Nestled in the mountainous northwest of Vietnam,
Son La Province is primarily inhabited by ethnic minorities who make up 83% of
its residents. These communities suffer from high levels of poverty,
malnutrition and gender inequality. Though smallholder livestock production
scale plays a crucial role in their livelihoods, the sector has low
productivity, poor animal husbandry practices, inefficient food safety
management, nutrition insecurity, limited market access, and low
competitiveness.
CGIAR, through the Sustainable Animal
Productivity for Livelihoods, Nutrition and Gender Inclusion Initiative
(2022-2024), which is also known as the SAPLING Initiative, is aiming to
improve livestock productivity for these ethnic minorities. Known as
‘Chan-henh’ or ‘beautiful’ and ‘better,’ in the local Thai language, the
initiative will enhance the productivity, resilience, equity, and
sustainability of smallholder livestock systems by promoting inclusive development
of the sector. The pilot project sites for the initiative, namely Mai Son and
Phu Yen districts in Son La Province, were chosen due to their favourable
conditions, such as abundant feed resources, substantial livestock populations,
sufficient land resources, local authorities’ support, and alignment with
provincial livestock development strategies. Assessing the needs of the
localities, the project will work on two value chains of pig and cattle.
Cam Thi Phong, deputy director of the Department
of Agriculture and Rural Development of Son La, expressed optimism about the
project and urged the project team to clarify the activities of the
intervention packages at the selected sites to all partners. She emphasized the
importance of increasing productivity, ensuring sustainable livelihoods, and
promoting women empowerment.
The five intervention work packages of the
project include:
1.
Enhance sustainable
livestock productivity through innovative technologies and practices, such as
enhancing artificial insemination in breeding stock and establishing
demonstration farms equipped with comprehensive herd health packages.
2.
Promote the safe
consumption of livestock-derived foods and enhance market supply by tackling
poor nutrition within local food systems and developing a behaviour change
communication package tailored to the local needs.
3.
Address gender equity
and social inclusion within the livestock sector by challenging existing gender
norms and empowering women, ensuring that the benefits of pioneering
innovations are equally shared.
4.
Cultivate competitive
and inclusive livestock value chains by establishing or strengthening common
interest groups that foster collaboration and inclusivity.
5.
Empower evidence-based
decision-making and facilitate the sustainable growth of the livestock sector
through policy influence and fostering strong partnerships with the private
sector.
The project team
presented four key components of the SAPLING Initiative: sustainable livestock
productivity technologies and practices, gender equity and social inclusion,
competitive and inclusive livestock value chains, and policy and
decision-making and scaling.
Fred Unger, regional representative for ILRI in
East and Southeast Asia, outlined the project’s roadmap, saying its work will
be piloted in Mai Son District before potentially expanding to Phu Yen
District.
Later, participants shared insights and feedback
from local partners in Phu Yen including the need for improved breeding
practices, increased training on food storage techniques during dry seasons,
enhanced animal health, capacity building for veterinary staff, and the need to
strengthen value chain linkages. These gaps, if filled, will help overcome
challenges related to animal diseases, free-range livestock practices, and
limited technology adoption in the locality.
Dinh Thi Thu Ha, chairman of the People’s
Committee in Phu Yen District, acknowledged the difficulties posed by the
terrain, transportation, and limited technology adoption. Nevertheless, she
expressed her support for the project, stating that ‘the five work packages of
the project are necessary and suitable for the conditions of Phu Yen District.
They will contribute to overcoming difficulties in large-scale cattle raising,
socio-economic development, hunger eradication, and poverty alleviation.’ She
assured the stakeholders of the local government’s commitment to the project
and called for regular progress review meetings ensure timely progress,
replication and sustainability of the project.
In her closing remarks, Mary Otieno, Chan-henh
coordinator in Vietnam, representing the Alliance of Bioversity International
and CIAT, thanked the stakeholders noting that collective efforts will help in
driving sustainable livestock transformation, reducing poverty, improving
nutrition, and empowering marginalized communities.
The meeting brought together representatives
from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the Alliance of
Bioversity International and CIAT, the Vietnam National Institute of Animal
Science (NIAS), the National Institute of Veterinary Research (NIVR), the
National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), and local authorities from the Phu Yen
District and Son La Province.
The stakeholder engagement meeting in Son La
Province sets the stage for implementing the initiative’s interventions in the
district.
(Source: ILRI News)
