05/02/2018

Avery Dennison launches Southeast Asia forestry project in Vietnam

HO CHI MINH, Vietnam — May 3, 2018 — The Avery Dennison Foundation, the global philanthropic arm of Avery Dennison Corporation, has partnered with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to launch a responsible forestry project in Southeast Asia, located in Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam.

The program, which aims to conserve the area’s natural environment and contribute to the social and economic well-being of the local community, will benefit the Forest Owners Sustainable Development Association of Thua Thien Hue province (TTH-FOSDA), an association of FSC^® certified acacia plantation smallholder farmers in the province. 

“The responsible acacia forestry program is the latest example of our commitment to sustainability, particularly here in Vietnam and Southeast Asia,” says Alicia Procello, president, Avery Dennison Foundation, “Through this program, we hope to make meaningful contributions to the local forest ecology and well-being of communities of Thua Thien Hue, which is part of the Greater Mekong region—one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth.”

Multi-faceted program

Through a USD100,000 grant, Avery Dennison and WWF will work with 600 TTH-FOSDA smallholder farmers in improving the quality of their forest through planting high-quality native acacia seedlings to expand forest footprint in woodlands certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Other native species will also be introduced to enhance soil conditions, improve water supply quality, and maintain critical habitat for rare species such as the Saola.

A portion of the grant will also be used to build the capacity of local stakeholders to establish community-based acacia nurseries. These nurseries are envisioned to help provide local farmers with continued and reliable access to high quality seedlings at lower costs.

“This initiative will help restore biodiversity in the ecologically valuable Central Annamites Landscape, with the nursery model becoming a prototype for sustainable development among households. In the long run, this project will lead to job creation and increased incomes for local communities,” adds Nguyen Vu, Project Manager, WWF Vietnam.  

To further promote sustainability among the smallholders, the program will feature training and workshops that will scale-up existing best practices and practical knowledge in line with FSC standards.

Renae Kezar, global senior director and global sustainability leader, label and graphic materials, Avery Dennison, shares that “this will help evolve the forestry practices of local communities, ensuring they will benefit from the program in both the short and long term.”

Growing reach

The responsible forestry project reflects Avery Dennison’s focus on expanding awareness of the importance of sustainable paper sourcing across Southeast Asia.

Avery Dennison now sources approximately 60% of face paper from FSC-certified sources across Southeast Asia and by 2025 the company aims to only use paper with origins that are 100% certified as sustainable, and of which 70% is FSC-certified.

Marcel Cote, strategic marketing director, label and graphic materials, Avery Dennison South Asia Pacific and Sub Saharan Africa, shares that though the acacia forestry project has no direct impact of the company’s operations, it is “a strong example of how Avery Dennison is reaching beyond its own operations to help influence the broader value chain to make more sustainable choices.”

For more information on our progress towards our 2025 Sustainability goals, please visit sustainability.averydennison.com.

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About Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison (NYSE: AVY) is a global materials science and manufacturing company specializing in the design and manufacture of a wide variety of labeling and functional materials. The company’s products, which are used in nearly every major industry, include pressure-sensitive materials for labels and graphic applications; tapes and other bonding solutions for industrial, medical and retail applications; tags, labels and embellishments for apparel; and radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions serving retail apparel and other markets. Headquartered in Glendale, California, the company employs approximately 30,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Reported sales in 2017 were $6.6 billion. Learn more at www.averydennison.com.

For more information:

Avery Dennison
Sui Ching Low
T: +65 9731 3754
suiching.low@ap.averydennison.com