Research Centre for Gender, Family and Environment in Development (CGFED) in collaboration with Women’s Union at Hai Hau district and Hai Cuong commune launched the household’s agroecological farming models at Hai Cuong Commune, Hai Hau district in Nam Dinh province to mark International Women’s Day.

The households’ agroecological farming models at Hai Cuong commune are developed with the purpose of HHPs reduction to produce fresh, safe agricultural products for family health, community, and to protect the environment. Approaching and applying scientific cultivation methods, bringing high economic efficiency to gradually replace the chemical cultivation methods, ensuring the product standards and safety production have been applied by local farmers with support from both local technical experts and the project “Strengthen the capacity of communities and building cooperation to phase out toxic pesticides and promote ecological agriculture for a toxic-free Asia”. The farming models are:

• 02 Guava planting models
• 02 Vegetable planting models
• 01 Herbal medicine growing model

The farms applied safe and suitable cultivation methods, such as: planting and fertilizing with 100% organic fertilizer composted from leaves, straw, and animal manure to transition from the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Local female farmers voluntarily developed and registered their farming models to participate in the project’s activities after attending the workshops and sharings on community-based pesticide action monitoring, agroecology, biodiversity, gender and rural women leaderships, and communication activities under the scope of the project.

Each farm will serve as a filed learning site (FLS) in the local commune – the place to share information and techniques, conduct events and on-site-training on agroecological practices for farmers in the community, and also organize school field trips for exchange and learning visits on agroecology for students around the area.

These five newly launched agroecology farming models are the results of a process of participation of pioneering female farmers in the project, notably the training on gender and rural women leadership and a farmer-exchange visit to a similar farmer agricultural model in Y Yen district in early 2023. Additionally, thanks to the proactive support from district and commune authorities, mass organizations, and with the technical support and guidance from district agriculture department, the pioneering female farmers were empowered and inspired to make their wish come true.