On Wednesday (12 October) Minister Koenders (Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands) opened the Dutch embassy in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). An unique moment because everywhere else in the world the Dutch embassies are closing down or at least decreasing the number of staff. But in Myanmar a new Dutch embassy is being established.
Furthermore, this was the first Dutch political mission to the new Myanmar government. The last political elections in November 2015 were the first elections in 60 years in which the leading party (NLD: National League of Democracy) was democratically chosen by a majority of votes. After 60 years of military rule, and hardly any focus on the development of the country and the people, the current government has a very challenging task but certainly shows the mentality to succeed.
Only two months ago the first Dutch ambassador arrived in Yangon. This changed the economic mission of the Netherlands in Myanmar into a more ambitious mission which results in having a Dutch embassy present in Myanmar. Surely this indicates the potential of Myanmar in general, and specifically in trade and the water and agro-food sector.
During his 3-day visit to Myanmar Minister Koenders had meetings with the private sector in order to stimulate and strengthen the economic relationships between the Netherlands and Myanmar. This is also something he stressed several times during his speech at the opening of the embassy.
For SAPA, these are encouraging and beneficial developments: the establishment of the Dutch embassy in Myanmar; the continuous strengthening of the economic relationships between the Netherlands and Myanmar; and finally the focus on developing and improving the agriculture of the new government.
SAPA is a Public Private Partnership project in which strengths are combined of European companies and knowledge institutions and local NGO’s and knowledge institutes active in the poultry value to chain …
How to achieve food security, improved nutrition and accelerate sustainable agriculture in Vietnam? How to increase the income of small scale farmers in Vietnam?
The ‘Growing out of poverty with potato’ project aims to tackle this challenge and sets an example by creating a value chain for a high quality and sustainable potato production system in Vietnam. Since its launch in 2014, the ‘Growing out of poverty with potato’ project made a great deal of progress. The results up to March 2016:
Field trials with 5 high-yielding potato varieties were successfully completed.
Potato production enhancing equipment, like irrigation systems and machinery to plant and harvest potatoes was successfully tested.
950 farmers (of which 70% female) received a training certificate after attending 3 potato training modules regarding potato production.
Training of 14 potato production advisors was completed. Potato production advisors will visit contract farmers at least once every two weeks to assist them in optimizing their production performance.
Demand
Over 200.000 consumers were reached through awareness campaigns in wet markets and supermarkets in Hanoi and HCMC.
400 consumers were interviewed to get more insight in their potato preferences.
Food labs: 400 consumers participated in the sensory evaluation of potato varieties.
50 households prepared 4 selected potato varieties at home and provided feedback per potato variety.
Supply chain development
10 field days were organized and attended by 6 traders and over 350 farmers.
353 farmers signed contracts with traders to deliver potatoes.
Policy development
2 meetings were organized with the Potato Policy Discussion platform
In cooperation with all partners, Dutch embassy, Vietnamese authorities and research institutes a policy brief was completed with recommendations to strengthen the Vietnamese potato sector.
For more in-depth information about the progress in year 2 of the ‘Growing out of Poverty’ with potato project and projection to year 3 kindly download the full newsletter of Year 2 below:
Between the rainy days in Ho Chi Minh City Fresh Studio organized together with its client Zespri a special Consumer Event called ‘Wake Up with Zespri kiwifruit’ in one of the larger shopping malls in the city.
This event was organized to bring an interactive and pervasive Zespri brand experience to participants by entertaining and educative activities. The event reached over 3,000 visitors.
Interactive brand experience
During 1 whole day from 9 to 10 PM visitors of the AEON shopping mall could enjoy games such as basketball, sack jumping and puzzle games. The games were created for (1) entertainment and (2) to educate visitors of every age about the origin and the nutrition of New Zealand kiwi fruit.
The interactive brand experience was furthermore translated into a real-life orchard for visitors to experience, play and learn about how the Zespri kiwi fruit is grown in New Zealand.
