Vietnam

Helvetas has successfully completed many projects in agriculture, local governance and water supply. Together with our partner organizations, we roll out projects fostering the trade of sustainably sourced natural ingredients, piloting circular economy in agricultural value chains, and supporting sustainable tourism development.

Capital

Hanoi
Area

330,967 km²
Poverty rate*

2% of the population live under the poverty line of $1.90 per day
UN DEVELOPMENT INDEX*

Rank: 115 out of 193
Population

98,186,856
People supported per year

25,303
Thematic focus

Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion
Private Sector Development

* Source: UN Data

Helvetas has been active in Vietnam since 1994. We have advised farmers and provided access to local and international markets, improved drinking water supplies and established hygiene standards. Together with our partner Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED), we have set up models of low-impact and community-based tourism in northern Vietnam.

We have advocated for the rights of disadvantaged ethnic minorities in the highlands. Responding to the rapidly changing context in Vietnam, Helvetas has shifted to more meso-level interventions, in particular by working with the private sector for sustainable and fair value chain development.

Sustainable cultivation of medicinal plants and fair marketing of products

Helvetas has pioneered the development of BioTrade products in Vietnam for national, regional and international markets. Vietnam possesses a wide range of plants containing substances much in demand for the production of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products or for the food industry (e.g. tea, cinnamon and anise). Key partners are small and medium Vietnamese enterprises that aim at developing sustainable business models and processes.

Helvetas advocates for the protection and sustainable use of this botanical diversity and is helping Vietnam establish itself as an international supplier of natural products that adhere to BioTrade standards. We advocate for fair prices and secure access to land and natural resources for small farmers and fair pay for everyone in the supply chain. We ensure that women and ethnic minorities can participate in this development. We support capacity building and export promotion, connecting Vietnamese exporters to foreign importers in the wood sector and value-added textiles, other commodities will also be added in the near future.

Building capacities for sustainable economic development

Agriculture and food markets have expanded rapidly in Asia and the Pacific Region in the past decades. But the local rural advisory services often don’t have sufficient expertise in value chains to ensure that the development is socially and environmentally sustainable.

With a still vivid demography and a rapid urbanization across the whole of Asia, Vietnam also faces some challenges in addressing a rapid urbanization. Helvetas Vietnam engages besides local governments to foster their capacities in making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable (SDG 11).

Visit the website of Helvetas Vietnam.