Agriculture, F&B, energy, tourism: top industries for green, sustainable growth in Vietnam

Agriculture, food and beverage (F&B), energy and tourism are four industries in Vietnam with solid potential for green and sustainable growth, says Tran Tue Tri, senior advisor with Vietnam Brand Purpose.

Speaking at The Makeover 2024, themed “Foster Green Dynamics” organized by Talentnet in Ho Chi Minh City Tuesday, she noted that Vietnam was an agricultural powerhouse and a top 15 nation in agricultural exports.

Considerable efforts were already being exerted to green the sector, based on environmental protection needs and demand in foreign markets. Hence there was a strong vested interest in green and sustainable growth of this key sector.

The second area with green potential was F&B, given the wide variety of Vietnamese cuisine.

“Our cuisine is actually very healthy. Lots of vegetables. You cannot miss vegetables if you eat Vietnamese food. And vegetarianism has also emerged as a trend now. I think the best vegetarian restaurant experience I’ve had is in Vietnam,” Tri said.

Renewable energy was another major area with green potential because of Vietnam’s long coastline that presented major potential for boosting wind energy capacity, she added.

Tourism was another key industry with potential for green and sustainable growth, because Vietnam’s major attraction was its natural beauty and cultural depth.

“We can do both the E, the environmental, and the S, which is the social part. Because we have a thousand years of culture, and we can tell its story, creating grounds for building a strong, sustainable tourism industry,” Tri added.

Ziena Jalil, board member of Education New Zealand, said her country had a government agency called New Zealand Story which lead efforts to promote, protect and project “Grand New Zealand” around the world. The agency worked with many government peers and businesses to help brands meet global standards, she said.

Tri noted that South Korea has a national brand council with 48 experts and eight ministers that is focused on the task of national branding.

“In Vietnam, we do have the day of the Vietnam nation brand, which is April 20. We can really be inspired by the stories of New Zealand and South Korea.”

Tri added that Vietnam has developed a few very successful programs to create a national brand by way of guaranteed high quality Vietnamese products that generate national brand recognition.

“Although Vietnam is a big coffee exporter, the world does not know this, because Vietnam does not have global brands like Starbucks.

“But I think, this has been changing of late, with Vietnamese brands gaining greater recognition. In the domestic market, we’ve created a coffee culture and several strong coffee chains. So that is definitely helping.”

All stakeholders should act together in creating brand awareness. “We should hold hands and create value," she said.