F&B enterprises in Vietnam reduce plastic for sustainable development

The Vietnam Food & Beverage Forum 2019: "Actions for sustainability and better food safety management"

The event was held by the American Chamber of Commerce Vietnam (AmCham Vietnam) and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), the Vietnam Dairy Association (VDA), and the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

The forum concentrated on the opportunities and challenges of the F&B industry in Vietnam from many different perspectives, as well as sharing international practices towards sustainable goals in business and food safety management in Vietnam.

Besides, this was also a chance for speakers and participants to discuss and share practices about the business environment, food safety management experience, and new trends from international and domestic enterprises, as well as initiatives for sustainable development with action for the environment and human health.

Addressing the forum, Mary Tarnowka, executive director of AmCham Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City chapter, said, "As Vietnam's population continues to surge, with rising income, purchasing power, and demand for new F&B markets, the issues of sustainability and food safety management standards are critical.”

Meanwhile, Pham Hoang Hai, an independent expert on sustainable development, said that the amount of plastic waste discharged into the environment increases each year but only half of it is collected and only 7-9 per cent is recycled.

Nguyen Hoang Linh, deputy director general of the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality under the Ministry of Science and Technology, emphasised, "An annual F&B industry forum will be a link between state management agencies, businesses, and researchers to discuss policies, regulations, standards, business environment, production, and sustainable development of this important industry. "

The conference consists of two dialogue sessions with topics on the Food and Beverage Industry and Actions for Sustainable Environment and Policy Dialogue to Promote Manufacturing and Trading in the F&B industry in Vietnam.