Tool for wood traceability management debuts in Vietnam

The Vn-WoodID application has been officially launched in Vietnam, becoming a key tool contributing to wood traceability.

The application, launched within the framework of the "Ensuring Timber Legality for Sustainable Forestry Development in Vietnam" forum last Friday, integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and is capable of analyzing images of wood cross-sections, providing identification results with an accuracy of up to 98.6% in less than one second.

A prominent feature of Vn-WoodID is its ability to operate directly on a phone without an internet connection. This allows customs officials, forest rangers, or businesses to use it immediately on-site to look up information about wood species, rather than taking days to send samples for identification as was previously required.

The application was built using nearly 3,000 wood samples collected from various high-risk areas for origin, such as Africa, South America, and Asia. The current database includes 260 wood species, of which 181 are commonly imported into Vietnam, seven are rare species listed under CITES, and many are frequently illegally exploited.

The WoodID application is one of the achievements of the "Supporting the implementation of the VPA/FLEGT agreement in Vietnam" project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BM).

It was implemented by the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection in cooperation with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), with support from experts from the Forest Industry Research Institute (RIFI) under the Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences (VAFS), and Artificial Intelligence Technology Consulting and Development Co., Ltd. (AITC).

Le Thi Loc, a GIZ Vietnam project officer, stated that Vietnam's import of over 800 wood species from more than 120 countries makes management very complex, especially in the declaration and verification of wood names. The launch of Vn-WoodID provides a solution to this challenge.

The application is not only useful for customs and forest protection forces when inspecting imported timber products, but also helps businesses reduce legal risks due to incorrect species declaration. For researchers and educators, it is also an intuitive tool for teaching wood anatomy, contributing to biodiversity conservation.

A representative of Vietnam Customs, Nguyen Quynh Chi, said: "Previously, identifying wood species was time-consuming and costly. With WoodID, results are available in just a few seconds, significantly saving effort and cost for both management agencies and businesses."

According to deputy director of the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection Nguyen Huu Thien, WoodID is a key tool for Vietnam to implement its commitments in the VPA/FLEGT Agreement, while also supporting the goal of developing a transparent and sustainable wood industry.

Within just one year, the application has achieved over 8,000 downloads and attracted 371 officials and researchers to participate in the pilot phase. In the coming time, the database will continue to be expanded with the participation of businesses, research institutes, and wood industry associations, creating an open platform to serve the management and legal trade of wood.

"This is not just software for rapid wood species identification, but also a digital transformation solution that transparentises the supply chain, enhances management efficiency, and protects forest resources," said Dr. Nguyen Bao Ngoc, deputy director of the Forest Industry Research Institute.

"It exemplifies the perspective of Resolution 57 NQ/TW, which identifies science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as key breakthroughs for developing modern production forces, improving productivity, efficiency, and sustainability," Ngoc added.

Currently, the image database and wood species information are only at an initial foundational level. In the coming time, expanding the database is crucial to enhancing the application's effectiveness. This process should be carried out in an open manner, with the participation of many stakeholders – especially the business community, wood industry associations, universities, and research institutes.