I couldn't help but write down my feelings after returning from Bac Tom's deeply emotional 2024 year-end party. Although exhausted after a two-day weekend crossing mountain passes and slopes to visit the organic production area of PGS Tuyen Quang farmers, returning to Hanoi when night had already fallen. In the increasingly cold weather as the weak, lingering rays of winter sunlight were swallowed by darkness, all I wanted to do was lie down and rest after such a long journey, rather than attending the year-end party with Bac Tom. The person who pulled me out of this lazy feeling was a young woman named Hay—a name that sounds delightful and truly lives up to it: a girl who has been accompanying PGS for five years and continues to come back to support PGS despite working at an import-export company. Without even having time to change my clothes, still in my travel outfit, I rushed over to Bac Tom, and all my exhaustion melted away, replaced by excitement in the joyful, sincere, and truly warm atmosphere of a big family.
Milestones of cooperation with organic farmers
The companion journey of Bac Tom and PGS
The clean food chain named "Bac Tom" was established in 2009 and has accompanied the nascent PGS ever since. 15 years of development has also been 15 years of partnering with PGS, standing side by side in supporting farmers in organic production. As a natural clean food provider, Bac Tom has gradually built its reputation with customers, instilling authenticity and genuine spirit into its corporate culture and deeply into every team member.
During the 15-year anniversary celebration, Mr. Tran Manh Chien – CEO of Bac Tom – shared the story of his challenging journey, dedicating all his passion to standing side by side with genuine PGS farmers in particular and farmers across the country in general to create quality food sources for society. There were times when he felt exhausted, drained of energy, and discouraged. That was the period of rapid expansion in 2015–2016. Everywhere, people were producing clean food. Bac Tom rapidly expanded to 27 retail stores with the mindset that the larger the chain, the better. Only by late 2016 did the consequences become evident. Mr. Chien confided that the new "offspring" were not well cared for despite growing "fat" quickly, and they vanished just as fast. That was when he woke up and regained his spirit. The first decision was to change the corporate governance model. By granting preferential ESOP shares to key personnel and inviting them to contribute more capital, he applied the principle of participatory management that PGS always emphasizes. Along with governance, he began by genuinely integrating the cultural values of "Honest – In Harmony with Nature" into all operations and policies of the system, accompanied by robust training and communication so that every employee could absorb, internalize, understand, and practice corporate cultural values in both life and work. Slowly but surely, the system has now achieved remarkable progress, especially in the culture of ownership among Bac Tom's staff and employees. Some staff members have even declined bonuses on the grounds that they see themselves as true owners of Bac Tom and that the rewards should instead encourage other employees. Through 15 years of partnering with PGS, standing together from each other's tentative first steps, and witnessing the ups and downs of a fledgling enterprise daring to support farmers in producing organic food from its earliest days, Bac Tom has been a cradle nurturing future CEOs for a series of reputable food chains such as Soi Bien, Tam Dat, etc. Today, in the warm atmosphere on the threshold of a new year, looking at Bac Tom's staff enthusiastically managing the entire program with confidence and initiative, watching the dances of PGS farmers who traveled all the way from Luong Son, Hoa Binh, and Ha Nam to celebrate, listening to meaningful songs and plays about PGS farmers, and enjoying the dance performances of the children from the Bac Tom family, one can truly witness a spectacular renewal of Bac Tom.
Wishing the Bac Tom family a new year that fully preserves its humane values, continues to grow, and walks hand in hand with farmers and PGS across Vietnam.
_Tu Thi Tuyet Nhung – Former Head of the PGS Vietnam Coordination Committee._
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