Interested to organize a unique, entertaining and educative event for your brand? Liên hệ for more information!
Online brand activation
A special area was set up where people could take photos (read: selfies) with famous Zespri landmarks such as the New Zealand kiwi orchards and the giant kiwi fruit in Te Puke. Visitors created a buzz about Zespri online by sharing their photos on Facebook using hashtags such as #ZespriVN, #Zesprikiwifruit, #Zesprikiwi.
Entertainment
Besides games and photo areas the daily program included dance teams and several cooking shows on stage where kids were able to cook small dishes for their parents by the helping hand of a professional chef.
With Fresh Studio leading the Vietnamese campaign, the volume growth of Zespri in the Vietnamese market has been impressive. The marketing activities, such as this event, have significantly driven and contributed to the double-digit year-on-year sales growth since 2008.
Are you interested to organize a unique, entertaining and educative event for your company, your brand or any other purpose kindly contact us for more information!
Vietnam is in the process of providing the food essential for health and growth. Although the Vietnamese cuisine seems healthy at first side, however there is an upward trend towards either too little (with low quality) or too much (too much salt/sugar).
It is said that, currently Vietnam is facing the triple burden of malnutrition in Vietnam: (Chronic) undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight. Food systems, encompassing all stage in post-harvesting from production to consumption can support the access to wholesome and affordable food.
The workshop ‘Food systems for healthier diets’ was a collaboration of CIAT and Wageningen UR and led by IFPRI. The workshop was an element of A4NH phase 2 Flagship Program. The workshop attendees consisted of among others research institutes, non-profit organisation, governmental bodies and private sector. The main aim of the workshop was to develop a common understanding and perspective and to identify and review key drivers of food system transformation and diet improvements in Vietnam.
Several keynote speakers were invited to share their thoughts on the different topics in the food systems and healthy diets area. Fresh Studio gave a presentation about the role of the private sector in Vietnam towards a sustainable and healthier food system. By illustrating several examples of Fresh Studios’ work along the value the significant involvement of the private sector was provided.
On 7 and 8 April 2016 a team of Fresh Studio consultants existing of local and international agricultural and financial specialists traveled to the Vietnamese city of Tra Vinh in the Mekong Delta, to help local SME’s in the agriculture sector preparing business plans.
The assignment was part of the SNV-IFAD 4P program, whereby SME’s in the agricultural sector in Tra Vinh province can apply for a grant to help fund an investment that will help grow their businesses and contribute to sustainable livelihoods for the rural poor in a changing environment.
The selected companies were active in and had investment proposals focused on, amongst others chili pepper trading, rice trading, hydroponics, poultry/eggs, peanuts, and coconuts.
As most entrepreneurs had little experience in writing formal business plans and making financial models, the workshop started with an introduction to the Business Model Canvas. In this part of the workshop the participants learned about value chains and the concept of building a Business Model Canvas and applied it by making a Business Model Canvas for their own company.
The second day was mostly spent on the financial model. During this session the companies worked closely together with the Fresh Studio consultants on their own financial models. This gave them great insight in the financial viability of their projects and a good understanding of the sensitivity of prices, volumes and costs on their business.
At the end of the workshop the companies stated to have learned a lot and that the training will not only help them to successfully apply for a grant, but also to improve their businesses.
2016 will be a special year as Fresh Studio will celebrate a momentous milestone: its 10th anniversary. 10 years of innovative sustainable agriculture and business development from farm to fork.
Besides our 10th anniversary we will have a lot more highlights to look forward to in 2016. Below you can read a selection of the highlights for 2016. We wish you a happy and festive season from the whole Fresh Studio team! Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!
Crossing borders to Myanmar
The opening of our new office in Myanmar to pursue our mission to grow better lives from farmers to consumers.
Opening of the Aquaculture R&D Farm
The establishment of an ultra-modern R&D aquaculture farm in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam to support our client and partner. Using both indoor and outdoor facilities, we will conduct feed digestibility and performance experimentation, as well as farming innovations demonstration.
