Bac Kan – Developing sustainable organic agriculture applying the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS)

Applying PGS to organic agriculture development in Bac Kan

Forest and Farm Support Project in Bac Kan

In order to transform farmers' awareness in agricultural production toward safe, environmentally friendly, and sustainable products, the Provincial People's Committee approved the Provincial Farmers' Union to establish the Bac Kan PGS Coordination Committee. The Coordination Committee is responsible for promoting the production of certified standard organic products, contributing to enhancing product value, as well as consolidating and developing brands. It aims to increase the added value of organic products by 10–20% or more per unit of product compared to conventional production methods while contributing to environmental protection.

In 2022, the Nhung Luy Cooperative in Yen Duong Commune (Ba Be) was granted PGS certification by the Bac Kan PGS Coordination Board for the following products: Fragrant winter melon covering an area of 6.23 hectares with 38 participating households; fragrant winter melon tea with an output of 5 tons; and fragrant winter melon starch with an output of 1 ton. Obtaining PGS certification has helped the cooperative's products achieve prices higher by 5,000 to 30,000 VND per product.

Ms. Dinh Tuyet Nhung, Director of Nhung Luy Cooperative, said: After registering for PGS organic certification, cooperative members and linked households were trained on processes that meet PGS organic standards. Stakeholders from production to consumption and officers from the Bac Kan PGS Coordination Board cross-check the production process through field logs recording the product life cycle from land preparation, seeding, care to harvesting, along with external influencing factors. At the same time, the PGS Coordination Board collects soil, water, and product samples for testing. Achieving PGS organic certification is a strict, meticulous process, but it brings high economic value and a stable market. In 2023, the cooperative continues to maintain the certified PGS organic area and output.

In 2022, in addition to the PGS organic products of Nhung Luy Cooperative, the Coordination Committee also granted organic certification to products in Ba Be District, including: aromatic squash from Ta Anh Cooperative, My Phuong Commune with an area of 02 ha and 06 participating households; 4 products from Yen Duong Cooperative including aromatic squash with an area of 06 ha and 35 participating households; aromatic squash tea with an output of 05 tons; aromatic squash tea bags with an output of 03 tons; and Tai sticky rice with an area of 10 ha and 54 participating households.

Organic products have been linked by cooperatives for distribution through chains of specialty, clean food, organic, and OCOP stores across provinces and cities such as Thai Nguyen, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Ninh Binh, Ho Chi Minh City, Nghe An, and more. In addition, the Coordination Board supports listing products on e-commerce platforms.

To continue supporting and developing organic agricultural products for cooperative groups (THTs) and cooperatives in the province, the Provincial Farmers' Union recently collaborated with the Institute of Land Management and Rural Development – Vietnam National University of Forestry to organize a training course on Organic Agriculture and the Participatory Guarantee System for 20 officials, directors of cooperatives, and cooperative groups. This helps cooperatives and cooperative groups proactively plan production in accordance with PGS organic standards.

Mr. Luu Van Quang, Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Union, stated: The implementation of the FFF project has changed the mindset of local people in agricultural production. Previously, many farmers overused chemical fertilizers and pesticides, especially chemical herbicides... resulting in high costs, low efficiency, and adverse health effects. Through establishing PGS organic agriculture models, these issues have been resolved, improving the quality of agricultural produce, protecting the environment, and meeting market demand. To 'awaken' the potential for developing PGS organic agricultural products and increase the value of collaborative groups and cooperatives, the Provincial Farmers' Union is stepping up advocacy, organizing PGS training courses, building pilot PGS models, connecting businesses for product consumption, and replicating successful models.