Amidst this wave of transformation, Thanh Thanh Cong - Bien Hoa Joint Stock Company (AgriS, HOSE: SBT) has chosen a rather "ambitious" path, not only focusing on high-tech agriculture , but also building a circular agricultural ecosystem integrating Agtech - Foodtech - Fintech, based on ESG and a value-sharing model.
In 2024, agriculture remained one of the pillars of Vietnam's economy . This sector contributed nearly 12% of GDP and provided employment for approximately 40% of the country's workforce. Crop production, in particular, continued to play a key role in ensuring food security.
A notable highlight is that total exports of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products reached US$62.5 billion, an increase of nearly 18.7% compared to the previous year. The trade surplus reached US$17.9 billion – the highest level ever. Vietnamese agricultural products are now present in approximately 200 countries and territories, entering demanding markets with strict requirements regarding quality, traceability, and environmental responsibility.
But behind these growth figures lies considerable pressure. The world is talking a lot about Net Zero, the circular economy, ESG, farm-to-table traceability, and environmental standards accompanied by new technical barriers. Global food demand continues to rise as the world population is projected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, while land, water, ecosystems, and climate resources are all under immense pressure.
"We cannot continue farming in the old way and expect to maintain competitiveness. Green transformation, digital transformation, circular economy, and high technology are no longer slogans but a matter of survival," Mr. Nguyen Duc Hung Linh emphasized.
Adhering closely to the spirit of Resolution 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation, AgriS identifies "Modernization and Digitalization of Agriculture on the Foundation of ESG and Data" as the backbone for the 2025-2030 period.
The company's goal is ambitious: to build a centralized data system capable of covering approximately 80% of the entire industry, equivalent to nearly 7 million farming households and over 2,800 businesses. If successful, this system should help increase agricultural productivity and quality by 15-20% in each farming region, rather than just producing impressive reports on paper.
To realize that goal, AgriS is implementing two key strategies. Firstly, digitizing and modernizing agricultural production. Secondly, building a national-level agricultural data framework, based on the data repository the company has accumulated over more than 55 years of operation.
At the forefront, AgriS is building a high-tech agricultural management system with the AgriBrain Operations Center as its "brain," an artificial intelligence platform developed by the company itself. AgriBrain analyzes farming data in real time, connecting with financial, logistics, and supply management systems. While data streams are displayed on the screen, in the fields, these are crucial decisions, such as what crops to plant, when to fertilize, how to irrigate, and when to harvest to optimize yield and quality.
Accompanying this is a multinational network of demo farms in Vietnam, Australia, Cambodia, and planned expansion to Indonesia and Laos. At these farms, farmers no longer just "hear about" the technology but can directly witness and experience the application of sensors, robots, and AI in farming. Businesses, in turn, have a place to test and standardize models before scaling them up.
In its second area of focus, AgriS concentrates on processing, cleaning, and standardizing historical agricultural data to build a core dataset. Based on this foundation, the company applies AI and machine learning to analyze crop trends, forecast weather risks, assess financial performance, and facilitate traceability according to international standards.
This data framework serves not only internal governance but also as a platform for measuring, reporting, and verifying carbon credits, giving Vietnamese agriculture the opportunity to enter global carbon trading markets. Furthermore, it is an important source for providing transparent ESG reporting to financial institutions, building confidence in green capital flows into agriculture.
AgriS has identified 2025 as the "golden moment" to conclude the "expansion" phase from 2020 to 2025 and open a new journey to 2030 with a higher goal: transforming from a traditional agricultural production enterprise into a multinational smart agricultural economic enterprise.
The shift is not just about changing a few lines in strategy, but about restructuring the governance model. Instead of focusing solely on the fields and factories, AgriS established a model of three closely linked centers.
The Agriculture Center (AgrC) is responsible for digitizing the value chain from raw material sourcing to harvesting, using FRM systems, remote sensing, and AI to forecast yields and optimize crop schedules. The Production Center (ProC) applies the DigiFactory model, combining SCADA and 24/7 surveillance cameras to manage quality and costs at each stage, meeting international standards such as OEM, ODM, and ONL. The Commercial Center (ComC) handles market connection and multi-sector/multi-product distribution, leveraging CRM, DMS, e-commerce, and the AgriSmart platform to directly reach domestic and international consumers.
