Two out of the three Grand Champions, being awarded the Grand Winner Awards in the Asia Agritech Challenge 2020 namely Beehive Data Technology Taiwan as well as AELOI Nepal, are founded, led and managed by women. As the IT world as well as the agricultural sector are known for being male dominated, this is an extra-ordinary performance! Best part of the story; it is also especially the female farmers and entrepreneurs benefitting from their innovations!! Beehive Data Technology, Taiwan Beehive Data Technology presents its product AgriWeather. The information system is based upon 500+ devices collecting data for 15 different crop systems. The very comprehensive set of data collected form the basis for data analysis that again feed production prediction models and alert systems. The data collection and digital analytical part is backed up by solid linkages to agricultural research. The app provides evidence based advise on what and where to plant, guidance during the production process as well as support to marketing of the products, allowing for pre-ordering arrangements. The complete production monitoring reports enhance transparency and allows buyers to make informed decision regarding the choice of product. In this way, Agriweather is a strong tool for reputation building at farmers side and mutual trust building between producers and buyers. The jurors praised the completeness of the product, providing advice and fostering transparency from farm-to-fork. It also was enthusiastic about the scalability of the product to new value chains / market systems as well as geographically. Village Link, Myanmar Village Link firstly developed its tool named Hoet Toe, an app that links farmers to a broad range of services and products on a need-based manner. The app includes a Q&A function where farmers have easy access to qualified agronomist for advice, moreover the app provides farmers with localized crop prices and is complemented with an educational function providing farmers with educational information and materials ranging from input supply and use to marketing tools. Hoet Toe has proven to address a real need with over 700,000 farmers having registered already. The business model is sound and assures that services to farmers are free of charge. The next product developed by Village Link is Village Link Satellite Services (VLSS) using satellite images to provide farmers with weather analytics, crop monitoring features as well as land monitoring data. The data provided can be fine-tuned to farm/ plot and farmer specific information allowing farmers also to compare with and learn from peers. Benefits are not restricted to farmers only as also for example enterprises engaging in contract farming, traders, input suppliers and or financial service providers benefit from the data made available for example in market predictions / prognoses or for credit scoring models. The jurors lauded the comprehensiveness and completeness and multi-usability of information made available with still a farmers-orientation and inclusiveness of the tools. AELOI Nepal AELOI Nepal submitted a digital tool that facilitates the bridging of the “last mile” in access to credit. Only in Asia 95% of farmers lack sufficient and adequate access to financial services. The tool complies of loan-insight software that de-risks loans. And automate loan monitoring using digital tools. De-risking the loans (partly) takes away the need for providing collateral and makes loans accessible, The automate audit that is part of the monitoring function assures that loans taken are indeed used for the intended purpose, protecting particularly women from mis-use of loans taken out on their names. The tool not only benefits farmers investors, especially female investors but also vendors / input suppliers now dealing with credit-worthy customers and/or MFIs lowering operational costs significantly. The service is SMS based again enhancing inclusiveness as there is no need for owning a smart phone and in addition making the product easily scalable The revenue model is solid and distinguished different income sources. The jury applauded AELOI with the great advancement in terms of making financial services accessible for women, allowing women that have no access to collateral to access loans based upon proven good practice and reputation, protecting women from mis-use of loans by others and at the same time making the loan system more resilient and sustainable. The potential for scaling is the cherry on the AELOI cake. Click to see the video pitches of the Grand Finalists Click to see the recording of Grand Final round Explore more about the Challenge on https://www.vcbnchallenge2020.com/ Source: VCB-Network
On December 16, Vietnam Export Promotion Forum 2020 with the theme “Trade promotion for sustainable export development in the context of implementing EVFTA, CPTPP and other new generation FTAs” was taken place in Hanoi. The forum was jointly organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Swiss Import Promotion Program (SIPPO), implemented by Helvetas in Vietnam and funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). At the Forum, more than 200 delegates representing relevant ministries & departments, several embassies (Switzerland, Finland, Chile, Russia), enterprises, associations, local and international trade promotion organizations have exchanged information, identified opportunities and prospects for Vietnam's exported goods, discussed on policies to facilitate export and solutions to strengthen coordination among associations towards the goal of sustainable export development. Other main discussion topics includes measures to support businesses in the context of COVID-19, initiatives for trade promotion and enhancing coordination among trade promotion organization, how to effectively take advantages of EVFTA, CPTPP, RCEP and promote trade relations between Vietnam and other countries. In the panel discussion session, Mr. Vu Ba Phu - Director of the Trade Promotion Department - highly appreciated the support of international organizations, of which Helvetas is one of the most active ones with highly effective projects in Vietnam such as the BioTrade Project or SIPPO Program. He also acknowledged the SIPPO's recommendation to cooperate with international certification orrganizations, involving them into the Vietnam’s trade promotion ecosystem that are being built by Vietrade in the next five years. The information exchanged at the Forum is not only useful for Vietnamese enterprises to develop business strategies and diversify export markets, but also suggests orientations and solutions for local authorities, industry associations in enhancing their ability to provide support to the business community for sustainable export development./.
