Pepsico Vietnam: Three decades of trust and a deeply enduring, true long-term commitment
Thirty years of Vietnam - United States relations represent a journey from reconciliation to broad, comprehensive cooperation across fields and mutual growth. And PepsiCo, one of the pioneering enterprises, sowed trust in 1994, which today crystallizes through the ascent of the Ninh Binh Foods Plant in Vietnam, standing proudly as a vivid symbol of long-term, sustainable cooperation between the two nations.
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From seeds of trust to the sweet fruits of companionship and partnership
From the earliest days, PepsiCo recognized Vietnam as not only a dynamic, fast-growing market, but also a strategic manufacturing base within its global development plan. Over the course of three decades, this insight has been consistently affirmed, and a trusted partnership with farmers, partners, and authorities has been patiently cultivated, enabling technology transfer, capability building, and a resilient, inclusive value chain where trust is nurtured and sustainable development outcomes are continually achieved across regions nationwide, together.
- 1994: PepsiCo entered Vietnam with its beverages business, preceding the historic normalization of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States.
- 2006: Poca, a potato snack brand tailored to local tastes, was launched, marking PepsiCo’s entry into the foods category.
- 2008: The first foods plant in Binh Duong was commissioned, alongside the launch of the sustainable potato cultivation program - laying the groundwork for a modern agricultural value chain.
- 2013: PepsiCo Foods Vietnam was established, underscoring a long-term, standalone commitment to the foods sector.
- 2019: Lay’s - the world’s leading potato snack brand (According to Euromonitor International Limited) - officially entered Vietnam, bringing a global favorite to local consumers.
- 2020 - 2022: The sustainable potato program expanded; Vietnam-made snacks were exported to Cambodia for the first time; the Binh Duong plant transitioned to renewable energy; and multiple CSR initiatives were launched.
- 2023 - 2024: PepsiCo was named Vietnam’s Best Place to Work for two consecutive years, rolled out the Reborn recycling initiative, and sourced 89% of its potatoes domestically; Lay’s won the Gold Award for Social Media Campaign.
- 2025: The Ninh Binh food plant was inaugurated - an investment of nearly USD 90 million - completed in just 51 weeks, setting a record in the Asia-Pacific region.
Each milestone is a testament to PepsiCo’s relentless spirit of innovation, adaptation, and enduring partnership with Vietnam. Reflecting on this journey, Nguyen Viet Ha, General Director of PepsiCo Foods Vietnam, shared with deep pride: “PepsiCo is proud to stand with Vietnam, alongside Vietnam, and for Vietnam. For over three decades, we have witnessed and contributed to this nation’s extraordinary development. The inauguration of our Ninh Binh plant in 2025 is the clearest testament to our long-term commitment.”
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| PepsiCo’s 31-year journey in Vietnam. (Photo: PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company Limited) |
Trust from the soil and its people forges a technology-driven potato value chain
Over more than three decades alongside Vietnam, PepsiCo’s most enduring imprint has been the creation of a technology-enabled potato value chain that improves soil health and raises yields to ensure product quality and production efficiency, with farmers at the center. This is not only evidence of an effective public-private partnership but also an expression of the perseverance of a U.S. investor accompanying Vietnam on its development journey and proactively securing domestic raw-material sources for manufacturing.
Through a public-private partnership model within the framework of the Vietnam Sustainable Agriculture Partnership (PSAV) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, PepsiCo has successfully introduced proprietary potato varieties with multiple advantages into Vietnam and supported farmers in adopting standardized technical measures and cultivation processes to achieve optimal results. Additionally, digital technologies have been integrated into potato farming to help farmers monitor and manage their cropping seasons more effectively. As a result, participating farmers have at times tripled yields and income, while the environment has benefited from substantial reductions in pesticide use and irrigation water.
