Publications

Vietnam is characterised by having millions of hectares of marginal or less-productive lands available for sustainable production of biofuels feedstock. Green Energy Vietnam (GEV) is a for-profit company running a business in Jatropha cultivation (in 2009, approximate total of 2,000 ha), thereby contracting Vietnamese farmer's cooperatives and unions to secure large amounts of feedstock production. GEV processes the biomass for domestic and World sale. The cooperatives and unions are contracted for the long-term (30 years), contributing to a sustainable income for farming households. Besides contracting, GEV is active on household level, training them in feedstock production, as well as institutional level, developing appropriate policies and implementation mechanisms for contract farming modalities.

Since 2008, GEV has sought the advisory services from SNV in jointly building the capacity of the farmer cooperatives and unions in the management of the contract farming system. A model, which helps to secure feedstock production by smallholders for GEV, is being developed according to the international sustainability guidelines adopted by the Roundtable for Sustainable Biofuels (RSB). SNV, via local organisations, provides training services on agricultural extension for company staff and group leaders. Lastly, SNV advices on the applicability of carbon credits for parts of GEV's operation in line with the Kyoto protocol. With the advisory support of SNV, GEV will have, by the end of 2010, introduced a smallholder business model for Jatropha farming to around 10,000 households in three provinces (Ninh Thuan, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue) with a functioning professional support network and applied research station.