Việt Nam key market: FrieslandCampina managing director

Việt Nam will be one of the key markets in 2022 due to its young population and strong demand amid the pandemic, BerenVan Wel, the managing director of FrieslandCampina Vietnam, one of the world’s largest dairy cooperatives, said.

“We are honoured to have come to Việt Nam early and proud to have played our role in the country’s socio-economic development over the past 25 years.

Berend Van Wel, managing director of FrieslandCampina Vietnam. Photo courtesy of FrieslandCampina Vietnam

“We consider ourselves a part of the country, a Vietnamese company by the Vietnamese and for the Vietnamese.

“We look forward to a brighter year in 2022 when the pandemic will hopefully be contained here and around the world.

“I am very happy and confident that we are solidly moving forward towards the missions of ‘Việt Nam leap forward and reach higher’ and ‘better nutrition for the world accessible to everyone’.”

FrieslandCampina has a presence in 38 countries and owns major brands Dutch Lady, Friso, Yomost, and Fristi, all of which are popular among Vietnamese consumers.

Millions of the company’s products are consumed every day globally.

FrieslandCampina Vietnam was named among the top 10 sustainable businesses in 2021. Photo courtesy of FrieslandCampina Vietnam

In 2021 the company was listed among the top three firms that improved nutrition globally in the Global Access to Nutrition Index.

This is an initiative that evaluates the world’s 25 largest dairy and food companies every two years based on their corporate social responsibility programmes aimed at addressing malnutrition and obesity globally.

With ‘nourishing by nature’ being its philosophy, FrieslandCampina considers improving product quality and human resources its long-term vision.

Phan Nam Trân, its HR director, said after 25 years in the country her company aims ‘For a rising and superior Việt Nam.’

It will continue to focus on child nutrition education and development, improvement in the quality of life, especially of its dairy farmer partners, environmental protection, and sustainable development.

In 2020 it collaborated with the Ministry of Education and Training to institute the VNĐ55 billion, five-year ‘For a rising and superior Việt Nam’ project.

FrieslandCampina Vietnam was named among the Best Companies to Work for in Asia. Photo courtesy of FrieslandCampina Vietnam

The project includes a number of activities meant to improve physical training, provide knowledge about balanced nutrition and implement extra-curricular activities that will benefit more than 290,000 students at 200 primary schools to start with.

The numbers are expected to rise.

Based on 150 years of cooperative knowledge and experience, FrieslandCampina is a pioneer in the Vietnamese dairy industry.

As of 2020 it had more than 2,500 farmers participating in its dairy development programme, helping improve the competitiveness of the domestic dairy industry.

It has also played a role in improving the lives of Vietnamese, especially farmers, through a dairy development programme that provides them with knowledge about finance and markets.

Farmers can access knowledge of safe and sustainable farming and ensure a stable market to help improve their lives and the competitiveness of the dairy industry.

The company has also taught professional knowledge and skills to more than 3,000 farming households in breeding dairy cows to Dutch quality standards since 1996.

Sustainable development

As one of the founding members of the Packaging Recycling Organisation Việt Nam, FrieslandCampina has undertaken numerous highly practical programmes to enhance consumer awareness of sorting, recycling and reuse of packaging.

Its factories have programmes to separate waste at source to minimise the volume of land-fill waste.

At its plants, FrieslandCampina uses a comprehensive production chain with environment-friendly raw materials and low fossil fuel and water use and CO2 emissions.

It also implements major communication programmes to help raise awareness among its employees and the community of sustainable development.

As part of its CSR activities, it has consistently donated milk to frontline medical personnel under a programme called ‘Better Nutrition For The World, We Care We Share.’

In 2021 the company won a number of awards including the merit certificate of excellent enterprise from the northern province of Hà Nam, Top 10 prestigious F&B companies award, Top 100 products and services for families and children from the Labour and Society newspaper, Corporate Social Responsibility Award, Top 10 sustainable business, and the Best Companies to Work for in Asia Award from HR Asia magazine.