Small and medium enterprises (SME) processors, shrimp producers and inhabitants in a number of Mekong Delta Provinces will benefit from a project, entitled Sustainable and equitable shrimp production and value chain development, which was launched May 25, 2016 by Oxfam and the International Collaborating Centre for Aquaculture and Fisheries Sustainability (ICAFIS) together with partners.
The 2.5 million euro project, funded by the European Union under the SWITCH-Asia program, aims to promote sustainable economic prosperity and poverty reduction in Vietnam, through improving social and environmental impacts of shrimp value chain development.
Vietnam shrimp production provides livelihoods for over a million of people and improves income for small scale producers who are accounting for more than 80% of Vietnam shrimp production. However, the booming of shrimp industry, relies on saline water ecology, has been associated with serious environmental and social problems.
The project will facilitate a win-win collaboration among value chain stakeholders and to empower the small scale farmers to engage effectively in the value chain for added benefit. The participatory process facilitated by the project allows surrounding communities to dialogue with shrimp value chain actors and hold them accountable to negative impact management.
Speaking about the project, Mr Alejandro Montalban, Minister Counselor of the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam said: \"The project will contribute to result in efficient resources utilisation, responsible production supply chains and practices, improved social and environmental condition and reduced waste. More specifically, beside the technical support, the project will work with project stakeholder to find solution in helping small scale shrimp producers and SME shrimp processors to be able to access to adequate finance, including advocating government’s favourable credit policies, and empowered them to have a stronger voice in negotiation with other actors in the value chain.\"
The project is operational in Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau during a period of four years (March 2016 - February 2020).
“At the completion of the project, we expect, sustainable production practices and the successful collaborative models of shrimp value chain actors will be documented for national level institutionalization and be disseminated for national wide replication in Vietnam” said Nguyen Thi Le Hoa, Deputy Country Director, Oxfam in Vietnam. “Oxfam’s niche in multi stakeholder approach and global network will ensure our expectation”.
Learn more about the SWITCH-Asia program of the European Union.
