Attending the workshop were Associate professor, Dr. Ly Viet Quang, Director of the Ho Chi Minh Institute and Leaders of the Party; representatives from the Ministry of agriculture and environment; the Institute for Rural Development; and members involved in the research project. Representing Moc Chau town were Vice Chairwoman of the Town People's Committee Nguyen Thi Hoa, along with leaders of relevant departments and specialized agencies of Moc Chau.

National scientific workshop on integrating distinctive cultural values into OCOP products held in Moc Chau

At the workshop, delegates exchanged views and discussed several challenges, while also clarifying the cultural values associated with OCOP products. They assessed the current status of integrating cultural values into OCOP products across the Northwestern region in general, and in Son La and Moc Chau in particular. The discussions focused on identifying influencing factors and addressing the requirements for effectively incorporating distinctive cultural values into OCOP products, with the aim of enhancing both cultural value and product quality. This approach is closely linked to the development of community-based tourism and the broader goal of building sustainable new-style rural areas.

According to statistics, Moc Chau currently has nearly 34,000 hectares of agricultural land. In 2024, 39 products in the district were recognized by Son La province as OCOP-certified, including 18 products rated 4-star and 21 products rated 3-star.

At the workshop, delegates put forward numerous insights, focusing on clearly identifying the distinctive and representative cultural values of the Northwest region to be integrated into OCOP products. This integration aims to disseminate cultural values through products, thereby contributing to improved quality, brand positioning, and enhanced competitiveness. The discussions also clarified the criteria for incorporating cultural values into OCOP products; proposed solutions for training and guiding households and cooperatives in the region; and emphasized the need for technical support, fostering creative environments, building networks and linkages, and developing online platforms. In addition, delegates recommended establishing mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating producers involved in the manufacturing, promotion, and distribution of OCOP products. All of these efforts are intended to enhance the effectiveness of cultural value integration into OCOP products across the Northwest region in general, and in Son La province and Moc Chau town in particular.

Duong Quan

Translated by Huyen Vu