Project’s Name Smart Agro-ecological Transformation of Farming Systems towards Resilience and Sustainability in Middle and Coastal Zones of the Viet Nam Mekong Delta (STAR-FARM)
Project’s  Partners Implementing organization / Project coordinating agency:

Partners of the project / Sub-component leaders:
More details https://capacity4dev.europa.eu/projects/desira/info/star-farm_en
Location of the action Mekong Delta, Vietnam: 3 provinces

Kien Giang, Dong Thap, Tra Vinh (now Vinh Long)
Duration of the action 48 months from 1st June 2022 to 31st May 2026
Call DeSIRA
Contracting authority European Commission
Total costs EUR 4,150,000 from the European Commission
Objectives The overall objective of the STAR-FARM project is to facilitate smart agro-ecological transformation of agri-food farming systems of the Viet Nam’s Mekong Delta (VMD) and strengthen resilience to climate change, environmental degradation, and other external shocks. 

The project interventions will be based on research results to fine tune diagnosis and to be used for designing innovation, co-design of science-based agro-ecological innovations in farming system and value chain; establishment of multi-stakeholders’ platforms to mobilize the participation of and contribution from different partners and Government agencies; and the development of bottom-up, government led policies. 

This general objective is broken down into three specific objectives:

SO1: enabling policy and frameworks to promote fair, healthy and climate and environmentally friendly farming system in VMD targeting disadvantaged groups; 

SO2: fair, healthy and climate and environmentally friendly Value Chains (VC) established and coordinated

SO3: strengthened adaptive learning and advisory system for implementing Smart Transformation of Agri-food Systems (STAS) and climate change adaptation (CCA). 

The project works on 10 different value chains in 3 different provinces, 4 of which have been identified for the 2024-2025 period:

  • Mango in Dong Thap (Cao Lanh)
  • Lotus in Dong Thap (Thap Muoi)
  • Rice – Shrimp in Kien Giang (An Bien)
  • Coconut in Vinh Long (Tam Ngai – previously Tra Vinh province)
Target groups Direct beneficiaries:

  • Value chain actors, including farmers, cooperative leaders and smallholder businesses will be the direct
  • beneficiaries
  • Smallholder businesses, input suppliers, retailers and distributors will benefit as well
  • Youth, women and EMs

Key stakeholder groups:

  • Local governments and national governmental institutions 
  • Research institutions including international (e.g. IRD, CIRAD), national (e.g. VAAS, ISPAE, Reseach Institute for Aquaculture No.2) and regional (CTU) partners to carry out the development of KAEIs (Key Agro-Ecological Innovations), cooperative research partnership.