The Vietnam Weekly Podcast

Today’s guest is Timen Swijtink, founder of both CoffeeTrace and Lacàph Coffees of Việt Nam. The first half of our conversation covers CoffeeTrace, a new project aimed at providing a coffee farmer-centric EUDR data collection and traceability solution to both farmers and traders. We discuss the challenges farmers in Vietnam and other countries that export agricultural goods to the EU face in meeting new rules and what can be done to help, as well as the current turmoil in the international coffee bean market.Then, we talk about Lacàph’s approach to working with coffee farmers, the increasingly high quality of Vietnamese coffee; misconceptions around robusta, the dominant coffee variety in Vietnam; and how the country may be well-placed for a future in which climate change increasingly impacts global coffee production.Related Links:Pricey Coffee Is Here to Stay as Hoarding, Heat Hit Vietnam Supply (Bloomberg)Measures sought for coffee firms to adapt to EU Deforestation Regulations (Vietnam+)Severe drought scorches coffee plantations in Vietnam’s Central Highlands (Tuổi Trẻ News) Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Sarah Goring, Country Director for the Mines Advisory Group, or MAG. The organization is marking 25 years of operations in Vietnam, entirely in Quảng Bình and Quảng Trị.They have disposed of over 390,000 explosive items since 1999, ranging from small cluster bomblets to huge 500-pound bombs like one that was cleared in Đồng Hới in early April.We talked about the evolution of MAG’s work in Vietnam over time; the importance of risk education; the cross-cutting impacts of UXO across agriculture, education, healthcare, and other sectors; how UXO is disposed of after being found; and ongoing efforts to survey and map UXO contamination.Get in touch with Sarah at Sarah.Goring@maginternational.org.Related links:MAG safely removes a MK-82 500LB bomb in Dong Hoi City, VietnamUnexploded 200kg bomb discovered in downtown in north-central Vietnam (Tuoi Tre News) Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Bicky Nguyen, co-founder and business development director of Cricket One, a startup aiming to create sustainable, healthy food products sourced from crickets.We discussed the company’s background and why Vietnam is the perfect base for farming insects on a large scale, the European Union’s approval of Cricket One’s products as a Novel Food and the bizarre backlash this generated, their ongoing push into Singapore, and where Bicky sees the business going as we face the need to shift our diets in response to climate change and growing populations.Related Links:From Insect Farm To Table (Atmos)Edible insects: future prospects for food and feed security (Food and Agriculture Organization)Anyone for crickets? Vietnam company aims to serve up insects in Singapore (Nikkei Asia)Approval of fourth insect as a Novel Food (European Commission)Sustainability startups Cricket One and GAFT win S$1 million prize each at The Liveability Challenge 2024 (Eco-Business) Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran, author of the excellent ASEAN Wonk newsletter, a fellow at the Wilson Center, a senior columnist at The Diplomat, and an instructor at institutions including the State Department and the Department of Defense.He has a deeply nuanced view of defense, economic, and diplomatic issues across Southeast Asia, including Vietnam.We discussed Vietnam’s ‘bamboo diplomacy’ and deft balancing of China and the U.S.; its role in broader Southeast Asia as countries like the Philippines confront China while those such as Cambodia draw closer; the delicate dance of territorial claims and naval might in the South China Sea; economic balancing in cutting-edge sectors such as semiconductors and green energy; and what may be on the Vietnamese government’s mind as the U.S. heads into another divisive election. Sign up for the Vietnam Weekly here. Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

According to The World Bank, trade was worth 186% of Vietnam’s GDP in 2022, one of the highest rates in the world - this means the value of the country’s traded goods is worth far more than the national GDP, currently just over $400 billion.Global logistics and shipping, therefore, are vital to continued economic growth.Today’s guest is Dr. Majo George, a senior lecturer at RMIT University Vietnam’s business school focusing on global logistics and supply chain management.We talked about how international events are impacting Vietnam’s trade links, possible alternatives to avoid war zones and other crises, the importance of imports as an often-overlooked part of the economy, the proposed $5 billion Can Gio transshipment port, and what the country needs to do to improve internal logistics further.Related links:Red Sea crisis: Impact on Vietnam's trade (RMIT University Vietnam)Vietnamese, Filipinos killed in Houthi missile attack amid Israel-Hamas conflicts (AFP)Panama plans dry alternative to drought-hit canal (Phys.org)Government asks to complete study project for construction of Can Gio port (SGGP)Sign up for the Vietnam Weekly here. Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guests are Mimi Vu and Van Ly, partners at Raise Partners, a collaborative partnership sharing expertise with organizations that contribute to the betterment of humanity.We discussed their diverse professional backgrounds, especially in fundraising, and how this brought them into the ESG space; criticisms of ESG from some corners; the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation in addressing environmental, social, and governance issues; how Vietnam’s challenges present huge investment opportunities; and the upcoming second annual ESG Investor Conference in Ho Chi Minh City. Related links:Beware Europe’s New Green ColonialismSign up for the Vietnam Weekly here. Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Trang Nguyen, Southeast Asia Lead at the Climateworks Centre in Melbourne. Her background as an economist spans the public, private, and development sectors - including the UK in Vietnam, KPMG, and GIZ - giving her unique insight into energy investment and financing.We discussed the opportunities and challenges of Vietnam’s net-zero commitment, the Just Energy Transition Partnership and its potential role in catalyzing clean energy financing, the importance of project bankability and currency-based investment risks, and the prospect of Vietnam becoming a clean energy manufacturing hub.Further reading from Trang and her colleagues:The supply chain of key decarbonisation technologies in VietnamEnabling investment for Vietnam’s energy transitionEnergy transitions in Vietnam and Indonesia: Building blocks for successful Just Energy Transition PartnershipsSign up for the Vietnam Weekly here.Get in touch with questions, comments, or concerns: matatarski@gmail.com Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Mai Nguyen, a civil engineer by training who has studied and worked around the world and is currently based in Vietnam.Mai is, in her own words, an entrepreneur, a sustainability/ESG/climate resilience advisor, an occasional investor, and a work-in-progress creator. I first came across her thanks to a recent Mekong Eye article about Vietnamese architects designing climate-friendly homes for the local context.Her diverse interests are evident through our conversation, which covers the importance of generational local knowledge to resilience, the opportunities and challenges of inclusive urban planning, Vietnam’s struggle to build affordable housing, and her hope of using urban art to drive conversations about resilience and climate. Learn more about Mai’s work and get in touch through her website.Subscribe to the Vietnam Weekly here. Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Nguyen Khac Giang, a Visiting Fellow at the Vietnam Studies Programme under the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute and one of the sharpest Vietnamese analysts out there.We discussed the historical context of the ‘blazing furnace,’ the unprecedented centralization and institutionalization of power that is driving the campaign, how a 2018 regulation opened the private sector up to corruption investigations, the impact on performance-based legitimacy, and the possibility of a ‘Đổi Mới 2.0.’Follow Giang on Twitter @khacgiangCheck out further analysis on his websiteSubscribe to the Vietnam Weekly here Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Brian Eyler, Southeast Asia Program Director at the Washington D.C.-Based Stimson Center, project lead of the Mekong Dam Monitor, and author of the 2019 book Last Days of the Mighty Mekong.This wide-ranging conversation covers the proposed Funan Techo Canal in Cambodia (2:45), how the Mekong Dam Monitor is doing a job regional governments should be doing (20:40), a new dam that China has not announced the completion of (25:20), the role of Laos in the river’s declining health (29:34), and what can be done to ensure that these are not the Mekong’s last days of might.Relevant links:Mekong Dam MonitorThe Mekong’s Forgotten FishesQ&A: How Cambodia’s Chinese-backed Funan Techo Canal Risks Destabilizing the Lower Mekong DeltaFollow Brian on Twitter @aikunming Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guests are Truong Thuy Ngan, Communications Lead at Saigon Children’s Charity; and Damien Roberts, the