FrieslandCampina Vietnam (FCV), which owns Dutch Lady, Friso, Yomost, and Fristi, is continuing its mission for Vietnam to leap forward and reach higher through the announcement of a dedicated sustainability strategy in October 2022.

The strategy entails better nutrition, better packaging, a better planet, and better livelihoods for Vietnamese people. They will be the guideline for FCV’s production and business activities, performance of sustainable development, and social responsibility in order to create positive impacts for consumers and society, contributing to building a better planet for all.

FrieslandCampina steadfast in nourishing a better planet

Better nutrition

For over 150 years, FrieslandCampina has been steadfast in its set mission of nourishing now and future generations with a mindset that sustainable development means providing a growing population in the world with better nutrition at an affordable price.

After a long time of careful research on the health and physical conditions of Vietnamese children, Dutch Lady has created a new nutritional formula and has launched a fresh milk product that optimises the amount of good protein and fat, with the supplementation of nine types of micronutrients that most children are lacking.

This has demonstrated FCV’s strong commitment to comply with Royal FrieslandCampina’s new level of global nutrition standards, as well as manifested the company’s great efforts to provide high quality, nutritious dairy products for the younger generation.

Better packaging

Pioneering in product packaging improvement and innovation plays a key role in FCV’s sustainability strategy. The company has introduced the Dutch Lady milk product in a new brown paper packaging, made of Bio-PE bio-plastic material derived from environmentally friendly bagasse. With this new type of brown paper box, FCV can reduce 10.4 per cent of CO2 emissions into the environment compared to conventional packaging.

Although the packaging improvement of Dutch Lady dairy products is small, it is estimated that in the next 10 years, it will help reduce up to 517 tonnes of greenhouse gases and 392 tonnes of fossil plastic.

In addition, FCV has set a target to have all packaging of the products recycled or reused, and more than 99 per cent of waste packaging materials will be reused by 2025.

FrieslandCampina Vietnam representatives and participants at the launch of the sustainability strategy

Better Climate

Through the new sustainability strategy, FCV has determined that it will not only stop at sustainable actions, but will also focus a comprehensive approach on climate change mitigation goals.

In addition to the commitment to environmental protection such as reducing CO2 emissions, using clean energy, and saving electricity and water with no discharge of solid waste, in the next five years, FCV’s efficient and sustainable production chain is expected to create 45 per cent of solar power for two large factories in the southern province of Binh Duong and the northern province of Ha Nam. This will contribute to reducing CO2 by 75 per cent, saving 15 per cent in both energy and water.

What is more, in the roadmap towards 2030, FCV will have reduced emissions by one-third as compared to 2015, reaching the equilibrium level of climate change impacts by 2050 at the latest.

Better livelihoods

In the process of long-term expansion and development in Vietnam, by 2025, FrieslandCampina will provide technical training for 300,000 farmers, transfer technology, and share experiences to partner farmers in its Dairy Development Programme that seeks to improve the quantity and quality of local raw milk production.

This commitment not only demonstrates the company’s desire to enhance the best quality of life for the members of its supply chain, but also reflects FCV’s strong devotion to the creation of bigger values for the sustainable development of Vietnam’s dairy industry.

At the event to announce the sustainability strategy of “Nourishing a Better Planet”, Richard Kiger, managing director of FCV said, “Providing high-quality nutrition in balance with a sustainable planet has to be an integral part of everything we do. We are putting it at the heart of our strategy, making it a driving force to grow our business – so that we can grow sustainably. This also means we put it at the heart of how we engage others, moving together to secure a better future for Vietnam and for our planet.”

The company has also been accompanying the development of localities, Kiger added. “We will continue to promote activities around the four key focuses that have set out, while also continuing to be steadfast in our sustainable development activities for the sake of consumers, society, and our planet.”

Strengthened commitments

FrieslandCampina considers Vietnam as one of its key markets as the country boasts a young population, and strongly growing demand for nutritious products. Vietnamese consumers’ increasing demands are prompting the company to boost its research and development activities in the country.

FCV has continued carrying out its mission, “For Vietnam to Leap Forward and Reach Higher”, via a series of flexible and novel initiatives, including programmes on supporting nurses and doctors fighting against the pandemic, and assisting people in access to milk products.

“Over the past 26 years with Vietnam, the company has devoted itself to the market by providing Dutch-standard nutrition, suitable for all consumers, helping people, especially children, easily access good nutrition with a view to contributing to the overall development of the country,” said FCV marketing director Ta Thuy Ha. “Therefore, the “For a Vietnam to Leap Forward and Reach Higher” programme is the focus of the sustainable development strategy of Dutch Lady moving forward.”

Dutch Lady will continue to accompany the government and the community to work towards the comprehensive development of children through healthcare and the physical development of future preschoolers, according to Ha.

The “For a Vietnam to Leap Forward and Reach Higher” programme is aimed to build up 1,250 nutrition corners to provide knowledge about balanced nutrition and monitor the progress of height and weight growth for students at 1,250 primary schools nationwide. It is also constructing 65 standard-size stadiums for schools with excellent achievements.

In addition, the programme also implements extracurricular activities for more than 1.5 million primary school students in order to form positive nutritional habits for children through interactive activities, and learning while playing either at the beginning of the week or during break times at 1,500 primary schools nationwide.