Vietnam is working to meet goals for food production and food security.

In doing so, the government supports use of pesticides and other

chemicals on crops. Farmers use these substances to help crops grow
and protect them from insects and other threats. Signs along roads in
Vietnam say, "Do not abuse pesticides. Think of the buyer." But the
government has few rules restricting the use of pesticides. Some
Vietnamese are so worried about the issue that they buy food only from
growers they know. There is a website that can help food shoppers. It
lists stores in Hanoi that sell safe vegetables. The Vietnamese buyers'
group, Vinastas, set up the website in 2011. Dang Kiem Hien is part of
the team that runs the site. She says stores have to meet requirements
to be included on the website. For example, they must prove they get
their vegetables from farmers who do not use chemicals. Ms. Dang says
a store will be removed from the list if it does not obey the rules. Eduardo
Sabio is with VECO, a Belgian non-government agricultural group. It
supports the local website. Mr. Sabio says pesticide misuse in Vietnam is
a real problem. He says there is a process to confirm that products are
free of man-made chemicals. But he says it is too costly for farmers. Mr.
Sabio says the safe food website uses what is known as the
Participatory Guidance System. It supervises food safety through quality
reports from farmers' groups, traders and local officials. The system is
used in more than twenty countries around the world. And, Mr. Sabio
says Vietnamese farmers keep detailed notes about their pesticide use.
ẨN BỚT