Australia launches digital project to strengthen VietGAP compliance in Northwestern Vietnam

A new era of Vietnam-Australia agricultural cooperation

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in collaboration with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), launched a new project on Thursday aimed at digitizing VietGAP compliance across the fruit value chain for smallholder farmers in Vietnam's Northwestern region.

The project, titled “Digital Monitoring of VietGAP Compliance in Fruit Value Chains of Smallholder Farmers in the Northwest for High-Quality Domestic and Potential Export Markets” (AGB/2022/114), is a technical assistance initiative funded by the Australian government through ACIAR. Set to run from 2025 to 2028, it will be led by the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute (part of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences) and involve nine domestic and international government agencies and research institutions.

Addressing the launch event, Pham Ngoc Mau, Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department under MAE, emphasized that the project is a tangible outcome of the two countries' science and technology cooperation framework. He noted that the project idea was conceived during bilateral policy dialogues in Sydney and represents a new phase of collaboration, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding to adopt new approaches and implementation methods.

Mr. Mau highlighted three key innovations in the Vietnam–Australia partnership. First, Vietnam will not only participate but will also contribute matching funds, demonstrating a more substantive commitment to cooperation and ensuring research outcomes are applied in practice. Second, both sides will jointly own the research results, granting Vietnam the right to use, transfer, and scale up the technology – a significant shift from previous international projects where the sponsoring party often held full copyright. Lastly, future projects will be developed from a list of topics jointly proposed and agreed upon annually, ensuring transparency and procedural consistency in both Vietnam and Australia.

"This project is significant because it marks a transition from policy discussions to concrete actions," Mr. Mau said. "We believe that by applying digital technology to fruit quality monitoring, not only will farmers and businesses benefit, but consumers will as well. It also creates a foundation for Vietnam to meet the requirements of high-quality markets."

Improving the entire value chain

The AGB/2022/114 project is expected to create a pioneering digital monitoring model for VietGAP compliance. According to Nguyen Quoc Hung, Director of the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute, the project aims to improve the livelihoods of small-scale fruit farmers in the Northwest by evaluating the feasibility of using digital tools to monitor VietGAP adherence.

Mr. Hung noted that current technology adoption for agricultural product traceability in the region is only between 40% and 60%. The project will focus on integrating a digital system with both regulatory agencies and production units, providing technical training for farmers, and encouraging the use of GPS and other digital tools to monitor the entire value chain.

A key component is promoting the Real-time Audit and Traceability (RAT) digital monitoring system. This system will enable tight control from farms and cooperatives to businesses and the market, allowing consumers to verify a product's origin via smartphone QR codes.

Monica Finlayson, Agricultural Counselor at the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, highlighted the project as a testament to the long-standing partnership between the two nations, which spans more than half a century, with ACIAR having been present in Vietnam for over 30 years. Over the next four years, the project will assist Northwestern farmers in adopting digital tools and improving VietGAP models for key fruits like longan, mango, and dragon fruit. A unique aspect is the integration of gender considerations, ensuring that women, youth, and ethnic minorities are directly involved in the digitization and capacity-building process.

Tran Minh Tien - Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS), shared that while VAAS is a leading crop research institution, this marks the first project to be directly implemented at the household level. He praised the rapid progress of farmers in Son La province and underscored the need to support them through multiple stages, given the numerous steps required for VietGAP certification. He also noted that the Australian-supported project is highly practical and can complement VAAS's existing research programs.

Tran Nam Anh, ACIAR's Country Representative in Vietnam, stated that the launch event reaffirms the close relationship between ACIAR and Vietnam. He noted that the project brings together nine research teams and partners, with a focus on promoting digitization to help farmers access high-value markets, enhance economic efficiency, and move toward high-tech production models.

The project is expected to expand inter-agency management responsibilities across the entire value chain, from production to environmental protection. In this context, collaborations like the one with ACIAR are significant as they focus on sustainable development, linking food security with the protection of natural resources.