HO CHI MINH, Vietnam – ofi (olam food ingredients), a leading supplier of naturally good food and beverage ingredients, has been recognized under the “Community Engagement and Partnership” category at the Women’s Empowerment Principle (WEPs) Awards 2024 organized by UN Women and the Vietnam Council of Women Entrepreneurs. ofi Vietnam is also proud to be recognized in Anphabe Vietnam’s 2024 Top 100 Best Places to Work for the second year in a row.
With over 27 years of operational experience in Vietnam, ofi continues to grow its portfolio as one of the country’s leading producers, processors and exporters of nuts, spices and coffee ingredients. With over 4,500 employees ofi Vietnam continues to invest in its people to drive performance and productivity, through a three-pronged approach:
- Employee engagement activities
- A diverse and inclusive culture
- Talent development programs
Some of these initiatives include building an inspiring and equitable working environment for female employees through personal development programs aimed at uplifting and strengthening women leadership. Beyond workforce policies and programs, ofi’s Vietnam team also engages actively with the community and partner farmers.
In 2023, the team worked with over 600 registered female coffee farmers, more than 190 female pepper and cassia growers, and over 3,000 cashew female farming partners to expand their sustainable production capacity and promote data-driven and regenerative agriculture practices. Improved crop compliance with market social and environmental certifications has also contributed to enhanced access to the market and higher premiums from coffee, cashew and spice ingredients supplied to its customers.
UN Women WEP Awards¹ recognizes how ofi Vietnam is partnering to make positive choices for change
The Community Engagement and Partnership category aims to honor companies operating in the Asia-Pacific region that integrate gender equality into their sustainability strategies or social responsibility initiatives. This latest recognition builds on ofi’s previous accomplishments – being the first runner up in the Gender Inclusive Workplace category in 2021, then winning the Leadership Commitment category in 2022.
Anphabe Vietnam’s 2024 Top 100 Best Places to Work² recognition reinforces ofi’s commitment to growing an inclusive, diverse and equitable workplace
ofi Vietnam is also proud to rank amongst the Top 50 under the Medium Enterprises category for Anphabe’s Top 100 Best Places to Work in Vietnam 2024 – validating its ongoing efforts to continually improve people-first policies and employee advocacy practices that drive success and performance.
Amith Verma, Regional Head, ASEAN, China, and Oceania region, ofi said:
These important award recognitions are testament to our strategic commitment towards building an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace – empowering our employees to develop professionally and personally. We must continue to prioritize initiatives that impact female employees and our farmer partners within our communities. With a shared purpose at the core of our belief system, anchored by our global sustainability strategy, Choices for Change, our people across the business can drive positive change.
Ruchi Tenani, HR Head, ASEAN, China and Oceania region, ofi, commented:
These are fantastic achievements for the Vietnam team which spotlight the progress we’re making across our People Strategy both regionally and locally. Underpinned by our purpose to be the change for good food and a healthy future, we believe that with a strong leadership commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (IDE), we will be able to further accelerate action for gender equality and develop a more inclusive culture, where every ofi employee knows they matter, enabling them to unlock their full potential and passion.
1 The UN Women Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards is the first regional awards initiative that recognizes companies who are taking action for gender equality in the region aligned to the Women’s Empowerment Principles, with the ultimate objective to make good practices visible and encourage more business to take action by joining the WEPs. https://www.asiapacificwepsawards.org/about-the-awards
2 Anphabe Vietnam’s Best Places to Work in Vietnam is a ranking held annually, sponsored by the Vietnam Confederation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) with an evaluation model and methodology verified by a third party, market research company Intage Vietnam, to ensure fairness and objectivity. An independent Best Workplaces in Vietnam Survey® is conducted recording the objective evaluation opinions of circa 60,000 employees nationwide and measuring the attractiveness of the Employer Brand of more than 700 leading enterprises in 18 different industry groups. https://vietnambestplacestowork.com/cau-hoi-thuong-gap.html
