In order to raise awareness of the role of environment – society – governance (ESG) in sustainable agricultural development and green innovation, introduce typical ESG models, technologies and initiatives from Vietnamese enterprises and startups, and at the same time be an opportunity to connect agricultural enterprises, investors, startups and state management agencies, with the expectation of promoting the green investment ecosystem in the agricultural sector. On November 25, the Institute for Sustainable Development Management Research and the National Center for Supporting Creative Startups co-organized the ESG and Green Investment Innovation Workshop for Sustainable Agriculture at the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Creative Startups, with support from Oxfam Vietnam and the companionship of the Netherlands Business Association in Vietnam. The workshop is an event within the Ho Chi Minh City Innovation, Science, Technology and Creative Startup Week – WISE HCMC+ 2025.

Mr. Le Toan Thang – Director of the National Center for Supporting Innovative Startups (NSSC) emphasized that agriculture is the economic pillar of Vietnam and innovation is the driving force to shift from quantity production to value production, bringing Vietnamese agricultural products to the international level. Mr. Thang affirmed that this workshop has a very clear focus on three important goals: First is to raise awareness and knowledge – we must always improve, helping the business community and investors better understand the strategic role of ESG. Second is to introduce typical models to learn from the technology models that have been implemented and are full of inspiration. Third is related to ecosystem development, most importantly, the workshop is a strong bridge to create open ecosystems, where agricultural enterprises, investors, startups, and management agencies can meet and share with each other through promoting potential green projects.

Mr. Le Toan Thang, Director of the National Innovation and Startup Support Center

Next, Ms. Pham Tuyet Mai – Fair Finance Project Manager, Oxfam in Vietnam affirmed that a transparent, fair and sustainable financial system is the foundation for achieving sustainable development goals, especially when Vietnam is moving towards zero net emissions and promoting green transformation in agriculture. She highly appreciated the theme of the Workshop and was impressed with the diverse participation from management agencies, businesses, startups, investors and ESG experts, creating a comprehensive picture of green innovation. She said that Oxfam is committed to continuing to share international experiences, provide technical support and promote initiatives to build a sustainable and inclusive agricultural ecosystem, based on green values ​​and social responsibility.

Ms. Pham Tuyet Mai, Fair Finance Project Manager, Oxfam in Vietnam

Ms. Tran Van Anh – Deputy Director of the MSD Institute for Sustainable Development Management affirmed that agriculture continues to play an important role in ensuring livelihoods and food security in Vietnam, especially in the context of the industry having to adapt to climate change, international market pressure and green transformation requirements. As Head of the Open Social Innovation Community, MSD hopes to be able to connect these businesses to units that provide green credit, so that they can have resources to develop their products. And we really want to work with all relevant parties to help and support small and medium-sized enterprises in Vietnam to confidently participate in the market, if we do not change and do not apply science and technology, perhaps we will find it difficult to survive in this very competitive market.

Ms. Tran Van Anh, Deputy Director of MSD Institute

Ms. Mai Thi Nguyet Anh – Impact Manager of Social Environmental Governance, KPMG Vietnam Company said that green finance is being strongly promoted by the government and the global banking system, but Vietnamese agricultural enterprises still face many limitations. Limitations in high-quality human resources and technology experts. The second limitation here is in land accumulation planning for production and large scale. Third is the narrow, unstable consumer market, low added value and weak brand. Finally, the number of enterprises in the industry is still a small proportion, making the contribution to economic growth still limited.

Ms. Mai Thị Nguyet Anh, Head of Impact and ESG, Representative of KPMG Vietnam Audit Company

Sharing information on the new progress of the Vietnamese banking system in ESG practices and green credit, Mr. Nguyen Minh Phuong – Banking Assessment Project Team, Oxfam Vietnam shared that agricultural enterprises wishing to implement ESG need to meet the criteria of banks – the most important funding unit. Banks are shifting to a low-emission model, many units have committed to eliminating CO₂ in operations by 2030 and stopping financing coal projects since 2018. Environmental and social risk policies, sustainability reports and ESG requirements for borrowers are all being updated, although the level of change varies between banks. It is forecasted that in the period 2025-2026, there will be more commitments and information disclosure, contributing to increased transparency and requiring businesses to comply with ESG standards more clearly.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Phuong, Bank Assessment Project Team, Oxfam Vietnam

Mr. Dang Van Nien, General Director of Rijk Zwaan Vietnam Co., Ltd., pointed out the major challenges of the industry such as climate change, changing market demand and pressure on human resources and waste management. According to him, the application of advanced technology helps to improve production accuracy, optimize productivity and ensure safe processes, demonstrated through models such as growing bell peppers with natural enemies, using disease-resistant varieties, rotating melons and building growing area brands, etc. These models have proven effective and can be replicated in many localities, opening up a practical approach for businesses and cooperatives in the current transition period.

Mr. Dang Van Nien, General Director of Rijk Zwaan Vietnam Co., Ltd.

The final part of the workshop was a panel discussion with the theme “Innovation for Sustainable Development of Agriculture” – Speakers discussed solutions to promote innovation, technology application and ESG practices to improve the efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness of Vietnam’s agricultural sector. The panel discussion focused on clarifying the role of policy, science and technology, startup support ecosystem, financial resources and green investment trends in the new context.