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.
Create a system to operate “OVOP” as a business.
100% pomegranate juice rich in polyphenols, flavorful smoked fresh horse intestines, beauty oil squeezed from the superfood “seabuckthorn” fruit… Kyrgyzstan, a small country in Central Asia, is producing a succession of specialty products that tickle the appetite for purchase with their attention to quality and sophisticated packaging.
Kyrgyzstan became independent following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, but a series of political upheavals and other factors caused the economy to stagnate, and many people went abroad to work, leading to the decline of the local community 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 materials that could be commercialized, such as wool and wild fruits. 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 the most discerning consumer would want, OVOP+1 is responsible for everything from product development based on needs research, development of production technology, operation of stores selling 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.
(Above) The OVOP Center in the capital city of Bishkek, crowded with many shoppers. It sells products from all over Kyrgyzstan made by OVOP.
(bottom left) Juices that make the most of the ingredients, such as 100% pomegranate and Seabuckson juice with honey, are among the most popular products (bottom right) Horse intestines won the Kyrgyzstan Traditional Product Award at the 2022 National Brand Committee.
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.
Adorable felt animals. In addition to donkeys and sheep, white bears, snow leopards, and yaks are handmade in one-piece, seamless molding of high quality.
Expanding the OVOP brand nationwide and further revitalizing the project
Phase 1 of the project was to create a place where the residents responsible for product production could draw out their strengths and demonstrate their abilities, and in 2012, the project entered Phase 2 to further strengthen the structure and organization created in Phase 1. Sales increased as we diversified our product lineup to include honey and dried fruits to give consumers more choices. 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 encourage 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 through repeated conflicts, we built a relationship of trust with them and gradually became able to produce high quality products. 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.
At the National Brand Committee meeting in December 2022. It was the first time the meeting was held in three years due to the Corona disaster. Mr. Haraguchi and Mr. Nargiza, CEO of “OVOP+1″ (4th and 5th from left) in a photo with the Deputy Minister of Economy of Kyrgyzstan (3rd from left)
Empowering women has created a remarkable change in the community.
The project is also making a big difference at the community level. Producers are motivated by the fact that OVOP+1 buys back the products they produce as long as they produce high quality products. The majority of the producers are women, and the money they earn has empowered them and fostered 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 complete a tough job, and I am happy that something made in my village, which has no name, is being sold around the world,” says 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.
(Top) Product production site that brings a smile to the face. (bottom) In October 2022, a factory opened in Karakol, the capital of Issyk Kul Province, as part of the company’s business expansion. It is equipped with a final inspection station for products and a training center for producers, and the OVOP+1 office was also relocated there.
The project has produced many fruits, such as local revitalization and women’s empowerment, by mobilizing the national government and corporations, etc. Further prospects seem to be in sight for Phase 4, which will begin in April 2023.
We intend to extend our Kyrgyz know-how to neighboring countries as well. We have already made concrete moves in Kazakhstan, such as selecting products with high potential, and we have also received approaches from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Ms. Nargiza nodded vigorously at Mr. Haraguchi’s words, “I would like to make sure that OVOP in Kyrgyzstan, which has grown so much, can eventually be managed sustainably even after JICA’s hands leave the country. It may not be long before the Kyrgyz OVOP model, which is expanding a new way of thinking for developing countries, bears fruit in other parts of the world.
© Source JICA
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