Some of the participants at the virtual workshop where the Code of Conduct was announced on October 27. (Photo courtesy of VIRI) The CoC aimsto help local businesses meet the requirements of the two free trade agreementsto which Vietnam is a member - the European Union–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement(EVFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-PacificPartnership (CPTPP).
The eventwas organised by the Vietnam Institute for Rural Industry Research andDevelopment (VIRI) in collaboration with Vietnam Fruit & VegetablesAssociation (VINAFRUIT) and Vietnam Coffee - Cocoa Association (VICOFA).
The CoC isan independent and voluntary set of standards that aim to establishappropriate standards in micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises,cooperatives, and farmer households.
In thecoffee sector, the CoC includes three compliance levels, essentialrequired and recommended, across seven areas. These are; the conservation ofarable land; water conservation and use of water; conservation of biodiversity;energy usage; use of pesticides; waste management; ozone layer protection; andincreasing resilience to climate change.
In the fruitand vegetable sector, the areas of focus are; water conservation and water use;energy consumption; use of pesticides, waste management; landscape conservationand crop protection; and ozone layer protection and increasing resilience toclimate change.
Compliancewith the CoC helps micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises improveproduct and brand value, ensuring sustainable utilisation of resources forcultivation, production, and processing, and opening the door to internationalcertifications.
Thelaunching workshop is part of the project: "Advancing environmentallyresponsible business for the coffee, fruit and vegetable sectors in Vietnam".Funding and technical support are provided by the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) and the Government of Sweden.
During theworkshop, 41 enterprises from the two sectors signed a pledge to show theircommitment to support and implement the “Codes of conduct on environmentallyresponsible business for the coffee sector and fruit & vegetable sector in Vietnam”.
This showsbusinesses’ advocate and support the CoC's as they move towards a moresustainable environment for future generations.
UNDP DeputyResident Representative in Vietnam Patrick Haverman applauded Vietnamesebusinesses for their timely action to protect the environment and human rights.“The right to living in a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment isthe latest fundamental human right recognised by the UN Human Rights Council,”he said.
“Businesses’commitment to put the Codes of Conduct into practice and strict compliance willcontribute to effective protection of this newly recognised human right. UNDPis proud to support businesses in this effort together with our partners, thusembracing a bright future and sustainable living environment for nextgenerations.”
Ola Karlman,Head of Promotion, Economic and Political Affairs at the Embassy of Sweden,pointed to the Swedish experiences of focusing on sustainability, human rightsand social dialogue as means to make business thrive. “Climate change can nolonger be ignored and companies that succeed in adapting to the increasingdemand for sustainable products will see their revenues go up,” hesaid. “Respecting Human Rights and implementing responsible businesspractices is therefore not only right – it is also smart.”
The CoCshave received great support from businesses in Vietnam as well as experts andinternational certification organisations. They have been endorsed by LEAFMarque, a global system that adopts a whole-farm approach, certifying theentire farm business and products. LEAF Marque has 30 years of experience indeveloping and promoting regenerative agriculture. The development of theCoC is the first step in the process of building a certificate ofenvironmentally responsible business across the two sectors. The next step isthe development of a certification process that builds capacity for monitoring,evaluating, and labelling; developing specific testing, monitoring andguidance; and labelling regulations./.
VNA
