"One Village - One Product" - Transforming Local Resources into Economic Opportunities in the Aral Sea Region

January 27, 2025
a group of people posing for a photo
Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan

KARAKALPAKSTAN, Nukus, January 24, 2025. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a meeting with aspiring entrepreneurs from pilot districts of the Aral Sea region, who presented their products under the "One Village - One Product" (OVOP) program, aimed at improving business management skills of local entrepreneurs, including women and youth. Fifteen emerging entrepreneurs presented their unique products to international experts in a hybrid format to assess their potential for entering Japanese, domestic, and international markets.

The "One Village - One Product" (OVOP) program is being implemented as part of the UNDP project "The Project for Supporting Self-reliance through Climate-resilient Agriculture in the Aral Sea Region" in four districts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan (Chimbay, Kegeyli, Nukus, and Khojeyli) with financial support from the Government of Japan. 

The main goal of the OVOP program is to develop the region's economic potential by uniting local entrepreneurs and communities to produce goods from local resources. Participants previously received training in Japanese entrepreneurship development methods such as "One Village - One Product" (OVOP) and "Kaizen," which enabled current participants to utilize unique local resources to develop unique products for successful business operations and development, competitive in both domestic and foreign markets. During the OVOP program implementation, participants master the OVOP methodology, which will lead to institutional development of the Aral Sea region, develop business ideas, and establish networks for promoting products in domestic and foreign markets.

 

Various local products were presented at the meeting: Bakhtiyar Dzhubaev is preparing to present his unique licorice honey at an exhibition in Japan, Gulnar Akylbekova produces sesame cookies that will be tested by Japanese experts for export potential. Special attention was drawn to the production of capers by Raushan Sharafatdinova, a doctoral student in agriculture - her product consists of pickled caper plant buds, which have both culinary and medicinal value due to their vitamin and mineral content. Notably, growing capers in the Aral Sea region demonstrates successful adaptation to local climatic conditions, as the plant tolerates drought well and can grow in saline soils.

Zhulduz Atabaeva presented naturally dried fruits of her own cultivation, including jida - a local drought-resistant wild olive, whose fruits are valued for their nutritional and medicinal properties, making them promising for export. Klara Kudabergenova presented unique candies made from honey and pumpkin seeds, while Zukhra creates granola from twelve local ingredients with plans to expand production. The Society of People with Disabilities presented eco-friendly toys made from recycled materials.

All products, after production improvement with the participation of UNDP international experts, are promoted through the unified "OVOP Aral" platform after obtaining necessary certification. The program includes five stages:

  1. Mobilization of local producers: the project mobilizes existing local producers and those with new business ideas to identify unique resources and products.
  2. Product development: the program includes discussions and consultations (both offline and online) with local producers about product development and increasing its consumer appeal.
  3. Workshop and equipment: participants receive recommendations on improving existing equipment or acquiring more modern equipment, as well as information about current donor projects for obtaining grant resources.
  4. Certification: after determining all types of products, necessary steps are taken to obtain certificates from government bodies in accordance with local regulations.
  5. Domestic and international markets: experts conduct market analysis to identify ways to effectively promote products through social media and other tools. In Karakalpakstan, an association supporting exporters of the "One Village - One Product" movement is being created with online and offline platforms.

Currently, 20 participants have already started producing unique products, and by the end of the project, their number is planned to increase to 50. In February 2025, four products, including Bakhtiyar Dzhubaev's licorice honey, Raushan Sharafatdinov's capers, and Gulnar's sesame cookies and sesame oil, will be presented at the FOODEX exhibition in Japan.