The Value Chain Capacity Building Network-VCB-N will organize an exciting Webinar to share the results of the several country assessments on the impact of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains as mandated by IFAD. The event takes place on the 17th of December 2020 starting at 14.30 PM Dhaka time (8.30 CEST) till 16.00 Dhaka time (10.00 CEST). In total six assessments were conducted by VCB-N members in five countries including Bangladesh, Laos, Myanmar, India and Vietnam covering analysis of 16 different agricultural value chains. Country-based Centre’s of Excellence, being VCB-N members, who conducted the assessments will share their findings with regards to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the selected value chains, analysis on the effects on different stakeholder groups including their livelihoods, mitigation strategies and reported needs for support enabling recovery efforts. Recommendations for designing more resilient and future proof value chains in the post-COVID era, will be also presented and discussed. TENTATIVE AGENDA 2.30 - 2.40 PM: Introduction: VCB-N, background of the studies 2.40 - 2.55 PM: Summary over-arching Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations 2.55 - 3.05 PM: Presentation Bangladesh - Innovision Consultancy 2.05 - 2.15 PM: Presentation India - LRT 2.15 - 2.25 PM: Presentation India - PnP 2.25 - 3.35 PM: Presentation Myanmar - Empower 3.35 - 3.45 PM: Presentation Vietnam - CASRAD 3.45 - 3.55 PM Presentation Laos - EDC 3.55 - 4.10 PM: Final Discussion, Summary and Closing Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ke07j3JtRFeA45EeFsbySA For further details and support, please contact the Organizing Team via the email address: vcbnetwork.pcu@gmail.com -------- ABOUT THE ORGANIZER Value-chain Capacity Building Network is the biggest regional Network on value chain and market system development in the Asia-Pacific Region, providing professional advisory services and capacity building support to a variety of clients. The Network was initiated by an IFAD-funded project “Regional training network for scaling up pro-poor value chain programmes” in recognition of IFAD’s growing portfolio of projects with the mandate for value chain development in the Asia-Pacific Region. This is under the context that there are significant gaps and variability in the capacities/competencies of implementing partners to effectively develop, execute and scale inclusive and poverty-reducing market systems. In 2019 the VCB-N was formally registered as an independent member-owned and - governed network in Switzerland. The Network is drawing on experiences and expertise of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) from seven countries including Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam that specialized in professional training and capacity development on VC&MSD. It offers tailor-made capacity building plan and advisory services including development of training modules, hand-holding and accompaniment support, documentation through case studies and value-chain analysis leading to positively influencing policies.
Hochiminh City – December 9th 2020, The Regional BioTrade Project in South East Asia implemented by Helvetas Vietnam and the Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED) will participate in the Vietnam Food Forum 2020 – a concurrent event under Vietnam FoodExpo. The Project expects to contribute to discussions on solutions to improve value chains and develop the market for the Vietnam food industry, particularly through introducing the trend of sustainable sourcing and trade of natural ingredient products, also known as BioTrade. As a panelist at the Forum, Mr. Andrew Wilson – Regional Manager of the Project will discuss the rising demand for ethically sourced and sustainable products, especially in the time of high market volatility when product innovation and value enrichment are essential. Mr. Ta Minh Son – Representative of the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) in South East Asia will present the growing demand for sustainable sourcing certification for products derived from natural ingredients, and offer an introduction about the UEBT Standard as well as an update on the joint UEBT and Rainforest Alliance Herbs & Spices program. BioTrade products by Vietnamese companies, who are following and promoting BioTrade, will also be featured at the event. Today, there is a growing demand for natural food and health products. At the same time, consumers have become increasingly aware of biodiversity conservation, especially in high-end markets. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, recent market research has shown that products with traceability and reliable quality with embedded sustainable economic, social, and environmental value are favored and maintain great growth potential. From the corporate perspective, BioTrade can thus be a strategy to differentiate and enhance their competitiveness to penetrate demanding markets. BioTrade also promotes economic – social – environmental sustainability, thereby contributing to the realization of development goals across different dimensions. The Regional BioTrade Project in South East Asia funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) is motivated by the BioTrade Initiative started by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Project was initially piloted in Vietnam since 2012. After 8 years of implementation, the pilot project has been scaled up to the regional level, covering Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Phase 1 of the Regional Project was implemented during 2016 to August 2020; the key highlights include 10 companies successfully developing 12 natural ingredient value chains following the BioTrade principles and exporting their products to high-end markets. The first phase of the Project also reached more than 10,000 beneficiaries along BioTrade value chains, mostly in the rural areas. Phase 2 of the Regional Project began in September 2020 and is expected to last 4 years. The overall goal of the Project is conservation of biodiversity through sustainable trade of biodiversity products in a manner that integrates local exporters / producers into global value chains and increases income for the rural population of women and men that depend on biodiversity resources for their livelihoods in the