BioTrade Vietnam

FROM OPIUM FIELDS TO A THRIVING TEA AGRO-ECOSYSTEM In 2002, Shwin Chang Lone initiated a 50-acre tea plantation near Tangyan City in Shan State, Myanmar, which has since expanded to 250 acres, transforming former opium fields. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted border trade between Myanmar and China, leading to a supply crisis. Shwin Chang Lone seized this opportunity to focus on producing high-quality tea for the domestic market. The Regional Biotrade project has been a crucial partner, supporting community empowerment, enhancing farming skills, and establishing tea leaf collection centers. These efforts aim to preserve ancient tea trees, conserve local ecosystems, and create an efficient supply chain for raw tea leaves. The collection centers streamline the process from picking to factory entry, ensuring quality standards and increasing farmers' income. Driven by a commitment to productivity and quality, Shwin Chang Lone has developed 50 tea products under the "Mother's Love Tea" brand, now exporting to China, the US, and Thailand. International trade promotion support from Biotrade has been essential to this success. This transformation has promoted tea agro-ecotourism, increased income and employment for around 10,000 tea farmers and pickers, and reduced local migration for work. Ms. Yee Yee Myint, Managing Director of Shwin Chang Lone, stated, “Helvetas’s Biotrade project accelerated our transition, enhancing tea product quality and farmers' income. It strengthened community conservation efforts and helped replace opium cultivation with a thriving tea industry, improving livelihoods sustainably.” The Regional Biotrade Project, led by Helvetas, CRED, and partners from September 2016 to August 2024, with support from the Swiss government through SECO, has made significant progress in promoting sustainable trade that protects biodiversity in the Mekong region. #Helvetas #CRED #SECO #Biotrade #biodiversity #sustainability #diversity #organic #localvariety #sustainablesourcing #traceability #BiotradeStory

BIOTRADE – PALMANIA: BRINGING TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE PRODUCTS TO THE GLOBAL MARKET Palmania JSC, a small enterprise in An Giang with a workforce entirely composed of women, specializes in producing palmyra nectar. They aim to revive and preserve the traditional craft of the Khmer people. CEO Châu Ngọc Dịu shares, "We want to expand the market to increase revenue and support farmers more, helping to preserve the traditional craft and improve their lives When Palmania - Natural Palmyra Nectar joined Biotrade in 2022, they struggled to find a market direction, producing only about 15 tons of palmyranecta annually, mainly for the domestic market and a few small shops in Finland. Biotrade supported market research, revealing the potential of this unique product in high-end European markets. Additionally, Biotrade accompanied Palmania on market research trips to major fairs like Anuga and Nordic Food Fair. Co-founder Hoài Trần stated, "Thanks to Biotrade, I met and connected with major player in the industry, opening avenue for Palmania” Through these field research trips with Biotrade experts, Palmania learned valuable customer outreach and networking skills. The insights gathered helped Palmania develop sourcing areas and plan to launch organic products by early 2024. After more than two years of collaboration with Biotrade, Palmania has expanded production to nearly 200 tons of palmyra nectar, exporting to Finland, the Netherlands, the UK, Japan, and South Korea. Domestically, they are partnering with Organica to distribute organic products. Hoài added, "Biotrade's support is very effective, especially essential for small businesses producing new items like Palmania” The Regional Biotrade Project, led by Helvetas, CRED, and partners from September 2016 to August 2024 with support from the Swiss government through SECO, has made big progress in promoting sustainable trade that protects biodiversity in the Mekong region. #helvetas #cred #seco #biotrade #biodiversity #sustainability #diversity #organic #localvariery #sustainablesourcing #tracebility #BiotradeStory

🍀 Vietnam's Spice Industry: Opportunities Ahead 🌶️ In recent years, Vietnam's spice industry has experienced remarkable growth, emerging as a key player in the global market. As the demand for high-quality spices continues to soar, stakeholders across the industry are actively collaborating to ensure sustainable development and meet international standards. With support from BioTrade Vietnam, the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA) organized a comprehensive study on the production of Vietnam's spice industry in 11 provinces. This endeavor focused on gathering updated information on the production and supply of essential spices like Pepper, Cinnamon, Star Anise, Ginger, Turmeric, and Chili in Vietnam for 2024. The aim is to provide valuable documentation and quick evaluations of challenges and opportunities facing the sector, moving towards sustainable development. Survey participants included governmental agencies, local authorities (provincial, district, communal levels), export businesses, cooperatives, and local farmers. This diverse participation ensures a comprehensive view of the entire spice sector, capturing perspectives from crucial stakeholders directly influencing Vietnam's spice production. This comprehensive report promises to illuminate the current landscape of Vietnam's pepper and spice industry. 🗓 Join us for the Six-month review meeting on July 31, 2024, where we will unveil insightful information about this report and share additional valuable insights. Together, let's advance the spice industry towards a sustainable future! #VietnamSpice #SustainableDevelopment #BiotradeVietnam

