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Author: Ngô Khoa

Healthy food systems for healthier diets

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

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.

Download the presentation

Healthy food systems for healthy diet – A private sector perspectiveDownload

Marion Klaver, 15th of September 2016
Workshop on Food Systems for Healthier Diets – A4NH, Hanoi

Improving food security and livelihoods in Myanmar

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

SAPA (Sustainable and Affordable Poultry for All) aims at improving the food security and rural incomes of smallholder poultry and corn farmers in Myanmar through a public private partnership in which several parties are involved, including De Heus, Belgabroed, Fresh Studio, Aeres Group, Myanmar Livestock Federation and Yezin Agriculture University.

Read more in-depth about the SAPA project on the project website: Visit the SAPA website

Background

Myanmar is one of the most resource rich countries in Southeast Asia:

  • A land area and fresh water resources double in size compared to for example Vietnam
  • An estimated population of 60 million people
  • Strategically located between the two enormous markets of China and India
  • Easy access to buoyant markets in the Gulf
  • Diverse topography and eco-systems enable farmers to produce a wide range of cereals, pulses, horticulture, fruits, livestock and fish

Myanmar’s farmers find themselves well-positioned to contest both regional and global agricultural markets. Despite these rich resources, Myanmar’s economy has underperformed over the past fifty years.

In the SAPA project strengths are combined between International companies, knowledge institutions and local NGO’s active in the poultry and corn (value) chain.

Approach

The SAPA project offers solutions to improve food security in Myanmar and enhance livelihoods of poultry and corn smallholders in Myanmar, by introducing more productive, profitable and sustainable production systems for poultry and corn production. And at the same time the capacity will be built of both corn and broiler farmers to implement these sustainable production systems. For the demand for poultry this will result in more affordable and reliable access to animal protein in Myanmar. Finally, knowledge capturing and sharing is the backbone of SAPA to promote institutional learning on both micro as macro level.

The project focuses on 3 core themes:

  • Myanmar food security: more affordable and reliable access to higher quality and safer chicken.
  • Sustainable chain solutions: Myanmar farmers have the possibility to choose their own input and output for their broilers. Ownership is created and is based on developed knowledge and experience with different actors in the chain.
  • Inclusive business: the project aims at having impact on low income groups, both employees, producers and entrepreneurs in Myanmar.

Fresh Academy training on Supply Chain Management and Business Development

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

The 4th Training of Trainers (ToT) course of Fresh Academy took place at Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh city from 6 to 10 June 2016.

The course started with an opening speech from Mr. Toine Hattink, Director of Studies, HAS University of Applied Science, the Netherlands. Compared to the previous courses in Da Lat, which focused on greenhouse cultivation techniques and management, this course focused on supply chain and business management aspects within the horticulture sector.

During the training week, the trainees were not only introduced to the concepts of supply chain management, but also given the chance to visit the biggest wholesale markets for vegetables (Binh Dien) and flowers (Ho Thi Ky) in Ho Chi Minh city. In Long An province, Lavifood was visited to study post-harvest management of fruits and vegetables. During the training course the trainees were required to build business models on different topics by making us of the Business Model Canvas approach. An economic expert from Nong Lam university was invited to act as an investor to assess the feasibility of business models that the trainees developed during the training and presented.

The training week was successful completed and trainees will work further on their business and supply chain assignments as part of their homework. The next training course is planned for November 2016 in Da Lat.

Dutch horticulture technologies successfully tested in Vietnam

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

As part of the Transition Facility project “Accelerating the development of a modern greenhouse vegetable production sector in Vietnam” hydroponic lettuce production and biological control of pests in greenhouse vegetables are successfully applied at the R&D Farm of Fresh Studio.

Lettuce is a major crop in Lam Dong province and grown year round. The majority of the lettuce is sold in Ho Chi Minh City. In the rainy season the challenge for farmers is to produce good quality lettuce as disease pressure is high. In the dry season availability of sufficient irrigation water is becoming also a challenge as this dry season has shown. A solution for both challenges is to grown lettuce on a hydroponic system (Nutrient Film Technique). This technique has been successfully tested at the R&D Farm of Fresh Studio as part of the Transition Facility project “Accelerating the development of a modern greenhouse vegetable production sector in Vietnam”. With this system farmers are able to harvest up to 14 rounds of lettuce from the same area for the fastest growing lettuce types, greatly increasing productivity per m2. Due to the very hygienic growing conditions, disease pressure is kept at a minimum enabling top quality lettuce to be produced year round.  The closed irrigation system ensures no water is lost. Compared to growing lettuce in the soil, the amount of water needed to produce the same volume of lettuce with the hydroponic production is estimated to be > 75% lower.

Keeping pest under control and ensuring food safety is a challenge in Vietnam as greenhouse vegetables often need to be harvested daily, while the interval to harvest vegetables after applying a crop protection product is several days to over one week. In the Netherlands pest insects are mainly controlled in a biological way through natural enemies. This technique was successfully tested for cucumber and sweet pepper at the R&D Farm of Fresh Studio. Trails for tomato are planned for later in the year. Besides eliminating the need to apply pesticides to keep pest insects under control, the trial results indicate that the average production also increases, due to the more regular harvest. Through this technology food safety can be increased, while farmers can still be competitive with their vegetable selling price. 