organization’s Executive Director.We discussed how the longstanding charity - now in its 32nd year - has evolved over time, including:* Campaigns to inspire future generations of female leaders in Vietnam* Efforts to raise awareness of mental health while supporting families with neurodivergent children* How international economic conditions and new regulations have impacted fundraising There are multiple ways to support them:* Sponsor a scholarship for an individual student: https://sponsorship.saigonchildren.com/en/home/* Contribute to the Anhi Chi Em monthly donation initiative to support emergency cases: https://anhchiem.saigonchildren.com/* Or, for those in Vietnam, take part in the annual Charity Cycle Adventure starting in Phong Nha and ending in Đà Nẵng from March 28-April 1 while raising funds: https://www.saigonchildren.com/vi/engage/charity-cycle-adventure/Visit Saigon Children’s website to learn more: https://www.saigonchildren.com/Sign up for the Vietnam Weekly here, and connect with us on Threads, LinkedIn, or Instagram @vietnamweekly. The Vietnam Weekly Podcast is available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other major podcast platforms. Please rate or review the show! Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Tu Phuong Nguyen, a lecturer of Asian Studies at the University of Melbourne. Tu’s research focuses on labor in Vietnam, particularly the country’s social insurance system. We discussed the precarious nature of factory work, even in the vaunted tech manufacturing sector, the challenges facing social insurance after 2023’s mass layoffs in the garment and footwear industries, and the government’s troubled efforts to reform this system.Keeping these issues in mind is vital in the context of the overall positive news regarding Vietnam’s FDI and manufacturing growth. For more on this topic, check out my previous coverage, as well as Lien Hoang’s recent story for Nikkei Asia.The Vietnam Weekly Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your preferred podcast platform.Sign up for the newsletter here: https://vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Michael Brosowski, Founder & Strategic Director of the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. Blue Dragon works to rescue Vietnamese people from slavery, homelessness, and extreme poverty and then works with them in the long term so they can heal from trauma, injustice, and disadvantage.We discussed how the organization’s work has evolved over the last two years, the rise of scam compounds across Southeast Asia and how they are driving new forms of human trafficking, the impact of the ongoing civil war in Myanmar on trafficking networks, and more.This conversation covers disturbing material, but understanding these issues is vital.You can learn more about Blue Dragon and support them through their website: https://www.bluedragon.org/Subscribe to The Vietnam Weekly Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform, and follow the Vietnam Weekly on Threads, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

I’m thrilled to announce the relaunch of The Vietnam Weekly Podcast, which ran for seven episodes way back in 2021. The first new episode will be released next Monday, February 19.Every two weeks, I’ll talk to people doing fascinating work in - or about - Vietnam. Initial topics include the anti-corruption campaign, scam compounds across Southeast Asia, the quest to write a comprehensive Vietnamese recipe book, efforts to fight dengue by using mosquitoes against themselves, and the environmental challenges facing the Mekong Delta.You can listen to the podcast on Substack, or via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major podcast platforms.If you have an idea for a guest or want to be on the show yourself, please reach out!See you on the 19th.Mike Tatarski Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe

My guest on the latest Vietnam Weekly Podcast episode is Thao Lam, Executive Director of the LIN Center for Community Development. Thao has deep experience with NGOs and grassroots organizations, and we talked about how this sector has responded to the end of lockdown in southern Vietnam, as well as the challenges it still faces. For example, it is easy to raise funding and get community involvement in the midst of a severe crisis, but creating sustainable action on long-term issues is more difficult.If you’d like to learn more about Thao’s work, you can visit the LIN Center’s website, or check out their new You Impact initiative, which aims to raise awareness on how to effectively create positive social impacts. Get full access to Vietnam Weekly at vietnamweekly.substack.com/subscribe