Investigation results in recent years have shown that Vietnam?s abundant and diverse flora provides a variety of plants from which colorants for foodstuff industry can be extracted. More than 200 plants species provide colorants, among which 57 species of 28 families have already been used and widely distributed in the country. Dye plants in Vietnam are diverse in terms of not only tree species composition but also chemical composition within each species as well.
By using such dye plants, indigenous people have accumulated knowledge of and experience in using dye plants for common needs in general and for foodstuff coloring in particular. Many species that are not hazard to human health and have attractive colors have been selected for foodstuff coloring.
However, an emerged problem that should be urgently addressed is the loss of many dye plants accompanied with the deterioration in knowledge of using those plants.
Existing investigations of dye plants and research on their chemistry and extraction technology have not been adequate and fully developed to provide a firm scientific foundation for the exploitation of this resource to produce pigments for foodstuff, cosmetic and drug industries. The awareness and knowledge of biodiversity conservation of local authorities and communities at all levels are very limited. The loss of these plants is related to the rule of erosion of traditional knowledge in social-economic development.
The objective of the project is to build a demonstration model of community participation in conserving and developing genetic sources of dye plants, contributing to biodiversity conservation. The project's strategy is to link conservation activities with community livelihoods by exploiting economic value of those plants through pigment production to meet industries? demands.
Major activities of the project will include:
? Organize communication activities so as to raise the awareness and knowledge of biodiversity conservation in general and color-vegetal resources in particular of the local authorities and communes.
? Set up a community model to specialize in cultivating 3 dye plants, including Mat Mong Hoa, Cam and Cham Meo, for pigment production in order to preserve and develop genetic sources of those species and create a source of income for local people.
? Testing a small-scale pigment production from the 3 dye plants.
? Create domestic market for pigments produced by the project
? Collect and document traditional experience and indigenous knowledge of indigenous people in using dye plants.
? Document and disseminate the project's lessons learned, compile technical documents for the cultivation of dye plants and pigment production.