The World Tea Business Forum 2026, themed "From Tea Heritage to the Global Tea Economy", was held in Thai Nguyen province on October 31. Experts, businesses and investors discussed promoting tea heritage, applying technology, expanding markets and strengthening the global position of Vietnamese tea.
The forum was a major activity of the Thai Nguyen International Tea Festival 2026. It gave the northern province a platform to expand international cooperation, attract investment and promote tea based products and services. Nguyen Thi Loan, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People's Committee, said the forum aimed to position Thai Nguyen as a reputable centre for tea production, processing, culture and economic development.
She said the province was ready to create favourable conditions through its policies, investment environment and technical infrastructure and was open to international investors and businesses seeking cooperation, knowledge sharing and joint development. Discussions covered Thai Nguyen and Vietnamese tea brands, technology transfer, export expansion, and investment in deep processing, logistics, e commerce and tea tourism. Participants also examined value chain partnerships and signed agreements on product distribution, technology transfer and investment.
Tetsuo Ohashi, a 16th generation tea artisan from a Japanese company with a history of more than 500 years, said taking Thai Nguyen tea to global markets required traditional values, innovation, adaptability and market connections. He said knowledge sharing and international partnerships could promote the distinctive qualities of Thai Nguyen and Vietnamese tea more broadly.
Steve Bui, Chairman of the Vietnam China Business Council, discussed China's experience in building an integrated tea economy linking tea growing areas with culture, technology, tourism and distribution. Dr Nguyen Ngoc Binh, Deputy Director of the Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute, said innovation should cover the entire production chain, from cultivation to processing, storage and quality control. This would help the industry meet stricter requirements for food safety, transparency and traceability while improving production efficiency and product value.
Dr Nguyen Thi Vinh, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association of Women Entrepreneurs and Chairwoman of the Thai Nguyen Association of Women Entrepreneurs, said tea development should bring tangible benefits to local communities. She said success should be measured by production, revenue and exports, as well as stable livelihoods, higher incomes for growers and business opportunities.
A notable event was the launch of a digital map of Thai Nguyen's tea ecosystem, designed to connect producers and traders with customers, partners and investors and promote opportunities in tourism, services and gastronomy. Participants also discussed preserving tea heritage, applying technology and innovation, strengthening links among businesses, cooperatives and international partners, improving competitiveness, product quality and traceability, and ensuring that growers benefited from industry development.
Domestic and international businesses and organisations signed agreements on investment in Tencha and Matcha production lines, technology transfer, technical assistance and raw material supply chains. Other agreements covered tea applications in cuisine and hospitality, joint production and branding, distribution networks and exports to the Republic of Korea, Japan, China and North America. Partnerships also included research into raw material areas and advanced technologies for cultivation, quality management and traceability.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