CRED PARTNERS WITH THE VIETNAM PEPPER AND SPICE ASSOCIATION (VPSA) TO CONDUCT THE FIRST-EVER NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF THE VIETNAM SPICE INDUSTRY Vietnam's spice exports, including pepper, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, turmeric, and chili, have seen remarkable growth in recent years. To fully tap into this potential and foster sustainable development, the BioTrade project, led by CRED, in partnership with The Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association, is embarking on a comprehensive survey. From May to July 2024, we are conducting interviews and gathering insights from key actors in the supply chain, including farmers, cooperatives, traders, businesses, local authorities and experts across the country. This initiative aims to capture a comprehensive picture of Vietnam's spice production, supply chains, and the challenges the industry faces. Please stay tuned as we compile this valuable data into a detailed report, scheduled for release by the end of July 2024. Follow our pages for updates on the survey progress and the official report launch date. ---------------- The Biotrade project is funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and implemented by HELVETAS and the Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED). HELVETAS is responsible for project management in Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia, while CRED is responsible for implementing the project in Vietnam. #Biotrade #biodiversity #SustainableSourcing #Traceability #SECO #Helvetas #CRED #VPSA

SUPPORTING VIETNAMESE SMES IN MEETING ORGANIC STANDARDS (EU ORGANIC, USDA-NOP, JAS) With over 70% of the country's land dedicated to agriculture, Vietnam offers abundant opportunities for producing high-quality organic products that are increasingly in demand globally. Many Vietnamese companies are transitioning from conventional methods to meet stringent international certifications such as USDA-NOP, EU Organic, and JAS. This transformation is powering exports of spices, herbs, cashews, pulses, coconuts, natural sweeteners, rice, and coffee to global markets. To accelerate this shift and support Vietnamese SMEs in adopting organic farming practices, the BioTrade project recently conducted a series of training sessions across the country. Following a successful session in Hanoi for northern exporters, we continued our efforts in Da Nang city from 21-22 June, focusing on enterprises in central Vietnam. The training attracted over 20 participants, including small and medium-sized export enterprises, agricultural extension units, university lecturers, agricultural experts, and representatives from Control Union certification organization. Throughout the sessions, participants were equiped with the essential skills and knowledge needed for organic agriculture, including: • Fundamental principles and production techniques of organic agriculture • Development of organic production models • Internal Control Systems (ICS) • Updated regulations for EU Organic and USDA-NOP certifications • Knowledge sharing through a study tour of an organic production farm These sessions mark the first step in supporting SMEs to gain an overview of organic production, assess their readiness to adopt organic farming practices, and begin planning their production chains. Following the training, BioTrade consultants will continue to assist SMEs in successfully achieving organic certification. ------------------------------ About the BioTrade project: The BioTrade project - Vietnam component, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), is implemented by Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED) from 2021. We support biodiversity conservation through sustainable trade that integrates local exporters/producers into global value chains and increases income for the rural population of women and men who depend on biodiversity resources for their livelihoods in the Mekong region. Contact us: • Email: biotrade@cred.org.vn • Website: www.biotrade-asia.com

SUPPORTING VIETNAMESE SMES IN MEETING ORGANIC STANDARDS (EU ORGANIC, USDA-NOP, JAS) With over 70% of the country's land dedicated to agriculture, Vietnam offers abundant opportunities for producing high-quality organic products that are increasingly in demand globally. Many Vietnamese companies are transitioning from conventional methods to meet stringent international certifications such as USDA-NOP, EU Organic, and JAS. This transformation is powering exports of spices, herbs, cashews, pulses, coconuts, natural sweeteners, rice, and coffee to global markets. To accelerate this shift and support Vietnamese SMEs in adopting organic farming practices, the BioTrade project recently conducted a series of training sessions across the country. Following a successful session in Hanoi for northern exporters, we continued our efforts in Da Nang city from 21-22 June, focusing on enterprises in central Vietnam. The training attracted over 20 participants, including small and medium-sized export enterprises, agricultural extension units, university lecturers, agricultural experts, and representatives from Control Union certification organization. Throughout the sessions, participants were equiped with the essential skills and knowledge needed for organic agriculture, including: • Fundamental principles and production techniques of organic agriculture • Development of organic production models • Internal Control Systems (ICS) • Updated regulations for EU Organic and USDA-NOP certifications • Knowledge sharing through a study tour of an organic production farm These sessions mark the first step in supporting SMEs to gain an overview of organic production, assess their readiness to adopt organic farming practices, and begin planning their production chains. Following the training, BioTrade consultants will continue to assist SMEs in successfully achieving organic certification. ------------------------------ About the BioTrade project: The BioTrade project - Vietnam component, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), is implemented by Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED) from 2021. We support biodiversity conservation through sustainable trade that integrates local exporters/producers into global value chains and increases income for the rural population of women and men who depend on biodiversity resources for their livelihoods in the Mekong region. Contact us: • Email: biotrade@cred.org.vn • Website: www.biotrade-asia.com

