Woman-owned Business Brings Viet Nam’s Eco Products to Global Markets

ADB's #SheExport Accelerator program has made a significant impact on Green Joy, a female-owned business based in Viet Nam specializing in crafting eco-friendly products made from grey sedge grass, which grows naturally in alkaline soils in the Mekong Delta and other provinces in Viet Nam. The grass plant, which is 1-2 meters in height and has a round and hollow stem, grows abundantly during the flood season. In old times, farmers used the grass material to make handicrafts. In recent years, grey sedge grass has served as raw material to make straws.

The program's tailored approach meets the unique needs and capabilities of each enterprise, combining networking, consulting, and training to empower Vietnamese women-led SMEs to expand into foreign markets.

After challenges before 2021 to make its products available in foreign markets due to lack of information, compounded by the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Green Joy experienced remarkable growth in 2022, with exports playing a large role.

Green Joy's export revenue tripled from 2021 to 2022, boosting its overall revenue by 200%. The company contributed to a nearly 30% rise in employment opportunities and a 67% increase in the number of farm households supplying it with grey sedge grass.

Green Joy also managed to access the business-to-consumer (B2C) markets of the United States (US) and Europe by creating partnerships in six developed nations and listing an impressive lineup of 15 Green Joy products on Amazon US. The company's business is not only thriving but also making a significant contribution to reducing plastic waste and providing farmers and rural women with more sustainable livelihoods.

First published in ADB.org.