Since 2023, Vietnamese potatoes within PepsiCo’s linked value chain have been eligible for export to Thailand, helping to affirm the standing of potatoes grown in Vietnam. Nguyen Kim Hanh, Director of Agriculture at PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company Limited, emphasized: “We are committed to sustainably improving farmers’ livelihoods, helping them shift from a traditional agricultural mindset to an agricultural economy mindset.”
Success is measured by a legacy for future generations
If the high-tech potato value chain is the foundation for PepsiCo in Vietnam, then people, workplace, and community are the heart, propelling inclusive and sustainable progress. Over more than three decades, PepsiCo has believed that success is measured not only by revenue and market share, but also by the knowledge transferred, careers built, and lives improved. The company fosters safe, diverse, and learning-rich workplaces, empowers women and youth, and supports community health, education, and resilience initiatives. These efforts create lasting value for families and society.
Since 2007, thousands of farmers have received technical training, which has improved their productivity and incomes. The company has also built a comprehensive people strategy and was recognized as the “Best Place to Work in Vietnam” for two consecutive years, 2023 and 2024. In Ninh Binh, a 2025 youth workforce support project is creating opportunities for nearly 600 students and 50 lecturers, with plans to expand to more than 1,100 students and 100 farmers in the near future.
Beyond training, PepsiCo also fosters human values through scholarships, computer donations, and the development of new classrooms and playgrounds in the Central Highlands. More broadly, initiatives such as Green Uni and the Reborn recycling project have engaged thousands of students, igniting a spirit of “green change agents.”
As Nguyen Viet Ha, General Director of PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company Limited, affirmed: “The future of PepsiCo in Vietnam does not lie on the production line, but in the eyes, aspirations, and intellect of Vietnam’s young generation.”
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| U.S. Ambassador Marc E. Knapper joined leaders of PepsiCo Foods Vietnam and the former Ha Nam provincial leadership (now Ninh Binh) at the groundbreaking of PepsiCo’s Ninh Binh Foods Plant - tangible proof of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the United States. (Photo: PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company Limited) |
A Living Symbol of Vietnam - U.S. Cooperation: Advancing the national Net Zero goal
Inaugurated in October 2025, the PepsiCo Ninh Binh Foods Plant is not only a modern industrial facility but also one of the most vivid testaments to three decades of Vietnam - U.S. cooperation. With an investment of nearly US$90 million on an 8-hectare site, the plant completed core construction sufficient for commissioning in roughly 51 weeks - a standout achievement within PepsiCo’s Asia-Pacific region.
| PepsiCo Ninh Binh Foods Plant project has achieved remarkable record-breaking milestones: • Built on 8 hectares with nearly USD 90 million in investment. • Completed in just 51 weeks, setting a record across PepsiCo Asia-Pacific. • Capable of producing 25,000+ tons annually, powered by full automation and real-time data systems. • Operated with a vision of sustainability: 100% renewable energy, solar rooftops, biomass boilers, water recycling, and smart waste management. |
Equipped with fully automated production lines and real-time data monitoring, the plant achieves an annual capacity of more than 25,000 tons of snacks, solidifying its position as PepsiCo’s strategic manufacturing hub in Northern Vietnam. Its distinguishing value lies not only in speed and scale, but in a green vision: operations are oriented toward 100% renewable energy, combining rooftop solar, biomass boilers, water recirculation, and intelligent waste treatment.
Accordingly, the Ninh Binh plant is not only the “industrial heart” of PepsiCo in Vietnam, but also a “twin milestone” in Vietnam-U.S. relations, where trade, agriculture, and manufacturing converge to form a pillar of sustainable cooperation. It also stands as clear evidence of PepsiCo’s alignment with Vietnam’s Net Zero 2050 objective and global climate commitments through the pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) strategy.
Every Lay’s potato snack produced at the PepsiCo plant is not only delicious, crisp, and safe, but also carries a “green promise” - affirming environmental responsibility and the aspiration to build a prosperous, sustainable future for generations to come.
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