Dekalb Vietnam among Top 10 Sustainable Businesses in Vietnam Dekalb Vietnam was named one of the Top 10 Sustainable Businesses by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD). The ranking, announced on November 8 is the result of the Programme on Benchmarking and Ranking the Most Sustainable Companies in Vietnam carried out by the two agencies.  This is the first time VCCI and VBCSD have compiled the Corporate Sustainability Index, which was developed based on sustainability indicators in economic, environmental and social areas of a business. The programme is expected to be a driver for businesses to continuously improve their sustainability in aspects of economic, environmental protection and social issues.  Dekalb Vietnam, a wholly-owned entity of Monsanto Company, has been in Vietnam for over two decades, working together with the government and farmers to address agricultural challenges, helping farmers to improve lives via improving agriculture. “At Dekalb Vietnam, we are proud to work with our collaborators and partners to cultivate meaningful change as we continue to take decisive action to further embed sustainability into our business,” said Aruna Rachakonda, CEO of Dekalb Vietnam.  “We are pleased to see that Vietnam has made remarkable achievement in sustainable development and grateful for the opportunity to share the positive progress we are making toward our commitments in Vietnam via this Top 100 Corporate Sustainability Index,” she said. As part of Dekalb Vietnam’s sustainable development efforts, over 200,000 farmers have received the company’s training on agronomic practices and hybrid selection knowledge. Dekalb Vietnam’s “Hi-Pop” practice has also been cited as the core factor helping farmers in Son La, Phu Tho, Dong Nai, An Giang and Ba Ria – Vung Tau provinces increase their corn yields by at least 30 per cent. Vietnam is taking a public-private partnership (PPP) approach on the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)’s Rice-to-Corn Rotation Initiative in the Mekong Delta in partnership with farmers, local departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the feed industry. This programme enables better seed, practices and market linkages that helped 8,800 farmers in Mekong Delta earn over $1 million incremental income and saved 80 per cent time, cost and labour from 2,200 hectares in 2013-14.  During 2015 and 2016, Monsanto expanded this project to the north of Vietnam and helped farmers earned $230 incremental per hectare in comparison by using our corn seeds with insect management and weed control traits.  “We are committed to extending this partnership in 2016 and beyond in line with Vietnam’s goals,” said Rachakonda. To realise its commitment in improving lives of the farming communities, from 2010 to 2015, Dekalb Vietnam has signed three signature partnerships to improve lives and education for rural communities via the philanthropic arm of Monsanto Company – the Monsanto Fund.  In the 2010-2013 period, two partnerships were launched which aimed to improve lives of 2,000 rural households in the northern province of Hoa Binh and enabled alternative sources of income via agriculture and livestock tools in 2010-11.  In 2014 and 2015, Monsanto Fund partnered with NGO Room to Read to support secondary education and literacy enhancement of over 90 thousand children in the rural communities in Vietnam. Besides community programmes, Dekalb Vietnam also collaborated with partners to develop young talents in agri-biotech through the Monsanto-Vietnam National University of Agriculture scholarship. By Hong Anh, VIR