Have you ever heard of the term, ‘Cancer Village’? It is a nickname for rural Vietnamese villages that suffer from inordinately high cancer rates. Sounds creepy when you first hear about it, right? Once you’ve looked into the reason behind the term, you’ll see why something needs to be done about it immediately.

The main reason why cancer villages are born is water pollution. Rural villages in Vietnam usually prefer to get water from wells, rather than buying bottled water-making them susceptible to pollution in nearby water sources. What causes water pollution you ask? It is the chemicals from pesticides and growth hormones used in agriculture, which is very common and abundant in Vietnam.

Organic ways of agriculture are essential in dealing with this problem. However, small farmers simply do not have the necessary tools and knowledge to transition into organic farming. The methods that they have used for profit are, ironically, coming back to bite them.

Our organization, VietED, was working on facilitating finance for the socially vulnerable. But then I realized that in order to truly benefit the lives of small-scale farmers, helping them adapt sustainable agricultural practices was absolutely necessary. And thus, VietHarvest was born! VietHarvest provides capacity training, and increased income levels in hopes of aiding their transition to organic agriculture. We have worked with The Bridge International to help street vendors in need before, and now we hope that we can work together once more to generate a positive impact in Vietnam.

VietHarvest helps small-scale farmers get certified with organizations like VietGAP and GlobalGAP. We provide educational courses for organic farming practices, as well as assessment according to VietGAP standards. Verified products are given higher price tags, more opportunities for sales, and leave a good impression for customers, increasing profit for small-scale farmers.

VietHarvest also acts as a platform that links farmers who use organic farming methods directly to customers who want organic food. Our platform simplifies the sales process, improving income levels for farmers as well as preserving consumer health!

We are now looking to expand VietHarvest's presence in the market. As more consumers look to us for organic, sustainable products, small-scale farmers working with us will benefit from more sales. This will ultimately promote the value of sustainable agriculture to more people.

VietHarvest plans on building a robust offline subscription model that promotes responsible food consumption, and utilizing this customer base to seamlessly transition into an online platform that will improve accessibility!

VietHarvest hopes to create a cycle of organic farming. By giving farmers who utilize organic farming methods more benefits through VietHarvest, more small-scale farmers will move away from chemical-driven farming. VietHarvest strives for better living for small-scale farmers, healthier customers, and ultimately a sustainable food chain in Vietnam!

Empower farmers and protect the environment by investing in sustainable organic farming practices in Vietnam!