Sustainable Forest Management with Vinacontrol

Vinacontrol is an organization with expertise in consulting, assessing, and providing certifications for sustainable forest management systems, the product journey chain from forests, and trees conforming to PEFC standards.

WHAT IS PEFC/VFSC CERTIFICATION?

PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is the world's most widely recognized international forest certification program, covering 260 million hectares of forests with 178,000 certificates (2021). Vietnam, represented by the Vietnam Forest Certification Office (VFCO), is the 50th member of PEFC and has completed the construction of the VFSC/PEFC standard.

VFSC stands for the National Forest Certification System, approved by the Prime Minister of Vietnam through Decision No. 1288/QD-TTg. The national forest certification system aims to enhance the added value of forests by applying superior seedlings and appropriate forest management techniques, improving and enhancing ecosystem protection and biodiversity, ensuring legal sources of wood materials that meet market certification requirements.

BENEFITS OF PEFC CERTIFICATION FOR BUSINESSES

PEFC certification is crucial evidence of sustainable forest management and provides businesses with significant advantages:

• Use of the PEFC label: Indicates that products are produced from raw materials in a sustainably managed and legal cultivation area.

• Facilitates international market access: Easier entry of wood products into international markets. Some countries and regions worldwide are implementing laws rejecting products made from illegal wood, such as Europe, Australia, the United States, Japan, and China.

• Effective product monitoring: Builds an effective product monitoring process, minimizing risks related to product quality issues and enhancing competitiveness.

• Meets customer and business partner requirements: Addresses the demands of customers and business partners.

• Increased revenue: Higher revenue from selling PEFC-certified products.

• Strong message of credibility and social responsibility: Conveys a powerful message about credibility and social responsibility to customers and business partners.

TRENDS IN ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE FOREST CERTIFICATIONS

International forest certifications are stringent requirements that businesses must implement and commit to seriously. FSC and PEFC are two widely applied global forest standards.

Vinacontrol is the first Vietnamese assessment organization to sign a contract with VFCO to conduct assessments and certifications for VFCS/PEFC under two programs:

• PEFC - CoC Certification (Chain of Custody Certification): Certification for the product journey chain.

• PEFC - FM Certification (Forest Management Certification): Certification for sustainable forest management.

VINACONTROL'S EXCEPTIONAL CAPABILITIES

With over 65 years of experience in compliance assessment, Vinacontrol is a trusted partner of state management agencies, project management boards, businesses, and individuals both domestically and internationally.

• Recognized Competence: Acknowledged by the Board of Accreditation (BoA) - Ministry of Science and Technology.

• First Vietnamese organization to sign an official contract: The first to sign an official contract with the Vietnam Forest Certification Office (VFCO) to conduct VFCS/PEFC assessments and certifications.

• Extensive Network: With 28 member units, 7 laboratories, and a team of native experts ready to flexibly respond to assessment timelines and scopes ranging from small to large in raw material regions. Utilizing Vinacontrol's services optimizes costs and time for businesses and forest owners.

• Experienced Experts: Vinacontrol's experts, with extensive experience and deep expertise in the field of sustainable forest certification, directly assess according to the requirements of the PEFC/VFCS standard.

EFFECTIVENESS OF PEFC SUSTAINABLE FOREST CERTIFICATION

Sustainable forest management certification, group forest management certification, and product chain-of-custody certification are valid for five years from the issuance date. Annually, to provide the best recommendations for businesses, Vinacontrol experts conduct monitoring assessments to maintain the validity of certifications.

Contact us: +84 24 3943 3840