Close to 20 businesses from Vietnam and France gathered at a forum in Paris on February 26 to exchange know-how in organic agricultural production.
The event created an opportunity for Vietnamese firms to learn about France’s state management in the field. Vice versa, organic certification providers from the European country had a chance to study Vietnam’s investment climate to assist local businesses develop organic farming sustainably.
Participants agreed that the demand for healthy and environmentally-friendly agricultural products will become an inevitable trend in the coming time in many countries, especially developed nations.
Executive Director of Ecolink Pham Minh Duc said his company has successfully brought clean O Long tea grown in Vietnam’s northern province of Lai Chau to the French market.
He hoped to share his experience with policymakers through this forum to help them devise more proper financial and policy mechanisms to develop Vietnam’s agriculture and tea products in particular.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is actively implementing an agriculture restructuring project which pays special attention to creating environmentally-friendly and high added-value organic farm products for exports.
The ministry will promulgate appropriate policies to help production units and associations to speed up the development of organic agriculture and maintain ecological balance, especially in the light of international economic integration and climate change adaptation.
According to the Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association, the organic farming area in the country has been increasing, reaching about 77,000 hectares in 2016, 3.6 times higher than it was in 2010.
Currently, 33 out of the country’s 63 provinces and cities have organic farming models, with many offering high economic efficiency and higher incomes for farmers, contributing to agricultural restructuring.
Though it is modest compared to the total farming area, businesses and organisations are applying international organic standards and certified organic products are being exported to many markets, including the US and EU.
Organic agriculture offers advantages such as no pesticide residue, higher value of products, and greater likelihood of being accepted in choosy markets.
VNA