Simultaneously, AgriS is building an international R&D network with centers and hubs in Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, and Australia. Collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU, Singapore) has helped establish an R&D center in Singapore, where scientists focus on researching plant protein fermentation, applying high-pressure sterilization (HPP) and UHT technology to extend shelf life while preserving flavor; and developing specialized natural nutritional formulas for various global customer groups.
From a market perspective, this is a step towards Vietnamese agricultural products not only being known as "cheap raw materials," but also becoming deeply processed products with advanced technology, nutritional value, and their own unique brands.
AgriS tells the story not just about "Agtech" alone, but emphasizes the trio of Agtech, Foodtech, and Fintech, designed as three mutually supportive pillars.
At the Agtech pillar, businesses control the production process from the source, focusing on three layers: farm design, farm management, and farm services. Data on soil, climate, varieties, and farming history helps design optimal farming models; care, pest and disease management, and irrigation processes are standardized; and agricultural supplies and services are provided in a way that reduces costs and risks for growers.
In the Foodtech pillar, AgriS focuses on technological innovation in processing to diversify and enhance product value. Advanced production solutions, automation, and digitalization are applied to optimize time and costs while ensuring quality standards for demanding markets.
In the Fintech pillar, the company aims to create new standards for agricultural value chain finance. Through its Value Chain Financing model, AgriS connects credit capital, green banking, and ESG financial solutions to support five key stakeholders. Farmers and businesses at the beginning of the chain have better access to preferential capital, while banks and investors gain more data and ESG indicators to confidently invest in circular agriculture projects.
"Only when finance, data, and technology speak the same language can agriculture truly enter the global arena," Hung Linh shared.
A notable aspect of AgriS's strategy is the concept of a "Circular Commercial Value Chain." Simply put, it's a closed loop system that starts from digitized raw material sources, traceable via blockchain, passes through DigiFactory smart factories, is distributed via a multi-channel e-commerce network, and then returns to the fields through the reuse of by-products according to the "Zero Waste" standard.
By-products are no longer "waste to be disposed of" but become raw materials for biomass energy, organic fertilizer, and value-added by-products. The raw material areas are managed according to IPM, organic, and Bonsucro standards. Farmers are not simply selling sugarcane, coconuts, or raw agricultural products, but are participating in a value chain that gains additional "income" from carbon credits, clean energy, and new products from by-products.
Based on that foundation, AgriS has set out its ESG 2035 strategy with the goal of achieving Net Zero by 2035, along with specific targets for reusing 95% of wastewater, using 100% renewable energy, applying IPM to 100% of sugarcane growing areas, achieving "Zero waste to landfill" certification, and significantly expanding the area of organic and Bonsucro-certified sugarcane.
Even in the 2024-2025 period, these orientations were demonstrated through concrete results: AgriS is included in the VNSI20 sustainable development index of the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange with an ESG score of 91%, significantly higher than the industry average; maintains approximately 200,000 I-REC clean energy certificates annually from bagasse and biomass; issues 5,500 carbon credits according to Verra standards from the organic fertilizer project; and is the only unit in Vietnam to achieve Bonsucro certification in sugarcane production.
For AgriS, ESG is not just a "scorecard" to present in annual reports, but a guiding principle in strategic design, daily operations, and in how the business builds long-term competitive advantage.
In the concluding remarks, Mr. Nguyen Duc Hung Linh introduced the book "Right to Win – The Winning Path for Vietnamese Agriculture," edited by Ms. Dang Huynh Uc My, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of AgriS and Betrimex. The book systematizes the journey of integrating ESG into the strategic roots and operational architecture of businesses, from agronomy, technology, management to organizational culture, based on over 50 years of experience participating in global supply chains.
From a broader perspective, the story of AgriS shows a remarkable direction: Vietnamese agriculture can absolutely move out of the "comfort zone" of exporting raw materials to build high-tech, circular agricultural ecosystems linked to data, digital technology, green finance, and international ESG standards.
With genuine collaboration between the State, the scientific community, businesses, and farmers, such models will not only enhance the value of agricultural products but also contribute to repositioning Vietnam's image on the global agricultural map: from a "basket of agricultural products" to a "smart, green, and circular agricultural nation."
Source: https://mst.gov.vn/agris-xay-he-sinh-thai-nong-nghiep-tuan-hoan-cong-nghe-cao-197251210193218895.htm
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