News

At the start of 2017, Tu Xa Safe Vegetables Cooperative, one of VECO’s partners in Phu Tho province, started a new collaboration with VinEco on safe vegetables supply. This article introduces this new partnership and provides some insights into Tu Xa’s transition towards becoming a reliable business partner.

On 14 April, 25 enthusiastic bikers took on Vietnamese roads for a 400-km journey across Northern Vietnam. After months of fundraising at home, they successfully completed the first edition of the Vietnam Classic. This article shares some of their insights and looks back on an eventful and inspiring 8-days.

Between 14 and 22 April, 25 adventurous mountain bikers will cycle through tea fields, rice paddies and other natural wonders as part of the very first “Vredeseilanden Classic” in Vietnam. Beyond the sporting challenge, Classics’ participants are raising funds in Belgium to support farming families throughout VECO’s international network.

We are pleased to share the latest edition of VECO Vietnam’s newsletter. It features some of our best stories from the past three months including a visit from H.E. the Ambassador of Belgium to one of our project sites in Phu Tho province, a case study on the preferences and concerns of vegetables consumers in Hanoi, and a video on how a small group of farmers in Ha Nam province contributes to feeding Hanoi.

Vredeseilanden/VECO’s house is under renovation. It is not however our office building that is being rebuilt, it’s our organisation. From January 1st 2017 our organisational structure will undergo a total makeover and we will become an international network organisation. This move is being done in order for us to be better prepared and able to deal with the many challenges facing the food and agriculture sector, now and in the future.

Last week, VECO Vietnam was very pleased to receive test results showing that LUSOTEC’s green tea is more than safe to consume and qualifies for sales on the European market.

How to feed 7.5 million people in Hanoi in a safe and sustainable way? Answering this crucial question is the at the centre of the movie “Feeding Hanoi”, directed by Michiel Crijns. The movie was produced after 12 Belgian volunteers visited VECO Vietnam’s projects in preparation for their role as ambassadors for VECO Belgium’s fundraising campaign in January 2017.

Last Sunday, H.E. Ms. Jehanne Roccas, the Ambassador of Belgium to Vietnam, together with the Leader of the Crops Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Director of VECO Vietnam and representatives of private businesses went on a field visit to Phu Tho province. The delegates visited a Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) demonstration site for safe vegetables supported by VECO and exchanged with the members Tu Xa Safe Vegetables Cooperative, one of VECO’s beneficiaries in the province.