Good project ideas alone are not enough to create a successful project. The crucial factor is how the partners cooperate in the day-to-day work of the project. Who sets the priorities? How are decisions taken? And how are structures and services kept in place even after the project has been completed? The chamber and association partnership between Naturland e.V. and the Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association (VOAA) provides a good example of successful cooperation. The two organisations have been working together since 2023 to establish the VOAA as a strong association for Viet Nam’s organic sector. A look at the partnership shows five factors that are relevant to other partnership projects too.
Getting started
What makes partnerships strong: Five keys to success from Viet Nam
© VOAA
Focusing on needs: first listen, then plan
The partnership focused on the needs of the Vietnamese partner. The VOAA began by conducting a survey of its members, analysing what services and support they actually needed. The results were fed into the VOAA’s strategic development and further planning of the project. Members’ satisfaction with the services was subsequently reviewed at regular intervals, and areas where improvements needed to be made were identified.
Bedarfsorientierung
Die Partnerschaft setzte an den Bedarfen des vietnamesischen Partners an. Die VOAA führte zunächst eine Befragung ihrer Mitglieder durch und analysierte, welche Dienstleistungen und Unterstützungsangebote tatsächlich gebraucht werden. Die Ergebnisse flossen in die strate-gische Entwicklung des Verbands und die weitere Planung des Projektes ein. Auch später wurde regelmäßig überprüft, wie zufrieden die Mitglieder mit den Angeboten sind und wo Ver-besserungen nötig sind.
Ownership: developing measures together instead of delivering predefined solutions
The partners worked together to refine the services, including trade promotion, training and advice on organic certification. This partnership also led to the creation of a joint Naturland/VOAA academy. The platform combines expertise with digital learning options, to which new courses are continually being added. One example illustrates the approach particularly well. A new course on growing coffee in agroforestry was initially trialled with a pilot group. The group’s feedback was used to modify the course before it was offered to a wider audience.
Communication: talk to each other regularly
At Naturland and VOAA, the operational teams meet once a month to discuss the progress made on implementation along with administrative and financial matters. Meetings are held at management level every quarter to discuss obstacles and strategic issues. Timely discussions in person build trust and help people understand one another better. Flexibility is also important for the project, as 2025 showed. Natural disasters and a change in staff at the VOAA meant that some activities had to be modified or postponed. The partners responded as a team and continued their successful cooperation.
Sustainability: ensuring that the partner can operate effectively in the long term
An association partnership is sustainable if the partner can increasingly take on new tasks independently. In Viet Nam, it is therefore not only about implementing individual activities. The VOAA is increasing its own income and services, thus becoming more financially independent. The development is clear. Its revenue from membership fees and services increased from around EUR 57,000 in 2022 to almost EUR 168,000 in 2025. Three services – trade promotion, training and advice on certification – now generate income for the association.
Focusing on results: impact is achieved beyond the association itself
A successful chamber and association partnership has an impact that goes beyond the organisations involved. The VOAA now supports companies and farms, arranges contacts with international markets, and voices the interests of the organic sector in the political dialogue. In 2025, for example, a VOAA staff member attended the Biofach trade fair in Nuremberg and supported 12 Vietnamese companies. This led to seven procurement contracts worth USD 4.45 million. At the same time, the VOAA advised seven farms on switching to organic production.
More information Informationen: https://www.voaa.net/en
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