Organic Agriculture and the New Direction for Many Cooperatives

Organic agriculture is an increasingly prominent topic in modern life. Consequently, many cooperatives have been actively shifting toward producing and trading organic products.

The formation and networking process of the PGS system

PGS Vietnam was established in 2008 under the project "Developing a Framework for Organic Agriculture Production and Marketing in Northern Vietnam 2005-2012", implemented by ADDA and the Vietnam Farmers' Union (VNFU). PGS Vietnam became a member of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) in 2009 and is also a member of IFOAM Asia, actively participating in the Agroecology Learning Alliance in Southeast Asia (ALiSEA) and the Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers Organisations (INOFO), joining hands to promote the global organic agriculture movement and build the national organic agriculture movement.

According to the Organizing Committee, the congress will bring together more than 250 delegates, including all members of PGS Vietnam, producer farmers from the three regions of Soc Son (Hanoi), Luong Son (Hoa Binh), and Trac Van (Ha Nam), organic PGS systems across the country, distributing enterprises and retail stores, loyal customer representatives, concerned agencies and organizations supporting organic agriculture, local government representatives, and state specialized agencies.

Over the past 15 years, PGS Vietnam has operated independently and autonomously, driven by the participation of farmers and stakeholders. Guided in its development under the shared umbrella of the Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association, PGS Vietnam, with the collective support of the community, adheres to core values that prioritize transparency as an operational principle, raises farmers' awareness and responsibility in production, encourages participation to ensure organic quality, and helps farmers bring their products to market.

During the past term, the Coordination Committee made efforts to manage the quality of Producer Inter-groups in Thanh Xuan (Soc Son), Luong Son (Hoa Binh), and Trac Van (Ha Nam) through rigorous inspection, monitoring, input management, and production environment control. In addition, to prevent fraud, PGS Vietnam employed digital QR code technology to ensure transparency across the PGS system.

Organic agriculture is an increasingly prominent topic in modern life, as disease rates rise, soils degrade, and the environment is polluted by chemical-intensive agriculture. Consequently, many cooperatives have been actively shifting toward producing and trading organic products.

A notable example is Yen Duong Cooperative—a non-profit organization in Vietnam operating in the field of agriculture and agricultural produce. With a dedicated and experienced team of farmer members, Yen Duong Cooperative has achieved many accomplishments in producing and developing agricultural products.

The flagship products of Yen Duong Cooperative include vegetables, fruits, and herbal crops, cultivated and produced using organic methods to ensure food safety and environmental protection.

Bai Thuong Cooperative, Thanh Xuan commune, Soc Son district, Hanoi, is renowned for its organic vegetable production model meeting the clean vegetable demand of the capital's residents. In 2008, Bai Thuong Organic Vegetable Cooperative was established with 11 members and a cultivation area of 7.7 hectares of agricultural land. Thanks to strict compliance with the principles set by the cooperative, the organic vegetable products from Bai Thuong Cooperative are quickly consumed, bringing high economic returns. With its current area of 21 hectares (nearly threefold that of 2008), the cooperative supplies on average 25–40 tons of various vegetables and fruits to the market each month, yielding a revenue of around 2 billion VND; after expenses, each member earns an income of about 5 million VND per month.

Organic food is a trend chosen by many consumers. Therefore, cooperatives that pursue products grown and raised organically, naturally, and in an eco-friendly manner will enjoy greater market competitiveness.

My Hoa and the team of reporters and editors