More than 100 business leaders, agricultural specialists, and trade officials from Canada and Vietnam joined the virtual session “Agri for Growth: Canada–Vietnam Agri-Trade Partnerships” on 24 September.
Organized by CanCham Vietnam in partnership with the Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), the webinar was the second session in the Canada–Vietnam Trade and Investment series. The discussion focused on practical solutions: how businesses can access each other’s markets, meet international sustainability standards, and tap into trade financing and impact capital under the CPTPP framework.
Market Access and Navigating the CPTPP
Opening the session, Keynote Speaker Martin Sullivan, Trade Commissioner at Canada’s Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office (IPAAO), outlined the market and policy landscape shaping bilateral agricultural trade. He pointed to major opportunities created by CPTPP tariff reductions, particularly in climate-smart agriculture, advanced processing, agri-tech, and supply chain traceability.
Addressing technical barriers, Nitin Verma, Trade Counsellor for Agriculture at IPAAO, walked through import rules, product licensing, and food safety standards for Vietnamese exporters entering Canada. He also highlighted government resources and support programs available to help businesses navigate compliance before shipping goods abroad.
Financing, Risk Management, and Trade Perspectives
In the panel discussion, speakers focused on the operational realities of cross-border trade:
- Financing and Risk Management: Calvin Xiao, Senior Relationship Manager at Export Development Canada (EDC), explained how trade credit, insurance, and risk mitigation tools help mid-market companies scale internationally.
- Western Canadian Insights: Kim McConnell, Board Director at the Canada West Foundation and former CEO of AdFarm, shared perspectives on large-scale Canadian farming practices, agri-marketing, and sustainable supply chains.
On-the-Ground Value Chains in Vietnam
The conversation shifted to field-level execution through firsthand accounts from business leaders operating in Vietnam:
- Restoring Land and Supporting Livelihoods: In the Case Spotlight, Lien Nguyen, Founder & CEO of Hoang Phong Dana, shared her experience building a chemical-free, traceable cajeput and medicinal-herb supply chain with farming households in Quảng Trị, turning degraded land into productive acreage.
- Traceable Coffee and Women’s Economic Empowerment: Dr. Ngoc Anh Dao, Founder, CEO & Chairwoman of Detech Coffee and President of IWCA Vietnam, discussed exporting Northwest Arabica coffee through agroforestry, digital lot-tracking, and working directly with female smallholder farmers.
- Meeting Food Safety Standards: John Christopher Duffill, CEO & General Director of John Crop Development Vietnam (and International Value Chain Specialist on the Canada–Vietnam SAFEGRO project), discussed what international buyers expect in terms of food safety compliance, transparent supply chains, and testing certifications.
- Quality Assurance and ESG Integration: Tran Hai Yen, QA & ESG Director at Dan On Foods Corporation (Dan D Pak), detailed how local processors can adapt to strict environmental, social, and governance standards set by global retailers.
The session also featured opening and keynote remarks from Francesca Bellone, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Canada in Vietnam, and Kathy-Thuy Nguyen, Country Director at IIX, who highlighted the role of catalytic investment in climate-resilient agriculture.
Following the event, CanCham Vietnam and IIX facilitated direct matchmaking between participating businesses to advance commercial discussions and explore practical partnerships.
The series continues with its next session, Webinar 3: Manufacturing for Competitiveness, with event details and registration opening soon across CanCham channels.