Connecting continents
The start of a new office in the Netherlands that will provide for a ‘connect-and-develop’ platform to further enhance our collaboration and services within the Asian-European agro-food sectors.
Opening of our Food Taste Lab
The kick-off of our new state-of- the-art facility, the “Fresh Studio Food Lab”, in which sensory tests are conducted to develop better fresh and processed food products for our clients and to bring enjoyment to end-users.
Follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook for the latest news and development of Fresh Studio:LinkedIn / Facebook
The stereotype of Asian agriculture consists of endless rice fields. However, there is plenty of space for potato, both literally and figuratively speaking. The project “Growing out of poverty with potato” strives to support Vietnam in becoming more self-sufficient in the production of potatoes. The project covers the entire chain, from farmer to consumer.
Article by: Marc Meijer
“How many objectives could one project possibly target simultaneously? The revitalization of the modest Vietnamese potato industry through this project increases the living standards of farmers, expands the diet variations of the population, improve food safety, makes Vietnam become self sufficient with domestic potato supply and contributes to sustainable agricultural growth.” It completely addresses all different crucial aspects, and therefore is a solid and inspiring project. I believe in this project.” says Mrs. Sigrid Wertheim-Heck, the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Fresh Studio.
New varieties
The project encompasses three components. “On the production side, we’re introducing new varieties and sustainable cultivation techniques, targeting 2500 farmers. In addition, we support the farmers with trainings and the organization of their businesses. With simple farming machinery we try to improve the working conditions. This is necessary, since potato cultivation is a labor-intensive activity. It involves strenuous manual work. Most of the cultivation and harvesting is taken up by women.” On the demand side, the project focuses on raising awareness about the nutritional values of potatoes. Building on an extensive consumer research, this will be achieved by an extensive awareness campaign in early 2016. The third component consists of establishing the linkage between supply and demand. “We identify the proper traders and retailers in order to supply high quality potatoes in the best possible way to consumers.“
It completely addresses all different crucial aspects, and therefore is a solid and inspiring project. I believe in this project.
Mrs. Sigrid Wertheim-Heck
Taste lab
What distinguishes this project from similar projects is the significant focus on demand. In other words, as Mrs. Wertheim-Heck puts it: “We assess the agricultural performance of the new varieties as well as the market performance.” The latter happens in “taste labs”-locations where consumers (and farmers) can taste and judge new potatoes varieties. In this way, the market potential of certain varieties will be apparent in advance.
Combination
“Growing out of poverty with potato” is a public-private partnership between Fresh Studio, PepsiCo Vietnam, Agrico BV and Applied Plant Research WUR. This consortium combines local expertise with international cultivation advice, and introduces Dutch potato varieties with commercial potential for different purposes. The potato cultivation season in Vietnam fits in the rice-low season. This implies that farmers can generate an additional income in this period.
Big buyer
“The participation of PepsiCo Vietnam, a company with large purchasing power and interest in sourcing high quality product from sustainable producers, is important.” said Mrs. Wertheim-Heck. “It provides stability for the farmers. The support from the Dutch Government with FDOV (see box) enables us, the project partners, to execute a project that would otherwise not be feasible for a stand-alone private party. A sector in Vietnam that received less attention, is given a major upswing on all aspects.”
The initiative ‘Women as Inclusive Business partners’ from BoP Innovation Center and ICCO Cooperation supports the private sector in strategy development to better engage women in their value chains in low-income markets, ranging from producers to consumers.
15 good practices have been analyzed of Dutch and international companies, ranging from SME’s or cooperatives to multinational corporations. The practices illustrate ‘the secrets’ to build a successful business case; which benefits both companies and women. Fresh Studio actively took part in developing one of these successful business cases:
The Fruit Republic case
The Fruit Republic (TFR) is a Dutch owned company in Vietnam supplying international quality fruits and vegetables to both international and domestic customers. To expand its vegetable sourcing to North Vietnam The Fruit Republic involved in a vegetable value chain to facilitate access for small-scale vegetable farmers to urban markets in Hanoi.
