Sustainable comsumption trends in the european market and problems given to Vietnam’s agricultural product exports

he quality of goods in the country and especially the 
export of agricultural products to the EU. Regular inspections are necessary because 
businesses still tend to cut costs, increase profits. Strengthening of quality control should be 
made from the increase of quarantine inspection facilities for agricultural products; Set up 
quarantine inspection rooms more suitable, near the agricultural production areas to facilitate 
the inspection. In addition to quality enhancement, the number of inspections, sampling, and 
random inspections of manufactured goods is increased. The control at the border 
checkpoints should be strict and strictly based not only on contracts, but also randomly 
checking the quality of exports to ensure that they meet the environmental criteria. For 
wrongful business. In order to do this well, the State needs to invest in physical facilities for 
the random inspection of samples of export goods right at the border gates and at the same 
time increase the number of officials in charge of professional training practical 
understanding of the general environmental criteria and regulations of the EU import market 
for agricultural products in particular
Assist exporters of agricultural products in the inspection and certification of environment.
At present, most of Vietnam's standards and environmental certifications are voluntary, so 
businesses are often overlooked and often ignored. The state needs to put environmental 
responsibility and social responsibility into the law, and some environmental certifications 
need to be mandatory so that businesses can be more responsible. The state also needs to 
invest in infrastructure for environmental verification and certification. The procedures of the 
national agencies for the accreditation and certification of environmental standards are also 
affected by the application mechanism and many inadequacies, services of foreign 
organizations are too costly. Therefore, the state needs to improve the process, simplify 
procedures and build up a timely and cost-effective portal and information system to support 
businesses in the application for a license.
Raising awareness of enterprises in the implementation of social responsibility and 
environmental responsibility. Corporate social responsibility is expressed in a number of 
170
aspects, such as: 1. Environmental protection; 2. Contribute to the social community; 3. 
Carrying out the responsibility of the supplier; 4. To ensure the interests and safety of 
consumers; 5. Good relations with employees; and 6. Ensure benefits to shareholders and 
employees in the business. In it, the first four elements represent the external responsibility of 
the business, the last two elements show the internal and internal responsibility of the 
business. The reality in the world has shown that companies that perform well social 
responsibility are not only losing their benefits but also increasing. The benefits that 
businesses gain when carrying out social responsibilities include cost reduction, increased 
sales, increased brand value, reduced staff turnover, increased productivity, and increased 
access to new markets.
The State should take the initiative in disseminating sustainable production, standards for EU 
agricultural exports to enterprises. At present, Vietnamese people do not put much emphasis 
on environmental responsibility, corporate social responsibility or the origin of their products. 
Therefore, in parallel with equipping enterprises with environmental standards of the EU, it is 
necessary to educate the general environmental responsibility of the Vietnamese people. The 
issue of the environment is now a global issue and a problem for every country, so it is also 
the responsibility of each person. In addition to protecting their own homes, people also need 
to raise awareness, prioritize the use of clean, environmentally friendly products, firmly 
oppose and boycott the products, businesses. Production is substandard and does not 
guarantee environmental and social responsibility. Consumers in the hands to protect the 
environment will have the greatest impact on businesses to change.
The state should also propagandize that businesses are aware of their role in ensuring 
environmental standards when exporting agricultural products to the EU. International trade 
is complex and changing frequently. The policies of import markets, competitor markets ... 
can either negatively affect or bring opportunities for Vietnam's agricultural exports to the 
EU. As a rule, the EU is only testing the probability of around 10% of the goods entering the 
market, but in the case of a violation, it will increase to 20% and the EU may issue a full ban 
on imports that product. Therefore, every business must be responsible for ensuring that EU 
environmental standards are met when exporting agricultural products so as not to affect 
themselves and their peers.
Continue to strengthen relations with EU Member States. EU factors such as laws, import 
policies, prices, competition ... and other factors such as inflation, supply and demand factors, 
tastes, distribution channels, etc. can all influence to adjust the environmental barriers to 
imported agricultural products. However, Vietnam's exporters have to face many difficulties 
in research and market access due to geographic distance as well as limited by relationships. 
