For years, quality has been seen as the “passport” helping Vietnamese agricultural products enter international markets. However, import markets are imposing stricter standards on traceability, environmental protection and transparency across the entire production chain.

This requires farmers and cooperatives to quickly rethink how they produce, shifting from selling what they have to producing what the market demands, based on transparency and accountability.

In reality, many cooperatives face growing challenges in meeting new import market requirements. The European Union’s deforestation regulation (EUDR) is one example.

Under the regulation, each shipment entering the EU market must include complete information on farming areas, traceability data and documentation proving the production land was not created through deforestation.

This means that if just one link in the value chain lacks sufficient information or fails to meet traceability requirements, an entire shipment could face export risks.

The new requirements are forcing cooperatives and farmers to improve transparency in production processes, change management methods from manual record-keeping to digitalised data systems, standardise farming practices, and regularly update production information for each member.

Experts say that for Vietnamese agricultural products to overcome technical barriers in export markets, efforts by producers alone will not be enough. More policy support from the government will also be needed.

At the same time, support from scientists and local agricultural extension workers will play an important role in helping farmers adapt to changing market requirements.

According to Le Quoc Thanh, Director of the National Agricultural Extension Center, improving production transparency is not solely about meeting export market requirements. It also lays the groundwork for building a modern, responsible and sustainable agricultural sector.

Better production records, digitalised farming-area data, stronger traceability and compliance with international standards will help raise the value of Vietnamese agricultural products and reinforce their position in global supply chains.

Vietnam faces non-tariff trade barriers as green, digital shifts become imperative

Rising non-tariff barriers in global trade are pushing green transition and digital transformation from optional to essential, experts warned, as Vietnam navigates an increasingly complex export landscape.