VFCS - Advancing Quality, Spreading Successes

About Us

Vietnam Forest Certification Office (VFCO) is a legal entity taking full responsibilities for operation of Vietnam Forest Certification Scheme (VFCS). Key mandates of VFCO is to promote sustainable forest management in Vietnam, ensuring economic, environmental and social benefits for sustainable development and to secure wood legality and transparent sources for market access.

Our Services

Developing  standards and guidelines for implementing sustainable forest management (SFM), forest certification, Chain of Custody (CoC) certification;

Building capacity on SFM certification and CoC certification for assessors, auditors, forest owners and wood processing entities and stakeholders;

PEFC notification for certification body operating VFCS/PEFC SFM certification and PEFC CoC certification in Vietnam;

Promoting, managing and licensing the use of VFCS logo and PEFC trademarks in Vietnam;

Monitoring and evaluating of SFM certification and PEFC CoC certification in Vietnam for continuous improvement of VFCS.

VFCO History

Vietnam Forest Certification Scheme (VFCS) was set up in 2018 according to Prime Minister Decision 1288/QD-TTg dated 1 October 2018.  VFCS became the 51st member of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) in 2019 and was fully endorsed by PEFC in 2020. Vietnam Forest Certification Office (VFCO) was established by Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) in 2019 to operate VFCS. From 2019- 2021, VFCO is under Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST). From October 2019 to present, VFCO is under Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences according to Decision No. 3925/QD- BNN-TCCB dated October 4, 2021 by the Minister of MARD.

Our vision and missions

Promoting sustainable forest management and forest certification in Vietnam, ensuring economic, environmental and social benefits for sustainable development. VFCS aims includes

Complying national legal regulations and international requirements;

Meeting market requirements for increasing demand for timber materials produced and supplied from certified FM forests,

Ensuring timbers and wood-based products produced in Vietnam accessible to international market,

Sustainable management of forest resources, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services maintenance and improvement, mitigation and adaptation to climate change,

Improving forest productivity and values for forestry sector and forest dependent communities,

Securing benefits for stakeholders in forest-based activities, wood processing and trading.