Location
Situated on the
eastern coast of mainland Southeast Asia, the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam (SRV) has an area of 329,560 km2. The nation is bordered on
the North by China, on the East by the Gulf of Tonkin, on the East and
South by the South China Sea, on the South West by the Gulf of
Thailand, and on the West by Cambodia and Laos, with a total land
boundary of 4,639 km and a coastline of 3,444 km. Before unification,
which was proclaimed on 3 July 1976, Vietnam was divided in two by the
17th parallel. To the south was the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), also
known as South Vietnam; to the north, the Democratic Republic of
Vietnam (DRV), also known as North Vietnam. Vietnam is entirely
located in the tropical belt lying between the equator and the Tropic
of Cancer. While there are slight variations in temperature, depending
on the season and the altitude, the primary seasonal changes are
marked by variations in rainfall.
Agricultural Sector
According to the Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development of
Viet Nam, agricultural growth rate has reached rapid and stable level
with an average growth of 4.5% per year over the last 10 years. Today,
agriculture contributes about 30% of the total export turnover and 25% to
total GDP (MARD). In the last decade, Viet Nam has surged as one of
the biggest coffee producer of the world, becoming in few years the
third coffee exporter in the world. Viet Nam is also the first
exporter of pepper, the second exporter of cashew nuts and the third
exporter of milled paddy rice. Other major export crops include:
rubber, tea, groundnuts shelled, honey, tobacco, maize, fruit and
vegetables (FAOSTAT, 2005-06). Of the total land in use, 20% is arable land, 7%
is permanent crops, and 73% is for other uses (CIA, 2007).
Brief overview of organic farming
According to IFOAM & FiBL (2006), in
Vietnam there are 6,475 hectares of land under organic management.
There are currently 1,022 organic farms registered in Vietnam.
In Vietnam the use of chemical fertilizer has increased dramatically since 1980.
Government policies have favoured the use of chemical fertilizers with
the goal of promoting food security in the country. Organic
agriculture in the country is limited, and there is no official
government programme supporting the sector. Organic agriculture is at
its initial phase and efforts for simplifying organic
certification in the country are underway (IGCI) .
Brief overview of key organic products
The organic products grown are mainly
rice, tea, maize, wheat, legumes, and shrimps. There is no evidence of
a domestic market for organic products, and production is mainly
exported.
The network
By December 2006, there were no
evidences of government-funded programmes aimed at the promotion of
the organic sector. The Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO) is
currently assisting Vietnam growers to breed certified organic prawns.
National agricultural research, although very advanced in some
respect, is focused on conventional agriculture. The International
Global Change Institute (IGCI) has funded three projects to develop
and test technologies and processes for adopting organic production
methods for tea and other crops in selected communes.
Informatic Center of Agriculture and
Rural Development (ICARD)
No.2-Ngoc Ha Street Ba Dinh, District HaNoi, VietNam
Tel: (+84-4) 7332160/8235804
Fax: (+84-4) 8230381
E-mail: icard(at)agroviet.gov.vn
Website:
http://www.agroviet.gov.vn
Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO)
Gisela Lang
Stampfenbachstrasse 85
P.O. Box 492
CH-8035 Zürich
Tel: +41 44 365 52 00
Fax: +41 44 365 52 02
E-mail: newsletter(at)sippo.ch
Website:
http://www.sippo.ch
International Global Change Institute (IGCI)
University of Waikato
Private Bag 3105
Hamilton
New Zealand
Tel: +64 (07) 8396368
Fax: +64 (07) 8395974
Website:
http://www.waikato.ac.nz/igci/
References
- CIA FactBook, 31.05.07
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/vm.html
- FAO, 24.10.2006: Key Statistics of Food
and Agriculture External Trade. Food and Agricultural Organization of
the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division.
http://www.fao.org/es/ess/toptrade/trade.asp?dir=exp&country=3&ryear=2004
and
http://www.fao.org/es/ess/top/country.html?lang=en
-
FAO, IFOAM, and Earth Net Foundation (2003): Proceedings of the
Seminar on the Production and Export of Organic Fruit And Vegetables
in Asia.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/AD429E/ad429e00.HTM
-
FAO Statistical Year Book, (2005-06)
http://www.fao.org/statistics/yearbook/vol_1_2/pdf/Viet-Nam.pdf
- IFOAM & FiBL (2006): The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and
Emerging Trends 2006. International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements (IFOAM), Bonn & Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
FiBL, Frick, pp. 108-117.
-
Yussefi, Minou and Willer, Helga, Eds. (2003): The World of Organic
Agriculture, Statistics and Future Prospects. Foundation Ecology and
Agriculture, Germany and International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movements.