Therefore, the Ministry of Industry and Trade should request the EU business deal to 
strengthen its activities to update information regularly for enterprises about the changes, 
forecasts and promptly notify changes and additions in the EU's environmental regulations.
Along with the strengthening of trade between Vietnam and the EU in terms of politics and 
economics, Vietnam should actively seek to attract foreign direct investment and agriculture, 
171
forestry and fishery products in Vietnam. In addition, the state should actively negotiate on 
environmental policy to help Vietnamese enterprises to access EU member markets more 
favorable and active, taking advantage of the support from the project. EU's environment at 
the export of agricultural products so that Vietnam can better meet the EU's environmental 
barriers in the future. As the EU market is essentially a coalition and every country have the
right to decide on its own, Vietnam must not only reach an agreement with the whole bloc but 
also create bilateral relations with each member in the block to get more market-specific 
preferences as well as learn more about the level of demand of environmental barriers of each 
market. For large and important markets such as Germany, Spain, etc., there is a need for an 
office of agricultural consultants to promote diplomatic relations and market-related activities 
in relation to the environment.
Solutions for agricultural product associations and exporters:
The association plays a very important role in representing the business before the 
government and in the importing markets. However, most of Vietnam's agricultural 
associations have not yet shown their role in providing information on laws, markets, 
business services, trade promotion supports, dispute resolutions ... The issue of human 
resources and expertise is also the weak point of Vietnamese associations, especially with 
respect to legal issues in major import markets such as the EU. The majority of people in the 
association are retired state employees, so they are influenced by the bureaucracy and lack of 
necessary motivation. Therefore, exporters must take the initiative in contributing and 
building the organizational structure and staff structure in agricultural associations to ensure 
their own interests.
Associations of commodities related to agricultural products should also have short and long-
term strategies in general, active in orienting sectoral development in each market in the EU, 
organizing more workshops for businesses Agricultural exports to the EU have opportunities
to share and exchange learning. For agri-exporters who must overcome the environmental 
barriers of the EU: businesses need to develop a long-term development strategy with a clear 
and consistent vision and direction. export market. In fact, when a business does not have a 
long-term vision, the business will not be able to fully measure the circumstances that will 
affect the export of its business.
Businesses should also regularly update information on EU policies and environmental 
standards for agricultural products. To do this, businesses need to have their own department 
and staff in charge, ensuring that the department is well equipped with knowledge, language, 
and ability to capture, process information and be nimble. In the judgment to have timely 
suggestions for business.
Businesses need to actively seek business partners willing to help businesses overcome 
environmental barriers and build long-term business relationships. At present, Vietnamese 
enterprises are mainly exported indirectly, through intermediaries in import markets and due 
to many subjective and objective reasons, they are quite limited in selecting partners. Being 
forced to price and not be able to work for a long time, Vietnamese businesses can ask their 
172
counterparts in the EU to support themselves in new production and paperwork to better and 
more fully meet their needs. standards, requirements of the environment. Finding such a 
partner is not simple and therefore the business should actively contact and coordinate with 
the relevant government agencies, namely European business to receive support.
Agro-exporters need to raise awareness about environmental protection, change the trend 
toward short-term profitability, and move towards long-term vision. Businesses must 
thoroughly understand the ideology and equipping all members of the enterprise with respect 
to environmental issues as well as social responsibility, especially those who work directly in 
the production process. This must be looked the undefined element to the development of the 
business, thus making proper investment decisions on facilities for environmental 
management systems as well applying of international standards, producing oriented 
industrialization and specialization.
In addition, enterprises should be proactive in supply and development of an input supply 
chain that meets environmental regulations and standards for export agricultural produce: 
Investing in production technology innovation and actively apply the set of environmental
standards required by the EU and accepted; Participating in fairs actively on agricultural 
products in general and agricultural products imported in the EU in particular; Selecting and 
training staffs to improve the capacity of export staff to understand the market of agricultural 
products EU.
References: 
Department of Competition Management, (2006). Handbook of consumer protection.
National Political Publisher, Hanoi, p. 33.
