Occupational safety and health in the shrimp–rice value chain should be managed through a value chain approach
On 22 May 2026, in Can Tho City, the DGD Project in collaboration with the Can Tho Department of Home Affairs, organized a workshop and dialogue on strengthening occupational safety and health (OSH) in the shrimp and rice value chain in the Mekong Delta.
The workshop brought together nearly 100 participants from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Can Tho Department of Home Affairs, local departments and agencies, VCCI-HCM, Oxfam, the Can Tho Farmers’ Union, as well as business leaders and cooperatives operating within the shrimp–rice value chain.
At the workshop, experts highlighted that:
- International standards on social responsibility and supply chain due diligence are increasingly expanding beyond processing factories to include cooperatives, farming households and service providers. Occupational safety and health is no longer simply a matter of legal compliance, but has become a competitive advantage and a measure of the credibility of Vietnamese products. Therefore, strict compliance with labour standards from the grassroots level is becoming increasingly urgent.
- For the Mekong Delta, occupational safety and health in the shrimp–rice value chain should be managed through a value chain approach. In addition to raising awareness, greater attention should be paid to practical training, developing appropriate support models for small businesses, cooperatives and seasonal workers within the supply chain, while also strengthening alignment with international market requirements.
The workshop aimed to promote multi-stakeholder collaboration and partnerships.
Through capacity-building activities, dialogue and multi-stakeholder engagement, DGD Project seeks to strengthen awareness and implementation capacity on labour standards, social responsibility, and occupational safety and health for businesses, cooperatives and workers at the local level.
“In Can Tho City, VCCI-HCM, within the framework of the DGD Project, and the Department of Home Affairs have established a coordination mechanism to implement training activities, workshops and capacity-building programmes for businesses, cooperatives and workers in the areas of labour and occupational safety and health.
This workshop is a practical activity in response to the 2026 Action Month on OSH, with a people-centred approach that places businesses and workers at the core. The workshop also provides an open dialogue platform for government agencies, experts and businesses to share challenges, emerging market requirements and practical solutions suited to the context of the Mekong Delta,” said Bui Thi Ninh, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Ho Chi Minh City Branch (VCCI-HCM).
Nguyen Khanh Long, Deputy Director General of the Department of Employment, the Ministry of Home Affairs, shared new orientations on OSH, highlighting a worker-centred approach and the shift from formalistic compliance to genuine risk management.
Long emphasised the importance of building a “culture of safety”, affirming that safety is an integral component of labour productivity rather than merely a mandatory cost or the sole responsibility of a specialised department. In this regard, the representative of the Ministry of Home Affairs encouraged businesses to view OSH as a core competitive advantage and to integrate OSH criteria into contracts and supplier evaluation systems.
Tieu Minh Duong, Deputy Director of the Can Tho Department of Home Affairs, shared: “Through this workshop, we hope to continue hearing practical insights from businesses, cooperatives, experts, and government agencies in the Mekong Delta to jointly address the challenges and bottlenecks in implementing occupational safety and health measures at the grassroots level.”
Representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs also strongly recommended that local authorities integrate OSH into agricultural development strategies and develop pilot models for the shrimp–rice value chain.
“Oxfam believes that the recommendations and insights shared during the dialogue provide an important foundation for stakeholders, government agencies, and development organisations to better support the shrimp and rice value chains. Within the framework of the project, Oxfam will continue working closely with VCCI-HCM, the Vietnam Farmers’ Union, government agencies, and other stakeholders to develop exemplary models that promote OSH, contributing to more sustainable and inclusive value chains. In this context, OSH is a direct investment in people and a practical right that helps strengthen the social protection foundation for millions of farmers and workers in the Mekong Delta,” shared Pham Thuy Dung, DGD Project Manager, Oxfam in Vietnam.
DGD Project (2022–2026) consists of two components funded by The Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD), implemented by Oxfam in partnership with the Vietnam Farmers’ Union and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) – Ho Chi Minh City Branch:
Component 1: “Improved social protection and decent work for female farmers and informal labourers in shrimp and rice value chains in Vietnam”
Component 2: “Improved access to international markets for rice and shrimp enterprises through strengthened capacity of labourers and working conditions at the enterprises”