BioTrade Vietnam’s Post

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