The event also marked signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Forestry Department and Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam.
Attendees included Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, leaders of Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam, representatives from various authorities, international organizations, NGOs, national parks, and nature reserves.
Director of the Forestry Department, Tran Quang Bao and General Director and CEO of Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam, Jahanzeb Khan signed the Memorandum of Understanding in sustainable forest development, towards water replenishment and carbon offset
Vietnam has over 14.86 million hectares of forests, rich and diverse in ecosystem values. Over the years, the forestry sector has promoted the policy of "socializing forestry" through various mechanisms and policies. Specifically, the Vietnamese Forestry Development Strategy for the period 2021 – 2030, with a vision to 2050, clearly states: "...there should be appropriate mechanisms and policies to support, facilitate, and encourage organizations and individuals from all economic sectors to participate in forestry investment and development".
Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Forestry Department and Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam aims to realize these policies. Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam becomes one of the first companies to partner with the forestry sector in sustainable forest development, towards water replenishment and carbon offset.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, The Director of the Forestry Department, Tran Quang Bao, stated: "The overarching goal of the forestry sector is to become an economic-technical sector; to establish, manage, protect, develop, and use forests sustainably,... ensuring broad and equal participation of all economic sectors in forestry activities... Therefore, the roles of both the public and private sectors are extremely important. We acknowledge the contributions of Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam to sustainable development programs in Vietnam. This cooperation marks a significant step forward between the two parties in developing sustainable forests and leveraging the multi-use value of forest ecosystems."