Hong, Lam (2018). Consumption trends in Europe. Retrieved from:
General Statistics Office (2016). Import and export value by country and territory 
predominantly preliminary months in 2016. Retrieved from: 
General Statistics Office (2017). Import and export value by country and territory 
predominantly preliminary months in 2017. Retrieved from: 
General Statistics Office (2018). Import and export value by country and territory 
predominantly preliminary months in 2018. Retrieved from: 
Lam, Phong (2018). Agricultural products of Vietnam "great victory", conquered a series of 
fastidious market. Retrieved from: 
PACITA (a EU funded project), (2015). Europe Wide Views on Sustainable Consumption,
p.4. (web book–pdf). Retrieved from:  
PACITA (a EU funded project), (2015). Europe Wide Views on Sustainable Consumption,
p.28. (web book–pdf). Retrieved from:  
173
Prime Minister of Vietnam, (2012). The master plan for agricultural production development 
up to 2020 and vision to 2030. Retrieved from:  
Prime Minister of Vietnam, (2015). The master plan for hi-tech agricultural zones and 
regions up to 2020 with orientations to 2030. Retrieved from: 
Prime Minister of Vietnam, (2016). Decision approving the national action program on 
sustainable production and sustainable conservation till 2020, vision to 2030.
Government of Vietnam. Retrieved from: https://thuvienphapluat.vn 
UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), (1994). Symposium on Sustainable 
Consumption, Oslo. 
World Wildlife Fund, (2008). Living Planet’ Report. Retrieved from:  
174
SUMMARY
SUSTAINABLE COMSUMPTION TRENDS IN THE EUROPEAN MARKET AND
PROBLEMS REQUIRED FOR VIETNAM’S AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT 
EXPORTS
The European Union (EU) is one of the major export markets for Vietnamese 
agricultural products and is shifting towards responsible consumption. More and more 
European consumers are reluctant to buy products whose production processes are 
harmful to the environment, labors must work in bad conditions, or some stage is 
illegal. As such, social and environmental responsibility in the production process is 
becoming a further criterion for Vietnam's export agricultural products. From that 
point of view, it poses a problem for policy makers, civil society organizations and 
individuals to understand the need for sustainable consumption in long-term 
development strategies and solutions that can appropriate to both improve the quality 
of agricultural products and meet the requirements of European consumers - a key 
point of departure from the requirements of responsible production for sustainable 
development.
Key words: EU markets, sustainable consumption, agricultural product exports
XU HƯỚNG TIÊU DÙNG BỀN VỮNG CỦA THỊ TRƯỜNG EU
VÀ VẤN ĐỀ ĐẶT RA VỚI XUẤT KHẨU NÔNG SẢN VIỆT NAM
Các nước Liên minh châu Âu (EU) là một trong những thị trường xuất khẩu 
chủ yếu của nông sản Việt Nam và đang chuyển dịch theo hướng tiêu dùng có trách 
nhiệm. Ngày càng nhiều người tiêu dùng châu Âu không muốn mua những sản phẩm 
mà quy trình sản xuất có hại cho môi trường, nhân công phải làm việc trong điều kiện 
tồi tệ, hoặc có công đoạn nào đó không hợp pháp. Như vậy, trách nhiệm xã hội và môi 
trường trong quy trình sản xuất đang trở thành một tiêu chí nữa đối với nông sản xuất 
khẩu của Việt Nam. Từ đó, đặt ra vấn đề cho các nhà hoạch định chính sách, các tổ 
chức xã hội dân sự và cá nhân hiểu được sự cần thiết quan tâm đến tiêu dùng bền 
vững trong chiến lược phát triển dài hạn và đưa ra các giải pháp phù hợp để vừa nâng 
cao chất lượng nông sản vừa đáp ứng được yêu cầu của người tiêu dùng châu Âu –
một quan điểm chủ yếu xuất phát từ yêu cầu của sản xuất có trách nhiệm đối với sự 
phát triển bền vững.
Từ khóa: thị trường Châu Âu, tiêu dùng bền vững, xuất khẩu nông sản
175