What is VietGAP? Four core criteria of the VietGAP standard 2025

VietGAP is currently a “high-interest” term within the agriculture and safe food sector in Viet Nam. In the context of widespread concerns regarding unsafe food, the VietGAP standard has become a “pass” enabling Vietnamese agricultural products to gain consumer trust and expand export opportunities.
What is VietGAP? What strict standards must be complied with? The following sections provide a detailed explanation.

What is VietGAP?

VietGAP (an abbreviation of Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices) means good agricultural production practices in Viet Nam.

It is a set of regulations on principles, processes, and procedures guiding organizations and individuals in production, harvesting, and preliminary processing to ensure safety, improve product quality, ensure social welfare, protect the health of producers and consumers, protect the environment, and enable traceability of production origins.

This standard is issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for specific products in the following sectors: crop production, livestock production, and aquaculture.

Four core criteria of the VietGAP standard

To obtain certification, production facilities shall meet four “core” criteria:

• Production techniques: Strict requirements for cultivation and harvesting processes.
• Food safety: No residues of chemicals, plant protection products, or harmful microorganisms.
• Working environment: Land, water, and the surrounding environment shall be protected and shall not cause pollution.
• Traceability: Products shall have clear records from seed stage through to sale.

Importance of VietGAP

The export turnover of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products in the first ten months of 2025 is estimated at USD 58.13 billion, an increase of nearly 13% compared with the same period in 2024; the increase in export value is mainly due to higher selling prices and increased value added through processing, rather than only increased output.

However, the capacity to leverage the trend of “increasing value through quality” remains significant, as the area under VietGAP certification is still limited. A report published in 2024 recorded a total VietGAP-certified area of approximately 150,000 hectares for six crop groups; vegetables alone accounted for more than 8,000 hectares out of a total 1.15 million hectares of vegetable cultivation area (less than 1%). This indicates that the majority of products circulating in the market do not yet demonstrate traceability or standardized production practices.

In parallel with certification, traceability requirements—planting area codes (PUC) and packing facility codes—have become mandatory conditions in many major markets. According to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, by mid-2025 thousands of planting area codes and packing facility codes had been issued. Updated reports indicate that 9,207 planting area codes and 1,735 packing facility codes had been granted (controlled and approved for export purposes). The issuance of these codes is closely linked to good agricultural practices and management of plant protection product residues.

In addition, economic evidence indicates that VietGAP and food safety standards provide clear financial benefits. Studies and project reports (for example, ACIAR projects) show that farmers participating in VietGAP models may obtain 30–40% higher selling prices for certified products (together with productivity gains), resulting in substantial increases in household income. This demonstrates that investment in standard implementation not only reduces the risk of rejected shipments but also increases unit product value.

Which enterprises should apply VietGAP?

VietGAP is not limited to large companies. Any entity participating in the food supply chain should apply, and needs to apply, the standard. Specifically:

• Agricultural cooperatives: These are the entities most strongly encouraged by the State. Crop production cooperatives (vegetables, tubers, fruits, rice), livestock cooperatives (pigs, poultry, cattle), and aquaculture cooperatives (shrimp, fish) require VietGAP to secure output markets for members.
• Large-scale farms and farming households: Entities seeking to avoid price volatility during peak harvests and to sell directly to large traders or supermarkets instead of informal markets.
• Agricultural processing and packing enterprises: Units that purchase raw materials for preliminary processing and packing (processing facilities) also require VietGAP certification for preliminary processing operations to ensure continuity of food safety within the supply chain.
• Industrial and school meal service providers: For bidding to supply meals to schools and industrial zones, VietGAP certification of input material sources is a highly important evaluation criterion.

Benefits for enterprises obtaining VietGAP certification

Obtaining VietGAP certification primarily enables enterprises to significantly expand market access, particularly to export markets with high requirements for traceability and food safety. Many countries, such as China, Japan, and EU member states, are tightening technical barriers and require imported products to ensure transparent production processes. In this context, VietGAP functions as a “pass,” enabling enterprises to negotiate stable contracts and reduce the risk of warnings or shipment rejections.

Another significant benefit is increased product value and profit margins. Studies across various production models indicate that VietGAP-certified products typically achieve selling prices 20–40% higher than non-certified products, due to more consistent quality and higher credibility. This added value not only offsets certification costs but also provides a clear competitive advantage in the market.

From a branding perspective, VietGAP supports enterprises in building credibility with consumers and partners. Compliance with safe production processes, comprehensive record keeping, and control of plant protection product residues demonstrates an enterprise’s commitment to quality and public health. This is particularly important as consumers increasingly prioritize safe agricultural products with clear and transparent origins.

Furthermore, VietGAP certification creates opportunities for cooperation with supermarket systems and large retail chains. Most modern distribution systems such as AEON, Co.opmart, WinMart, and Big C prioritize or require suppliers to hold safety certifications such as VietGAP. This enables enterprises to expand sales volumes, access urban customers, and enhance long-term sales stability.

VietGAP also helps enterprises reduce legal and food safety risks. Through strict control of inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, plant protection products, and irrigation water, enterprises significantly reduce the risk of non-compliance with food safety regulations. This, in turn, limits situations requiring product recalls, communication crisis management, or administrative penalties.

Finally, application of VietGAP contributes to optimization of production processes and reduction of long-term costs. Requirements for management, monitoring, and efficient use of agricultural inputs help reduce input losses, limit post-harvest losses, and improve productivity. At the same time, VietGAP provides a favorable foundation for upgrading to international standards such as GlobalG.A.P, HACCP, or ISO 22000, creating opportunities to access higher-value markets in the future.

Conclusion

It can be observed that VietGAP is not only a technical standard but has become a strategic foundation for agricultural enterprises in an increasingly stringent market environment. Certification enables enterprises to increase product value, access premium distribution channels, and reduce food safety risks. More importantly, VietGAP establishes a transparent, effective, and sustainable production management system, enabling enterprises not only to compete more effectively in the present but also to be prepared for upgrading to international standards in the future. Investment in VietGAP therefore constitutes investment in long-term competitiveness and ensures a stable position within the modern agricultural value chain.