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Author: Luyen

Grand launch of Mekostar at Ocean Mart Royal Hanoi

Posted on by Luyen

HANOI – Fresh Studio created, operated and managed the launch of Mekostar, the first brand with guaranteed safe vegetables from Dalat and North Vietnam. The introduction took place at Ocean Mart Thanh Xuan, Asia’s largest underground Retail and Entertainment Complex in Hanoi.

For the grand launch in the flagship store of Ocean Retail group, Mekostar has entered into a marketing collaboration with KOTO. This is an Australian/Vietnamese social enterprise which has a hospitality training center and a restaurant in Hanoi where disadvantages youth are given the possibility to learn and strive in their lives.

Throughout the campaign, KOTO cooks presented several creative recipes with Mekostar products to consumers. Many enthusiastic and interested customers had the opportunity to taste and become familiar with Mekostar. Consumers were educated about Mekostar safe production and quality control protocol that ensures food safety of vegetable every day for Mekostar’s consumers.

Fresh Studio continues several other Mekostar campaigns at different supermarkets in the coming period. Read more about Mekostar by visiting the website: www.mekostar.vn

Also interesting to read:

The Netherlands, Vietnam enhance agricultural cooperation

Posted on by Luyen

HANOI – Dutch Deputy Minister for Agriculture Hans Hoogeveen together with representatives of prestigious corporations and companies in the high-tech agricultural sector, such as Greenport Holland, Incotec and Fresh Studio on the occasion of the visit to Vietnam said, “The Netherlands will actively support Vietnam in selecting and growing fruit and vegetables in greenhouse, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, lettuce, eggplant and kohlrabi.

In addition, the Netherlands will also help Vietnam apply advanced techniques in agricultural production in order to improve Vietnam’s fruit and vegetables.”

Dutch Deputy Minister for Agriculture Hans Hoogeveen also said that Vietnam had a diverse climate. Therefore, the cultivation of many different varieties of fruit and vegetables, especially high quality fruit-trees, such as oranges, tangerines, durians, pineapples, bananas, mango and dragon fruit would meet the demands of both domestic and foreign consumers. He also highly appreciated the efforts of Vietnam in the development of VietGAP-certified products and fruit-vegetable exports to the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.


“Vietnam has implemented a number of cooperation projects with developed countries and international organizations, such as the US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to research and develop new varieties of fruit and vegetables. However, cooperation between the Netherlands and Vietnam in the near future will help Vietnam access advanced agricultural production techniques in order to improve added value chain for Vietnamese fruit and vegetables,” Hans Hoogeveen said.


Exchanging genetic resources for use in the breeding process; supporting preservation and processing technologies; sharing regional and international market information and experiences in researching and developing fruit-trees will be major objectives of the Dutch-Vietnamese cooperation in the near future.

Read the complete article at Talkvietnam.com

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Source: Talkvietnam.com

Language: English

Publication date: August 2013Also interesting to read:

BopInc and partners publishes: A new form of interaction among equal stakeholders

Posted on by Luyen

BoP Innovation Center (BopInc) published their fourth publication in a series of 5 about Co-creating BoP ventures – A new form of interaction to develop shared value among equal stakeholders. BoPInc captered their learnings with support of its partners, among others Fresh Studio.

Co-creation is the development of shared value through a new form of interaction between equal stakeholders in an open environment. It allows the development of a more relevant solution through the better understanding of all requirements.


Developing inclusive innovations is an iterative process. Through this process, the value proposition, partnership, market, business and ecosystem need to be developed. In each of these steps during the process, co-creation is the interaction for reaching sustainable social impact, especially when end-users or consumers are the co-creators.

The publication is available through download on the BopInc website

Brochure: The Fruit Republic corporate brochure

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Corporate brochure created by Fresh Studio for The Fruit Republic …

+ The Fruit Republic corporate brochure (1,5 MB)

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Source: Fresh Studio

Language: English

Publication date: Junly 2013Also interesting to read:

Vegetable market locations in Hanoi

Posted on by Luyen

Mid 2012 Fresh Studio undertook a safe vegetable retail census covering 10 urban districts of Hanoi.

We combed every street in these 10 districts in search for outlets claiming to sell safe vegetables. The census included all supermarkets, all convenience stores and all vegetable shops, kiosks and stalls claiming to sell safe vegetables; explicitly communicating rau an toàn (safe vegetables), rau sạch (clean vegetables) and/or rau hữu cơ (organic vegetables).

