Dak Lak province, October 15, 2024 – Bayer has officially launched the Better Life Farming (BLF) Alliance in Vietnam, aimed at supporting local smallholder coffee and durian farmers. This initiative provides access to innovative solutions and expert advisory to enhance farming efficiency, ensure high-quality harvests, and empower local smallholder farmers to thrive.

The launch event took place in Dak Lak province today and brought together leaders from the National Agricultural Extension Center, Dak Lak Plant Protection Sub-Department, Dak Lak Agricultural Extension Center, the Western Highlands Agro-Forestry Scientific and Technical Institute (WASI), local authorities, farmer communities, and key partners cross the agricultural value chain.

Bringing BLF to the country marks a significant step in Bayer Vietnam's commitment to promoting regenerative agriculture for key crops across the country. BLF aims to create an ecosystem that equips smallholder farmers with comprehensive and innovative solutions. It is based on strong global and local partnerships to ensure smallholders get access to the knowledge, solutions, and technologies they need.

Unlocking smallholder farmers’ full potential and supporting Vietnam's key crop development plans

As the demand for high-quality durian and coffee continues to rise, Vietnamese farmers find themselves at a crucial juncture. While these crops present significant economic opportunities, they also pose substantial challenges, particularly due to climate change, leading to extreme weather, widespread pests, water shortages, and declining soil quality.

Regarding durian cultivation, the nationwide area dedicated to this crop has reached 150,000 hectares. Despite this growth, the sector faces fragmentation, inconsistency in production and exports posing risks for smallholder farmers.

The pivotal objectives outlined in the national strategy for developing key fruit crops by 2025 and 2030 by MARD emphasize the importance of prioritizing comprehensive modern farming techniques in durian cultivation to improve output quality and effectively manage residues in the harvest. These techniques include water-efficient irrigation, precise fertilization, effective pest and disease control, flower induction methodologies. Additionally, the strategy aims to foster market development and promote product diversification.

Meanwhile, the MARD’s plan for key industrial crops by 2030 envisions ensuring 40% of Vietnam's 660,000 hectares of coffee lands, including 600,000 hectares in the Central Highlands, adhere to global and regional production standards by that period, elevating the value of Vietnamese coffee in the marketplace.

In response to these pressing challenges, farmers are increasingly adopting modern and sustainable agricultural practices that enhance quality and productivity while protecting the vitality and resilience of their soil and crops. They are actively seeking to build connections with consumer markets to secure business opportunities and maximize profitability for their harvested produce.

Given this context, the launch of Better Life Farming, with a focus on supporting coffee and durian farmers, holds significant relevance. Built on Bayer Vietnam's longstanding public-private collaboration with the National Agricultural Extension Center (NAEC) and the Western Highlands Agro-Forestry Scientific and Technical Institute (WASI), this initiative intends to address the growing demand for sustainable solutions and help smallholders unlock their full potential. Prior to the launch of BFL Vietnam on October 14th, 2024, an MOU signing ceremony was held in Hanoi to extend the strategic partnership between NAEC and Bayer Vietnam. This partnership will focus on durian and coffee, in addition to rice, to support the Government's national strategies for sustainable transformation and the development of key crops in Vietnam.

Dr. Le Quoc Thanh, General Director of NAEC, shared at the event: "We are excited to extend our successful collaboration with Bayer as we work towards enhancing the capacity of Vietnamese farmers in good farming practices and sustainable agriculture. This partnership, which now includes not only rice but also durian and coffee, leverages NAEC's robust extension network and training capabilities at both the provincial and national levels. Together, we are committed to empowering farmers to adopt innovative practices that will improve their livelihoods, elevate the economic value of our agricultural sector, and meet international exporting standards, ultimately increasing the value of Vietnamese agricultural products on the global stage."

The growing alliance of global and local partners to make lasting impact for local communities
Better Life Farming, founded by Bayer, International Finance Corporation and Netafim, is a public-private alliance that continues to expand its network of global and local partners, ranging from private partners to governments to the agricultural value chain. The alliance is committed to uplifting rural communities by making innovations, knowledge and financing and more available for smallholders in remote areas.

As the alliance broadens its reach, Better Life Farming welcomes new local and global partners who share the common goal of creating lasting impact for farmers, addressing the needs of smallholder farmers throughout the entire value chain, and transforming farming into a reliable and appealing business that ensures stable incomes, improved livelihoods and better quality of life.

In Vietnam, this initiative has successfully engaged private enterprises and local governmental entities, including:

• International Finance Corporation (IFC) - A member of the World Bank Group, the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. Partnering with private sector, IFC works to improve smallholders' access to markets, financing, inputs, and agricultural know-how to increase their productivity.
• Netafim - Orbia Precision Agriculture business, the world’s largest irrigation company and a global leader in precision agriculture solutions that address food, water and land scarcity for a sustainable future. 
• Yara - A leader in crop nutrition, offering premium fertilizer products that help farmers optimize yields, grow healthier crops, and enhance soil health. Yara ambition is Growing a Nature-Positive Food Future.
• National Agricultural Extension Center (NAEC) - the agency of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) connecting farmers in the region through an extensive network of provincial agricultural extension centres and Plant Protection Department, ensuring a broad project reach and significant impact in capacity building for smallholder farmers.
• Western Highlands Agro-Forestry Scientific and Technical Institute (WASI) - Responsible for imparting training, consultancy, and technology transfer in cutting-edge agronomic solutions and best agricultural practices for the development of agriculture in the Central Highlands, 

“We recognize that effective agronomics, including targeted crop protection, nutrition, and irrigation, are vital for smallholder farmers striving to grow their crops profitably and sustainably. We strongly believe that besides providing access to innovation, forging strong alliances and adopting a systems approach are essential to addressing our smallholding farmers’ pain points. By collaborating with government agencies, agricultural experts, local communities, and partners across the agricultural value chain, we can develop comprehensive strategies that empower smallholder farmers, promoting economic, social, and environmental sustainability, and create lasting impacts.” stated by Mr. Kg Krishnamurthy, Country Commercial Lead of the Crop Science Division at Bayer Vietnam.

