Sustainable and equitable shrimp production and value chain development in Vietnam (SuSV)

Shrimp production in Vietnam has experienced a significant growth, with the sector growing more than 300 percent in terms of volume between 2001 and 2012.

Shrimp farming provides a livelihood for more than one million people and has the potential to substantially improve the income of small-scale producers, who are responsible for 80 percent of production.

However, there are a number of barriers that are hindering growth. For example, the linkages between various shrimp value chain actors, such as producers, processors and exporters, are fragmented. This is affecting product quality and decreasing the competitiveness of the sector. Limited access to financial resources is also preventing small-scale producers from expanding their production. In addition, while a number of national and global industry standards have been introduced in Vietnam, many shrimp producers and processors do not properly understand these standards or their implications and therefore do not adhere to them.

Finally, there are also negative environmental and social impacts associated with shrimp production. For example, mangroves and other wetland habitats are being destroyed, and chemicals and antibiotics from shrimp farms are polluting the environment.

Oxfam aims to contribute to sustainable economic prosperity and poverty reduction in Vietnam through improving social and environmental impacts of shrimp production and processing.

The results we want to achieve are:

• 600 shrimp producers (of 30 collaborative producer groups) comply with the participatory Social Impact Assessment (p-SIA) and Biodiversity Environmental Impact Assessment standards of the global Aquaculture Stewardship Council standard, 50% of these producers comply with VietGAP (Vietnam Good Aquaculture Practice) and 30 Small and Medium Enterprise shrimp processors adopt Corporate Social Responsibility norms.
• 600 shrimp producers and 30 processors have improved management practices and/or technologies leading to more efficient production and a better utilisation of available natural resources.
• 200 shrimp producers/ processors have access to loans from Government Policies or other sources to promote sustainable aquaculture development.
• 4 small scale shrimp producer groups are strengthened and have enhanced responsible production practices with equitable benefits sharing.
• Government’s policy on the value chain development model is developed in a participatory manner and implemented effectively in the shrimp value chain in 3 provinces.

Oxfam works in this project with ICAFIS, a local NGO linked to the Vietnam Fisheries Society that promotes sustainable fisheries development, as well as producer associations, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, the Vietnam Directorate of Fishery, local governments and financial institutions.

The project is financed by the European Commission SWITCH-Asia II,  Promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production programme.

Facts:

Project name:       Sustainable and equitable shrimp production and value chain development in Vietnam (SuSV)
Project period:      March 2016 – February 2020
Target group:        20,000 Small Scale Shrimp Producers in the 3 provinces and 30 SME shrimp processor
Location:               Vietnam, Mekong Delta region. Focussing on the provinces Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau
Budget:                  2.4 million euro

Contact:

For more information about this project, please contact Ms. Ha Do Thuy at Oxfam Vietnam, Mr. Dinh Xuan Lap at our partner organization ICAFIS, or Mr. Henk Peters at Oxfam Novib, the Hague.