March 31, 2008

U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam visits SUCCESS Alliance

On March 18 U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalak, U.S. Consulate Political Officer Katia Bennett and a delegation of Vietnamese provincial government officials visited ACDI/VOCA’s SUCCESS Alliance program in Vietnam’s Central Highlands.

The Central Highlands region of Vietnam has the highest incidence of rural poverty and a large population of indigenous ethnic minorities. Recent social unrest has highlighted the fact that this area has not kept up with the stunning growth of the rest of Vietnam due to a lack of access to basic services and resources. ACDI/VOCA’s SUCCESS Alliance program improves the economic well-being of smallholder cocoa farmers in the Central Highlands’ Dak Lak province through the development of a sustainable, economical and environmentally sound cocoa industry.

The ambassador visited a cocoa club headed by a female indigenous farmer in Bong Krang Commune. Bong Krang, one of the poorest communes, has a high percentage of indigenous minorities who make their living on short-cycle crops such as cassava and corn. Most of their soil has become depleted due to unsustainable over-cropping practices. In 2007, SUCCESS Alliance provided each farmer that joined the project 150 cocoa seedlings to begin growing cocoa. During his visit, Ambassador Michalak was impressed with the enthusiasm and success of the cocoa club farmers, who have also received training from ACDI/VOCA in addition to seedlings. Although the visit took place at the end of dry season, the cocoa trees planted by the members were found to be in good condition.

To date, the SUCCESS Alliance has introduced cocoa to 1,630 smallholder farmers in the province, of which 750 are in the Lak district and 880 are in the Ea Kar district. In 2008, the project plans to recruit 200 additional farmers for a total of 1,830 farmers.

To learn more about ACDI/VOCA’s work in cocoa click here.