1. General Information:
– Donor: Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
– Project Owner/Line Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development (MARD)
– Collaborating Agencies: Ministry of Health (Vietnam Food Administration) and Ministry of Industry and Trade (Department of Science and Technology)
– Project Standing Agency: National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department
– Project Implementation Timeframe: 5 years (2021 – 2025)
– Project Implementation Location: Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City
– Total Financing/Grant: $15.3 million CAD
– The Canadian Executive Agency (CEA): Alinea International (*) & Guelph University
– Project Office: 301, B3 Building, Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound, 298 Kim Ma Str., Ba Dinh Dist., Ha Noi
– Branch Office: (tentatively) 45 Dinh Tien Hoang Str., District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
– Project Scope: Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City and localities that link to the Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh city’s supply chains
– Project Steering Committee: (13 personnel):
PSC Chairman: Mr. Tran Thanh Nam, Vice Minister of MARD;
PSC Co-Chairman: Brian Allemekinders, Commercial Counselor/Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of Canada to Vietnam
PSC Vice-chairman: Mr. Nguyen Nhu Tiep, General Director, NAFIQAD
PSC Members: Mr. Nguyen Hung Long (VFA/MOH); Mr. Nguyen Viet Tan (DST/MOIT); and representatives from relevant departments/agencies under the MARD
– Inter-sectoral Working Group (IWG): (16 personnel):
IWG Leader: Mr. Nguyen Nhu Tiep, General Director, NAFIQAD
IWG Members: Representatives from relevant departments/agencies under the 3 line ministries, including Mr. Nguyen Hung Long (VFA/MOH); Mr. Nguyen Viet Tan (DST/MOIT); and others
2. Project Objectives
Overall Objectives:
– Support the development and enforcement of science-based FS regulations and risk-based FS management approaches. The project will also engage producers (smallholder farmers) and the private sector to promote environmentally sustainable and CSA practices, and develop a sustainable traceability system;
– Aiming towards public awareness raising on FS for consumers and promoting behavior changes for increased demand and consumption of safe and affordable agri-food in Vietnam.
Project’s Ultimate Outcome:
– Improved well-being of consumers and agri-food sector actors, including poor farmers in Vietnam
3. Project Components:
Component 1: Enabling environment, improved performance of national and sub-national governments in food safety regulation enforcement along the selected value chains in Vietnam to meet international standards
– Outcome 1: Improved capacity of the Food Safety Management Agencies
– Outcome 2: Improved food safety control capacity of competent authorities to support the risk-based food safety management system
– Outcome 3: Improved capacity to apply a risk-based approach by FS Management Agencies
Component 2: Increased competitiveness of agro-production and business establishments, incluing small-holder farmers, poor farmers and other actors, particularly women in Vietnam in supplying safe agri-food products to domestic and international markets (in selected value chains)
– Outcome 1: Strengthened capacity of agri-food production and business establistments/farming households/poor farmers/other actors, particularly women, along the value chains to supply safe agri-food products, taking gender equality and environmental sustainability considerations into account.
– Outcome 2: Increased capacity of agri-food production/business establishments to ensure traceability and food safety along selected value chains.
– Outcome 3: Increased capacity of the agro-production and business establishments participating in selected value chains, including poor farmers/farming households in selected provinces and centrally-run cities to apply agri-food innovative solutions and climate smart and gender-sensative agriculture approaches, technologies and practices.
Component 3: Increased consumer demand for safe and affordable agri-food in Vietnam
– Outcome 1: Increased awareness by consumers, particularly women, of the critical importance of food safety and their rights to have access to and availability of affordable, safe agri-food products in selected provinces and centrally-run cities in Vietnam
4.Main Activities:
– Review of the FS policies and legislations, and support for improvement of some policy documents, including review of 10-year implementation of the FSL, with recommended changes/revisions to the existing FSL and Decree 15/2018/ND-CP
– Taking stock of the current situation on the implementation of, analysis of shortcomings and constraints in handling food safety incidents, management of food-borne diseases (food poisoning).
– Support for digital transformation design for food safety management information and reporting
– TA for establishment of a National Laboratory Management System (LIMS)
– Gender toolkit & e-Learning modules
– Development of International Food Safety Training Program
– TA for selected academic or research institutions on food safety risk assessment
– Gender-based value chain assessments (GBVCAs) and selection, and propose comprehensive support plan for selected value chains.
– Conduct RA survey in value-chains, including production households/ establishments/ cooperatives; preliminary processing and processing establishments; logistical service centers; wholesale markets, trade centers/shoping malls; supermarkets and retail markets of selected value chains
– Conduct gap analysis of traceability systems, including recall and resolve for selected food products
– Analysis and assessment of current status of, and developoment of capacity strengthening strategy for the application of HACCP, GAP and/or relevant international FS standards and certifications)
– Target audiences survey/study on their awareness, culture and expectations, particularly women and youth
– Communication strategy with key messages for each identified target groups
– TA on trade facilitation and brand promotion
and provision of various relevant training on food safety
(*)Alinea is an international development consultancy providing technical and management expertise that helps people improve their lives. For more than 35 years, Alinea has delivered lasting change through more than 500 projects worldwide.