Our research learned that the total volume of safe vegetables sold through the census outlets (based on collected data of average daily volume sales) represents less than 4% of the total amount of vegetables consumed in Hanoi (based on a per capita consumption of 290gr/day).

Further our research learned that supermarket sales account for around 63% of total safe vegetables sold by the census outlets combined.

Relative share in total safe vegetable sales (%):

relative-share

The main purpose of the research is to provide a rough overview of the safe vegetable retail distribution in urban Hanoi. The enclosed map provides a snapshot of the safe vegetable retail distribution structure of April 2012. Since then across all categories some outlets have closed down while others have opened. We are currently updating the data and welcome information on newly opened channels and will make an updated census overview available through our website early 2014.

If you want to know more information about this census or if you are looking for more information on the category definitions and about the Hanoi market please contact us.

Fresh Studio speaks at international aquaculture workshop

Posted on by Luyen

PENANG – Fresh Studio have spent the last few years building an innovative seafood sourcing system mostly from small scale farmers in Vietnam to supply one of the largest wholesalers in the world.

Therefore, Nicolas Privet, Aquaculture and Fisheries Manager of Fresh Studio, was invited by The World Fish Center to join a workshop in Penang, (Malaysia) to share his experiences and knowledge in connecting small-scale farmers to markets.

This Workshop, part of a GIZ project ‘Pro Poor Business Models for Small Scale Aquaculture’ was intended to further help identify business models and finance options which could deliver positive development outcomes in the growing aquaculture sector. The workshop focused on:

  • Building understanding of the economic, social and environmental case for investments into small and medium-scale aquaculture enterprises;
  • Sharing knowledge of business examples and models for aquaculture investment, particularly among practitioners working with small and medium scale aquaculture and agriculture businesses;
  • Conducting a mapping of the financial and technical assistance landscape for small and medium scale aquaculture enterprises in Asia, identifying gaps and ways of filling those gaps;
  • Developing a shared vision among participants on follow-up action.

Also interesting to read:

Marion Klaver: Social media and how consumers cope with uncertainties of safe vegetables

Posted on by Luyen

HANOI – During my Msc Mangement Economics and Consumers studies at Wageningen University I was given the beautiful chance to be part of the Fresh Studio team in Hanoi as an intern.

Choice for Fresh Studio

Having been abroad only within the European borders, I was looking for an internship outside Europe. From within my network, I heard about Fresh Studio in Vietnam. After reading about the company, the contact was quickly made. Within six months I set foot on Vietnamese soil, a choice which I will never regret. Fresh Studio is a very inspiring company, there is an incredible synergy between creativity, well-considered solutions, and the way diverse disciplines work together.

Internship / thesis 

Throughout this five month period I conducted a study about the role social media plays on how Vietnamese consumers cope with perceived uncertainties on safety of vegetables in Hanoi.
The research focused on the following three main questions:

1. In what way do online social networks play a role in the demand for safety of vegetables by Vietnamese consumers?


2. Which alternative information coping strategies may be used with regard to safety of vegetables in Vietnam?


3. What is the impact of online social networks on other coping strategies with regard to information about safe vegetables in Vietnam.

In order to answer the research questions, 1400 surveys with Vietnamese consumers were carried out at shops which claim to sell safe vegetables. This research has resulted in a Msc thesis for Wageningen University. 

Next to my own project, I had the opportunity to work together with colleagues on different marketing and business development projects. Amongst these, two projects carried out in Hanoi, one a safe vegetable retail census and the other a vegetables project with the Dutch school. All projects have challenged me to move away from the comfort of my study books and theories to put my skills into practice.

Reflection 

Doing an internship overseas involves a bit of a culture shock. Not only did I had to get used to the culture of the country (e.g. bargaining in every shop, crowded streets with motorbikes) but even more I had to adapt to a different culture of working. For example my colleagues saw me as their friend instead of as their colleague. So, after work I did spend a lot of time with them at street canteens and bars. They also showed me many places in Hanoi and took me on motorbike road trips to the North of Vietnam. Seeing many places in Vietnam and also Cambodia, I can say I have explored a bit of the way of living and working in a South East Asian country.


Being abroad offers a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizon; you will experience a process of development that will make you a better and open-minded person. For me, it was an experience that I am sure I will remember for the rest of my life.Also interesting to read:

BopInc and partners publishes: Towards collective impact at the Base of the Pyramid

Posted on by Luyen

BoP Innovation Center (BoPInc), together with partners (among others Fresh Studio) capture learnings from the program ‘Three Pilots for Pro-Poor Innovation’ (3P4PPI) in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Vietnam to improve the quality and enabling environment for future pilots. The insights about BoP partnerships are bundled in this third publication.

