Let's live green with young people.

Green startup trends

IMO stands for Indigenous Microorganism, which live and thrive entirely outside of our natural environment. These microorganisms actively participate in the decomposition of organic matter into _CO2 and other substances that provide nutrients for plants; some even convert nitrogen from the air into nitrogen that plants can absorb. IMO can be widely applied in various fields such as animal feed, composting, waste disposal, deodorization, and environmental pollution reduction. Because of these practical benefits, many young people in Binh Phuoc have continuously studied, researched, and applied IMO to farming, livestock raising, and economic development.

For the past five years, Mr. Luong Van Hau's earthworm farm in Duc Phong town, Bu Dang district, has regularly welcomed many young people to visit and learn from his experience. This is because Mr. Hau is one of the successful producers of organic fertilizer from agricultural and livestock waste and by-products using an earthworm farming model in Binh Phuoc province.

Mr. Hau's story of producing organic fertilizer originated from his desire to find a solution to improve the productivity of his family's cashew orchard when the price of chemical fertilizers on the market was too high. Mr. Hau sought a solution to create a source of organic fertilizer to reduce production costs and sustainably develop his orchard. He chose to raise hybrid earthworms to create fertilizer. Specifically, he studied instructional videos on making microbial cultures on the internet and successfully created many types of microbial preparations. He then used these preparations to process waste, by-products, and livestock and poultry waste as feed for the earthworms. Currently, Mr. Hau's earthworm farm supplies the market with about 5 tons of organic fertilizer per month at a price of about 5 million VND/ton. In addition, from the application of microbial cultures, Mr. Hau has produced beneficial microbial preparations specifically for composting waste, organic fertilizer, and liquid fertilizers. The pesticides are used for family farming and supplied to people in the surrounding area.

Meanwhile, in Phuoc Minh commune, Bu Gia Map district, Mr. Do Van Phuc has successfully applied the IMO method to create organic fertilizer for his cyclamen garden. Mr. Phuc currently owns a 7,000m2 cyclamen garden with approximately 130,000 seedlings and 25,000 finished flower pots.

The camellia garden of Mr. Do Van Phuc in Phuoc Minh commune, Bu Gia Map district, is thriving thanks to the use of IMO bio-fertilizer.

During the development of his flower garden, Mr. Phuc received guidance on organic farming from Mr. Hoang Son Cong, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute of Science and Talent Development, and an expert supporting rural youth entrepreneurship competitions organized by the Central Youth Union. He then began applying the IMO method to create organic fertilizer from locally available materials. To ensure the sustainable development of his flower garden, he studied and produced IMO4 himself, gradually developing it to IMO6 and IMO8, saving tens of millions of dong on fertilizer purchases each year. “Applying IMO to my camellia garden not only saves me money on fertilizers and pesticides, helping the plants grow and develop well, but it also provides a safe solution for the workers who work in the garden daily and protects the health of consumers,” Mr. Phuc shared.

Applying the Integrated Modeling and Management (IMO) methodology to farming and livestock models for entrepreneurship is a popular approach among young people in Binh Phuoc province. This contributes to promoting the trend of "green entrepreneurship," "green production," and "green living" among the province's youth. In 2023 alone, seven youth-led startup projects in Binh Phuoc applied IMO to farming, production, and livestock. These projects received support from the Provincial Youth Union, which connected them with relevant provincial departments and agencies to help project owners implement their initiatives, thereby promoting the role of young people in protecting the environment and combating climate change.

Promoting a green lifestyle.

IMO is a proactive, low-cost, and easy-to-implement solution, perfectly suited for application in organic farming, clean agriculture, and waste treatment. With youthful enthusiasm, many young people in Binh Phuoc have actively transferred this microbial solution to the local population, aiming towards sustainable organic farming and protecting a green, clean, and safe living environment.

“I apply IMO to environmental protection, agriculture, and the processing of probiotic-rich foods. Currently, I focus on applying probiotics to the deep processing of turmeric to produce health and beauty products… At the same time, I film videos of the process of treating household waste using IMO microbial solutions, then share them for free on social media channels and with people in the surrounding area,” shared Ms. Doan Thi Minh Tram from Hung Long ward, Chon Thanh town, about her journey of spreading a green lifestyle.

Ms. Tram received training on IMO (Integrated Microorganisms) organized by the Central Youth Union and the Binh Phuoc Provincial Youth Union. Through in-depth research and learning of IMO knowledge from courses, classes, books, newspapers, and the internet, from 2021 to the present, Ms. Tram has successfully applied IMO to many products. These include utilizing resources such as swiftlet droppings, rotten fish, eggs, seashells, and seafood to produce low-cost biofertilizers. She also produces beauty and health care products from turmeric starch. Furthermore, Ms. Tram has collaborated with several localities inside and outside the province, such as Dak Nong and Dong Nai, the Women's Union of Chon Thanh town, and several schools in Chon Thanh to guide and transfer the application of IMO in practice. Specifically, she has taught how to sort waste; compost organic waste with IMO-based biological preparations into fertilizer, using the fertilizer to care for green plants in schools; and treat school toilet odors using IMO microorganisms. Planting trees using fertilizer made from waste materials…

Ms. Doan Thi Minh Tram (sixth from the left) instructs teachers and students of Nha Bich Primary School, Chon Thanh town, on how to treat waste using probiotics.

The District Youth Union and the Vietnam Youth Union of Chơn Thành town launched the "Applying IMO in Environmental Protection" Club in 2023.

Meanwhile, in Loc Ninh district, youth union members in Loc Thien commune are spreading and expanding the IMO method into daily life. Le Ngoc Thoan, Secretary of the Loc Thien Commune Youth Union, said: Youth union members have studied and applied the IMO method in household waste treatment. They have also transferred this method to several households for odor control at pig farms. The commune's Youth Union has also raised funds, installed, and donated a disinfection spraying system for environmental treatment at a pig farm to one household.

Mr. Duong Van Doan, owner of a pig farm in Loc Thien commune, shared: "After 20 years of raising pigs, thanks to the application of the IMO method, I have been able to eliminate about 90% of the odors generated during the farming process. Thank you to the Youth Union of Loc Thien commune for transferring the automatic disinfection system to my farm. The IMO method is being effectively applied by my family in processing feed for the pigs, treating waste, and eliminating odors generated during farming."

According to Hoang Minh Dieu, Deputy Secretary of the Loc Ninh District Youth Union: “In the coming time, we will expand the application of IMO among the youth of Loc Ninh, especially in the treatment of household waste. We encourage youth union members to apply IMO to the production of bio-fertilizers and pesticides for use in production and livestock farming to contribute to protecting the living environment.”

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/4/167251/cung-nguoi-tre-song-xanh