VET Exclusive

As Southeast Asia grapples with a decline in venture capital fundraising, many believe Vietnam still has the potential to stand out in the market.

While the overall performance of Vietnam’s food and beverage (F&B) industry has been solid in recent times, not all players are faring well.

Cacao farming has gained renewed popularity among farmers in Vietnam’s central highlands region and further south as prices and earnings continue to rise and the benefits of circular economy practices become evident.

Vietnam’s export rice prices have recovered somewhat in recent weeks following a sharp decline in late 2024 and early 2025.

Mr. Phan Huu Thang, Chairman of the Vietnam Industrial Park’s Finance Association and former Director of the Foreign Investment Agency, previously under the Ministry of Planning and Investment and now under the Ministry of Finance, spoke with Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy’s Khanh Vy about the necessity of a set of criteria issued recently on appraising, evaluating, and screening foreign investment to attract high-quality projects essential for Vietnam’s growth.

Vietnam's development of green ports forms part of its bid to meet net-zero emissions target.