Why Kyrgyzstan’s OVOP Movement Succeeded? Why did an effort that started from scratch evolve into a national project?

Why Kyrgyzstan’s OVOP Movement Succeeded? Why did an effort that started from scratch evolve into a national project?

The “One Village, One Product” Movement, which began in Oita Prefecture around 1980 and spread throughout Japan to promote regional development through the creation of local specialty products, has been supported by JICA in various developing countries. Last December, the project was adopted as a national project. We will find out why the project was successful in Kyrgyzstan and what kind of development is expected in the future from the words of the people involved in the project.

Creating a system to operate “One Village, One Product” as a business 100% pomegranate juice rich in polyphenols, fresh horse meat smoked into flavorful intestines, beauty oil squeezed from the superfood “seabuckthorn” fruit…these are just a few of the products being created in the small Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan. In Kyrgyzstan, a small country in Central Asia, specialty products are being produced one after another that tickle the desire to purchase due to their attention to quality and sophisticated packaging.

Kyrgyzstan became independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, but the economy stagnated due to a series of political upheavals, and many people moved out of the country to work, leading to the decline of local communities and increasing poverty. In response, the OVOP (One Village One Product) project was launched in 2007 to revitalize the region and rebuild the community by creating specialty products using local materials unique to the mountainous country, and product development was promoted.

The first region selected as a model region was Issyk-Kul Oblast in northeastern Kyrgyzstan. The region is rich in wool, wild fruits, and other materials that could be commercialized. However, it was not a simple process, recalls Akihisa Haraguchi, a JICA expert who has served as the project’s chief advisor for many years. When I arrived in 2009, things were not going well,” he says. In addition to the development of new products, Mr. Haraguchi believed that it was necessary to create a framework for sustainable operation as a business, so he began working from scratch to create an association of producers involved in OVOP, an organization to connect producers and consumers, and a committee to certify products as a brand, and to create a cycle that promotes the economic independence of the people of Kyrgyzstan. The goal was to create a cycle that would promote the economic independence of the people of Kyrgyzstan.

One of the most important players in the project is OVOP+1, a local public interest corporation that serves as a link between producers and consumers in Kyrgyzstan. In order to produce high quality products that even discerning consumers want, OVOP+1 is responsible for everything from product development based on needs surveys, development of production technology, operation of stores selling the products, and securing distribution networks. By dividing the roles of production and management in this way, and by ensuring that only products that have passed the quality and hygiene standards screening by the Brand Committee can be sold, an environment has been created in which high quality products can be continuously introduced to the market.

Mr. Haraguchi also learned wool making and dyeing himself, and shared his knowledge with the local Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers in an effort to create high quality products that only Isshikuri could produce. In 2010, when MUJI learned that Issykuri was considering developing products to support manufacturing in developing countries, the felted products he presented were adopted. The products met MUJI’s strict product standards and became popular for their adorable donkeys, sheep, and other animals and accessory cases. The producers’ skills and quality control capabilities were also greatly improved, making this the first major success story.

Expanding the OVOP Brand Nationwide and Further Revitalizing the Project Phase 1 of the project was to draw out the strengths of the residents responsible for product production and create a place for them to demonstrate their abilities, and in 2012 the project entered Phase 2 to further strengthen the structure and organization created in Phase 1. By diversifying products such as honey and dried fruits to increase consumer choice, sales increased. OVOP+1’s functions were also strengthened, such as accurately communicating client requests to producers to reflect them in products and thoroughly managing delivery dates.

In addition, due to requests from other provinces, we started Phase 3 in 2017 to expand our efforts in Issyk-Kul Oblast to all of Kyrgyzstan. Currently, it is being rolled out in six of Kyrgyzstan’s seven provinces, with a brand committee in each province,” says Haraguchi. To promote revitalization, a national version of the “National Brand Committee” is also held annually. The committee gathers the best products from each state and awards prizes to the best products in each category.

At first, producers did not understand the importance of product creation and quality control to meet consumer needs, but we built a relationship of trust with them despite repeated conflicts, and gradually we were able to produce high quality products,” says Nargiza Elkinbayeva, a member of OVOP+1 since 2009. Nargiza Elkinbayeva, who became a member of OVOP+1 in 2009 and currently serves as CEO, says, “We have been able to gradually build a relationship of trust with producers who did not understand the importance of quality control and product manufacturing that meets consumer needs.

Currently, the number of products handled in OVOP stores across the country exceeds 2,000. Products have been created that are a hit not only with the wealthy in the capital city of Bishkek, but also with overseas consumers. And in December 2022, the project was adopted as a national project in recognition of its achievements in revitalizing the region and other areas over the 15 years of its efforts. With the support of the Kyrgyz government, further aggressive development is expected.

Empowering women has led to a remarkable change in the community. The project is also making a significant difference at the community level. The producers are motivated by the fact that OVOP+1 will buy back the products they produce if they produce high quality products. The project has also helped to empower women producers, many of whom are women, by allowing them to earn money, and to foster a community through collaborative work.

Until now, women in the village were not allowed to leave the village on their own because it was their job to take care of their families, but now they can go out with impunity because they have a meeting.

I feel a sense of responsibility and accomplishment when I accomplish a tough job, and I am happy that something made in my village, which has no name, is being sold around the world,” said Elarieva Gruzat of Akburun Village.

The producers’ voices also show that they are making a remarkable difference in the community. Mr. Nargiza hopes to further develop his business, saying, “I want to make it possible for young people to live happily without having to go to other countries to make a living.

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© Source JICA