On the morning of June 5, the Vietnam SPS Office welcomed representatives from the U.S. National Cooperative Business Association – Cooperative League of the USA (NCBA CLUSA) to discuss opportunities for cooperation in strengthening the implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures.
During the meeting, Ms. Bagie Sherchand, Director of Strategic Partnerships at NCBA CLUSA, emphasized that farmers should be placed at the heart of the SPS value chain. “We want to invest where trust begins – in the hands that plant the seeds,” she said.
Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Ngo Xuan Nam, Deputy Director of the Vietnam SPS Office, noted that farmers are often the weakest link in the agricultural value chain. Yet, they determine the overall quality of farm products. “The SPS system cannot be effective if those on the ground don’t fully understand the regulations, the objectives, or how to implement them,” he stressed.
Ms. Bagie Sherchand and Mr. Ngo Xuan Nam at the working session. Photo: Bao Thang. The U.S. delegation expressed strong interest in Vietnam’s National SPS Capacity Enhancement Plan under Decision No. 534/QD-TTg and was willing to share experiences in early warning systems using digital platforms. Dr. Nam welcomed this as a sign of emerging strategic cooperation.
He explained that a single agency did not develop the plan but represents collective wisdom, shaped by over 100 inputs from ministries, industry stakeholders, and domestic and international experts. If effectively implemented, it would not only raise the standards of Vietnamese agricultural exports but also help protect U.S. consumers, who are increasingly concerned with food safety and traceability.
As a concrete step forward, the Vietnam SPS Office proposed establishing a joint working group to focus on scalable pilot models rather than launching widespread initiatives from the outset.
The meeting also marked a strong commitment to long-term collaboration. NCBA CLUSA expressed its readiness to support connecting Vietnamese cooperatives with the U.S. market. At the same time, the Vietnam SPS Office pledged to coordinate, digitize warning systems, and build a transparent, science-based SPS ecosystem centered around people.
“Trust in trade doesn’t start in a laboratory - it begins in the fields. SPS is no longer a technical barrier; it’s a bridge connecting hardworking hands to dining tables worldwide,” Dr. Nam concluded.