Ino Mayu (centre, white shirt) sits among Vietnamese farmers. (Source: Ino Mayu) Ben Tre (VNA) – Ino Mayu launched the Japanese-funded Seed to Tableorganisation, which promoted eco-friendly agriculture across Vietnam since 2009.
The Japanesewoman, who has been living in Vietnam for 20 years, began her organic missionin the north. She helped farmers in Hoa Binh, Son La and Hai Phong to growvegetables without pesticides, then connected them with restaurants in Hanoivia workshops.
In 2012, oncenorthern farmers recognised the prosperity the cultivation practices couldbring, Mayu and her project moved to Ben Tre province in the south.
Theorganisation set up a “cow and duck bank” in Binh Dai district, where localfarmers could borrow cows and ducks for one year and return the loans with theanimals’ offspring.
More than600 farmers have to date become customers of the bank and many households haveescaped from poverty.
In 2015,the project brought organic vegetable cultivation to Ba Tri, another districtin Ben Tre.
At first,Mayu came with personnel from the local administration to encourage people to takepart in her project, then she visited households to show them how to producemanure and pick insects by hand.
She has frequentlychecked the progress of participants’ projects, listened to their difficulties,and helped them seek buyers.
It was hardto get locals to adhere to organic principles as they have been used to plantingwith inorganic fertilisers and pesticides for years, Mayu said.
Mai VanTron, a resident in Ba Tri town, said when the Japanese woman first visited hisfarm, he was suspicious, but her organic farming classes changed his mind.
Mayu’spassion and dedication also helped convince him to shift to the new method.
Currently,Tron’s 500-m2 plantation garden earns about five million VND (some 220 USD) permonth.
The numberof local families taking part in the “Seed to Table” project like Tron has sofar amounted to 200.
Mayu noted 60percent of Vietnam’s population are farmers, most of them run small-scale farmsand rely on natural resources, adding that is why environmental protection and sustainablefarming are important.
People oftendo not realise Mayu is Japanese, as she speaks fluent Vietnamese and dresses likea local. Many farmers call her by an informal Vietnamese name Chi May (sisterMay).-VNA
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