Successful implementation of inclusive innovations requires strong partnerships across countries and across sectors including companies, social entrepreneurs, BoP actors, NGOs, public authorities and knowledge institutes. Sharing risks, responsibilities, resources and competences with partners is necessary in order to co-create collective impact at the Base of the Pyramid.


A lot has been written on the importance of building strong partnerships that target and include low-income groups. However, there seems to be a lack of experience-based insights that reflect on existing BoP partnerships. This publication gives insights and tools to support organizations in finding the right partners and bringing inclusive innovations that improve the livelihood at the BoP to scale.

The publication is available through download on the BopInc website

Fresh Studio co-founder of the Food Agri & Aqua Business Sector Committee (FAASC)

Posted on by Luyen

The agriculture sector plays a crucial role for the Vietnamese economy. To improve this sector, four leading agriculture companies took the initiative to form the Food, Agri and Aquaculture Business Sector committee (FAASC). The founding companies include de Heus, FrieslandCampina, Control Union and Fresh Studio.

The FAASC is formed under the direction of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (Eurocham). Since its start, the FAASC has grown to twelve members, among which Metro Cash & Carry Vietnam, Bureau Veritas, Bayer, Nestlé, Invivo labs, La Vie, Virbac and Yara. FAASC believes that the Food, Agri and Aqua Business sector can become stronger, more competitive and more high-tech without detrimental effects for the population, country and the environment. Contrary, in the long-term the sector could become more sustainable without necessarily increasing the costs.


The objective of FAASC is to improve the competitiveness of the Food, Agri and Aqua Business sector, by sharing knowledge and experience with the public sector and by sharing of best practices among the FAASC members in Vietnam. In order to reach this objective, FAASC:

  • Focuses on improvement of food safety for human-beings and animals trough a value chain approach;
  • Creates a level playing field for small, large, local and international companies regardless of legal entity, size and nationality, based on a common interest,
  • Creates a sustainable Food, Agri and Aqua Business sector in Vietnam for the long term and improves the sustainability of the sector.

FAASC event November 2013: Food Safety – Mission Possible?

For more information about FAASC, visit: Eurochamvn/FAASCAlso interesting to read:

Victor Benbakir: Discovering Vietnamese aquaculture sector

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CAN THO – For this study I had to find a 6 months internship related to this main subjects and Fresh Studio has offered me the possibility to go in Vietnam to make this course.

I am Victor Benbakir a French student of 21 years old; I studied Bsc in sustainable aquaculture and quality management in the University of Savoie.


During my internship I was based in the fish department office in Can tho (one of the largest cities of the Mekong Delta). There the staff offered me the best welcome I ever had for all the internships I had made in my life and I was considered as a fully-fledged employee of the company.


The office in Can Tho was originally created for a continuous project for Metro (German supply company) which wanted to secures the fish chain supply for all the Metro stores in Vietnam. For this project Fresh Studio created a network of farmers, a standard named “Metro Requirement” and a fish transformation factory in Can Tho.


During the first month I had to get use to a totally different way to produce fish and learn the biology of the cultured local species. It was really a chock for me because I was use to work in modern farming system and it was kind a back in the time to see how the farmers grow the local species. I also didn’t know so much about these species (Snakehead fish, Knife fish, Climbing perch…) so it’s of course a plus for me now.


A part of my work was to go on the farms with the aquaculture consultants to check if the farmers respected the standard, give productions advices and also make some trainings for both farmers and consultants about fish farm management.


Then a new project came over in association with the De Heus Company (Dutch animal feed company), the creation of the first R&D services farm, and I have the opportunity to participate to it. I followed the creation of the farm and its design. I made some research with the consultants about all the devices needed for a R&D farm and used the data from the productions farms to find out what type of interesting research could be done on this farm.


Thanks to this internship I had a very concrete discovery of the aquaculture sector in the South Vietnam; it was also my first professional experience in a large company so it allows me to discover it. Furthermore I had the opportunity to work on a big project which is difficult when you’re only an intern in France or in Europe…


Moreover I visited many amazing places, meet a lot of very welcoming people and discovered the real Vietnam which is I think difficult to do when you only go for tourism here. I want to thanks Fresh Studio again for this great opportunity, I will remember this internship for a long time.

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