Amidst the vast mountains of Trà Leng, the forest is not only the source of streams and the home of natural ecosystems, but also a vital resource intimately connected with generations of indigenous people. In the journey of sustainable economic development, the local people have chosen a path that suits their natural conditions and farming practices: developing cinnamon trees under the forest canopy. This model not only creates stable livelihoods but also contributes to preserving the greenness of Trà Leng's mountains and forests.
Forests are intertwined with the lives of indigenous people
For the Ca Dong, Xơ Đăng, and Mơ Nông ethnic groups, forests always play a particularly important role in their lives. From water sources and medicinal herbs to precious products, everything originates from nature. Therefore, protecting the forest is not only a shared responsibility but also a way to preserve the life, culture, and livelihoods of the community itself.
In this context, Trà Leng cinnamon trees have become one of the crops closely associated with the process of forestry economic development. Thanks to their good adaptability to the climate and soil conditions of the high mountains, cinnamon trees grow stably, bringing long-term economic value to the people.
Growing cinnamon under the forest canopy: a green and sustainable economic solution
Unlike many short-term crops, cinnamon is a perennial tree that requires time to grow and proper technical care. When choosing to plant cinnamon, people not only aim for a stable income but also contribute to preserving the land, limiting natural forest exploitation, and creating valuable green areas with long-term economic benefits.
Cinnamon hills are therefore not merely raw material areas, but also "green shields" that help protect the ecological landscape, reduce soil erosion, maintain natural moisture, and preserve forest cover. This is one of the green economic development models suitable for the orientation of natural resource conservation and adaptation to climate change.
Trà Leng Cinnamon affirms its value in the market
Over the years, Trà Leng Cinnamon has gradually affirmed its position thanks to the quality of its essential oil, distinctive aroma, and its ability to grow well in the natural conditions of the high mountains. From the initial raw materials, local people and production facilities have developed many valuable product lines such as dried cinnamon bark, cinnamon essential oil, cinnamon powder, cinnamon tea, and OCOP products.
Product diversification not only helps increase the economic value of cinnamon trees but also opens up opportunities to build local brands, increase market competitiveness, and create more motivation for people to expand cultivation areas and care for cinnamon forests in a sustainable direction.
Connecting cinnamon tree development with ecotourism and community tourism
Not only bringing economic value from production, Trà Leng cinnamon trees also open up great potential for developing ecotourism and community tourism. The paths through cinnamon forests, the fragrant aroma spreading through the mountains, and the stories of cinnamon cultivation passed down from generation to generation have become attractive experiences for tourists visiting Trà Leng.
The combination of agriculture, forestry, and tourism helps enhance the overall value of cinnamon trees, while also promoting the image of the land, people, and indigenous culture to tourists inside and outside the province. This is also a suitable direction for developing the local economy in depth, associated with preserving cultural identity.
Cinnamon forest development model towards a sustainable future
In the context of green economic development and adaptation to climate change, the cinnamon forest development model in Trà Leng demonstrates the harmony between economic benefits and natural resource conservation. When people earn income from the forest, they also have more motivation to preserve, care for, and develop these forests.
This is an important foundation for building sustainable livelihoods, improving people's lives, and protecting the living environment for future generations. Protecting forests is not only through regulations or commitments, but also through the practical values that forests bring to life.
Today's cinnamon forests are telling a story about the connection between humans and nature, about Trà Leng's aspiration for sustainable development – where the greenness of the forest continues to be preserved through generations by the very hands of the children of the great mountains.
