Supporting nutrition, employment and sustainability
Dairy products provide important nutrients such as protein and calcium. According to the OECD-FAO (2018)1 global consumption of dairy products could increase by approximately 20% over the next decade, with half of this growth stemming from developing countries. This increased consumption is especially prominent in Asia, where there is a rising trend in mean income level, urbanisation, promotion of cultural changes and westernisation of food models, as well as technical progress that simplifies the distribution of dairy products. These macroeconomic factors support Vinamilk’s long-term sustainability as Vietnam’s largest dairy producer.
As part of Jardine Cycle & Carriage’s (“JC&C’s”) ambition to contribute positively to the growth and development of Southeast Asia, we invested in Vinamilk in 2017. Vinamilk possesses a dominant market share and a strong network of over 250,000 distribution points in Vietnam.
Since 2007, Vinamilk has supported Vietnamese children’s physical and intellectual development through its products. Vinamilk's unrelenting approach to research, product improvement and innovation has enabled it to respond rapidly to new opportunities and challenges in domestic milk consumption. It has developed more than 20 brands and hundreds of diversified products to meet consumers’ diverse needs.
Adequate nutrition is essential for a child’s health and well-being. Yet, there are many disadvantaged children in Vietnam who are not receiving the right nutrition, with diets that consist of little or next to no milk.
As the pioneer in School Milk Program (“SMP”) in Vietnam, Vinamilk remains committed to providing better nutrition for the country’s children. Over the years, Vinamilk has provided hundreds of millions of milk boxes for nursery and primary school children. In 2020, Tra Vinh, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Quang Ngai and Quang Nam provinces launched the SMP, contributing to the total of 23 provinces and cities nationwide that Vinamilk SMP has been carried out.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Vinamilk launched the ‘Stand Tall Vietnam’ Milk Fund in 2008 under the chairmanship of the National Fund for Children of Vietnam. The fund aims to support children from all over the country by providing them with nutritious milk to boost their physical and mental development. The initiative has helped hundreds of thousands of children and has contributed significantly to reducing the proportion of malnourished Vietnamese children over the past few years.
More broadly, Vinamilk has always endeavoured to align the company's growth to Vietnam’s socio-economic development. Whether it is through investing in local facilities, developing infrastructure, or creating employment and training opportunities for the local labour force, Vinamilk is committed to mutual advancement alongside the communities in which it operates.
1 https://productions-animales.org/article/download/2561/11658?inline=1