The Lam San Agricultural Cooperative has received a certification from the Germany-based CERES – Certification of Environmental Standards, for its organic pepper meeting the European Union’s organic standards.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Luan, director of the cooperative located in Cam My District, Dong Nai Province, the 3.5 hectares of the cooperative’s pepper have received the certificate after many years of investment and production of pepper in accordance with sustainable agricultural standards.

Since 2012, the cooperative has started to produce pepper according to organic standards.

Organic standards in European countries are granted to agricultural products that do not use toxic chemicals. There are strict limitations on the use of conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, antibiotics and other substances during production.

In addition, the production process must be developed in conditions that are suitable with the ecological environment, not destroying nature and not harming the environment.

Luan said demand for organic agricultural products is increasing around the world so the Lam San cooperative will transfer organic pepper production to farmers joining the supply chain of organic pepper to expand areas growing pepper that meet standards for export.

The expansion of areas growing organic pepper in the province will create favourable conditions for promoting export of this product to European and American countries and increasing the value of pepper.

Now, the selling price of organic farming products in European countries is 30 per cent higher than the price of conventional products, he said.

Tran Lam Sinh, director of the Dong Nai Department of Plantation and Plant Protection, said the Lam San Agricultural Cooperative is the first and only cooperative in Viet Nam exporting pepper directly, with about 600 tonnes in total exported to European countries over the past three years, including Germany and the Netherlands.

Pepper from the Lam San Agricultural Cooperative will open new opportunities in exporting and branding Vietnamese pepper. This shows that local farmers are able to produce clean and safe agriculture to meet international requirements.

CERES, Certification of Environmental Standards GmbH, is headquartered in Germany. CERES offers certification for organic farming and food processing, for Good Agricultural and Good Manufacturing Practices in the food industry, and for organic textiles and biofuels. – VNS