Biotrade's booth at Việt Nam FoodExpo 2023. — VNS Photo Xuân Đăng
Two collaborators implementing the Biotrade Project, CRED and Helvetas, has jointly organised an exhibition booth under the theme 'Biodiversity: Where Taste meets Variety.'
The event, held under Việt Nam FoodExpo 2023 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in District 7, featured a "Market Connection and Food Tasting" on November 23, where organic products were transformed into ten types of beverages and various snacks.
Representatives from the Biotrade Project announced that 21 small and medium-sized businesses from Việt Nam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia participated in the exhibition, showcasing over 200 organic products such as spices, nuts (cashews, peanuts, sesame seeds), rice, coconut, palmyra palm, tea, and coffee.
The primary goal of setting up the exhibition booth at Việt Nam FoodExpo 2023 is to provide opportunities for businesses from all four countries in the project area to connect with international buyers. Moreover, it serves as a platform for businesses from Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia to enter the Vietnamese food market.
This occasion also acted as a platform for industry associations and business support organisations, such as the Việt Nam Pepper and Spice Association, the Myanmar Tea Association, the Myanmar Beekeeping Association, the Cambodian Pepper and Spice Federation, and the Lao Business and Development Consulting Company, to showcase the potential of their respective industries to international buyers and visitors.
The Biotrade Project, initiated in Việt Nam in the early 2010s and extended to Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia in 2020 with support from the Swiss Government through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), aims to assist businesses in the natural products sector in adopting sustainable production practices.
The project seeks to boost exports to international markets while ensuring compliance with international standards.
Biotrade serves as a hub for the business community involved in developing sustainable agricultural supply chains. This includes export-oriented businesses from Việt Nam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia, as well as global importers. The project actively supports and promotes stakeholders committed to sustainable development, emphasising principles such as biodiversity, fair trade, and transparency. — VNS