Nghe An (VNA) – The sustainable clam and bamboo value chain developmentin Vietnam (SCBV) project, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented byOxfam Vietnam in collaboration with Vietnamese partners, has benefited a large number of rural residents and stabilised these production areas in Vietnam, heard a conferencein Vinh city of Nghe An on March 23 to review the project.

The project covers five provinces of Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An, aimingto contribute to promoting economic development and business efficiency of small-scalefirms and processors towards sustainable standards, while strengthening marketaccess and creating favourable policies for inclusive and sustainabledevelopment of the clam and bamboo value chain in Vietnam.

It also focused on reducing poverty nd inequality in rural areas of Vietnam, assisting clamand bamboo producers and processors in applying sustainable practices, andpromoting public-private partnerships in fair and responsible chain governance.

A report from theproject showed that in 2018, there are about 1.5 million small-scale producers andprocessors engaged in clam and bamboo industries. However, they face manychallenges, mostly due to the impoverished situation of material areas as aresult of degradation, overexploitation and lack of understanding of sustainable maintenance.

In this situation, theproject coordinated with the localities to improve farming techniques in order to achieve international certificates such as MSC (MarineStewardship Council) and ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) for clam, and FSC(Forest Stewardship Council) for bamboo, enabling their products to enter largemarkets such as the US, the EU and Japan.

In 2019, Quan Hoa district in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa became the first locality in Vietnam toachieve the FSC certificate for bamboo production, followed by Que Phongdistrict in neighbouring Nghe An province and Quan Son district in Thanh Hoa.

In early 2023, theMekong Delta province of Tra Vinh became the third clam production area to achieve ASC certificate. These are considered big steps for Vietnamese clam and bambooindustries.

Phan Van Thang, Director of the Research Centre for Non-TimberForest Product, said at the event that after receiving the FSC certificate, the bamboo forests are grown and maintained better, generating higher productivity and more stable quality products,resulting in higher socio-economic and environmental values.

Hoang Quang Phong, VicePresident of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said that thanksto the project, more than 34,000 people have enjoyed sustainable income fromclam and bamboo, while 125 production groups were better organised, 63businesses have seen their business situation advance, and more than 4,000 newjobs have been created.

At the same time, the projecthas helped increase Vietnam's clam exports to Europe by 38-40%, and bambooexports by 42%, he said./.