Sustainable environmental livehood.
CDF promotes environment-friendly livelihood. We understand that before people can live in harmony with their environment, their livelihood should be secured. Thus, CDF find the way to engage local underprivileged communities into sustainable income generation activities. As we are placing environmental health, human's well-being and animal rights high in our approach, we tend to promote environment-friendly livelihood such as free-range animal farming, sustainable forestry business, environment-friendly construction, etc
01
Green business for local Farm Cooperative
1,000 native trees (chinaberry and nacre) and 500 acacia plants were planted on 2 hectare of forest land in Cam Nghia commune. The project was conducted as a partnership between BGF team and Keo Son Sustainable Forestry Cooperative. 10 youth volunteers from Dong Ha city and CDF representative were mobilized to plant the trees along with 10 staff from the Cooperative. The project aims to increase the coverage of native plants in Cua Valley and to promote sustainable forestry business.
02
FSC Forestry in Trieu Ai Commune
The project provides $45,000 of no-interest loans to 40 smallholder forest owners to maintain their acacia forests to FSC standard. Traditionally, forest owners will harvest the timber after 4-5 years of planting because they cannot secure more money to keep the forest longer even though longer age timber sell much better. FSC require the foresters to maintain some rules of sustainable forest management that ensure the green coverage such as keeping the vegetation, They will use the money for short cycle livelihood programs while practicing sustainable forestry. FSC timber sells higher than regular timber and one of the biggest buyers is IKEA.
03
Bio-char from farm by-products
This project aims to convert a monthly 5 tons of by-products from essential oil extraction process into bio-char for enriching the soil for farming for Vanpa Farm Cooperative in Dakrong district. As a compost additive, biochar improves composting performance, humification process, enhances microbial diversity and activity, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and immobilizes potentially toxic metals and organic pollutants associated with the compost. Eight members from the Cooperative were trained to build the kiln and conduct the low oxygen combustion of the by-products to produce biochar. The bio-char is later used for mixing with compost to fertilize their lemongrass and holy basil farm.
04
Bee-keeing in the coffee plantation in mountainous area
Five families in Huong Phung commune were supported to start a bee keeping business. The bees feed on the coffee plantation in the area, giving the honey a distinct flavor. Our Environment Advisor Finn Longinotto is a specialist for bee-keeping has sponsored the project. Each harvest time will result in around 150 liters of honey. The special thing about this project is the location where the bees can enjoy the coffee flowers from the nearby hills, thus, yielding flavorful coffee taste to the honey.