Both technologies are demonstrated and shown to local Vietnamese farmers and farmers have started to commercially apply both technologies. A clear sign that the project’s objective, accelerating the development of a modern greenhouse vegetable production sector in Vietnam, is on the right track.

This project is implemented by a consortium consisting of Wageningen University, Rabobank Foundation, Fresh Studio, BVB Substrates, Da Lat University, HAS Hogeschool Den Bosch, Koppert Biological Systems, Rijk Zwaan, Ludvig Svensson, YARA, CMF and Priva and supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Fresh Studio trains agricultural SME’s in preparing business/ investment plans

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

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.

How growing high-quality vegetables increased farmers’ income by 150%

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

An Australian-funded project with the support of Fresh Studio is helping farmers in Vietnam increase their income by supplying high-quality, certified-safe vegetables to retail stores and urban consumers in Hanoi.

Using a value chain model developed as part of the ACIAR – AHR project team, farmers in the Moc Chau region of North Western Vietnam are now producing certified-safe vegetables for urban consumers in northern Vietnam. Through the project effective direct trading relationships and two-way communication between the farmers, the supermarkets and specialty safe vegetable stores in Hanoi have been established. Direct marketing to Hanoi represents a completely new approach and market for local farmers and it’s showing clear economic benefits. In 2015, 68 project farmers (71% female and 10% H’Mong) in the Moc Chau villages of Tu Nhien, Ta Niet and An Thai, produced about 800 tonnes of certified-safe vegetables on 22 hectares of land.

Participating farmers from the Tu Nhien village in Moc Chau earned an average net income of 300 million VND ($18,000) per ha in 2015. This compares with an average net household income of 120 million VND ($7,560) per ha for non-project vegetable farmers in the village, which is an increase of 150% in net income.

The leader of 38 farmers in the Tu Nhien village, Ms Luyen said:
“Farmers who are working in the new value chain are no longer poor, they do not have to borrow money to grow their next crop. Many of the farmers have been able to improve their houses, and can more easily afford to send their children to school”.

Ms Luyen from Tu Nhien village and Ms Vu Thi Phuong Thanh from Fresh Studio are justifiably proud of the premium strawberries now grown in Tu Nhien village.

In the neighbouring project village of Van Ho, H’Mong farmers have been producing vegetables for only one season, yet they have already recorded a net income from vegetables of 116 million VND ($7,300) per ha per year, an increase of 480% over the 20 million VND per ha they can earn from rice. Alternative land uses such as growing maize or rice return a net income to the farmer of about 20 million VND ($1260) per ha per year, only 7% of the income they could make from accredited-safe vegetables.

Ms Luyen has been able to buy two trucks for sending high-quality vegetables from Moc Chau to Hanoi in good condition. She has also built a covered packing area and a separate crop receival area where local farmers can bring their produce for grading and packing before it is sent to retailers such as FiviMart, Metro and Biggreen in Hanoi, on the night it arrives.

Ms Luyen, leader of the Tu Nhien village supplying high-quality vegetables from Moc Chau to Hanoi tends a crop of tomatoes in her new greenhouse.
Project team members Ms Hang and Dr Pham Thi Sen from the Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (NOMAFSI), and Ms Nguyen Thị Sau from the Fruits and Vegetables Research Institute (FAVRI).
Mr Bùi Văn Tùng and Ms Nguyễn Thị Quỳnh Chang from the Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (NOMAFSI) inspecting a cabbage crop in Van Ho.
Mrs Luyen, leader of the Tu Nhien village with one the trucks she bought to transport vegetables from Moc Chau to Hanoi.

Source: AHR.com.au

Milestone in 2016: 10 years Fresh Studio

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

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

Train-the-Trainer program in Dalat supports trainees in practical knowledge and training skills

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

Dutch and Vietnamese research institutions and companies joined forces to establish Fresh Academy, a practical knowledge and training center for the horticultural sector in Dalat in Vietnam.

Last week, 28 trainees from across Vietnam received training in Dalat, Vietnams’ horticulture region. The training focussed on practical knowledge and training skills in the area of indoor growing. This so-called Train-the-Trainer (TtT) program will have a timeline of 1.5 year.

The agriculture sector in Vietnam including the horticulture shows a strong development and offers opportunities for Dutch businesses. One of the shortcomings in the sector development is the limited practical and applied knowledge. The Fresh Academy project, with a duration of 2 years, will contribute to the knowledge provisioning by building a foundation for a horticulture training centre for training and demonstration.

The Train-the-Trainer program is an essential element of the project. The program educates trainers who then instruct and familiarize horticulture entrepreneurs, company employees and trainees about sustainable and technical advanced horticulture. The Fresh Academy project elaborates on horticultural projects and experiences of Fresh Studio in Vietnam gained in the past 10 years.


