A two-day training workshop targeting Vietnamese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has been held, on November 14 and 15, at Vietnam National  University of Agriculture (VNUA).

The workshop targets Vietnamese small and medium enterprises operating in the agrifood sector, and it is organized by FAO in collaboration with Vietnam National  University of Agriculture (VNUA), the alliance Biodiversity International-CIAT, the Institute for the development of Agriculture Cooperation in Asia (IDACA) -Japan, and the Research Institute of Fruits and Vegetables (RIFAV).

Participants to the workshop include SMEs operating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable value chain, lecturers from VNUA, FAO Viet Nam, and experts from the alliance Biodiversity-International-CIAT and RIFAV. Private business organizations, such as small and medium enterprises operating in Viet Nam, are important actors in the food system as they may contribute to improve nutrition and promote healthy diets for all. They need solid skills and competencies to maintain the nutritional quality of food during production and  processing, as well as knowledge that will support them in raising consumers’ awareness and promoting food products for healthy diets.

SMEs are, however, facing many difficulties in the sector where they operate, which makes it difficult to leverage their role in promoting nutrition-sensitive approaches consistently. According to a survey and an analysis conducted by VNUA in consultation with FAO in 2019, it is crucial to provide SMEs with training and competencies on a wide range of topics, including food quality systems and business management.

The Workshop is part of a series of activities aiming to support SMEs in strengthening their competencies on food quality management, as well as to boost their skills in market analysis.

The workshop is part of several activities developed under FAO’s project Strengthening capacities for nutrition -sensitive food systems through a multistakeholder approach —funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan and implemented in Viet Nam, Ghana and Kenya. Its  goal is to support these countries in leveraging the role of local small and medium agrifood enterprises within the food system in which they operate, aiming to  improve nutrition and promote healthy diets accessible to all.

Source: http://www.fao.org/vietnam/news/detail-events/en/c/1330416/