Bac Kan – Sustainable Organic Agriculture Development Applying the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS)

Applying PGS in Organic Development in Bac Kan

Forest and Farm Support Project in Bac Kan

To transform public awareness toward producing safe, environmentally friendly, and sustainable agricultural products, the Provincial People's Committee approved the establishment of the Bac Kan PGS Coordination Board by the Provincial Farmers' Union. The Coordination Board is responsible for promoting the production of certified organic products, helping to enhance product value and build brand reputation. This increases the added value of organic products by 10% to 20% or more per unit compared to conventional farming methods, while contributing to environmental protection.

In 2022, Nhung Luy Cooperative in Yen Duong Commune (Ba Be) was granted PGS certification by the Bac Kan PGS Coordination Board for its products: aromatic squash across an area of 6.23 hectares with 38 participating households; 5 tons of aromatic squash tea; and 1 ton of aromatic squash starch. Achieving PGS certification has enabled the cooperative's products to sell for 5,000 to 30,000 VND higher per product unit.

Ms. Dinh Tuyet Nhung, Director of Nhung Luy Cooperative, shared: After registering for PGS organic certification, cooperative members and affiliated households received training on PGS organic standards and processes. Stakeholders across the supply chain, from production to marketing, along with officers from the Bac Kan PGS Coordination Board, conduct cross-inspections of the production process through field logs tracking the product lifecycle from land preparation, seeding, and care to harvesting and external influencing factors. Additionally, the PGS Coordination Board collects soil, water, and product samples for testing. Achieving PGS organic certification is a rigorous and meticulous process, but it delivers high economic value and stable market access. In 2023, the cooperative continues to maintain its certified PGS organic production area and output.

In 2022, alongside the PGS organic products of Nhung Luy Cooperative, the Coordination Board also certified organic products in Ba Be District including: aromatic squash from Ta Anh Cooperative, My Phuong Commune, covering 2 hectares with 6 participating households; 4 products from Yen Duong Cooperative comprising 6 hectares of aromatic squash with 35 participating households, 5 tons of aromatic squash tea, 3 tons of aromatic squash tea bags, and 10 hectares of Tai sticky rice with 54 participating households.

These organic products have been connected to market channels via chains of specialty, clean food, organic, and OCOP stores in Thai Nguyen, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Ninh Binh, Ho Chi Minh City, Nghe An, and elsewhere. Furthermore, the Coordination Board has supported listing the products on e-commerce platforms.

Continuing to support and develop organic agricultural products for local collaborative groups and cooperatives, the Provincial Farmers' Union recently collaborated with the Institute of Land Administration and Rural Development – Vietnam National University of Forestry to organize a training course on Organic Agriculture and the Participatory Guarantee System for 20 cooperative directors, collaborative group leaders, and staff members. This has empowered collaborative groups and cooperatives to take initiative in planning production in accordance with PGS organic standards.

Mr. Luu Van Quang, Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Union, stated: The FFF project has transformed farmers' mindset regarding agricultural production. Previously, many farmers overused chemical fertilizers and pesticides, especially chemical herbicides, leading to high costs with low efficiency and adverse health impacts. Developing PGS organic agriculture models has addressed these issues, improved product quality, protected the environment, and met market demands. To unlock the potential of PGS organic products and increase value for collaborative groups and cooperatives, the Provincial Farmers' Union will intensify outreach, organize PGS training courses, establish demonstration models, connect with commercial off-takers, and replicate successful models.