In order to collect information and data to carry out the national research "The development of ecological agriculture: A case study in Viet Nam", the research team of the Institute for Policy and Strategy for Rural Agricultural Development (IPSARD) organized a field survey from August 07 to August 12, 2023 in Nghe An province to study the current status and provincial orientations for the development of ecological agriculture. During the survey trip, the IPSARD research team also spent time working with officials of the Department of Agriculture and Rural development, district agriculture departments, enterprises/cooperatives, and farmer households to gather information and data on the development of ecological agriculture and to evaluate difficulties and challenges that stakeholders are facing in the process of developing ecological agriculture. This research was conducted under the regional project "Network for Agriculture and Rural Development Think- tanks for Countries in Mekong sub-region " (NARDT) funded by IFAD.

The development of ecological agriculture is receiving the attention of local authorities in Nghe An

Nghe An has great potential to develop ecological agriculture combined with tourism because of many different ecoregions, diverse natural conditions, and the development of many agricultural models such as tea plantations, fruit tree farms, attractive flower fields, etc. Consequently, Nghe An has made ecological agriculture combined rural tourism a top priority for agriculture and rural development. This combination is anticipated to boost farmers' incomes and contribute to the development of multi-value, highly productive, sustainable agriculture.

In terms of production methods, Nghe An has a rich agricultural culture that encompasses the three regions of mountains, seas, and delta. In addition, Nghe An is advancing the National Target Program for New Rural Development, which is changing the province's appearance and transforming the villages into desirable places to live with stunning, novel scenery. As of 2022, Nghe An has 299/411 communes meeting the new rural standard, of which, 20 communes meet the newly enhanced rural standards, and 2 communes meet the new model rural standard. This is one of the advantages of ecological agriculture development combined with tourism of the province.

Currently, Nghe An has a number of ecological agricultural models combined with tourism developed by farmers and enterprises, such as Cau Cau Tea Island (Thanh Chuong), Hung Son tea hill (Anh Son), Dong Thanh orange farm (Yen Thanh), Ban Pha orange farm (Con Cuong), flower hills in Nghia Dan district and Thai Hoa town... In this fieldtrip, the research team had the opportunity to visit Sen Que Bac Cooperative in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district. Up to now, the cooperative has built a material area with an area of more than 200 hectares with more than 70 different lotus varieties. The cooperative uses organic methods, microbiology, and organic fertilizers at the production stage instead of chemical inputs. Lotus stems are the only by-products and are used to make compost in a separate farm. Beside the core production activities, Sen Que Bac Cooperative also provides other services such as fresh flowers, tourism and carries out research and conservation of indigenous and improved lotus varieties. Coming to Lotus Cooperative in Bac hometown, tourists will be able to visit and take photos and participate in experiencing the techniques of planting, harvesting, processing lotus, and enjoying culinary art from lotus.

Photo: Talking with Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, Deputy Director of Sen Que Bac Cooperative.

Source: Thuy Tran – CAP/IPSARD.

Ms. Hong shared: "The development of Sen Que Bac cooperative is intended to benefit not only the local economy but also the surrounding environment and ecosystem. People will plant lotuses when they recognize the benefits of this model, which will alter the look of the country and help to lower pollution levels in the environment. However, the development of cooperative activities still faces many difficulties related to land and capital. In addition, it is also necessary to integrate national culture to attract tourists to Sen village."

There are still many remaining difficulties in the ecological agriculture development

Despite many advantages, the development of ecological agriculture combined with tourism also faces many difficulties such as: i) The agricultural sector is mainly seasonal, meaning that visitors can only visit for the certain period; ii) Agriculture is vulnerable to numerous weather-related and climate-related problems. In addition, the expansion of the model is facing many problems such as land and capital constraints. Besides, the supporting infrastructure has not really developed. Furthermore, the growth of tourism together with ecological agriculture is unplanned and has developed by individuals and enterprises. Therefore, in the future, Nghe An province needs to have a specific plan for ecological agriculture combined tourism. This plan must take advantage of the natural conditions, guarantee agricultural development, and protect local customs.