A unique consortium consisting of HAS University of Applied Sciences (project leader) and Wageningen UR/PPO, Lentiz Course& Consult, Demokwekerij Westland, Kenlog b.v. and Fresh Studio has joined forces to establish the Fresh Academy. In addition, 4 Vietnamese (agriculture) universities are involved in the development of the Fresh Academy.

Besides Dalat, the Fresh Academy will be operating in the North (production area of Hanoi) and the South (close of HCMC) of Vietnam. Currently, the project partners Demokwekerij Westland and Kenlog b.v. collaborate intensively with local horticulture sector specialised in flowering plants in the Mekong province Dong Thap.

Read the article in Dutch here

Source: TuinbouwCommunicatie

Fresh Studio organizes fresh produce value chain study tour in Vietnam

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

In early December 2015, Fresh Studio was contracted to organize “Vietnam Fresh Produce Value Chain” study tour. The delegation consisted of 17 participants from both public and private sectors in horticulture. 

The key objective of the study tour was to provide the delegates with insights into value chain development for fresh produce for the domestic market. When working with perishable products, it is vital to understand how and where in the chain the ‘value added’ can be created. Other issues such as training farmers, quality assurance and marketing of value added products should also be taken into consideration during the value chain development process.

Therefore, Fresh Studio organized a travel workshop along horticulture value chains that were started in 2008 in Dalat and have over the years expanded to the Mekong Delta, and until now developed into a sustainable business supplying fresh produce for urban consumers in Vietnam. During the seven-day study tour, the delegation traveled to three main horticulture production areas in the south of Vietnam. The group was accompanied by agronomists, QA specialists, marketing consultants and the company’s directors who supported the delegates to achieve the study goal.

  • The delegates visited HCMC peri-urban farmer areas and the modern and traditional wholesale and retailers in HCMC.
  • In Dalat, the delegates visited various vegetable/fruit/flower farming systems (from low tech, mid-tech to high tech farms) and the Fresh Studio R&D farm. In addition, the study tour participants also went to several traditional and modern vegetable packinghouses.
  • In the Mekong delta, the tour participants visited the modern fruit and vegetable processing facility of The Fruit Republic (TFR) Company in Can Tho and a successful fruit export sourcing system in Vinh Long province.

After the study tour, the knowledge of vegetable production and supply chain of the delegates has been improved greatly, especially on the knowledge of Vietnam vegetable production that can be applied in other SEA countries. Apart from learning activities, the delegates also enjoyed Vietnamese food and culture.

Three more milestones achieved in modern greenhouse vegetable production sector in Vietnam

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

3 significant accomplishments in the Transition Facility project “Accelerating the development of a modern greenhouse vegetable production sector in Vietnam”, including the first harvest of tomatoes and sweet peppers produced at the six pilot farms, the development of a market brand name and logo for each pilot farmer, and the start of training 720 farmers in modern greenhouse technology.

Also, positive reactions from all the guests visiting the Fresh Studio R&D Farm. They were all impressed with the tomato crop in the new greenhouse with automatic irrigation and climate control.

After planting the first crops in August, the Transition Facility project is in full swing and the first crops are looking promising to deliver good results.

Since 4 months, the 6 pilot farmers are now using their greenhouse and are very satisfied. Strong winds and heavy rain did not result in any problem. At the Fresh Studio R&D farm, irrigation and climate (including screening) control for the pilot greenhouse is currently managed fully automatic which is resulting in stable growing conditions. The first tomatoes (end of October) and sweet pepper fruits (November) were harvested with excellent quality. With over 2 kg per plant in the first tomato production, the yield target has also been achieved.

Download the project newsletterDownload

To strengthen the sales position of the products produced by the pilot farmer, a student from Van Hall Larenstein completed a research regarding packaging possibilities for tomato and sweet pepper in Vietnam. Advice was provided regarding the packaging options to the pilot farmers.

To distinguish the products in the market a brand name and logo was designed per pilot farmer by Fresh Studio’s Marketing & Business Development team.

Furthermore, next to the production manual for sweet pepper the first Vietnamese tomato production manual was completed. With over 200 slides, the current training manuals for sweet pepper and tomato includes a lot of useful information. Nevertheless, training manuals should be constantly updated and improved.

As part of the project, 8 field days have been organized so far. During these days, a total of 150 sweet pepper farmers and 156 tomato farmers have been trained in sweet pepper and tomato production with modern greenhouse technology. The farmers appreciated the training materials and the opportunity to visit the pilot greenhouses in order to see, experience and discuss the application of modern greenhouse technologies at their own farm.
Certainly there is much interest of farmers to learn more about and to use modern greenhouse technologies. Therefore, it is expected that these training activities will contribute to accelerated adoption of modern greenhouse vegetable production techniques by Vietnamese farmers.

This development is a result of the collaboration with project

Accelerating a modern greenhouse vegetable production sector

Modern greenhouse vegetable production can provide an innovative solution to meet the fast growing demand for high quality, safe and sustainable produced vegetables, which are year round available …

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