Large scale sustainable rice project improves incomes of smallholder farmers and makes positive impact on environment

10,000 farmers on the Mekong Delta see incomes increase by 17% through successful public-private partnership between Olam Agri, GIZ and MARD
Farmers in the programme’s trial plots saw a reduction in water usage by up to 40% and N-P-K fertiliser by up to 15%
Improved quality of rice meets international standards and opens up new markets in EU and US

Vietnam

10,000 smallholder farmers have made significant improvement in farming practices and quality of rice as part of the Market Oriented Smallholder Value Chain (MSVC) programme. Established in 2018, MSVC is a multi-stakeholder initiative between Olam Agri, German development cooperation Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Through this programme, up to 150,000 tonnes of paddies that meets international standards is produced, creating new growth opportunities for Vietnam’s rice exports to markets such as the EU and US.

Award presentation for four cooperative representatives

Most smallholder farmers in the programme recorded more than 50% increase in scores verified by the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), the world’s first voluntary sustainability standard for rice production. Additionally, some farmers in the programme’s trial plots reduced their water usage up to 40% and N-P-K fertiliser up to 15% as they moved from traditional flood irrigation to more modern alternate wetting and drying (AWD) and drip irrigation techniques.

We owe the great success of MSVC to the resilience of the farmers and the strong support we have received from the MARD, Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development and local government authorities. We are strongly committed to the development of agriculture in Vietnam, and we are pleased that the increase in quality and safety standards of the rice varieties produced has opened the doors to more markets globally, including EU and US.

Mohit Agarwal

Country Head of Olam Agri Vietnam

Sustainable rice benefits farmers, communities and consumers, while providing nutrition for 97 million people in Vietnam. In line with our purpose to transform agriculture for a more sustainable future, Olam Agri is working closely with a consortium of partners to advance the quality of rice produced in Vietnam and improve the livelihood of Vietnam’s farmers by strengthening their links to the global value chain where there is strong demand for safe, high quality and responsibly-produced rice.

Paul Nicholson

Vice President for Rice Research and Sustainability, Olam Agri

Olam Agri is one of the world’s largest rice merchants and a strong advocate of sustainable rice cultivation. In the MSVC Vietnam programme, Olam Agri provided farmer incentives and created market linkages between cooperatives and millers to buy paddy directly from the farmers in Mekong Delta. With proven expertise and knowledge in sustainable farming practices, Olam Agri will be producing and packing private-labelled rice that carries the SRP-Verified Label¹ from Vietnam‘s SRP certified farms in the Mekong Delta.

“We highly appreciate the efforts of the partners in building a comprehensive set of solutions from improving farming techniques to access to markets, including developing the capacity of farmers, farmer organizations in improving the quality and value of rice. The successes and lessons learned from the project will contribute to supporting state management agencies at all levels in the process of directing, formulating and adjusting policies to promote the development of production and market linkages for agricultural products in the country,“ said Mr Le Duc Thinh, General Director of the Department of Economic Cooperation and Rural Development, MARD.

As an ongoing effort to continue advancing sustainable farming practices in Vietnam, Olam Agri will continue to work with the Vietnam government to train farmers on techniques to protect soil health and create more support for the inclusion of women in agriculture.

Spot direct seeder

¹ The SRP-Verified Label provides assurance on sustainable best practices claims

Also in the News

Olam Agri Lays Foundation for New Cotton Gin in Kong, Côte d’Ivoire

Olam Agri, a leading agribusiness transforming food, feed and fibre to cultivate a more sustainable future, has laid the foundation for the construction of its third cotton gin in Côte d’Ivoire. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on 12 May 2023 at the site in Kong and marks a significant milestone for the company’s commitment to sustainable cotton production in the country.

Providing Access to Clean Drinking Water in Satikran, Côte d'Ivoire

In the small village of Satikran, located about 30 km from Abengourou in the sub-prefecture of Aniassué, life is changing for the better. Olam Agri's rubber business in Côte d'Ivoire – Société Agro-Industrielle de la Comoé (SAIC) – has donated a solar water pump to the village, bringing access to clean drinking water to more than 12,000 inhabitants. The donation is part of the Nassey program, which means "Thank You" in the local dialect and aims to show our appreciation and commitment to social development for rural communities. The solar-powered water pump will provide the community with safe and clean drinking water, something they have long struggled to access. The donation, which was made in time for World Water Day, had Augustin Apetey, Deputy Managing Director of SAIC, expressing his joy at the pump’s impact on the community saying, "What a relief for our mothers, sisters, and daughters! So many lives to change!"

Building a Business that Conserves Forests, One Step At a Time

“I have worked in the Congo basin for years, but nothing could have prepared me for the moment when I was just steps away from Buka, who belongs to one of the four groups of habituated silverback gorillas living in the vicinity of our forest concessions in the Congo Basin,” says Vincent Istace, Head of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability at Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB), an Olam Agri subsidiary.

All News

Subscribe

Subscribe

Large scale sustainable rice project improves incomes of smallholder farmers and makes positive impact on environment

Olam Agri Lays Foundation for New Cotton Gin in Kong, Côte d’Ivoire

Providing Access to Clean Drinking Water in Satikran, Côte d'Ivoire

Building a Business that Conserves Forests, One Step At a Time