In Ca Mau, Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) has just joined forces with Gaia Nature Conservation Center and Ca Mau National Park to launch a program to help regenerate 25 hectares of mangrove forest.

This is an activity of Vinamilk employees within a large project called “Vinamilk Net Zero Forest” with an effort to form green areas to help absorb carbon, getting closer to the goal of bringing net emissions to zero by 2050, contributing to the common goal of Net Zero 2050 that the Vietnamese government has been promoting.

“Regenerating Mangroves - Locking Carbon Footprints”

This is the message Vinamilk conveys in this activity at Ca Mau National Park, when starting the project to protect and regenerate 25 hectares of mangrove forest with partner Gaia and will last for the next 6 years.

Mr. Le Hoang Minh (left) representing Vinamilk and Ms. Do Thi Thanh Huyen representing Gaia symbolically handed over 25 hectares of mangrove forest belonging to the project "Vinamilk Net Zero Forest" to the representative of Ca Mau National Park.

According to Ms. Do Thi Thanh Huyen - Founder - Executive Director of Gaia Nature Conservation Center (the unit that is accompanying Vinamilk in this project), mangrove forests are an ecosystem that effectively "locks" carbon. Some studies show that the amount of carbon absorption and storage of mangrove forests can be 4 times higher than that of terrestrial tropical forests, depending on different areas. It can be said that mangrove forests are extremely effective "carbon sinks" because they can store carbon for more than 5,000 years. Therefore, the conservation and development of mangrove forests plays an important role in mitigating climate change.

“The forest that Vinamilk & Gaia are protecting covers an area of ​​25 hectares in the core zone of Ca Mau National Park, with an estimated 100,000 - 250,000 mangrove trees expected to grow. To ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the project, we will coordinate with Ca Mau National Park to implement activities to protect and monitor the protected area such as: communication to raise awareness among people; patrolling and monitoring, reinforcing the forest protection fence, conducting research to measure the impacts the forest creates within 6 years. Hopefully, the forest will develop rapidly, becoming a large “carbon sink” in the near future,” Ms. Thanh Huyen shared.

The 25-hectare mangrove regeneration area jointly implemented by Vinamilk and Gaia in the core zone of Ca Mau National Park.

Vinamilk's total investment for this project is 4 billion VND for activities serving the protection and promotion of natural forest regeneration, and awareness raising programs for communities living in and around the national park.

It is expected that with 25 hectares of mangrove forest, under normal growth conditions, it is possible to form a carbon absorption pool of 17,000 - 20,000 tons of carbon, equivalent to 62,000 to 73,000 tons of CO2e. Ca Mau Cape National Park is a key area of ​​the Ca Mau World Biosphere Reserve, one of Vietnam's RAMSAR sites (wetlands of international importance). This is also a place to preserve gene sources and protect diverse ecosystems with more than 400 species, including more than 40 rare species threatened with extinction such as otters, fishing cats, reticulated pythons, etc.

Vinamilk employees participated in making the first 1,000m of nearly 2,400m of fence to enclose and regenerate mangrove forests at Ca Mau National Park.

“The natural forest regeneration promotion and protection activities implemented by Vinamilk through Gaia at Ca Mau Cape National Park, in addition to helping neutralize carbon to contribute to minimizing the impact of climate change, also help increase forest cover, gradually encroaching on the sea, preventing saltwater intrusion, increasing the ability to block waves to protect the shore, forming the forest ecology, creating habitat for many aquatic species which are also rare animals and plants. I believe that with more companionship and cooperation from businesses, organizations, and communities, the mangrove forests of Ca Mau Cape will grow stronger and stronger,” said Mr. Le Van Dung, Director of Ca Mau Cape National Park.

In this project, Vinamilk employees also directly contributed and participated in protecting and caring for the forest through many activities organized annually. Specifically, to launch the project "Vinamilk Net Zero Forest" in Ca Mau this time, nearly 60 Vinamilk employees participated in protecting the forest.

Vinamilk staff prepare to carry out the task of "building fences to protect the farm" after being instructed on techniques by National Park and Gaia staff.

On this occasion, Vinamilk also presented Ca Mau National Park with 5 boats to serve the work of patrolling, inspecting and protecting the forest and gave officials and workers more than 4,200 nutritional products.

Ms. Bui Thi Huong (third from left) - Vinamilk CEO presented 5 boats and 4,200 nutritional products to representatives of Ca Mau National Park.

Forests towards Net Zero

Vinamilk is known as a pioneer and active unit in sustainable development activities as well as Net Zero 2050 commitment. In addition to emission reduction activities in the value chain, Vinamilk actively promotes tree planting to neutralize carbon. For example, the "Vinamilk Net Zero Forest" being implemented by the enterprise is a practical project that helps form green areas, absorb CO2 and also inspires the community to protect nature and encourage tree planting.

Before this project, in 2018, also in Ca Mau, Vinamilk and the program "1 Million Trees Fund for Vietnam" planted nearly 100,000 trees in areas such as: National coordinate marker GPS 0001 - Landmark 0, coastal area of ​​Dat Mui commune (Ngoc Hien district) and Tan Hung commune (Cai Nuoc district),... Up to now, the forest has developed, creating large green areas in the locality.

In Ca Mau, in 2018, Vinamilk planted 100,000 trees in the program of 1 million trees for Vietnam Fund.

Joining the forest planting group and revisiting the tree planting area of ​​the previous “1 Million Trees Fund”, Mr. Le Hoang Minh, Executive Director of Production, Head of Vinamilk’s Net Zero project, said: “Experiencing and understanding more about the mangrove forests, seeing the rows of trees planted 5 years ago now growing tall and healthy, we see more clearly why we need to act for nature and the environment. Through these activities, Vinamilk also hopes that all of our employees will be active nuclei, joining hands for the company’s sustainable development goals. That will bring common values ​​and help the meaning of the program spread further”.

“1 Million Trees for Vietnam Fund” is a program implemented by Vinamilk from 2012 to 2020, in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, planting 1,121,000 trees at 56 locations in 20 provinces and cities with a total value of 12.5 billion VND.

In early 2023, Vinamilk will continue to accompany the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in the activity "Planting trees towards Net Zero (2023 - 2027)" with a budget of 15 billion VND. In the coming time, Vinamilk will continue to promote to have more "Vinamilk Net Zero Forests" in Vietnam, making an important contribution to implementing Vinamilk's roadmap towards Net Zero by 2050.

PV