Vietnam Rural Industries Research and Development Institute held an online policy dialogue on “Promotion of Supply and Demand of Eco-Fair Agri-Food Products” on Tuesday. (Photo: vccinews.vn) Under theframework of the project "Promotion of supply and demand of Eco-FairAgri-food processing products in Vietnam" (Eco-Fair), co-financed by theEuropean Union with EUR 1.5 million through the EU’s SWITCH-Asia Programme, VietnamRural Industries Research and Development Institute (VIRI) held an onlinepolicy dialogue on “Promotion of Supply and Demand of Eco-Fair Agri-FoodProducts” on December 21.
The policydialogue shared some results and initial impacts of the Eco-Fair project thatpromotes Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) practices in eco-fairagri-food product supply chains, which contributes to the development ofsustainable livelihoods and circular economy in Vietnam.
The Eco-Fairproject targets micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), consumer groups inagri-food processing sectors, as well as business intermediaries and relevantgovernment authorities.
The projecthas held online training for nearly 1,000 businesses and co-operatives, andover one million consumers, building a network of sustainable consumptionpioneers in the Eco-Fair Green Community group.
It hasconducted quick assessments and supported enterprises to implement activitiesof Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production.
It hasconducted over 200 surveys, quick assessments for 174 enterprises to select 33enterprises for in-depth assessment on product innovation and technologicalinnovation; provide orientation and solutions for product innovation andenterprise technology.
The projecthas supported 23 businesses and co-operatives to conduct self-assessment andregister for eco-fair certification (EU Organic, USDA, Global GAP, FLO, WFTO,TCVN organic, VietGAP, OCOP), supported in packaging design, promotingcommunication for eco-fair products and co-ordinated with associations todevelop Code of Conduct and policy proposals for the industry.
Nguyen BaoThoa, VIRI director, said that the Eco-Fair project was born with a mission ofchanging the behaviour of organisations and individuals in order to exertpositive measures on environmental and social change.
“We wish toinspire the values of socio-environmental sustainability through theimplementation of project activities such as awareness-raising, capacitybuilding, building MSMEs support networks, setting up sectoral Codes of Conducton sustainability, advocating on policies that support these aims,” she noted.
KoenDuchateau, head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, stated that fordecades, the European Union had been a leader in addressing global challengeslike climate change, environment, and sustainable consumption and production(SCP).
“The EuropeanGreen Deal, adopted by the EU in December 2019, is the growth agenda for Europein the next decades, aiming at promoting circularity in energy-intense sectors,ensuring greener and more sustainable food processing, setting ambitiousstandards for products, reducing food losses and waste and empowering consumersin their daily choices for products and services,” he added.
The Eco-Fairproject presents a great opportunity for Vietnam to progress towards a moresustainable agri-food sector by engaging value chain stakeholders, includingprivate sector and consumer groups, and policy-makers to achieve the switch tomore sustainable consumption and production, said Duchateau.
As one of theunits accompanying the project in Vietnam, Le Hoang Tai, deputy director of theTrade Promotion Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade, highly appreciatedand recognised the efforts and results of the project implementation towardsthe goals of promoting sustainable production and a market for eco-fairagri-food processing products in Vietnam.
The projecthas contributed to prosperity, reduced poverty, enhanced livelihoods, and movedtowards an economy circulation and green growth in Vietnam, he added.
The Ministryof Industry and Trade also affirmed that it would accompany the project inpromoting supply and demand for eco-fair agricultural products, towardssustainable consumption./.
VNA
