Organic Agriculture: Opportunities and challenges are divided

With the advantage of being a long-standing agricultural producer plus the non-use of chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, growth promoters ... Good for health, organic farming is a must for Vietnam.

Flea market

As a country with a major agricultural economy with 80% of its population working in agriculture, annual rice exports are on the list of the world's top ten. Vietnam has very good agricultural development potential. . In the history of agricultural development for thousands of years, his father has extracted a wealth of valuable experience. Clearly, Vietnam has traditionally produced organic agriculture for thousands of years and is being assisted by a number of international organizations, particularly the IFOAM. As the next step in the development of modern organic agriculture in accordance with international standards, Vietnam has many opportunities to learn from previous countries. Despite the low quality of agricultural products, the income of the majority of farmers is still low due to competition in the low price segment. More important is the way of agricultural chemistry to intensify, the increase that Vietnam has pursued for 40 years seems to have hit the ceiling.

The production of higher quality agricultural products, which sell at higher prices, is the internal impulse of the economy, the farmers when the phenomenon of farmers abandoning the field is happening in some localities is a press bell. The old agriculture was not able to guarantee the life of the farmers. 

In addition, when the whole society is pressing on unsafe agricultural products due to the indiscriminate use of chemicals, antibiotics and hormones, including in cultivation, husbandry and aquaculture. Particularly recently, the media has consistently reported that dirt and food smuggled into the domestic market, along with a series of food poisoning cases. More and more consumers are confused about the safety of food production. Consumption of health-safe and environmentally-friendly items is not only a fad but a trend in the future. 

The biggest opportunity is that Vietnam has embraced the domestic middle-class market, and the growing awareness of people about environmental protection has forced major stores and supermarkets to set up more stalls selling staple food. environmentally friendly. Therefore, the business market of environmentally friendly "green" products is increasingly active.Vietnam has the strength in the organic products have a large proportion in the world market such as coffee, tea, vegetables. 

In addition to a number of models funded by foreign countries, there are a number of self-tinkering businesses that have been developing for seven to eight years and have begun to establish their status. In 2006, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) issued standards on organic agriculture production and processing, which is an important legal basis for organization and development. 

The organic agriculture system (as well as the safe vegetables, VietGAP) is not technically a conversion of production practices, but rather a result of the organization and management that Vietnam has in the political system. 

Challenge ahead 
At present, there is no organization approved by the Vietnamese agricultural sector to be the organic agriculture product certification body, including the PGS system of the Vietnam Association of Organic Agriculture. approved by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Therefore, products with organic agriculture packaging in Vietnam so far has not really assured what products organic agriculture so that consumers can be assured of the use. 

This is one of the weak points that made organic agriculture products difficult to sell in recent years. In addition, the price of organic agriculture products is too high, three to four times the normal product, so it has not grown mass.