VietNamNet Bridge – The Viet Nam Farmers’ Association (VFA) had contributed to rural environmental protection by building waste-treatment models, improving access to clean water and educating farmers about environmentally-safe farming,

Ba Be District in Bac Can Province has built a water system for 450 households for a total cost of VND20 billion (US$1.1 million).

Over the past five years, nearly 500,000 farmers have been educated about protecting the environment and accessing clean water.

More than 5.4 million farmers have been taught about environmental protection laws through brief courses, discussions, theatrical performances, said VFA Chairman Cuong.

Leaflets with lively colourful images about how to protect the environment have been handed out to farmers, said Mai.

“Every year, my commune holds a contest for farmers to show their knowledge about the environment. Through that, we know what environmental knowledge needs to be improved,” said Le Van Cuong, chairman of Nam Dinh Province’s My Thuan Commune.

“More than 830,000 farmers have taken part in these contests,” said VFA Deputy Chairman Mai.

“Following these contests, farmers consciously protect the environment in daily activities, such as cleaning cattle pens, refraining from the use of chemicals on fruit and not using river water to cook cooking,” said Nguyen Thi Tuyen of Nam Dinh Province.

Farmers are also able to discuss their opinions about environmental issues such as companies that pollute the environment. If the opinions are relevant, they will be given exposure in the mass media, according to Mai.

The measures allow farmers to voluntarily protect the environment instead of forcing them through regulations and fines, said Nhan.

Models of protection

As a measure of their commitment to environmental protection, farmers nation-wide donated a total of VND1.57 trillion (US$95 million) to the Viet Nam Farmers’ Association. This was supplemented by more than VND1 trillion ($61.3 million) in State funding. To build prototypes of rural environmental protection.

The models will help farmers and villagers develop systems to collect, treat and recycle waste, such as biogas storage tanks linked to waste containers and hygienic toilets.

In the past five years, nearly 117,000 biogas tanks, 1.5 million standard toilets (51 per cent of toilet facilities) and more than 343,000 hygienic cattle pens (32 per cent of steer enclosures) have been built in rural areas.

In addition, 10 per cent of craft villages have been equipped with waste- treatment systems.

Tens of thousands of containers and systems to supply cleanwater have also been built.

On their own initiative, farmers have also been taking advantage of underground water.

“They have blocked springs to build reservoirs or dug clean-water wells for thousands of households in Binh Phuoc Province,” said Mai.

In addition, ecological tourism areas and sustainable farms growing chemical-free vegetables have been set up in Vinh Phuc and Hung Yen provinces and Ha Noi.

“These effective models will soon be spread nation-wide,” said Mai.

Information about the use of organic fertilisers and preventing pests has been disseminated to farmers in Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Vinh Phuc, Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces and Hai Phong City.

To continue improvements, it was necessary to set up a specific mechanism of co-operation between VFA and other relevant agencies, said Nhan.

In the next five years, 100 per cent of farmers are expected to have access to clean water and standard toilets, according to Mai.

The association plans to encourage farmers nation-wide to grow vegetables and breed cattle according to the clean and safe models.

Deputy Prime Minister Nhan suggested that for better results environmental protection should be closely tied to economic benefits for farmers.

(Source: Viet Nam News)