Workshop: Responsible, safe and effective use of agrochemicals towards sustainable food systems

Hanoi, 25 November 2022 - A workshop to promote the responsible use of agricultural inputs to drive sustainable national food systems was jointly conducted today by CropLife Asia as well as the Vietnam Government’s Plant Protection Department (PPD) and Institute for Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD). At the workshop, titled "Responsible, safe and effective use of agrochemicals towards sustainable food systems”, the Rural Development Center (RUDEC) of IPSARD and research partners (Kynetec and ideas42) publicly released results of two studies: “Farmers’ perception of the value of agrochemicals” and “Study on applying behavioural design to improve farmers’ stewardship practices when using agrochemicals”. These are field studies conducted in the period 2019 – 2022 with the support of CropLife Asia.

In the last 30 years since the economic reforms, the Vietnam economy has experience tremendous growth with the agricultural sector as a main engine of this development in terms of productivity, output and export values. Vietnam has made efforts in achieving a food system which is transparent, equitable and effective. The recent strategy on sustainable development of rural and agricultural areas for the period of 2021 – 2030, vision 2050 affirms “agriculture is the advantage, foundation of national economy”, and underlines “responsible, modern, efficient and sustainable agricultural production”.

The study “Farmers’ perception on value of agrochemicals”, a component of a research project on “Assessment of socio-economic value of agrochemical products in Vietnam”, conducted by RUDEC/IPSARD and Kynetec in 2019, through direct interview with 520 farmers growing rice, coffee, tea, rubber, citrus, mango, dragon fruit across seven regions and 36 experts (researchers, local state management staffs, agrochemical companies). The results show that farmers are much dependent on agrochemicals and assess significant contribution of agrochemicals to their yield both in terms of quantity and quality. Farmers who grow rice and fruits (mango, citrus, dragon fruit) put more points to agrochemicals than farmers growing perennial crops (rubber, coffee). The study confirms that, in the process of transition to other alternatives which requires more effort and time, an important solution to switch to a more sustainable agricultural production model is to improve the awareness and habit of using agrochemicals as well as sustainable farming practices among farmers.

To learn more about the farmers’ decision-making process in using pesticides, RUDEC/IPSARD continued to collaborate with idea42, an international organisation specializing in behavioural science research, to conduct a followed survey with 180 rice, tea, mango, orange farmers and in-depth interviews with 50 other stakeholders (extension workers, plant protections staffs, agrochemical shop, buyers, exporters). Through direct interviews, some of the key drivers and barriers to responsible practices with Vietnam farmers' current behaviour across various stages of the crop cycle (from acquiring agrochemicals, to their use in the field, and ultimately delivering the crops to the buyer for a cost) and determining the behavioural barriers which were leading to incorrect application of agrochemicals among farmers (including external, psychological, and economic factors). One of the learnings from the study is that farmers have little or no awareness of their crop residue levels as well as how to manage residues during cultivation. Some of the reasons for this include: farmers do not currently receive feedback on residue levels with their crops from collectors or companies; lack of adequate farmer training and access to information in this regard; absence of available methods for farmers to check for residues (current focus only on external physical characteristics such as yield, post-harvest appearance); and the perception of Vietnam farmers that following some (not all) of the principles of pesticide use constitutes “appropriate” behaviour. From these results, the study suggested a number of solutions to enhance information exchange and training for farmers on crop residue levels as well as how to manage them while providing simple tools for testing. The study also suggested strengthening recommendations and timely feedback so that farmers can adjust the level of use and control residues beginning at the cultivation stage.

At the workshop, representatives of different stakeholders in the agricultural supply chain (state management agencies, research units, industry associations, agrochemical companies) discuss the issues related to contribute to the promotion of responsible and competitive agriculture. The opinions of experts are suggestions for project partners and concerned stakeholders to go ahead in further research and development activities, especially in piloting experimental models to improve farmers’ behavior towards a more responsible and sustainable use of agrochemicals.

Research results and discussions shared at the workshop will be the basis for further dialogues related to responsible agricultural production and suggest solutions to ensure national agricultural landscapes that are modern, productive, high quality, efficient, sustainable and competitive.

For media enquiries, please contact:

- Nguyễn Mai Hương – Rural Development Center | Email: maihuong.nguyenmh@gmail.com | Điện thoại: +84974858088

- Đào Thu Vinh – Coodinator, CropLife Vietnam| Email: vinh.dao@croplifevietnam.org | Mobi: +84983330209

Project Research Partners

About CropLife Asia and CropLife Vietnam

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by six member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at www.croplifeasia.org.

CropLife Vietnam and member companies are committed to long-term investment in new technology to ensure that Vietnam’s 25 million farmers can realize higher crop yields, contribute towards the nation’s vibrant agricultural economy, and produce more high-quality food while minimizing impact on the environment. For more information, visit us at www.croplifevietnam.org

About Rural Development Center

Rural Development Center (RUDEC) is an autonomous research center established under the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD), RUDEC has conducted variety research studies which have covered a wide range of topics, including new rural development, agricultural R&D, food systems, commodity branding and quality management, production system and farming monitoring system. RUDEC carries out research by working on the ground, interacting with farmers, building up pilot models that leads to comprehensive and concrete development strategy and sustainable solutions to the pressing problems of agriculture and rural development for achieving food security, poverty and hunger reduction, and overall economic objectives.

About Kynetec

Kynetec is the global leader in agricultural and animal health market insights. We have a long history of market research expertise, specializing in animal health and nutrition, crop protection, farm machinery and equipment, seed/biotech and fertilizers. Across the globe, our employees are located across around 30 major agriculture and animal health countries. Our coverage extends to major and niche sectors of our industry, where we regularly undertake research projects in more than 80 countries. Our priority is to ensure that we deliver the highest-quality insight and foresight at the right time to enable our clients to confidently make the best decisions for their business.

About ideas42

ideas42 is a non-profit looking for deep insights into human behavior - into why people do what they do - and using that knowledge in ways that help improve lives, build better systems, and drive social change. Working globally, we reinvent the practices of institutions, and create better products and policies that can be scaled for maximum impact. We also teach others, ultimately striving to generate lasting social impact and create a future where the universal application of behavioral science powers a world with optimal health, equitable wealth, and environments and systems that are sustainable and just for all. For more than a decade, we’ve been at the forefront of applying behavioral science in the real world. And as we’ve developed our expertise, we’ve helped to define an entire field. Our efforts have so far extended to 50 countries as we’ve partnered with governments, foundations, NGOs, private enterprises, and a wide array of public institutions - in short, anyone who wants to make a positive difference in peoples' lives.