C.P. Vietnam: Clean Production for Sustainable Development

3:31:13 PM | 11/20/2018

Determined to contribute to sustainable agriculture, C.P. Vietnam has always attached great importance to economic, environmental and social aspects, while actively taking part in social responsibility by supporting and assisting the poor and the disadvantaged in society. Vietnam Business Forum Magazine has an interview with Mr Sakchai Chatchaisopon, Factory Director - Branch of C.P. Vietnam Livestock Joint Stock Company - Hanoi Meat Products Processing Factory. Nguyet Tham reports.

C.P. Vietnam was named among Top 100 Sustainable Businesses in Vietnam in 2017. What do you think about corporate sustainability?

Branch of C.P. Vietnam Livestock Joint Stock Company - Hanoi Meat Products Processing Plant under C.P. Thailand Group is a leading industrial, agricultural and food processor powered by a totally closed model of Thailand and Vietnam. We make safe foods under the “Feed-Farm-Food” closed value chain (from animal feeds to farming livestock and food processing and delivery to end consumers). To keep the trust of consumers, we are committed to producing and trading food products safe to consumers. Our factory strictly adheres to ISO standards for quality and environmental protection. The President of our C.P. Group with more than 90 years of success in food production and trading in a closed, sustainable value chain, has developed a three-benefit business philosophy and all employees of C.P. Group always strictly adhere to this philosophy which guides all business operations of C.P. Group in any country where it does business, including Vietnam. That three-benefit principle is “For benefit of the country, for benefit of the people, and for benefit of employees and the company.” This means that, when investing in any country, the first thing C.P. Group does is benefiting that country. Environment-friendly production is a way to bring benefits to the country where C.P. Group operates. Being socially responsible is the second business philosophy and the final responsibility is creating benefits for our employees and for our company.

So, with that viewpoint, what operating principle have you and C.P. Vietnam adopted to affirm the brand name and deliver sustainable development?

As a factory owned by C.P. Vietnam - one of the most successful companies of C.P. Group with more than 90 years of experience in food production in a closed value chain, our company received the latest scientific and technological advances of the world for our production in Vietnam. We are always aware of our environmental protection responsibility in the country where we operate and we thus focus on developing the best and most effective wastewater treatment system and modern machinery system to make sure that discharged water meets Vietnamese standards right from our first stages of designing and building the company. Our factory also always uses energy and water efficiently and economically. Hence, every food product made by C.P. Vietnam satisfies all requirements for food hygiene, safety and traceability, meets consumer tastes, has a reasonable price and features ease of use for all consumers. Thus, our products are always trusted and favoured by Vietnamese people.

Labour and environment are core factors of the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI). How have you carried out these two factors?

As a food producer which makes safe products for consumers, ensuring a safe working environment for employees and protecting the surrounding environment is our company’s central operations. Therefore, we have focused on this right from recruiting and training personnel. All recruits are well trained on work processes, occupational safety, food safety and environmental protection. Each employee will then be a capable communicator on labour safety, environmental protection, and food hygiene and safety. As such, we always make safe food products for consumer health, trusted by Vietnamese people.

What else do you think VCCI needs to do to make enterprises more engaged in corporate social responsibility in an appropriate manner?
In our opinion, this activity reflects the care of the Government of Vietnam to businesses and workers. This is also meaningful to winners. They have more chance to learn from and interact with other enterprises to raise their sense of environmental protection in business operations. VCCI should hold regular exchanges on best practices of environmental protection and community-based activities for enterprises to shape a business community that takes societal interests as the guide for their business operations.