Vietnam’s agriculture sector has gained regional and global recognition for exporting key commodities such as rice, tea, coffee, pepper, shrimp, and fish with both high output and good quality. Yet in reality, while Vietnam produces large volumes of agricultural goods, strong and well-protected brands remain underdeveloped, making it difficult for consumers to identify and trust authentic products.
Risks to Vietnamese Agricultural Brands
Many local brands have lost their identity even at their place of origin. For example, Thanh Ha lychee in Hai Duong—despite its official geographical indication—has not fully benefited local farmers. Producers elsewhere misuse the “Thanh Ha” label to sell their own lower-quality fruit at higher prices. This problem of brand misuse affects many valuable agricultural names across the country.
Recently, Vietnamese specialty brands such as Buon Ma Thuot coffee and Phu Quoc fish sauce have even been registered abroad by foreign companies. Vietnam continues to struggle to build and defend its agricultural brands effectively.
Vietnamese farm products are also being undermined by dishonest practices that tarnish quality and reputation. One notorious case involved some farmers mixing mud and phosphate fertilizer into dried tea at the request of foreign buyers. Farmers explained that customers specifically demanded such adulteration—without regard for how the tea would be used.
Another type of fraud involves products grown or processed in other countries but sold under “Made in Vietnam” labels. Well-known examples include jelly desserts, mooncake fillings, and vegetables packaged with Vietnamese branding and language while actually produced elsewhere—sometimes with ingredients banned in their own countries. Such practices seriously erode consumer confidence in Vietnamese agricultural goods.
Unscrupulous foreign traders have even taught farmers to produce crops in unnatural ways: water spinach that can be harvested one day after spraying chemicals, or livestock fattened quickly using hormones. Farmers, tempted by easier profits, adopt these methods without considering the long-term harm to consumers and to the reputation of Vietnamese produce.
A striking recent case came on June 5, when Dong Nai Customs fined SPC Tianhua Vietnam Co. Ltd. 1.28 billion VND for exporting goods falsely labeled as Vietnamese in origin. This enforcement action reflects the government’s determination to protect the “Made in Vietnam” label as the country integrates more deeply into global markets.
Need for a National Branding Strategy
Despite growing awareness, government agencies, industry associations, businesses, media—and even farmers—have yet to take timely and coordinated action to combat these harmful practices. Responsibility for safeguarding product quality and brand reputation cannot rest on farmers alone.
Vietnam urgently needs a comprehensive national strategy to build, strengthen, and defend strong agricultural brands. Such a strategy should address:
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Internationally recognizable brand names and the “soul” of the brand through traditional values built into each product.
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Pricing, distribution, and communications strategies that position Vietnamese agricultural goods in major, demanding markets like the U.S. and Europe.
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Government support and legal protection led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, along with aggressive trade promotion abroad.
Strong agricultural brands provide the foundation for the sector’s growth. In a time of global economic uncertainty, developing and protecting these brands—and the wider “Made in Vietnam” reputation—has become more urgent than ever.