Bon Bo tree or Alpinia blepharocalyx Kschum is often found grown in mountainous areas of Ky Son, Que Phong, Tuong Duong districts of Nghe An province. Bon Bo owns its high economic value when being exported out of the country for medicine, cosmetic product. The fact that, however, Bon Bo tree has been declined in number because of ethnic minorities' deforestation to grow crop and forest products which contributes to destroy ecological surroundings for development of Bon Bo tree. In addition, ethnic people exploit Bon Bo too spontaneously to grow itself in sustainable way. Based on this background and those facts, the project is therefore designed to build and duplicate the model of protecting, developing, exploiting community-based Bon Bo (54ha in area in which 14 ha is of planting, 40ha is of protecting and suppelemtarily planting) and strengthening knowledge and endeavour to protecting and developing Bon Bo for ethnic women and farmers in Que Phong district in order that those knowledge and experiences are utilized to create job, increase income and alleviate poverty and to conserve biodiversity and protect environment sustainably.

Project Activities
- Develop model of sustainable conservation, development, and exploitation of Bon Bo, including a 14-ha monoculture model and 40-ha plant regeneration and supplement model
- Enhance community awareness, promote universal replication of the model.

Expected Results
Output 1: Successful models for universal replication
- Bon Bo regeneration and supplement under the forest canopy (namely regeneration model - model A) in a 40-ha area and with 60 pariticpating households, with an average of 0.5-0.7ha per household, in Nam Nhoong and Chau Thon communes, Que Phong district.
- Bon Bo cultivation under the forest canopy in 24 households (namely monoculture model ? model B) in a 14-ha area (with an average of 0.7ha per household) was successfully implemented in Nam Nhoong and Chau Thon communes, Que Phong district.
Output 2: Capacity building
- Training materials were compiled and 2 training courses with 84 households participating in the model was successfully organized. Participants were equipped with techniques and management knowledge to implement the forest protection model, integrated with Bon Bo cultivation model.
- Training materials were compiled and 1 training course on knowledge and capacity in Bon Bo protection and cultivation was successfully organized for 72 officials of Women's Union and Farmers? Union from district, 14 communes and village and other agencies.
Output 3: Advocacy and awareness raising
- 20 news and articles on Bon Bo conservation and development during 2 years of the project implementation were broadcast on Que Phong district Television and Radio, and shared with radios of 14 communes and towns in the district, as well as Television and Radio of Nghe An province.
- 2,000 Q&A handbook, in 14cmx20cm format and 50-60 pages, on conservation, protection and cultivation of Bon Bo; 3000 flyers on Bon Bo conservation and development, of 20cmx50cm and in color, were designed, printed and dissemomated to the communities in 14 communes and towns in Que Phong.
Output 4: Workshop
- A workshop with 67 participants was successfully organized in Que Phong district, to share and exchange lessons learned and experience on conservation and development of Bon Bo.
Output 5: Community fund for the conservation and development of Bon Bo
- The Fund borrowed capital from the initial project funding source upon the successful completion of project model with sustainable results.