Made in Vietnam

BigGreen and the story of ethical Business Practices

Established almost ten years ago, BigGreen has become the biggest safe food retailer in Hanoi with an annual turnover of 50 billion dong ( 2.2 million US dollars).
The company, which boasts an annual growth rate of 30 per cent in recent years, is also one of the first safe food retailers in Vietnam that applies information technology to check the origin of foods.

According to BigGreen’s CEO Nguyen Tien Hung, he initiated the idea to establish BigGreen in 2009, at a time when the perception of safe and hygienic food was still little known while food safety problems were rising.


Hung (second right) went to several farms in the provinces of Phu Tho, Hoa Binh and Ha Nam to find suppliers of safe food.


During the trips, he realised that besides safe food, there are many specialities in each area that could be sold in Hanoi. 


From several suppliers at the beginning, BigGreen now has hundreds of suppliers nationwide with over 1,000 products.


BigGreen is a trusted safe food and specialities retailer in Hanoi. 

Hung went to several farms in the provinces of Phu Tho, Hoa Binh and Ha Nam to find suppliers of safe food. During the trips, he realised that besides safe food, there are many specialities in each area that could be sold in Hanoi.

Hung then established BigGreen with an eye to becoming a trusted safe food and specialities retailer in Hanoi.
From several suppliers at the beginning, now BigGreen now has hundreds of suppliers nationwide with over 1,000 products.

They are not only directly connected with producers and suppliers, but BigGreen also cooperates with some provincial departments of agriculture and rural development, the Institute For Agriculture Environment, and Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture from Switzerland to boost the connection between safe food suppliers with users.

Accordingly, the Institute for Agriculture Environment helps safe food producers to apply VietGap (Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices) while BigGreen also takes part in the process.

Meanwhile, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture supports producers with a number of training courses in order to increase productivity.

Those cooperations help buyers to check the origins via QR codes attached to each product.


Every week, BigGreen holds events to introduce new specialities from different regions


The demand for safe food is rising in Vietnam, and many consumers have become suspicious
of goods touted as safe in the local markets. 








Hau Giang fresh seafood at BigGreen.

Mekong Delta fruits.


Phu Quoc fish sauces.


Garlic from Ly Son island, the central province of Quang Ngai.


The Institute for Agriculture Environment helps safe food producers to apply VietGap while BigGreen also takes part in the process.


The stamp will contain all information about the products, including the farm, growing process and harvest time. Consumers can scan the stamps using their smart phones.


BigGreen provides a mobile phone application that will help consumers trace the origin of products from
electronic stamps on the food.  

Hung said every week, BigGreen holds events to introduce new specialties from different regions. Those are also opportunities for BigGreen’s chef to show off his cooking skills.

According to a recent research by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the demand for safe food is rising in Vietnam, and many consumers have become suspicious of goods touted as safe in the local markets.

The country seems to be stuck in a circle of trust and moral deterioration between consumers and companies at the moment, and the consequences appear to be a slow decline in its citizens’ health and a bleak outlook for the Vietnamese food industry.

BigGreen provides a mobile phone application that will help consumers trace the origin of products from electronic stamps on the food. 

The stamp will contain all information about the products, including the farm, growing process and harvest time. Consumers can scan the stamps using their smart phones 

Story: Bich Van - Photos: Tran Thanh Giang & Files


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