Sofitel Plaza Hotel, Hanoi, VIETNAM

It is widely believed that the many small producers in the developing countries face enumerable problems in their efforts to transact with the global retail chains and food processors. Problems abound at every stage of the chain including production, harvesting, post-harvest handling, distribution and logistics and quality management. More recently, consumers, especially those in Europe and North America are becoming more concerned about the safety of the foods that they consume and the very manner in which this food has been produced. The growing demand for triple bottom line reporting now requires corporate enterprises to show responsibility for the shareholders, the environment and social equity.