Ho Chi Minh City's 'clean agriculture': Shifting producer and consumer mindsets

On the morning of November 11, the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Farmers' Union held a conference to review five years of implementing Resolution 14-NQ/HNDTW (Resolution 14) of the Central Viet Nam Farmers' Union (7th tenure) on "Promoting advocacy and mobilizing farmers for safe food production and business for community health, 2021-2025." The event was paired with a thematic seminar on "Production and Consumption of Clean Agricultural Products in Ho Chi Minh City."

1,500 clean agriculture models

Nguyen Thanh Trung, Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and Chairman of the HCMC Farmers' Union, emphasized that food is an essential source of nutrients that directly determines human health and the quality of future generations, especially for a densely populated city like HCMC.

Recognizing this importance, the HCMC Farmers' Union has proactively implemented programs for advocacy, training, and farmer support in line with Resolution 14, linking them with Directive 17-CT/TW of the Secretariat on strengthening food safety in the new situation.

Reporting on the five-year review of Resolution 14-NQ/HNDTW, Truong Thanh Quang, Vice Chairman of the HCMC Farmers' Union, stated that the program has created clear shifts in awareness and action regarding clean agricultural production in three localities (prior to administrative mergers): Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, and Binh Duong.

Farmers' Union chapters at all levels actively coordinated with municipal departments, agencies, and unions to develop a unified implementation plan. Over the past five years, advocacy has been rolled out in diverse formats, from training classes, workshops, and dialogues to multimedia campaigns.

Union chapters organized nearly 70 training classes for almost 7,000 members on safe food production and business; held over 1,900 advocacy sessions and workshops attracting more than 81,000 officials and farmers; and conducted 471 dialogues on food safety management involving over 7,000 participants.

They also coordinated to produce news, articles, hang panels, posters, and banners, and distribute leaflets to disseminate knowledge on food hygiene and safety.

As a result, 100% of farmer members directly involved in production, food services, and processing have voluntarily signed commitments to safe practices under Circular 17/2018/TT-BNNPTNT.

The city now boasts 1,508 models of clean, organic, and high-tech agriculture linked to consumption under VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards. Furthermore, the Farmers' Union supported the establishment of professional groups and branches, helping members list over 3,380 agricultural products on e-commerce platforms, with total consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic reaching 210 tons.

The development of sales points and consumption linkages has also been prioritized. To date, 76 stores and safe agricultural sales points are operated by members, cooperative groups, and cooperatives, with many products achieving OCOP and VietGAP certification and joining HCMC's Safe Food Chain.

Concurrently, Union chapters coordinated 511 inspections across nearly 5,000 production and business establishments to verify compliance with food safety regulations, collect samples for testing, and monitor vegetable production processes in accordance with VietGAP standards.

Truong Thanh Quang assessed that the results achieved over the past five years have helped change perceptions among producers and consumers, driving a positive shift in the consumption of clean agricultural products.

However, implementation still faces limitations. The application of science and technology in production and processing is not well synchronized; linkages between stages in the production and consumption chain are not tight; some grassroots Union chapters are still hesitant to advise and organize programs; and a segment of farmers has not yet registered for product traceability.

Creating a breakthrough in clean agriculture development

Ho Chi Minh City is the first locality to pilot food management based on a "safe chain." This is a crucial step to establish a legal basis and monitoring system for products from production to distribution, ensuring the safety of fresh foods, from meat and vegetables to seafood, based on a "farm-to-table" principle.

Nguyen Thi Le Thoa, Deputy Head of the Standards and Testing Management Office at the HCMC Food Safety Department, reported that the safe food chain is now operational. It includes full participation from actors in the chain, from farming and breeding to processing and trading in Ho Chi Minh City and six other provinces: Can Tho, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Lam Dong, Tay Ninh, and Vinh Long.

Products within the chain are supplied to supermarkets, specialty stores, and school canteens, with a diversifying product range, expanding output, and increasing market share. HCMC currently has 40 production and processing facilities participating in the project, with a total food output exceeding 44,300 tons per year. This includes over 3,300 tons of vegetables, over 17,500 tons of pork, nearly 12,600 tons of chicken, 10,920 tons of beef, and 105 million poultry eggs (99.28 million chicken eggs, 5.824 million duck eggs).

However, the safe food chain still primarily focuses on fresh products, with a limited number of participating products and establishments.

Nguyen Thanh Trung noted that HCMC consumers still face a "matrix" of food choices, finding it challenging to identify origins and trust the safety of agricultural products. Meanwhile, many high-quality OCOP and typical agricultural products from the city's own farmers are not widely promoted or consumed. These "bottlenecks" directly affect the sustainable development of urban agriculture and public health.

Based on this reality, the Standing Committee of the HCMC Farmers' Union has identified the 2025-2030 period as a pivotal moment for a breakthrough. The focus will be on four key solution groups: implementing the "Companion with HCMC's Clean Agricultural Products 2025-2030" program in close coordination with departments and localities; and strengthening advocacy, inspection, and supervision of food safety from production to distribution.

Simultaneously, the Union will support farmers in registering for VietGAP, GlobalGAP, growing area codes, and OCOP, and will advise on policies to support certification costs. It will also promote trade and expand export markets for the city's key and potential products.