A An – The journey to building an internationally standardized rice brand.

A An – Hành trình xây dựng thương hiệu gạo chuẩn quốc tế

Mr. Truong Manh Linh, General Director of A An Foodstuff Joint Stock Company (on the right), shared his views at the "Positioning Vietnamese Rice Grains 2025" conference.

With the recognition as a "Vietnam National Brand in 2024," A An marks a significant step forward in its journey to establish the brand identity of Vietnamese rice in the international market.

A guarantee of credibility when venturing into the world.

Speaking with the World and Vietnam Newspaper, Mr. Truong Manh Linh, General Director of A An Foodstuff Joint Stock Company, said that achieving National Brand status is not only a recognition of product quality, but also a "brand passport" when businesses access demanding markets.

"This award helps increase the trust of partners, consumers, and the distribution system. It is also proof of the company's capabilities, forcing us to be more responsible for every grain of rice we bring to the market , " he said.

A An's products have entered demanding markets and are highly valued by partners. In Japan, A An collaborates with Kiraboshi Bank and Spicehouse, the importer, to introduce A An branded rice products to the Japanese market. Additionally, A An is also working to introduce its japonica rice products into the 140 BELC supermarket chain across Japan.

In the European market, A An signed an agreement with AWTC GmbH (Germany) for the exclusive distribution of the A An rice brand.

Maintaining quality in the face of climate change.

Unlike other manufacturing industries, rice products are highly dependent on natural fluctuations. Mr. Truong Manh Linh acknowledged that A An's biggest challenge is maintaining consistent rice quality in the context of global climate change , especially the increasingly severe drought and salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta, and the higher demands of foreign partners regarding quality – not just taste, but "clean" rice.

A An is famous for its ST25 A An rice products (A An fragrant rice, premium ST25 shrimp rice).

A An is famous for its ST25 A An rice products (A An fragrant rice, premium ST25 shrimp rice), Japonica AA rice, An Lanh rice, etc. These products are specialties of the Mekong Delta region, which requires standardized cultivation processes.

If the environment changes too drastically, it can affect the taste and quality of the rice. "We are forced to invest heavily in controlling the raw material area and applying technology to adapt," Mr. Linh shared.

"The Golden Key": A Closed-Loop Value Chain

To maintain quality, a key aspect of A An's strategy is building a closed value chain from rice seeds, fields, factories, and distribution, thereby avoiding the mixing and adulteration that has long existed in the domestic rice market.

In addition, A An also applies multiple international standards simultaneously: HACCP, ISO, BRC, GlobalG.AP, and a transparent traceability system according to export standards.

"The important thing is to apply standards but not disrupt the traditional farming culture of farmers. We work alongside them and adapt to the specific characteristics of each region," Mr. Linh said.

A farmer in the An Giang rice-growing region said: "We cooperate with A An because there is clear traceability of the raw materials. A An's engineers provide technical training, support with supplies, and guarantee the purchase of the produce, so farmers feel secure. Clean production also increases the value of the rice grains."

A An's products have entered demanding markets such as Japan and have been highly appreciated by partners.

Sustainable development: Emission reduction, circular economy , and digitalization

Participating in the Government's project to cultivate 1 million hectares of high-quality rice and reduce emissions, A An is changing its agricultural practices towards sustainability. The "3 reductions - 3 increases" models, which involve reducing water, fertilizer, and pesticides, are being widely applied.

The farming process follows the "1 must, 5 reductions" principle; the "1 must" is using certified seeds, while the "5 reductions" are reducing seeds, fertilizer, water, pesticides, and post-harvest losses.

Simultaneously, A An has incorporated digitalization into its production processes, such as: managing raw material areas using software, applying a QR code traceability system, and digitizing operations and logistics.

In particular, rice by-products are fully utilized: bran is used to produce animal feed. Rice husks are partly used in the rice drying process and supplied to thermal power plants or organic fertilizer producers…

This model helps businesses gradually build a circular economy, minimizing their environmental impact.

This is also part of the implementation of ESG standards, a mandatory trend when participating in international supply chains.

Transforming Vietnamese identity into competitive value.

According to A An's leadership, the Mekong Delta possesses a unique rice-growing ecosystem that "not many countries have." The diversity of varieties, aroma, texture, and sweet aftertaste are natural advantages that can become brand elements if properly controlled and branded.

When linked to regional identity and sustainable agricultural stories, it creates a distinct difference when exporting. "International consumers are increasingly focusing on local identity and product stories. A An builds its brand based on Vietnamese identity," Mr. Linh said.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Thuy (Ho Chi Minh City) shared, "I chose A An because I feel reassured. The rice is more fragrant, especially the ST25 variety which cooks up very soft. Importantly, they clearly state the region and variety of rice, without being vague."

For the second consecutive year, A An Clean Rice has been honored as a National Brand. The evaluation program is based on three pillars: quality, innovation, and pioneering capacity, with a 1,000-point scale, requiring a minimum of 650 points and 60% for each criterion.

The applications were rigorously reviewed by the evaluation committee over a period of 9 months, with more than 1,000 businesses participating.

A An was selected because of its control over the entire rice value chain, processing fresh rice within the "golden time" of 6-8 hours, preserving it in cold storage silos, its modern processing line, clear traceability, and its commitment to green and clean production, reducing emissions, and meeting the requirements of integration into the global agricultural supply chain.