Mekong region. ABOUT HELVETAS Helvetas is a non-governmental organization, founded in Switzerland in 1955, and supported by more than 100,000 members and sponsors as well as 12 regional volunteer groups. Helvetas has been operating in Vietnam since 1994 in the sectors of agriculture, forestry, governance and peace, water and sanitation, and rural development. Today, Helvetas Vietnam’s programs focus on Sustainable and Inclusive Economies, specific interfaces with Climate Change and Vocational Skills Development are considered and further deepened. Website: https://www.helvetas.org/en/vietnam ABOUT CRED Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED) is a Vietnam-based Non-Profit Organization, working to ensure greater inclusion of the poor and marginalized groups to take lead in the development of their livelihoods. Founded in 2014, CRED inherited 20 years of work experience in Development and Trade Cooperation from HELVETAS in Vietnam with diversified activities of project management, consultancy services in the fields of Value chain development for Inclusive growth; Climate-smart Agriculture; Water, Environment and Livelihood improvements. Website: http://cred.org.vn/ ABOUT UEBT The Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) is a Non-Profit Organization founded in Geneva, Switzerland that promotes sustainable sourcing of natural ingredients following the BioTrade principles. UEBT now has 63 members globally with more than 300 natural ingredient supply chains in 65 countries verified against the UEBT Standard. Since 2019, the Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED) has become the official regional representative of UEBT in South East Asia. Website: https://www.ethicalbiotrade.org/
Coming November 2020, the prestigious ASIA AGRI-TECH CHALLENGE will be launched. The challenge is an initiative of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Value Chain Capacity Building Network (VCB-N). This is the first challenge of this kind organized by IFAD/VCB-N and this years’ challenge will evolve around ICT applications in support of agricultural value chain operations. The CHALLENGE distinguishes 3 categories for competition and will award in total 3 contestants per category dividing 30,000 USD of price money. Covid 19 has disrupted lives and living. The world as we knew it may not exist anymore. The stress put onto agricultural markets and food systems revealed cracks in the way they operate. Economic misery and even food shortage became real in record times. Yet, the crises can also be a reflection and turning point. Some developments like the use of IT to support agricultural value chains and market systems were accelerated by the crises and are opening up new opportunities. Can ICT solutions contribute to enhanced resilience of agricultural value chains & markets in a post-Covid 19 era? The CHALLENGE calls upon private sector companies, academia and development organisations and projects to come up with concrete and practical examples on how ICT solutions can support the development of resilient post-Covid 19 agricultural value chains/market systems that are more resilient, fair and inclusive. For more information the website of the Asia Agri-Tech Challenge can be consulted at: https://www.vcbnchallenge2020.com/
Lao Cai city - On July 17th, 2020, Helvetas Vietnam and TRAFFIC co-organize a Policy Dialogue Workshop on “Sustainable Sourcing of Benzoin Gum in the Northern Mountainous Region”. This is an activity within the framework of the Regional BioTrade Project in South East Asia funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) to promote ethical sourcing and sustainable trade of natural ingredients combined with biodiversity conservation in Vietnam. Attending the Conference are representatives from related governmental agencies, law enforcement and monitoring agencies, researchers, enterprises and local people in Benzoin Gum supply chain in Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Son La provinces, Helvetas Vietnam and TRAFFIC. The sourcing of Benzoin Gum (resin of Styrax tonkinensis tree), a non-timber forest product, has gained more attention from businesses, forest farmers and forestry management agencies at different levels as this native ingredient can create significant economic value for mountainous local communities and contribute to forest protection. However, the guidelines and policies related to forest protection and development, timber and non-timber forest products (including Benzoin Gum) have not been widely disseminated and are quite difficult to apply. The policy dialogue workshop held in Lao Cai is expected to create an important premise for the northern mountainous provinces to improve the efficiency of management, supervision of Benzoin Gum sourcing and trading from provincial to grassroots levels, contributing to biodiversity protection and enhancing the livelihoods of local people. The workshop also creates a good opportunity for stakeholders to share information and lessons learned, enabling better cooperation in developing this valuable product as well as other potential timber and non-timber products in these areas. For more details, please contact: Nguyen Thanh Tung (Mr.) - Tel: 024 3843 1750 - Email: Tung.Nguyen@helvetas.org ABOUT HELVETAS Helvetas is a non-governmental organization, founded in Switzerland in 1955, and supported by more than 100,000 members and sponsors as well as 12 regional volunteer groups. Helvetas has been operating in Vietnam since 1994 in the sectors of agriculture, forestry, governance and peace, water and sanitation, and rural development. Today, Helvetas Vietnam’s programs focus on Sustainable and Inclusive Economies, specific interfaces with Climate Change and Vocational Skills Development are considered and further deepened. Website: http://www.helvetas.org/vietnam | Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/helvetas.vietnam/ ABOUT BIOTRADE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCt0JJy11_w ABOUT TRAFFIC Wildlife trade is one of the world's most pressing conservation challenges, affecting hundreds of millions of people and thousands of wildlife species. TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organisation working globally on trade monitoring of wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Website: www.traffic.org | Fanpage: www.facebook.com/trafficsea.gmp