A comprehensive ecosystem to support farmers and drive social, economic and environmental sustainability
In Vietnam, the Better Life Farming initiative is propelled by two primary components: Model Farms and Better Life Farming Centers. Model Farms, run by local farmers, serve as living examples for the local agricultural community to observe the practical implementation of efficient and sustainable farming techniques and solutions. These farms facilitate knowledge sharing, hands-on learning experiences, and exchange among local farmer communities. 

"I am excited that the Better Life Farming Alliance is coming to Dak Lak. This highland region is essential for coffee and durian production, and we have faced significant challenges in recent years due to climate change. I am thrilled to be part of this farming community, with my garden designated as a Better Life Farming Model Farm. I hope through this initiative, I can have better access to modern agronomic solutions and advisory services, effectively enhancing our daily farming operations. I also hope to receive better market information to seize pricing opportunities that will improve our earning and livelihood," shared Mr. Nguyen Van Su, farm owner at the BLF Model Farm in Cư Suê Hamlet, Cư M’gar District, Dak Lak Province.

In addition, BLF Centers, managed by local agri-entrepreneurs, will provide farmers with innovative agricultural solutions, essential inputs, and access to market connections. The Centers will play a crucial role in providing comprehensive support to local farmers, adopting regenerative agricultural practices, and fostering connections within the agricultural ecosystem.

In the next phase, the project plans to enhance and expand these Centers to provide additional complementary services tailored to the specific local needs. This includes initiatives focused on family and community health, as well as the empowerment and development of women and youth in the agricultural sector, all aimed at holistically improving the lives of farmers, their families, and their local communities. This expansion and enhancement of services will be accomplished through comprehensive technical training and close collaboration among experts from Bayer, key partners, and the owners of the Better Life Farming Centers.

“Sustainability lies at the heart of every initiative within the Better Life Farming Alliance, emphasizing value creation for all stakeholders. Our success will be determined by the economic, social, and environmental benefits we deliver to farmers and their communities. By integrating the principles of regenerative agriculture into our approach, we aim to empower farmers to produce more with less input while conserving and regenerating natural resources, further enhancing the resilience and productivity of their farming practices.” Malu Nachreiner, Regional Head, Crop Science, Bayer Asia shared.

Bright vision fuelled by Bayer’s robust foundation of science, innovation, and extensive experience collaborating with local farmers
Building on the success of the Bayer ForwardFarming initiative for rice, launched in Can Tho in 2023 to establish Vietnam's rice transformation platform, Bayer Vietnam has strategically expanded its efforts to include durian and coffee cultivation in the Central Highlands with the launch of Better Life Farming. This initiative, supported by a robust network of global and local partners, aims to address key crops in Vietnam while promoting regenerative agriculture practices.

A standout offering of the Better Life Farming initiative in Vietnam is Much More Solutions, which includes Much More Durian and Much More Coffee—a comprehensive suite of innovative integrated crop protection solutions from Bayer. These solutions effectively combat fungal diseases, such as the Phytophthora fungus that causes fruit rot in durian, as well as pests like mealybugs and weeds, ensuring optimal crop productivity. When applied correctly, Much More Solutions help manage residues, enabling farmers to meet stringent export quality and safety standards. This ultimately positions Vietnam’s agricultural products for success in international markets.

Technically validated by WASI, these solutions have been implemented successfully on numerous demonstration farms and widely appreciated by local farmers for their efficacy. Earlier this year, demonstration farms of durian farmers in Daknong, applying sustainable practices and Bayer solutions, achieved remarkable outcomes: reducing pests by 80-90%, boosting yields by 20%, and yielding 70-80% of fruits graded as A-size, meeting stringent export market requirements for crop protection residues.

Mr. Do Van Chung, Vice Head of Agricultural Systems Department of WASI spoke at the launch event on the technical partnership of Bayer and WASI: “The partnership between Bayer and WASI in this Better Life Farming Alliance is driven by our shared commitment to assist local farmers to address their pain points in growing durian and coffee in central highland areas. Through our field trials, we have seen the transformative impact these methods of Much More Coffee and Much More Durian have had on the crop’s quality and productivity even in the face of adverse weather conditions. This serves as a catalyst to scale these impactful solutions across the provinces and support farmers to become successful agri-entrepreneurs.”

With multiple partners contributing cutting-edge agricultural solutions—from irrigation to crop nutrition and soil health management— and financing, coupled with support from local government and academic institutions, this collaborative effort is poised to make a profound and enduring impact in Vietnam's agriculture industry. The primary goal is to uplift the livelihoods of farming communities, in line with the initiative's name - "Better Life Farming”