{"id":3506,"date":"2020-08-14T22:59:05","date_gmt":"2020-08-14T14:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=3506"},"modified":"2020-09-14T23:00:36","modified_gmt":"2020-09-14T15:00:36","slug":"corn-cob-recycle-cobtain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/corn-cob-recycle-cobtain\/","title":{"rendered":"Vietnamese Students’ Recycled Corn Cob Products Win Global Entrepreneurial Competition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cobtain – Vietnamese students win SAGE Global 2020 competition<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Agriculture has played a significant role in Vietnam\u2019s economic development, occupying one-third of the country\u2019s economy. However, to achieve further progress, Vietnamese farmers should adopt more innovative and sustainable methods <\/strong>that benefit both their farming activities and the environment.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, Cobtain<\/strong>, a group of Vietnamese students<\/a>, came up with the idea of recycling corn cobs into eco-friendly agricultural products <\/strong>and won the SAGE Global 2020 competition.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Cobtain recycle corn cobs into agricultural products<\/h3>\n
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\nThe Cobtain group
\n<\/em>Image credit: <\/em>Lao Dong<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

SAGE Global<\/strong> is an international competition where teen contestants propose their entrepreneurial solutions to raise living standards and environmental sustainability.<\/p>\n

Surpassing thousands of contestants from over 30 countries, Vietnam\u2019s Cobtain<\/strong><\/a> became the winner with their idea of recycling corn cobs into agricultural products. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Image credit: <\/em>Cobtain<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Unused corn cobs <\/strong>are aplenty in Vietnam, and they are agricultural waste rich in protein. Farmers usually dispose of them into waters or burn them, which causes air and water pollution.<\/p>\n

To tackle this problem, Cobtain is proposing to buy corn cobs from farmers who don\u2019t need them, then process them into pellets to make cattle feed or plant<\/a> fertilizers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\nPellets made of corn cobs
\n<\/em>Image credit: <\/em>Cobtain<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Biocompatible beddings, <\/strong>which are indispensable in many cattle houses across Vietnam, are also included in Cobtain\u2019s list of products<\/a> made from corn cobs. These beddings usually consist of corn cobs, husk, sawdust, and other probiotics and are placed on the floor of cattle houses to help break down urine and faeces, <\/strong>and block out smell, kill harmful bacteria,<\/strong> and reduce environmental pollution. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: <\/em>Lao Dong<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Using biocompatible beddings also spare farmers\u2019 time and efforts cleaning farm houses as well as water used for cleaning.<\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: <\/em>Cobtain<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Cobtain\u2019s innovative proposals will greatly help poor farmers of ethnic minorities<\/strong> earn a more stable income and improve their living standards.<\/p>\n

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Cobtain\u2019s passion for social entrepreneurship<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Cobtain<\/strong> is made up of 8 Hanoi high school students from BVIS, Concordia, BIS, <\/strong>and Archimedes schools<\/strong>, who share common goals of increasing living standards for Vietnamese people and improving the environment.<\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: <\/em>Cobtain<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

With a team of enterprising individuals, Cobtain has already developed their ideas by setting up a company and promoting their products in the local market.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started doing field research for about a year before joining the competition,\u201d a Cobtain member said.<\/p>\n

This is not the first time Vietnamese students have achieved outstanding results in an international entrepreneurship playground.<\/p>\n

Rainbow Straws<\/strong><\/a>, a group of Vietnamese students won the SAGE global 2019 competition<\/strong> with the idea of making straws from whole rice.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\nRainbow Straws team
\n<\/em>Image adapted from: <\/em>GPA<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 impact, this year\u2019s SAGE Global competition was hosted online.<\/p>\n

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Vietnamese students won SAGE Global 2020 competition <\/span><\/h3>\n
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Even though Vietnam\u2019s manufacturing sector has been making stable growth, a large majority of Vietnamese population are still working in the agricultural sector. Many Vietnamese people\u2019s livelihood are dependent on farming and forestry activities.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re glad to see more Vietnamese young people at the front of promoting sustainable farming practices, reducing environmental pollution<\/a>, and raising living standards for poor farmers across the country.<\/p>\n

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