Self-proclaimed organic food chaos - Who's in charge?

Currently, in the market, many "self-proclaimed" organic food stores are springing up like mushrooms after the rain but are not inspected or handled by any authorities.

Meanwhile, organic agriculture (AOA) is produced according to the “6 no” principle: No chemicals, no herbicides; no chemical pesticides; no growth stimulants; no preservatives; no genetic modification. To have AO products, producers must follow the strict procedures of the AO standards, including regulations that are more stringent than the Global GAP standards.

Organic food chaos

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the development speed as well as the demand for organic food (TPHC) in Vietnam is currently increasing rapidly. According to statistics, the country currently has about 70,000 hectares of organic production, with about 60 corporations, enterprises (DN), production facilities but still have no certification, except for some large corporations such as TH, Vinamilk... have been certified by international organizations, the rest are still mainly "self-proclaimed".

Organic agriculture is natural agriculture with a synchronous production management system, aiming to ensure a sustainable ecosystem, safe food, good nutrition... Most consumers understand that organic food is produced using organic methods and is a high-quality safe food used according to strict procedures: No chemicals are used, only organic fertilizers are used, weeding is done by hand or mechanically and pests are controlled by manual and biological methods without using pesticides.

Currently on the market, many "self-proclaimed" organic food stores are springing up like mushrooms after rain.

Mr. Ha Phuc Mich - Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Organic Agriculture said: Up to this point, Vietnam has not issued national standards on organic agriculture. Organic agriculture in Vietnam is being certified in the following way: If it is an exported organic agriculture, the product is based on standards inspected and certified by international organizations in Vietnam such as Control Union, Ecocert, Bioagricert... in accordance with the standards of the US and European Departments of Agriculture. The exported organic agriculture products ensure the international standards.

For domestic organic agricultural products (NSHC), some cooperatives and farmer groups producing organic agricultural products for domestic consumption are granted PGS Vietnam certification (Participatory Guarantee System) guided by PGS Vietnam and the Organic Agriculture Association. Therefore, the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) has only recognized Vietnam as a country that produces organic agricultural products and has standards for organic products, but has no regulations on organic agricultural products.

TPHC standards are very strict, classified into 4 classes depending on the percentage (%) of organic ingredients: 100% organic: No other chemicals added; Organic: Over 95% organic ingredients used; Made with organic ingredients: At least 70% organic ingredients used; Some organic ingredients: Less than 70% organic ingredients used.

However, except for enterprises producing and processing organic food for export according to the standards of foreign enterprises, many establishments are unclear about organic food. Some enterprises have only stopped producing in the natural direction, not meeting organic standards but still declaring organic food to increase selling prices for commercial purposes.

According to Mr. Ha Phuc Mich, many stores hang “organic” signs to sell at higher prices for profit, but because there are no sanctions to punish them, it is very difficult to handle. Meanwhile, because there is no agency to issue organic certification, many businesses that are producing organic products have to “self-proclaim” organic certification, which is very disadvantageous for businesses.

Sanctions to eliminate self-proclaimed organic food

Up to now, Vietnam still does not have a system of national standards and legal framework for production as well as certification and monitoring for organic products.

According to statistics from the International Organic Agriculture Organization IFOAM, Vietnam only has a set of PGS standards issued by the Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association, however this set of standards has not yet been recognized by law.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said: It is expected that in early 2018, the Government will pass and issue a Decree on organic food and approve the organic food project. By issuing standards and defining what organic food is, the authorities will have a legal mechanism to control the “chaos” of organic food, put an end to the situation where genuine organic food producers have to suffer the reputation of “self-proclaimed organic food”, and at the same time eliminate establishments that take advantage of the dark situation to make profits.

According to Labor Newspaper