Dak Lak province is emerging as a bright spot in the green transition journey across the South Central Coast and Central Highlands. Along this path, local business community is affirming its pioneering role by turning environmental challenges into opportunities to enhance competitiveness as well as drive sustainable development.

In pursuit of sustainable development

Amid increasingly complex climate change impacts, enterprises province-wide no longer regard green development merely as a social responsibility. Instead, it has become a “passport” enabling products, particularly key agricultural commodities, to expand their presence in international market.

Concept Eyewear Manufacture Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Hoa Hiep Industrial Park) investing in automated production lines along with robotic technology for eyewear manufacturing.

Dak Lak September 2 Import-Export One Member Co., Ltd. (Simexco Daklak) was among the pioneers of the UTZ Sustainable Coffee Programme and the first enterprise in Vietnam to obtain Rainforest Alliance certification for pepper while diversifying its international partnerships.

The company has prioritised DX combined with raw material area data management, becoming the first enterprise globally to obtain 4C verification demonstrating compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). It is committed to scaling up regenerative agriculture models, accelerating technology adoption to support decision-making, and strengthening public-private partnerships to further reinforce the sustainable position of Buon Ma Thuot coffee in the future.

Moving towards a circular economy, Mr. Huynh Van Dung, General Director of Saigon Beer - Central Region JSC, said that the company has implemented numerous measures to optimise the use of raw materials and energy while promoting green, digital and circular solutions to reduce costs, minimise waste alongside lower emissions.

Beyond large enterprises, numerous provincial agricultural processing enterprises have also embraced circular agriculture models, including recycling coffee by-products into organic fertilisers, integrating solar energy in drying processes, and replacing conventional packaging with environmentally friendly alternatives.

Greening operations to capture emerging market trends

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Loi, General Director of An Thai Investment and Development JSC, stated that as markets become increasingly demanding, manufacturing along with processing enterprises must green their supply chains through technological innovation, production optimisation, energy conservation and emissions reduction in order to maintain competitiveness.

According to the Dak Lak Business Association, the mindset of the provincial business community has undergone a significant transformation. Enterprises no longer view environmental protection as a financial burden but rather as a necessary investment in their reputation coupled with long-term sustainability.

Numerous enterprises have proactively invested in wastewater treatment systems meeting environmental standards before discharge. In particular, coffee combined with wood-processing enterprises have adopted circular technologies that enable water reuse and utilise by-products such as coffee husks to produce organic fertilisers or fuel.

Across tourism, service together with high-tech agriculture sectors, the trend of rejecting single-use plastics and replacing hazardous chemicals with biological solutions is also becoming increasingly widespread.

The shift towards green development reflects the adaptability as well as resilience of Dak Lak enterprises in a new era. This transformation is helping build a stronger provincial economy that not only delivers growth but also creates lasting value for communities and the environment.

Concept Eyewear Manufacture Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Hoa Hiep Industrial Park) investing in automated production lines along with robotic technology for eyewear manufacturing.

Translated by KHUONG THAO