A delegation of Dutch entrepreneurs and politicians is on an economic mission in Vietnam this
week. IDH plays a crucial role in making supply chains sustainable and the team in Vietnam will
be part of the mission by, among other things, presenting the aquaculture environmental work.
Christianne van der Wal (Dutch Minister for Nature and Nitrogen Policy),
Mark Harbers (Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management),
and Ingrid Thijssen (General Secretary of the Dutch employers’
association VNO-NCW) are among the delegation members, with
agrofood, water, horticulture and logistics as the main theme of the
mission.
Vietnam is one of the fastest growing markets in Asia and is already on
the radar of many Dutch entrepreneurs. Vietnam and the Netherlands
are important partners when it comes to trade and investment. Last
year, the two countries celebrated fifty years of diplomatic relations.
Just like the Netherlands, Vietnam is a delta of rivers and, in various
respects, struggles with the same challenges.
Vietnamese coffee
The Netherlands is the largest European investor in Vietnam and,
conversely, the Netherlands is Vietnam’s largest European export
destination. At present, around 125 Dutch companies are active in
Vietnam, which is an attractive market given the country’s rapid
economic growth. An important factor in Dutch-Vietnamese relations is
the trade in coffee and spices. In 2023, for example, the Netherlands
imported almost 8,000 tonnes of pepper, 1,200 tonnes of cinnamon and
295 tonnes of star anise from Vietnam. The Netherlands also imported
over 45,000 tonnes of Vietnamese coffee, nearly four times as much as
in the period 2017-2022. To put this into perspective, there is
Vietnamese coffee in almost every cup of coffee consumed in the
Netherlands.
Sustainable food systems
This week, the Dutch delegation will be descending on Hanoi and Ho Chi
Minh City, among other places. One of the items on the agenda is a
gathering to mark 10 years of the Strategic Partnership Arrangement on
sustainable agriculture and food security between Vietnam and the
Netherlands. Government officials and companies from the two
countries give insights of how the Netherlands and Vietnam have been
working together in the last decade on sustainable food systems.
Enhancing the sustainability of the supply chain is a key subject of
discussion for the mission.
Coffee, spices and aquaculture
Vietnam is one of the largest producers of coffee and aquaculture
products, and often one of the largest producers of tea and pepper in
the world, creating work for hundreds of thousands of smallholder
farmers. IDH aims to transform markets worldwide, enabling companies
to create value for people and planet. IDH brings together inter ested
parties from value chains across the globe and thus facilitates
innovation and investment in solutions for sustainable and inclusive
international trade.
In Vietnam, IDH has initiated change by building strong partnerships
with the Vietnamese government, the private sector and civil society
organisations. IDH Vietnam is active in coffee, spices (pepper and
cinnamon), aquaculture (shrimp and pangasius) and textile production.
For example, IDH Vietnam supports the coffee sector efforts to adapt to
the European Union Deforestation-Free Products Regulation (EUDR). In
2023, the by-IDH-facilitated public-private partnership developed the
first national action plan in the world on deforestation and degradation -
free sourcing areas and supply chains in compliance with the EUDR,
which promotes reforestation and minimises negative impacts on
vulnerable farming communities.
Reducing the environmental footprint of the Mekong Delta
seafood sector
During the economic mission, IDH will present its work in the
aquaculture industry. Together with partners, we aim for a reduction of
the carbon footprint of the Mekong Delta shrimp and pangasius value
chains.
Supply chain cooperation is a key element to bring interventions to
value chain actors to change their business practices. IDH works with
its partners on developing a roadmap and Life Cycle Assessment tool to
measure the environmental footprint of aquaculture products from
cradle to retail. Based on that, the supply chain can identify key
hotspots of environmental footprint for viable interventions and
partnerships.
At the Mekong Delta Business Forum, IDH will present to the delegation
about the work that has a beneficial impact on the environment and for
farmers, and about the opportunities for further cooperation.
