Organic farming seeks more State support to promote green growth

Organic farming seeks more State support to promote green growth

Organic farming businesses and cooperatives say better support could help Vietnamese organic products expand both at home and in demanding export markets.

G.Organic Group Joint Stock Company’s closed-loop production process, which does not use chemicals and meets stringent technical requirements. Photo hanoimoi.vn

The organic farming sector is seeking stronger State support for trade promotion, consumer education and market access as higher production costs and limited awareness continue to constrain growth.

Organic farming businesses and cooperatives say better support could help Vietnamese organic products expand both at home and in demanding export markets.

G.Organic Group Joint Stock Company spent eight years developing an organic production area in Đức Trọng commune, Lâm Đồng province, rehabilitating soil and building processes from seed selection and cultivation to processing.

The company has launched its first eight products after years of setbacks, said Nguyễn Hoài, founder of the G.Organic organic food brand.

“We have failed many times, but we have remained committed to a closed-loop production process without chemicals and to meeting Việt Nam’s strict national standards for organic agriculture,” Hoài told Hà Nội Mới newspaper.

In Hà Nội, the Đồng Phú Organic Agriculture Cooperative has expanded its organic rice production from a five-hectare pilot project in 2012, supported by Japan’s Pamci project, to 65 hectares.

The cooperative’s rice-growing area has obtained USDA Organic certification with support from Hà Nội authorities and businesses, said Trịnh Thị Nguyệt, its director.

The certification, issued under standards administered by the US Department of Agriculture, has helped Hà Nội’s rice gain access to demanding international markets, she said.

Việt Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment says organic products now span crops, livestock and fisheries, with key products including rice, vegetables, fruit, tea, coffee, shrimp and meat.

Organic products are sold through major supermarket chains domestically and exported to markets including Europe, the United States and Japan, although the sector remains relatively small.

Thirty-four provinces and cities have introduced organic farming or begun converting to agricultural production to organic methods, while more than 60 per cent of localities have issued plans or projects to support the sector, according to official data.

Việt Nam has about 17,200 organic producers, nearly 600 processing facilities, more than 60 exporters and around 40 importers participating in the organic value chain.

Cost, skills and trust remain hurdles

Organic farming is more expensive than conventional production because avoiding chemical fertilisers and synthetic pesticides can reduce yields, increase labour requirements and raise production risks, the ministry said.

Hà Phúc Mịch, chairman of the Việt Nam Organic Agriculture Association, said a major obstacle to the development of organic farming was that many farmers still lacked adequate knowledge and skills.

The transition from chemical-based agriculture to organic farming is also lengthy and requires continuous financial and technical support, he said.

From a business perspective, higher production costs make organic products less competitive than conventional agricultural goods. Storage is also challenging because organic products are more perishable and sensitive to humidity and temperature, and preservatives are not used.

Consumer and retailer awareness of organic products also remains limited, with gaps in knowledge about their products, nutrition and labelling regulations.

Counterfeiting is an even greater concern, with non-organic products being mixed with or falsely marketed as organic goods, seriously undermining consumer confidence in the market.

Based on its experience in organic production, Hoài said G.Organic wanted to encourage people to become informed consumers capable of choosing safe, high-quality food.

The company also wants greater government support for public education and communication to raise consumer awareness of the long-term benefits of organic food and other agricultural products.

That, in turn, could encourage consumers to shift from conventional products to organic and sustainable alternatives, she said.

Many cooperatives and businesses have called for more specific and coordinated government policies to support the sustainable development of organic farming.

Their priorities include planning concentrated organic production areas, providing financial and land support, helping businesses build brands and raising consumer awareness.

They also called for stronger trade promotion measures to help businesses access markets, negotiate and sign export contracts, and expand domestic distribution channels, gradually broadening the market for organic products.

Behind successful organic farming models are significant challenges, ranging from consumer awareness and production costs to raw material areas, markets and prices.

These are not problems facing a single locality or business, but common bottlenecks for Việt Nam’s organic agriculture sector that need to be addressed soon if the industry is to develop sustainably.

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