Vietnamese vegetable farm gains US, EU organic certificates

The Ho Chi Minh City-based system was granted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s organic certification and the EU’s organic farming recognition for its vegetable farm in Long Thanh District, located in Dong Nai Province, last week Wednesday.

Organica’s organic farm was established in early 2013 with the support of the Netherlands-based certification organization Control Union. The fruit of Organica’s effort in strictly following the requirements of organic farming processes of the U.S. and the EU was realized at the end of last month when a team of foreign experts from Control Union came to the farm to assess and certify its organic standards

The 1.8-hectare farm is home to nearly 100 species of tropical fruit and vegetables, including leafy vegetables, edible flowers, root vegetables, herbs, and fruits.

Without using chemicals and pesticides, as a rule to obtain the organic certification, the farm’s workers must use peppers, garlic, seasoning particles to repel insects or use nylon tarpaulin to prevent grass or utilize biological pesticides allowed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the EU.

Currently, Organica is planning to expand connections with individuals and businesses intending to join organic agricultural production to share experience, necessary solutions for farming techniques and how to find the market for clean products.