Superchain: quality on the table and in commercial relations

In Vietnam and in Laos, economic growth, which is clearly visible in urban areas, contrasts with very poor rural zones. It was this observation that prompted the launch of the Superchain project in May 2007. "The aim was to help small-scale rural farmers to improve their products so as to satisfy urban consumers who are increasingly demanding in terms of product quality" says Paule Moustier, project coordinator and CIRAD researcher.

The Hoa Vang rice "success story"

The project, which ended on 22 May with a final seminar, covered the production of "healthy" vegetables, Hoa Vang rice cultivation in Vietnam, and traditional Mong cattle rearing in the Cao Bang mountains. "In this high-altitude region where the population is particularly poor, animals are fed solely with local plants, which produces tender meat with a very specific taste" , Paule Moustier explains. Thanks to the project, farmers can now promote their beef by specifying its origin and the use of natural foods on the packaging. However, the real success story is that of Hoa Vang sticky rice, an ancient variety that is very popular with consumers and is now extremely rare. Vietnamese researchers have helped farmers select the best plants and improve their cropping techniques, and as a result, sales to a range of buyers: supermarkets, shops, export firms, etc, are booming.

Organic vegetables

Many surveys have shown that consumers are worried about excess pesticide levels in fruit and vegetables. In effect, input use is largely unregulated in these two tropical countries. Under the supervision of the Superchain project, farmers' groups have been trained to treat their crops at the right time, delay harvesting so as to reduce pesticide levels in vegetables, and above all choose their inputs from a list of authorized products. In future, provided funding is available, the Superchain team is planning to help farmers in Laos switch to organic farming. The idea is also to encourage Vietnamese vegetable growers to diversify the vegetables they produce so as to facilitate transactions with supermarket chains.

Superchain was coordinated by CIRAD and headed by the MALICA consortium in Vietnam and the Faculty of Agriculture at the National University of Laos. In all, more than 400 producers have benefited from the project, and all of them have undertaken to respect a list of rules concerning chemical use, seed types and races, fertilizers and feeds, and disease treatments.

Superchain is giving others ideas

While the project, funded by the International Agricultural Development Fund, is now completed, it is continuing to have an impact. Certain initiatives have already been adopted by the local authorities. Cao Bang province is continuing operations on beef: training in specifications, support of investment, cintinuation of contacts with supermarkets. Hoai Duc district, in Hanoi province, has authorized the creation of three new "clean vegetable" groups. "At the moment, the impact at government level is more patchy, but the crops department at the Ministry of Agriculture has expressed considerable interest in our programme ", Paule Moustier concludes.