Day-2/3 of The AgriTech Myanmar 2024 EXPO and Biotrade Myanmar MSMEs' participation as the collective special booth of Biodiversity theme 🌳🌱🌈🐝🌍🌎🌏

Thank you for visiting our booth at THAIFEX 2024!!! We greatly appreciated the opportunity to connect with you and discuss our BioTrade project and high-quality products from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar. 👩👩👧👦 At the BioTrade booth, we proudly represent an alliance of exporters dedicated to supporting each other and fostering long-term partnerships. By exchanging knowledge and experiences, we strengthen our collective impact. 🤝 Although sustainable products, including organic and fair trade ingredients, remain niche markets and still have low demand, especially in Asia bring to us many challenges in doing sustainable business,  we believe that our commitment to transparency and mutual support empowers us to overcome obstacles and achieve long-term success together. See you at the next events! ------------------------------ About the BioTrade project: The BioTrade project - Vietnam component, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), is implemented by Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED) from 2021. We support biodiversity conservation through sustainable trade that integrates local exporters/producers into global value chains and increases income for the rural population of women and men who depend on biodiversity resources for their livelihoods in the Mekong region. Contact us: Email: biotrade@cred.org.vn Website: www.biotrade-asia.com #Biotrade #organic #biodiversity #DiversifyTaste #BenefitSharing #ForNature #ResponsibilitySourcing #SustainableSourcing #Traceability DACE GROUP Hagimex JSC Palmania JSC Cocovie Cambodia Pepper and Spices Federation_CPSF Khmer Organic Cooperative Co., Ltd.

Exciting News from Thaifex 2024! 🌟 We are thrilled to showcase a diverse range of products from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar at Thaifex – Anuga Asia this year! 🌏✨ Our booth features an array of exceptional goods, including: 🌱 Vietnam: Spices and herbs, cashews, beans, peanuts, coconut oils, dried and packaged fruits, vegetables, natural sweeteners.  🌻 Myanmar: Tea (for drinking and making salads), honey 🌹 Cambodia: Unique spices, nuts, banana sugar Check out our pictures below to see the vibrant and high-quality products we are bringing to the global market. We are proud to represent the rich cultural heritage of these regions. Come visit us at our booth and experience the best that Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar have to offer!  🏢 Location: Impact, Muang Thong Thani, Thailand 📍 Booth: Hall 6 - H25 📅 Date: 28 May - 1 June, 2024 🕛 Time: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM ------------------------------ About the BioTrade project: The BioTrade project - Vietnam component, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), is implemented by Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED) from 2021. We support biodiversity conservation through sustainable trade that integrates local exporters/producers into global value chains and increases income for the rural population of women and men who depend on biodiversity resources for their livelihoods in the Mekong region. Contact us: Email: biotrade@cred.org.vn Website: www.biotrade-asia.com #Biotrade #organic #biodiversity #DiversifyTaste #LocalVariety #BenefitSharing #ForNature #ResponsibilitySourcing #SustainableSourcing #Traceability

Join us at Thaifex 2024!!! We are excited to invite you to visit our booth at Thaifex 2024! Come and explore a diverse range of sustainable products from Vietnam, Myanmar, and Cambodia. 🏢 Location: Impact, Muang Thong Thani, Thailand 📍 Booth: Hall 6 - H25 📅 Date: 28 May - 1 June, 2024 🕛 Time: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM ------------------------------ About the BioTrade project: The BioTrade project - Vietnam component, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), is implemented by Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED) from 2021. We support biodiversity conservation through sustainable trade that integrates local exporters/producers into global value chains and increases income for the rural population of women and men who depend on biodiversity resources for their livelihoods in the Mekong region. Contact us: Email: biotrade@cred.org.vn Website: www.biotrade-asia.com #Biotrade #organic #biodiversity #DiversifyTaste #LocalVariety #BenefitSharing #ForNature #ResponsibilitySourcing #SustainableSourcing #Traceability