Agricultural enterprises break through with inclusive business models

In recent years, domestic and international organizations as well as the Ministry of Planning and Investment, business support organizations, associations, etc. have continuously cooperated to develop initiatives and solutions to apply inclusive business models in Asia and ASEAN.

On the afternoon of October 15, in Hanoi, the Department of Enterprise Development (Ministry of Planning and Investment) coordinated with the Secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and relevant partners to organize a workshop with the theme "Promoting inclusive business in the agricultural sector in Vietnam" and the Incubation Program for supporting organizations and inclusive business enterprises.

Benefits of an inclusive business model

According to information from the workshop, the concept of "Inclusive Business" (IB) is defined by ASEAN as a business model that provides products, services and livelihoods for low-income people, with commercial viability and large scale or scalability. This model encourages the participation of low-income groups in the value chain, as suppliers, distributors, retailers or consumers.

Ms. Trinh Thi Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Enterprise Development (Ministry of Planning and Investment). Photo: Nguyen Linh

Speaking at the event, Ms. Trinh Thi Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Enterprise Development (Ministry of Planning and Investment) said that production and business activities of enterprises are being severely affected by global geopolitical fluctuations as well as economic or climate change... Therefore, sustainable development has become an inevitable trend.

"The inclusive sustainable business model is a useful model that is being promoted worldwide to enhance business competitiveness. This model helps businesses conduct business activities that not only generate profits but also encourage parties to participate in sustainable production and business, turning the burden of compliance into an advantage for businesses," said Ms. Huong.

Jason Lusk, representative from Clickable Impact, said that the inclusive business model brings multi-dimensional benefits to the Government, businesses and low-income people. He pointed out that for low-income people, this model creates job opportunities and provides a stable source of income. For the government, inclusive business promotes economic growth, and for businesses, the model helps expand the market and enhance brand value.

“Thus, an inclusive business model will create 3x wins and 3x impact,” Mr. Jason Lusk affirmed.

Sharing her experience at the workshop, Ms. Ha Thi Vinh, Director of Quang Vinh Ceramics Co., Ltd. - the unit that won the ASEAN IB Award, said that thanks to the application of an inclusive business model, the enterprise has created significant social value. Currently, Quang Vinh Ceramics products not only serve more than 90 million Vietnamese consumers but are also exported to many international markets.

According to Ms. Vinh, more than 90% of the company's products are present in the markets of more than 20 countries around the world, of which major markets include Japan, the US, Australia, and many European countries.

Towards net zero emissions

In the trend of sustainable development, the Vietnamese Government has committed at COP26 to achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2050. To achieve this goal, the role of the business community is extremely important, and the inclusive business model is one of the effective solutions to help businesses move towards sustainable development.

Ms. Trinh Thi Huong also pointed out the challenges that Vietnamese businesses are facing, especially in the context of geopolitical fluctuations and global climate change.

“Climate change has had a direct impact on the economy, especially Typhoon Yagi, which hit the northern provinces of Vietnam in September 2024. Extreme weather events have caused great damage to agricultural businesses that are heavily dependent on natural conditions. These losses not only affect immediate profits but also disrupt the supply chain, making it more difficult for businesses to access markets,” said Ms. Huong.

In this context, sustainable development has become an urgent requirement for the economy, and businesses need to find new business models to adapt. Therefore, Ms. Huong called on the business community to promote the application of inclusive business models, creating conditions for businesses to increase competitiveness, expand markets, and build brands in a sustainable manner.

Mr. Jason Lusk, representative from Clickable Impact. Photo: Nguyen Linh

However, Mr. Jason Lusk also noted that this is still a new concept for many businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. Many businesses are not fully aware of the potential and huge impact that this model can bring.

Therefore, he believes that raising awareness of inclusive business is urgent, and there needs to be support from the government and relevant agencies to create leverage for businesses to apply this model.

Accordingly, in order to support businesses to develop towards green growth, the Prime Minister issued Decision 167/QD-TTg on February 8, 2022, approving the "Program to support private sector enterprises to conduct sustainable business for the period 2022 - 2025". This program focuses on inclusive business practices, with the goal of ensuring that the whole society benefits from economic activities, especially vulnerable groups that are often overlooked in traditional business models.

To help the Vietnamese business community effectively approach the inclusive business model, within the framework of the "Australia for ASEAN Future" initiative, the Department of Enterprise Development organized a workshop to share the main objectives and research results on the current status of applying this model in Vietnam, especially in the agricultural sector.

The workshop also introduced the project under the Australian Initiative on Inclusive Communications Strategy, aiming to promote inclusive business models in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/doanh-nghiep-nong-nghiep-but-pha-voi-mo-hinh-kinh-doanh-bao-trum-d227542.html