We worked with our longtime partners at DACE, a social enterprise in the northern highlands of Vietnam, to connect with the farmers growing this varietal of garlic. DACE works with farmers in the Hmong ethnic minority to transition to growing high-value, heirloom spices using regenerative practices. Farming in the remote highlands of northern Vietnam is not easy. The region's mountainous landscape and climate aren't suitable for producing large food crops such as rice or corn. Growing spice varieties allows farmers to use traditional organic practices on small fields, which are irrigated by collected rain water.
Buffalo Ginger was the first crop that farmers began to grow in collaboration with DACE, and they quickly moved on to growing other spices, including this superlative garlic. DACE supplies training and seedlings to farmers and sterilizes, dries and grind the freshly harvested spices and prepares them for export. They control the quality of their products and provide meaningful economic opportunities from seedling to export.
DACE, named for the small, resilient river fish of the same name, plays an important role in partnering with local farmers to facilitate these economic opportunities, drive gender equality and move toward more sustainable agricultural practices.
