Women restores forests and secures futures in Thanh Hoá province

In the remote corners of Thanh Hoá, a province in Vietnam, change is blossoming amid the barren hills. Driving this transformation is 34-year-old Nguyễn Lê Ngọc Linh, a woman hailing from the Thổ ethnic group, who abandoned a promising career in the city to rejuvenate degraded land and pioneer sustainable livelihoods for her fellow villagers.

What started as an audacious dream has metamorphosed into the revolutionary agro-ecology initiative, "Vườn rừng bản Thổ" (Thổ Village Forest Garden), spanning over six hectares of land. This groundbreaking project has returned life to once desolate hills and altered the course of rural development.

From PR Maven to Forest Champion

Rooted in the district of Như Xuân, Linh bore witness to the enduring hardships plaguing her community: impoverished soil, deforestation, and limited economic opportunities. With a public relations degree in hand from a prestigious university in Hà Nội, Linh secured a coveted position at a major publishing company. Yet, a persistent yearning pulled her back. Each visit home served as a stark reminder of the vanishing forest, a community left behind.

In 2020, she made the extraordinary move to relinquish the city and invest her savings, roughly the equivalent of US$39,000, into a previously barren, unproductive three-hectare hillside that lacked access to electricity, water, and roads. Family and friends characterized this choice as a blunder. However, Linh perceived latent potential: the prospect to restore the land and the lives of its people.

Indigenous Wisdom and Conservation

Instead of emulating monoculture forestry projects, "Vườn rừng bản Thổ" mirrors a natural forest ecosystem. Incorporating a multi-layered vegetation arrangement, Linh planted an assortment of fruit trees, medicinal herbs, native timber species, and nitrogen-fixing plants, working hand in hand with Mother Nature to encourage biodiversity and rebuild the local ecosystem.

No detrimental synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides are used within this verdant sanctuary. Rather, composted organic waste and biofertilizers crafted on-site nourish the fertile soil, curbing the need for artificial interventions. Grasses are left undisturbed, serving as natural barriers to minimize erosion and preserve vital water reserves in this thunderstorm-prone region.

"Như Xuân experiences scarce rainfall. Disregarding the soil coverage could lead to water loss and soil erosion," Linh advised, citing the over 100 species now thriving within her meticulously cultivated ecosystem.

Community Empowerment and Solidarity

Realizing that personal endeavors fall short, Linh founded the "Hoạp tác xã Bản Thổ" (Thổ Village Cooperative) towards the end of 2020. Initially comprising seven members, it has expanded to include over 20 ethnic minority women from impoverished households. The cooperative members share resources, knowledge, and profits, collaborating to lift one another out of poverty.

In addition to the core agricultural initiatives, Linh introduced value-added processing to the local economy. Her distinctive product—a fragrant forest honey enhanced with aromatic botanicals like ginger and turmeric—has earned a coveted three-star OCOP certification, a national standard for local rural products in Vietnam.

The cooperative has expanded its reach beyond Thanh Hoá's boundaries. Through various sales channels, such as online platforms, regional fairs, and social media, as well as Linh's leveraging media skills garnered from her previous career, the cooperative has found success.

Nguyễn Lê Ngọc Linh and her forest garden honey products. - VNA/VNS Photo

Rebirth and new beginnings

The social impact is undeniable. Dozens of villagers now enjoy secure, steady incomes. Women who were once confined to household duties are now actively contributing to, and financially benefiting from, the cooperative, gaining confidence and seized opportunities to emerge as leaders. Linh also shares her expertise in sustainable farming with locals, sometimes hosting students and volunteers from across Vietnam.

"Thanks to working here, I have a stable, monthly income of VND 5 million ($193)," said Truong Thi Hien, a local worker. "And I’ve gained invaluable knowledge about regenerative agriculture and avoiding chemical inputs."

National acclaim and aspirations

Linh's tireless efforts have earned her far-reaching recognition. In 2020, she received the Special Prize at the National Rural Youth Start-up Contest. In 2021, her exquisite forest honey claimed the top position in the Thanh Hoá Innovation Awards. The following year, she was awarded the prestigious Lương Định Của Award, which celebrates outstanding young farmers. Finally, in 2023, she received the Vù A Dính Prize, a prestigious recognition granted to exemplary ethnic minority youth for their dedication to community growth.

Linh's long-term vision encompasses a comprehensive sustainable food ecosystem rooted in the forest. She plans to branch out into community-based tourism, showcasing local Thổ culture through artisan workshops, traditional cuisine, and eco-lodging. Additionally, she aims to scale up organic production by expanding to new forest plots in neighboring Ngọc Lặc District.

"I sell not merely honey—I sell the story behind it, a romantic tale of the forest," Linh emphasized, illustrating her role as a storyteller connecting the dots between past, present, and future.

Nature, Culture, and Thriving Communities

Beyond financial success, Linh's approach has become a case study in environmental and cultural preservation. The reforestation project has bolstered groundwater retention and soil fertility, while also fostering biodiversity. Familiar trees once absent from the region now stand tall and proud, drawing birds and insects alike, reflecting the harmonious balance restored by Linh's care and dedication.

Nguyễn Lê Ngọc Linh inspects beehives in the forest garden. - VNA/VNS Photo

Perhaps more significantly, the forest serves as a cultural bastion for the Thổ people, connecting them with their roots through ancestral stories and age-old land-use practices.

"Without forests, our world may vanish," Linh pondered, her words echoing throughout the verdant expanse of the Thổ Village Forest Garden.

The Thoss Village Forest Garden, an agro-ecology initiative founded by Nguyen Le Ngoc Linh, spans over six hectares of previously degraded land in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam.
Linh, a woman from the Thoss ethnic group, invested her savings, roughly equivalent to US$39,000, into revitalizing a barren hillside in 2020, a move initially deemed a blunder by friends and family.
The Thoss Village Forest Garden utilizes a natural forest ecosystem approach, integrating a multilayered vegetation arrangement that includes fruit trees, medicinal herbs, native timber species, and nitrogen-fixing plants.
Linh avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides and instead employs organic compost and biofertilizers in her farm to minimize environmental degradation.
In late 2020, Linh established the Hoap tac xa Bann Thoss (Thoss Village Cooperative) to empower local ethnic minority women and share resources, knowledge, and profits.
The cooperative produces a unique forest honey enhanced with aromatic botanicals, which has earned several prestigious certifications and sales channels.
Linh's efforts have improved the economic welfare of dozens of villagers, particularly women who now have secured, steady incomes and gained knowledge about sustainable farming.
Linh's tireless work has received national acclaim, including the Lương Định Của Award and the Vù A Dính Prize, among others.
Linh's long-term vision includes scaling organic production, community-based tourism, and cultural preservation initiatives, perpetuating a thriving community in harmony with nature.