Hanoi (VNA) – “Nestlé Vietnam always makes efforts to realise the goal of “enhancing Vietnamese lives,” Binu Jacob, CEO of Nestlé Vietnam, said in a recent interview with VietnamPlus.
Binu Jacob, CEO of Nestlé Vietnam, speaks at an event of NESCAFÉ Plan 10-year anniversary.
2020 was considered a tough year for every business due to the pandemic, but we can see that Nestlé Vietnam have proactively supported and acommpanied with the community to fight against Covid-19. Why would Nestlé do that?
At Nestlé, people are at the heart of our business. We have worked tirelessly to keep our employees, business partners and the communities where we operate healthy and safe during the coronavirus outbreak.
We have donated nearly 145,000 drink and nutritional products to support the localities who were ‘hit hard’ by the recent recurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hai Duong province.
We have also provided nearly 100,000 units of nutritional products including MILO RTD, MILO Breakfast, Nestlé Bear Brand, and Koko Krunch breakfast cereal to nearly 1,000 children in quarantine areas and field hospitals in Hai Duong province.
In addition, we donated more than 30,000 Nescafé products to the frontline healthcare professionals in Hanoi Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the past year, Nestlé Vietnam had many support to government agencies, business partners and frontliners to fight COVID-19.
In pandemic times, we want to accompany partners and government agencies in supporting the frontliners in fighting COVID-19. More than ever, we want to spread this active message as well as encourage the consumers and the community to protect their health and join hands with the frontliners to overcome the challenges stemming from the current pandemic.
Established in Vietnam since 1912, how did Nestlé localise its products and business culture in order to thrive in Vietnam’s market?
We at Nestlé Vietnam have been consistently creating shared values with the community where the company is operating, as well as developing sustainable business activities in Vietnam.
We have employed and provided training for locals with a staff of 2,800 people. Two thirds of the management board of Nestlé Vietnam are Vietnamese.
We have partnered with different local organizations and departments to help develop thriving and resilient communities. We have helped 21,000 farmers achieve 4C certification for the sustainable cultivation and processing of coffee; 1.5 million rural women start businesses; 2.5 million children stay active with sports; 2 million mothers raise their children following more scientifically proven and better practices; as well as generate jobs for 2,800 employees and 10,000 indirect workers nationwide.
As a global company with the local insights, we have partnered with research agencies such as Nielsen and Kantar to study the interest, habit and demands, etc. of Vietnamese people, in order to offer products that meet the taste and needs of the locals. For instance, in the past years, we have introduced Nescafé Café Viet, Maggi fish sauce, MILO breakfast, etc., offering more suitable options with the taste and nutrition needs of the Vietnamese.
As the global company with local insights, Nestlé offers products that meet the taste and need of Vietnamese people.
How many product lines does Nestlé Vietnam currently have in Vietnam’s market? Which are the key products that are favoured by consumers? Does Nestlé Vietnam have a development plan in line with the modern consumption trend in the future?
Currently, Nestlé Vietnam is developing products of key brands, such as MILO, NESCAFÉ, Maggi, La Vie and NAN. Our products are quite diverse, including nutrition for kids (NAN, Gerber), dairy products (MILO, Nestlé Milk); cereal products (Koko Krunch, Nesvita); beverages like coffee (NESCAFÉ); mineral water (La Vie), instant tea (NESTEA), ice cream, confectionery products (KITKAT), food products (Maggi), and healthcare nutritional products (Boost Optimum, Boost Gluco Control, Peptamen).
Nestlé products in Vietnam are always improved to better meet the demand for nutrition and taste of Vietnamese consumers. To catch up with the recent trend of green and clean living, Nestlé offers organic products such as NAN Organic and Gerber Organic.
With economic development, consumers have higher demand for high quality and healthy products. We will continue to work with partners such as the National Institute of Nutrition to develop new products as well as introduce to Vietnam the best products from Nestlé Group to meet the demand of local consumers and fulfil the goal of "enhancing Vietnamese lives".
Sustainable economic development is one of the main goals of Vietnamese government. For years, Nestlé Vietnam has made many effective contributions to the overall development of the country. Can you tell us more about Nestlé’s experience and contributions on sustainable development in the community?
Nestlé Vietnam is currently the largest Swiss investor in Vietnam with total investment of 650 million USD. In addition, Nestlé is also Vietnam’s leading coffee buyer, with an average value of 600-700 million USD per year, equivalent to 20-25 percent of the country's coffee output, which is used for intensive processing to serve domestic consumption and export. With double-digit growth for many consecutive years, Nestlé Vietnam has been continuously honoured as the investor with the highest tax payroll achievement in Dong Nai province, actively contributing to the country’s economic development over the past years.
With sustainable development projects within the community, Nestlé Vietnam has contributed to increasing income of Vietnamese coffee growers by 30-100 percent and empower rural women through Chi NEST project. Nestlé Vietnam has also contributed to building a sustainable environment, reducing 40 percent of irrigation water in coffee production and cultivation, and 30 percent of water used in factories. All of its factories have not buried solid waste. Nestlé Vietnam aims to have package reusable and recyclable by 2025.
To achieve the above-said results, a long-term vision and sustainable development are always the lodestar in the company’s operation. We grasp market trends, and consumers' needs and tastes, and quickly develop suitable, diverse, healthy products. Besides, community activities in all aspects have contributed to the sustainable development of the company while creating shared values to the community.
Nestlé Vietnam accompanies with partners and government agencies in supporting the frontliners in fighting COVID-19. How do you evaluate the stature of Vietnamese children compared to other regional countries? Are there any nutritional solutions to improve the stature and health of the young generation in the future? Does Nestlé Vietnam have any plans to contribute more to local communities in the future?
With remarkable improvements in economic conditions and material life, the stature and health of the current young Vietnamese generation have been enhanced as compared with the past. Operating in the field of nutrition and health in the country over the past 25 years, it can be said that improving the health and stature of Vietnamese people, especially the young generation, has always been the top concern of Nestlé Vietnam.
Through the programme "Activ Vietnam", in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Training to promote school sports movements, along with the development of nutritional products suitable to the physical condition of Vietnamese children (like MILO breakfast, MILO less sugar ...), Nestlé Vietnam has joined hands with the community to nurture a dynamic and healthy Vietnamese generation.
We will continue the efforts that Nestlé has made for the community in programmes such as Activ Vietnam, NESCAFÉ Plan, Chi NEST, etc. in the time ahead. We also will coordinate with ministries and agencies to implement programmes in line with the action programme of the government to serve the country’s socio-economic development./.
Through NESCAFÉ Plan, Nestlé has helped increase the incomes of Vietnamese coffee farmers by 30-100 percent. 
