Within the framework of its USAID Green Annamites Project, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) rewarded Agriterra a grant of US$ 750,000 for the next two years to support the set-up and strengthening of agricultural cooperatives around the protected forest areas in Quang Nam and decrease the need of nearby communities for using the forests for their livelihoods. The USAID Green Annamites project supports the provinces of Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam in Vietnam in protecting the region’s globally significant biodiversity and helps local and ethnic minority communities to diversify and improve their livelihoods.
Cooperatives are an important instrument to add value to farmers’ production and to build sustainable business models in rural areas which provide employment and economic growth. Agriterra has been strengthening agricultural cooperatives in Vietnam, and specifically the region of Quang Nam since 2016. In this Cooperative Development Plan Agriterra cooperates with national, provincial and local authorities.
Agriterra will build on existing initiatives and cooperatives in several value chains as acacia, rattan, medicinal plants, beekeeping and handicrafts. With this programme, Agriterra will train and advise farmers and their cooperatives to improve productivity and add more value to their products. This will be done by focusing on improvement of financial management, governance and business planning on all levels. At the same time, Agriterra will support the cooperatives to link up with buyers and financiers from inside and outside the region to improve the margins for the farmers and attract investments. Furthermore the service providers for cooperatives, like the Cooperative Alliances, will be strengthened by Agriterra to ensure a sustainable impact after the two year project period.
Harm Haverkort, Country Representative Agriterra Vietnam
Telephone: +84(0)9 7300 1498
E-mail: haverkort@agriterra.org
