Public, private sectors partner to boost sustainable peppercorn industry
A memorandum of understanding has been signed among the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), and the Sustainable Spices Initiative (SSI) with a view to promoting sustainable peppercorn production and trading.
A farmer harvests peppercorn in Bu Dop district of Binh Phuoc province (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – A memorandum ofunderstanding has been signed among the Plant Protection Department under theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Sustainable Trade Initiative(IDH), and the Sustainable Spices Initiative (SSI) with a view to promotingsustainable peppercorn production and trading.
Accordingly, the relevant parties pledged tocoordinate in promoting sustainable peppercorn production and trading until2025.
The Plant Protection Department will step uppolicy completion and capacity building in the management and responsible useof crop protection chemicals, facilitate the connectivity in safe production,the monitoring of food safety, and peppercorn origin tracing so as to expandfarming and meet safe and sustainable production requirements.
The SSI is responsible for working with theEuropean Spice Association and the American Spice Trade Association on theirmarkets’ quality requirements and attracting investment from its membercompanies to sustainable production in value chains in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, IDH will provide advice and financialsupport and coordinate assistance from international organisations for thispublic-private partnership (PPP).
Nguyen Quy Duong, Deputy Director of the PlantProtection Department, told the signing ceremony on March 30 that Vietnam isthe world’s largest peppercorn producer and exporter. Its peppercorn accountsfor some 60 percent of the total volume traded globally.
However, the country’s peppercorn industry isfacing major challenges like low prices, unsustainability, and failure to meetthe increasingly stringent requirements of importing markets, he acknowledged.
Enhancing PPPs is an appropriate solution tothis problem, he said, stressing that the State will create a favourable policyenvironment for the private sector to seek markets, ensure sustainableproduction, and meet importers’ standards.
Duong expressed his belief that the newly inkedmemorandum will become a considerable driver for the industry to achievesustainability./.
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A farmer harvests peppercorn in Bu Dop district of Binh Phuoc province (Photo: VNA) 
