Vietnamese rice maker gets organic certification
A spokesperson for Vien Phu JSC told FoodNavigator-Asia that the company had received an organic rice certification by the global agency BIO Organic, and an organic foods certification under the US Organic Food Production Act.
“The certification was provided by Netherlands-based Union Vietnam, which was responsible for evaluating and certifying organic rice,” he said, claiming that his company was possibly the first one in the South Eastern region to get one.
The spokesperson added that Vien Phu’s rice products would be labelled as ‘Certified Organic Foods’ indicating that it “does not contain any antibiotics, insecticide residue, chemical fertilizer, coloring, addictives, and preservatives.”
Global reach possible now
The spokesperson explained that for Asia-based exporters of rice and rice products, the organic foods certification is more valuable than the than the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) standard, especially in Western markets.
“There is no doubt that organic foods are more preferred by consumers in the west thanks to their promise of safety for both consumers and the environment,” he said, adding that organic certified goods also provide higher returns for rice producers.
According to the Vien Phu JSC pokesperson, the certification has also paved the way for the rice maker to take its product into North America and EU, where it has already begun negotiating with partners for export orders.
“We are looking at working with 20,000 local farms to expand our organic rice field coverage area to 20,000 hectares in the near future,” he added.
