VCA partners with SFSI to promote digital transformation in cooperatives

Overview of the working session.

At the meeting, VCA Chairwoman Cao Xuan Thu Van said that the VCA system currently represents and supports 36,270 cooperatives, 153 cooperative unions, and 81,781 cooperative groups nationwide, along with national-level affiliated members such as Saigon Co.op, Lavifood,...

Expanding cooperation for sustainable cooperative development

These entities form a core force in local economic development, particularly in agriculture, production and business, services, and in creating sustainable jobs for millions of workers.

Within this structure, agricultural cooperatives account for the largest share, with 23,954 units, equivalent to 66%. The non-agricultural sector includes 12,316 cooperatives (34%), operating across various fields such as industry, handicrafts, trade, transport, and environment.

In addition, the country currently has around 1,200 people’s credit funds operating stably, playing an important role in providing microfinance services in rural areas.

VCA Chairwoman Cao Xuan Thu Van delivers remarks at the meeting.

Sharing key orientations for 2026, a VCA representative said the organization will implement three major groups of activities. First are large-scale national events, notably the 7th National Congress of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (term 2026–2031); and the 2026 Cooperative Action Month in celebration of the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s cooperative movement (April 11, 1946 – April 11, 2026).

These will be accompanied by a series of activities such as the 2026 Cooperative Star Awards honoring outstanding cooperatives, the 2026 Mai An Tiem Awards for excellent cooperative products, the 2026 National Cooperative Forum, along with conferences on trade promotion, science and technology application, digital transformation, access to credit, and the Cooperative Development Support Fund.

Second is the promotion of international cooperation. VCA plans to host the ICA-AP Asia-Pacific Women’s Conference in 2026 on the occasion of the International Year of Women Farmers 2026.

At the same time, the organization will continue implementing cooperative programs and projects with international partners such as the EU, ILO, Agriterra (Netherlands), DGRV (Germany), The Asia Foundation (USA), Sorimachi (Japan), and SFSI (Ireland), aiming to support the development of Vietnam’s collective economy sector.

SFSI Director David Butler expresses strong impressions of the scale and cooperative community in Vietnam.

Third is to strengthen trade promotion through regional cooperative fairs in northern and southern Vietnam in 2026, combined with business networking activities, conferences, and seminars. This will be accompanied by nationwide promotional events, product weeks, trade fairs, exhibitions, and trade connection programs.

Assessing the scale and ecosystem of Vietnam’s cooperative sector, David Butler said he was “impressed by the scale of operations and the cooperative community in Vietnam,” particularly the diversity between agricultural and non-agricultural cooperatives, as well as the prominent role of more than 1,000 credit institutions within the ecosystem. According to him, this model shares many similarities with Ireland, where credit unions also play a significant role.

Mr. Butler also shared that he had discussed with the Permanent Secretary of Ireland’s Ministry of Agriculture the strong commitments made by VCA in promoting economic development for women in agriculture. The Irish side expressed expectations for upcoming activities related to women in the collective economy sector led by VCA.

Promoting green transition and digitalization

In the next phase of cooperation, VCA proposed that SFSI continue to coordinate, support, and provide consultancy to ensure effective implementation of project activities; strengthen close cooperation through IVAP, aiming to build a strategic, sustainable, and long-term partnership. At the same time, it seeks to connect the VCA system at both central and local levels with Irish enterprises and cooperatives to expand cooperation opportunities.

Additionally, VCA proposed that SFSI support new initiatives in digital transformation and innovation in cooperative management; develop green-smart–innovative cooperative models; expand support for building sustainable agricultural value chains; enhance processing capacity; improve traceability; and meet European market standards.

Responding to these proposals, Mr. David Butler said he acknowledged and fully agreed, noting that these recommendations are logical and built on existing cooperation foundations to further develop in the future.

Both sides agree to strengthen coordination and roll out programs aligned with green and digital transition trends to promote sustainable development of the collective economy sector.

Alongside long-term orientations, both sides also agreed to implement several key projects in 2026. These include continuing the “Innovative Cooperatives” competition, supporting and guiding participants in completing applications to ensure quality for the central-level evaluation round.

The two sides will also coordinate to organize a study and survey trip to Ireland and the United Kingdom, scheduled from June 28 to July 4, 2026. In addition, three training courses on “Innovation and application of digital transformation in trade promotion and marketing of cooperative products” are expected to be held in the second and third quarters of 2026.

The meeting concluded with a strong commitment to cooperation between the two sides, aiming to implement in-depth programs aligned with green transition and digital transformation trends, thereby promoting the sustainable development of the collective economy sector, improving production and business efficiency, ensuring social welfare, and creating jobs for workers in the new phase.

Vũ Hương (dịch) - Phạm Hòa