Connecting safe food product supply chains with consumers

As one of Vietnam’s major agricultural hubs, Dong Nai currently has more than 190,000 hectares of industrial crops and fruit trees, along with a large-scale livestock sector comprising over 4.2 million pigs and about 36.2 million poultry. This abundant supply enables the province not only to meet local demand but also to provide around 50% of the food supply for Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces.

Children at Tan Phong 2 Kindergarten in Tan Trieu Ward have breakfast at school. Photo: Hanh Dung

According to Le Thi Anh Tuyet, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, Dong Nai now has 560 production–consumption linkage chains involving around 200 enterprises, 120 cooperatives, 76 slaughterhouses, and more than 20,000 farming households. Among these, 82 facilities are participating in a pilot Safe Food Chain Project in Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City, supplying large quantities of vegetables, fruits, pork, chicken, and eggs. These serve as key inputs for collective kitchens.

To further develop safe food supply chains and connect them with collective kitchens, the agricultural sector plans to prioritize raising awareness among stakeholders through training programs and workshops. At the same time, authorities will publicize lists of certified food-safe suppliers, helping collective kitchens easily identify reliable sources. Another key solution is strengthening production organization through linkages. By joining cooperatives or collaborative groups, farmers can adopt standardized processes such as VietGAP and GlobalGAP, creating products with consistent quality and large output, meeting the strict requirements of collective kitchens.

In addition, promoting trade, supporting businesses in building websites, developing brands, and connecting with modern distribution channels are appropriate approaches. Establishing certified safe food outlets and signing direct contracts with collective kitchens will help reduce intermediaries, lower costs, and increase market stability.

“Applying traceability technology is considered a ‘key’ to building trust. Collective kitchens can strictly control the origin and quality of food before processing,” Tuyet emphasized.

By An Yen – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho