certification Office instructed VRG and its members to applyfor the PEFC forest certification.
At the webinar, Richard Laity, PEFC Southeast Asia Manager said that naturalrubber represents a 300 billion USD supply chain and that natural rubber wasessential material in the production of more than 40,000 types of products.
“Most of this rubber is produced by independent smallholders in Southeast Asia,on the borders of some of the world’s most ecologically important forest areas.Sourcing this rubber sustainably helps protect these forests and is a necessarystep towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals before 2030,” hesaid.
PEFC has piloted certification for both natural rubber and rubberwood acrossSoutheast Asia. Working with growers of all sizes, PEFC has developed groupcertification solutions that allow smallholders to band together and provetheir sustainable practices.
These early adopters demonstrate that certification is entirely achievable. Bygetting certified, they both open up their rubber to the market, protectadjacent forests and improve their own livelihood.
“Sustainable forest management and chain of custody certification arerelatively new for the rubber industry. But early adopters are already on themove,” he said.
Successful pilot projects to certify rubber producers and rubber processors seta new standard for environmental sustainability in the rubber industry.
“Lessons learned from these early adopters have value for the entire rubbersector,” he said.
This webinar is part of the PEFC's Supporting Sustainable Rubber campaign,telling the story of both natural rubber and the people that produce it, makinga connection between sustainable natural rubber production, forest health, andsmallholder livelihoods./.
VNA
