“I am being exploited? Nonsense! It’s my field, the land title is in my name, how can I be exploited right on my own field?”, the farmer reacted skeptically when he heard Mr. Ha Cong Xa campaigning to join the Bechamp Dak Nong Organic Agricultural Cooperative.

In response, the director born in 1975 calmly explained: “Yes! The land use right certificate is in your name. But do you have the right to decide on the price and quality when buying fertilizers or pesticides? When selling coffee, do you have the right to decide on the selling price? No and no! If we continue to do it all our lives, our whole lives and the lives of our descendants will revolve around the refrain: planting - cutting; good harvest, low price.”

The solution to escape the vicious cycle of traditional farming, according to Mr. Ha Cong Xa, is to save ourselves. “Organic farming and processing, building product brands, distributing benefits in harmony, and regenerating a clean environment for society, that is the solution,” he said.

We aspire to contribute our efforts to build the Dak Nong organic agricultural product brand, the Vietnamese organic agricultural product brand to grow stronger and stronger."

- Ha Cong Xa, Director of Bechamp Dak Nong Organic Agricultural Cooperative

In the past, coffee farmers in Dak Song (Dak Nong) often used pesticides and herbicides to clean their gardens and kill pests, then added chemical fertilizers to increase productivity. In doing so, in addition to wasting money, farmers also harmed themselves, because each time they sprayed, “herbicides and pesticides soaked their entire bodies.” Mr. Xa said that there were people who got cancer because of too much exposure to toxic chemicals.

At Bechamp Dak Nong Cooperative, farmers are guided in farming based on the principle of ecological balance of French scientist, Antoine Bechamp. According to this principle, the origin of some diseases for humans and plants originates from harmful bacteria. But if harmful bacteria are destroyed, beneficial bacteria will die. Without antagonistic beneficial bacteria, diseases will increase. Therefore, it is necessary to balance the ecosystem.

In order for each garden to reach a balance, the prerequisite is not to use pesticides or chemical products. Each cooperative member is instructed on how to self-cultivate beneficial microorganisms to produce fungicides and pesticides; and is taught the principles of self-composting organic fertilizers right in the garden, both saving costs and limiting carbon emissions. The cooperative encourages farmers to plant multi-storey trees to balance the ecosystem and limit the disruption of the natural structure of the soil.

To date, all members of the cooperative have mastered and practiced organic farming, of which 1/3 of the coffee growing households meet organic standards and 5 households have been certified. When the harvest season comes, the cooperative buys coffee from its members at a price 10,000 to 30,000 VND/kg higher than the market price, depending on the product line.

“Although the gardens are far apart, our hearts are always close together, because we believe that transparency and honesty are the premise for building a trustworthy and long-term relationship,” Mr. Xa affirmed.

Determined to pursue organic farming

Having worked for 13 years at Dak Song District Party Committee and 10 years at Dak Nong Province Cooperative Union, last year, Mr. Ha Cong Xa decided to leave the state environment to focus entirely on Bechamp Cooperative.

The cooperative was established in May 2021, but before that, he had spent a long time researching and applying organic farming methods to his garden. Mr. Xa switched to organic coffee growing in 2016. By 2017 and 2018, coffee production had decreased; hundreds of trees had died. The family's "economy" was affected, and there were also several conflicts...", he confided.

Undaunted, he continued to research and find ways to improve. Every time he tried a new solution, he meticulously took pictures and recorded it.

With such persistence, Mr. Xa found his own path. By 2020, his garden had almost reached its old productivity level, while the costs had decreased. At this point, he thought, he needed to create a ripple effect so that other farmers could apply it.

He invited a few acquaintances to establish a cooperative, but due to differences in thinking, it failed. By 2021, Mr. Xa and 7 members contributed a total of 24 million VND, determined to establish the Bechamp Dak Nong Organic Agricultural Cooperative.

Currently, the number of members of the cooperative is up to nearly 50, not only including farmers, but also professors, agricultural doctors, directors of enterprises with 200 employees... They all aim for the sacred mission, which is "to dedicate to life products produced with the love of their whole hearts".

With the contributions of its members, both materially and professionally, Bechamp Cooperative has invested in building a standard processing factory, including 2 closed chains, specializing in harvesting, processing fresh fruit and processing coffee in depth. The Bechamp coffee brand, with organic product lines, is gradually reaching many domestic and foreign customers.

Recently, the cooperative welcomed two delegations from England and Korea to learn about the model and discuss cooperation. Although the market for organic products in general and organic coffee in particular has not yet established a solid foothold due to price barriers, Bechamp's representative believes that one day, consumers will no longer hesitate to choose organic products and farmers will not have to work on their own land.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/doanh-nhan-ha-cong-xa-chon-canh-tac-huu-co-vi-mot-nen-nong-nghiep-ben-vung-d261130.html