These smallholder vegetable farmers in North Vietnam were not yet connected to formal retail chains in urban areas. The absence of proper planning, coordination, collection and storage and distribution systems for fresh vegetables were considered to be major bottlenecks to connect these vegetable smallholders to such higher value urban markets.
The vegetable value chain in which The Fruit Republic was involved was built on the extensive local experience of the Vietnamese company Fresh Studio. During the last 5 years they have developed successful strategies to improve the performance of Vietnamese fresh food producers in Vietnam and other Asian countries.
Results for women
1.000 small-scale farm-households in four areas across Vietnam are offered sustainable livelihoods. Especially in the North, most producers are women. In the South, both men and women work on the farms.
The producers have stable supplier contracts and receive ongoing agricultural extension to improve their horticultural quality.
In the packing houses and fresh cut facility employs 106 women.
Results for business
Women take their work more seriously, have an eye for detail and work with precision.
Product groups with female leaders are the most entrepreneurial and successful.
The first potato production season within the Dutch funded project “Growing out of poverty with potato” has been completed. During this first seasons potato trials, potato field days, farmer trainings and market research activities have been implemented. The key first outcomes are shared below.
Potato trials
In order to have higher yields and to produce higher quality potato varieties farmers need to have access to good quality potato seeds. The first step to enable this is the registration of potato varieties in Vietnam before commercial trade of these varieties is allowed in Vietnam. In cooperation with Vietnamese institutes potato trials in North-Vietnam and the Central Highlands are established to test and evaluate five new potato varieties and in order to acquire the registration of these varieties.
The trial results of this year trial are positive: all new varieties have higher yield and better quality in comparison with the standard potato varieties included in the trials. The registration of the five new potato varieties is expected to be completed in 2016.
Potato field days
To share the trial results with authorities (MARD), potato traders and farmers several potato field days are organised. The feedback of the participant during the field days was positive; the new potato varieties are appreciated due to its high yield and quality. Farmers perceived that the new varieties taste and smell better than the standard variety. Consumer tests will identify whether consumers have the same feedback as farmers regarding the new potato varieties. Farmers and potato traders expressed their interest to test the new potato varieties and to cooperate with project to develop potato production in Vietnam.
Farmer training and extension
Vietnamese training materials have been developed to train Vietnamese farmers in potato production. The training consists of 3 modules which covers the aggregate from seed potato variety selection o to storage of the harvested potatoes. Over 350 farmers (69% female) are trained during the potato season in the 3 training modules. The training was implemented in 4 provinces (Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Bac Giang and Bac Ninh) in North-Vietnam. Later this year farmer training in the central highlands (Lam Dong province) will start.
Market research activities
The general objective of the marketing activities is to grow the potato consumption in Vietnam beyond fries and crisp and increase the preference towards new high quality table potato cultivars in Vietnam. The research activities in the first phase included an extensive baseline market study, covering the main consumption hubs in Vietnam, Hanoi and HCMC. Results showed that, although consumers in Vietnam show a positive attitude towards potato consumption, they are rather unaware of the nutritional benefits of potato, the versatility in modes of preparation of potato and the variation in potato quality based on variety characteristics.
60% of consumers in urban Hanoi and HCMC believe that white rice is equally or more nutritious than potato
The inclusion of potato in the diet is considered important in addressing nutrient deficiency among younger children and pregnant women, in particular in relation to iron deficiencies. Sector interventions are thus not limited to potato cultivation, but include focus groups, household panels and sensory consumer tests to obtain in-depth insights in table potato consumption and practices in Vietnam. All combined activities will inform the selection of most potential cultivars for the Vietnamese market, as well as the development of a potato awareness campaign. To measure the effectiveness of the marketing communication interventions the survey applied in the baseline research will be repeated on an annual basis.
Summary
Fresh Studio can look back on a successful first potato season in which a strong basis for the next 4 years has been created to vitalise the Vietnamese potato sector.
VI 
EN