Laos and Cambodia

WWF and IKEA Partnership on rattan production and trade

Working with Cambodian and Lao PDR government institutions, WWF is aiming to identify which species of rattan are produced, harvested, used and traded in the two countries, as well as determine the potential to develop a sustainable rattan harvesting model.

Rattans are climbing palms belonging to the Palmae family. There are around 600 different species of rattan belonging to 13 genera. Many species, including some of commercial importance, have restricted natural ranges. Rattan is an important commodity in international trade and generates significant amount of foreign exchange. At the local level, rattan plays an important role in the livelihoods of rural community as source for food and income.

The three-year WWF and IKEA joint project entitled "A switch to sustainable rattan harvest and production in Lao PDR and Cambodia" consists of two phases. The first phase involved the gathering of information on the dynamics of the rattan market and preparing an overview of the conservation status of key species. In both Lao PDR and Cambodia, rattan resources have been heavily depleted due to over-harvesting, shifting cultivation, forest logging and changing land use. Lack of market information and inappropriate forest policy have hampered the development of the rattan sub-sector. This has led to the second phase of the project which involves establishing field research on growth and yield of specific rattan species as well as implementing a community-based rattan network and launching a market chain analysis in both countries as well as in Vietnam. The best quality rattan species are exported to Vietnam, Thailand and China and low quality rattan species are used for the domestic furniture and handicraft market. In Lao PDR, rattan resources are still present in the forests across the country unlike in Cambodia, where rattan is mainly located in protected forest areas. Rattan cultivation for cane is not widespread in either country.

Lao PDR Project
In Lao PDR, 51 rattan species have been recorded from which approximately nine species are commonly processed by local factories established in the central provinces of the country. According to a survey in June 2006 by WWF and the Lao PDR-based Forest Research Center, four species (Korthalsia lacimiosa, Plectocomiopsis geminiflora, Calamus rudentum, Calamus palustris) are commonly found in household processing rattan in the country’s southern provinces.

All species are used both locally and commercially for food, shelter and handicrafts. The domestic market is relatively small with the main commercial species exported to neighbouring countries. During the past ten years, over-harvesting and land use changes have led to a decrease in rattan resources. However, the country has more than 41% of its territory covered by forest and with a high degree of rattan species.

Demand for sustainably-managed rattan is increasing and there is still time for such responsible practices to be established. WWF and its partners will carry out field research activities in two provinces: Ban Nakuang village, Feuang District, Vientiane Province, and Ban Sopphouan village, Khamkeut District, Bolikhamxay Province. WWF partners in this project include the National Agriculture and Forest Research Institute (NAFRI), especially the Forest Research Center (FRC). Other national institutions such as Department of Forestry, Faculty of Forestry (National University), Ministry of Commerce and Handicraft as well as private sector will be involved. In conjunction with its partners, WWF has formed a Community-based Rattan
Network in co-operation with villages involved in rattan harvesting and production across the country.

Cambodian Project
Cambodian rattan resources are scattered across the country but are found mainly in well protected forest areas. The first phase of the rattan project ended in June 2006 with the completion of a field survey which identified rattan species, their distribution and trade in the following provinces: Kampong Thom, Preah Vihear, Siem Reap, Battambang, Uddor Mean Chey, Pausat, Koh Kong-Cardamom Mountain, Kampot-Bokor, Virachey-Rattanakiri, Kratie, Keo Seima-Mondulkiri, and the municipalities of Pailin city, Ream National Park and Sihanouk Ville.

In Cambodia, 14 rattan species have been recorded and the survey identified the following 12 rattan commercial species as potential for sustainable management:: Calamus erinaceus, Calamus godefroyi, Calamus palustris, Calamus viminalis, Calamus rudentum, Calamus salicifolius, Daemonorops jenkinsiana, Calamus tenuis, Calamus sp, Myrialepis sp, Plectocomia sp, Korthalsia bejaudii.

According to the survey results, Calamus viminialis and C. palustris could be the ones to receive first priority to develop plantation, because of their abilities to grow countrywide. The two rattan species were found in all survey sites and they are commonly used for mattress, basketry, and furniture. Some of the rattan species such as Daemonorops jenkinsiana, Calamusrudentum, and Phdao Teuk Khmum (Calamus sp.) have been highly collected which led the species to be crucially threatened. For this reason, sustainable management or conservation strategies must be established as otherwise the species would be extinct.

The survey also found that rattan is one of the main Non-Timber Forest Products and made a crucial contribution to local livelihoods, especially in small cities. Rattan canes are vitally important to farmers – providing extra income in addition to their normal agricultural activities. Forest encroachment and conversion to other land use purposes are putting pressure on rattan resources. Like Lao PDR, the Cambodian domestic market is quite small, but exports to Vietnam and Thailand are important. The project, which started in 2006 and end in 2008, is being carried out by WWF with co-operation from Save Cambodian Wildlife (SCW) and the Faculty of Forestry (Royal Agriculture University) with additional private sector involvement.