30 years of Bayer Vietnam: health for all and hunger for none

Bayer Vietnam has launched several initiatives to support farmers’ transition to sustainable practices. In 2023, it partnered with the National Agricultural Extension Centre (NAEC) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on the 3-year Forward Farming programme. This fosters collaboration across the rice value chain, involving public and private sector partners to promote sustainable farming.

After one year, over 4,500 rice growers have participated in training that covers environmentally conscious farming, climate change mitigation, and safe and responsible use of crop protection solutions. Evaluations conducted by the Mekong Delta Rice Institute on the Forward Farming model demonstrated significant improvements in plant growth, early signs of enhanced soil quality, and water savings of up to 50 per cent compared to conventional rice farming methods. Importantly, greenhouse gas emissions were also reduced by 24.7 per cent.

These outcomes contribute to Vietnam’s goal of developing one million hectares of sustainable, high-quality, low emission rice cultivation. In addition, through these collaborative efforts, Bayer Vietnam and the NAEC have been recognised with a Public-Private Partnership of the Year award in the Agriculture category at a GovMedia event in Singapore.

Following this success, Bayer and the NAEC have extended support to durian and coffee smallholder farmers in Vietnam. This October, the Better Life Farming model was launched in Vietnam, aimed at unlocking smallholder farmers’ full potential and supporting the country’s key crop development plans.

The initiative comprises two key pillars: Model Farms and Better Life Farming centres. Run by local farmers, Model Farms demonstrate efficient and sustainable techniques to the agricultural community through hands-on learning, knowledge sharing, and community exchange. Meanwhile, the centres are managed by agri-entrepreneurs and equip farmers with innovative solutions and market access.

Globally, Bayer has pledged to support 100 million people in economically or medically underserved communities with self-care by 2030. This commitment encompasses developing and expanding self-care education offerings in order to provide people with the tools and knowledge they need to make well-founded decisions about their own health and that of their families.

Earlier this year, Bayer Vietnam and the Vietnam Young Physicians’ Association joined forces to conduct free health screenings and consultations. The company has offered nearly two million boxes of multivitamin supplements to hospitals as well as medical examinations and treatment facilities, thereby contributing to improving community health and making high-quality nutrition more accessible.

Bayer also partners with organisations and healthcare professionals to implement consultation and education activities on various health problems, such as stroke treatment, eye diseases, and reproductive healthcare. The company also hosts scientific seminars on contraceptives and ties up with partners to publish materials that provide useful information for the community on age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema.

Many programmes have also been implemented by Bayer to support capability enhancement of healthcare professionals, such as training on optimising hepatobiliary disease diagnosis and treatment.

Most recently, Bayer Vietnam inked an MoU with the Hanoi Stroke Association and the University of Oxford. This collaboration aims to advance stroke management and research quality in Vietnam through skills workshops, research projects, and publications.

“Bayer respects the value of collaboration with corporate partners, universities, and organisations in the public and private sector that share a common goal,” said Ingo Brandenburg, managing director of Bayer Vietnam. “By working together through various partnerships, we can combine expertise and resources to achieve greater results than any one entity could accomplish on its own. Bayer’s vision can only be fulfilled through collaborative initiatives that place the community at the heart of every solution.”

Bayer leveraging digital models to enhance healthcare The percentage of the world’s population over age 60 is predicted to reach almost 22 per cent by 2050 – almost double the percentage reported in 2015. The impact of the demographic shift to an ageing and growing population is being felt across society and industries.

Bayer’s sustainable agriculture efforts in Vietnam In October 2023, out of 350 companies assessed by the World Benchmarking Alliance, Bayer achieved fourth position in the Nature and Biodiversity Benchmark for reducing environmental impact, and fifth in the Food and Agriculture Benchmark for transforming food systems with sustainable practices.

Bayer Vietnam to improve patient care Collaborative approaches are core to Bayer Vietnam’s strategy as it ramps up efforts to drive medical progress, with a key priority optimising patient care through pioneering research and multi-sector partnerships.