The Workshop to launch the project “Ecological Agriculture for Sustainable Landscapes to Reduce Poverty among Ethnic Minorities in Northern Mountainous Areas”

The workshop was jointly organized by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hoa Binh province, CISDOMA, and ICRAF on August 5th, 2022, at the Hoa Binh Provincial Conference Center. The workshop was attended by nearly 80 delegates representing various departments and sectors of Hoa Binh province, including the Department of Planning and Investment, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Plant Protection Sub-department, the Provincial Extension Center, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Kim Boi district, ICRAF, CISDOMA, local authorities, and project participants.

During the workshop, delegates listened to presentations introducing an overview of the project’s activities and expected outcomes. Additionally, project implementing units and delegates discussed the project’s new approach based on Ecological Agriculture Landscapes. They also discussed some challenges and difficulties in agricultural production, product consumption, and issues that the project could address.

The workshop was attended by Mr. Vuong Dac Hung, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hoa Binh province, who delivered a speech and provided directive opinions. Mr. Vuong Dac Hung emphasized that the success of the project requires the involvement of specialized departments, local authorities, and the participation and contribution of the local people. In a spirit of support and cooperation, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will enhance guidance and supervision of the project implementation within the province. The Department highly appreciates the cooperation of all parties involved in the project, including CISDOMA, the Plant Protection Sub-department, from the project ideation and design phase to the support provided by ICRAF and Bread for the World Organization (BfdW).

Mr. Vuong Dac Hung, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hoa Binh province

In his speech at the workshop, the representative from the Department of Planning and Investment highlighted the importance of local contributions and community involvement in the project, emphasizing that this spirit of ownership and responsibility among beneficiaries must be enhanced. He also emphasised the importance of ensuring counterpart funding according to the requirements of the donor. Finally, he expressed high regard for the contributions of international and Vietnamese non-governmental organisations to the local economic, social, and environmental development, committing that the Department of Planning and Investment of Hoa Binh province will always create the best conditions for organisations to work and support the people of Hoa Binh.

“Mr. Duong Van Trung, Department of Planning and Investment”

The leadership representatives of the communes participating in the project have raised some concerns that the local residents are particularly interested in, namely: (1) Farmers currently excessively use chemicals in agricultural production, which affects the environment and product quality; (2) The process of designing and planning agricultural production has not been properly considered, mostly relying on intuition and following trends; and (3) The market for agricultural products has not been guaranteed. Therefore, the project will contribute to addressing environmental pollution, and restoring the ecosystem in agricultural production, and is of significant importance to Kim Boi.

The local leaders expressed their opinions.

Especially, the workshop was attended by over 30 farmers representing households that will participate in the project in two communes, Hop Tien, and Tu Son. Farmer representatives shared the difficulties in local agricultural production such as water scarcity, heatwaves, storms during the planting season, product outlets, techniques, and seed sources… The households also expressed their commitment to participate in the project and wished to expand the scope to involve more households.

The citizens voiced their opinions.

                                  Mr. Nguyen Quang Tan, Head of ICRAF Representative, made a statement.

At the end of the workshop, all parties committed to participating in the project with the highest sense of responsibility to implement the project according to the schedule, achieve high efficiency, and comply with the regulations of the Sponsor, implementing the agreed-upon contents and adhering to the law. Delegates believe that the project will build successful models contributing to stable incomes for farmers, improving the agricultural and forestry production situation of the locality towards sustainability, and creating a stable and harmonious agricultural ecosystem with nature.