Thanh Loi Seafood Cooperative (Ben Tre) received the award for Best Seafood Cooperative at the recent Vietstock Awards 2023 hosted by the Department of Livestock (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development). With the contribution to a sustainable seafood industry and its global export market presence, Thanh Loi Cooperative was honored for its investments and innovations in clam farming.

Thanh Loi is one of 17 seafood cooperatives participating in the project "Inclusive and Sustainable Clam and Bamboo Value Chain Development in Vietnam (SCBV)" (2018 - 2023). The project implements capacity sharing activities for clam farmers and cooperatives to promote sustainable production of clams in an inclusive value chain.

Members of Thanh Loi cooperative have transitioned from haphazard harvesting, to sustainable  production practices and achieved MSC certification in 2023. This certification is internationally recognized for endorsing responsible fisheries management practices that do not cause depletion, maintain ecological diversity, and protect the environment. The cooperative also established a connection with businesses and banks, partly solving difficulties in capital resources and creating momentum for sustainable development in the future. These positive changes have helped clam farmers improve production value and increase 10 times of income; enterprises maintain stable and quality raw material areas for export, thereby contributing to increasing the value of Vietnamese clams.

There were 20 businesses and organizations honored at Vietstock Awards 2023. The event is part of the international exhibition program specializing in livestock, animal feed, seafood and meat processing in Vietnam (Vietstock 2023). This is the 11th year the event has been held.

Thanh Loi Cooperation is one of the participant in the SCBV project, which is funded by the European Union, implemented by Oxfam in Vietnam, the International Collaborating Centre for Aquaculture & Fisheries Sustainability (ICAFIS), the Research Centre For Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPRC) and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). The project is implemented from 2018-2023, in Nghe An, Thanh Hoa (bamboo) and Tien Giang, Tra Vinh and Ben Tre (clam).