Name(s) of Regulation and/or Standard:
National Basic Standard for Organic Production – 10 TCN602:2006 Organic – was issued in 2006 but there were no official programs or regulations for implementing or supporting an organic agriculture system.
The Ministry of Science and Technology issued the first National Standards on Organic Agriculture TCVN 11041 in 2017, standardizing the production, cultivation, animal husbandry, processing, and labeling of organic products, and requirements for organizations assessing and certifying organic product production and processing systems.
Links to the National Standards can be found at https://isovnc.com/tai-lieu/tcvn-11041-1-2017 online can be translated into English, download in Vietnamese.
Decree 109/2018 on Organic Agriculture published in August 2018, regulated the production, certification, labeling, logo, traceability, trading, and inspection of organic agricultural products.
Circular 16/2019, published in November 2019 to supplement Decree 109/2018, provided detailed guidance on the agencies and organizations that oversee the application, certification, and testing of organic agricultural products in Vietnam.
Most recently, in June 2020, the Government of Vietnam approved the Organic Agricultural Development Project for 2020 – 2030. Under this project, Vietnam aims to gradually create a strong domestic organic agricultural industry and grow land for organic agricultural production to 1.5 – 2 percent of total agricultural land by 2025.
Certification:
Requirements for certification are not detailed in the national standard. Locally, small farms have turned to a participant guarantee system based on the national standards. International certifiers may be able to assist with certification in Vietnam.
There are registered third-party certifiers in Vietnam: Control Union, and international certification agency, and NHO QScert and MekongCert, Vietnamese organizations.
PGS certifications aren’t officially recognized by the Vietnamese government, but they are commonly accepted by retailers and consumers. The Vietnam Farmer Association and Seed to Table are two PGS projects.