Green transformation is becoming an inevitable trend in modern agriculture. Responding to this trend, many cooperatives (co-ops) are choosing green production as a solution to improve economic efficiency while adapting to evolving market expectations.

Keeping up with the trend

Co-ops are gradually shifting from traditional farming to applying green alongside safe standards such as VietGAP, GlobalGAP, organic cultivation, etc., contributing to increasing product value, ensuring safety for producers and consumers, as well as meeting the increasingly stringent requirements in both domestic and international markets.

At the Cao Nguyen Green High-Tech Agricultural Co-op (Cu M’gar commune), passion fruit is cultivated under VietGAP, GlobalGAP, along with ISO standards, alongside has a planting area code, meeting both domestic and export needs. The co-op has currently collaborated with 50 households, reaching a revenue of VND 82 billion in 2025.

Organic vegetable production model in Tuy Hoa ward.

At the Dong Hoa An Agricultural Service Co-op (Tuy Hoa ward), farmers have switched to growing vegetables using safe methods, sorting waste to utilize organic waste as raw material for fertilizer production, while using pesticides according to permitted dosages. Mr. Nguyen Duc Ta, a co-op member, said that the safe production model helps reduce the amount of chemicals used in the fields, contributing to protecting the health of the producers themselves and the community while saving production costs.

Towards export standards

The entire province has currently had 104 agricultural co-ops applying high-tech combined with 15 co-op production models that have achieved international certifications. In addition, 762 OCOP products province-wide, 43% are co-ops products and co-op groups that have achieved 3-star coupled with 4-star ratings, meeting export standards. Notably, newly established co-ops in the last five years have focused on organic production, high-tech, circular economy, green agriculture, and community tourism, accounting for approximately 32% of all co-ops in the province.

During the recent years, numerous provincial co-ops have gradually conquered demanding export markets. Typical examples include the Ea Kiet Fair Agricultural Service Co-op (Ea Kiet commune) together with the Ea Tu Fair Agricultural Service Co-op (Tan An ward), which produce sustainable coffee certified under Fairtrade (FLO) and export their products to the Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, the UK, as well as France. Concurrently, the 714 Agricultural Co-op (Ea Pal commune) has invested in drones, high-tech drying ovens, along with other modern equipment to improve the production, processing, and develop brand of Ea Kar ST25 rice – a 4-star OCOP product.

Comrade Y Giang Gry Nie Knong, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dak Lak province (second from the left), along with delegates, visiting and learning about the nutritious cereal products of Hala Farm Vietnam Cooperative.

According to Mr. Vu Xuan Thu, Director of the 714 Agricultural Co-op, the co-op has successfully developed a rice production area of over 60 hectares that meets VietGAP standards, which is the foundation for increasing product value, aiming for higher standards including LocalGAP, organic farming, while expanding the consumer market.

Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW on continually innovating, developing, alongside improving the efficiency of collective economy in the new period identifies the priority of developing collective economic organizations associated with green economy, circular economy, and knowledge economy. Beyond generating safe products combined with raising member incomes, the green production model also contributes to environmental protection, efficient resource utilization, as well as meeting the increasingly stringent requirements of domestic and international markets. With the foundation already built, co-ops are gradually affirming their role as the core force in developing a green, modern, along with sustainable agriculture in the locality.

Translated by TRINH THUY