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Laos exports rattan products to Switzerland
The first batch of rattan baskets made from sustainable materials in Khamkeuth district in Borikhamxay province is heading to Switzerland via the Vietnamese port of Da Nang, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) yesterday.
It is the first time that Laos has exported sustainably sourced rattan products to Europe.
WWF's rattan project, co-funded by the European Union, International Home Product Retailer (IKEA) and German Development Furniture (DEG) has been promoting sustainability and market links since 2009.
The main objective of the project is to set-up sustainable rattan forest management models in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia and to engage small and medium rattan enterprises towards cleaner production mechanisms.
In collaboration with its partner, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI), WWF has been supporting Lao rattan small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to participate in regional and international trade fairs.
The fairs provided opportunities for the SMEs to learn more about international market requirements and design trends.
Furthermore the rattan processors and buyers are able to meet and get a first impression of the product portfolios.
Sourcing rattan from villages which apply sustainable forest management is important to ensure that natural resources will be available in the long-term – therefore we need the commitment of national and international buyers to source sustainable products, WWF Sustainable Rattan Project Manager Mr Bouaphet Bounsourath said.
A purchase order was completed in March 2011 via Leudnilan Agriculture Promotion Company that engaged seven villages to produce 2,640 sets of sustainable rattan baskets.
Leudnilan is the only rattan company in Laos that presently holds a Forest Stewardship Council Chain-of-Custody certificate. Leudnilan hired 120 villagers to produce the rattan baskets and exported them under supervision of the LNCCI.
“We want to support rattan products from sustainable rattan management areas to help the communities involved in forest management. That's why we have ordered these baskets from Laos for the Swiss retailers,” EuroGroup's Senior Merchandiser Ms Fennie Ng said.
“Working with a company that has no exporting experience is very challenging,” General Secretary of Bolikhamxay Provincial Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kongchan Douangsongkham said.
Rattan companies need guidance with international exporting matters such as packing, documentation and transportation. The experience and lessons learnt will help Lao SMEs to handle future international orders, Mr Kongchan stressed.
There are around 600 rattan species in the world, including 54 species in the region. Rattan, a climber from the palm family and a valuable non-timber forest product grows naturally in forests throughout the Greater Mekong region. Its stems are used for a variety of purposes, including food, shelter and making furniture. Village communities in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam rely heavily on the rattan trade, with sales accounting for up to 50 percent of cash income in some rural areas.
WWF is working to conserve 600,000sq km of the world's most biologically diverse, economically viable, and seriously threatened forests and rivers within the Greater Mekong region which is home and life source to over 300 million people in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and southern China.
vientiane times
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