In the face of saltwater intrusion and freshwater scarcity, they’re answering a pressing question from Mekong Delta farmers: “If we can’t grow rice anymore, what’s next?”.
As saltwater intrusion spreads, freshwater becomes scarce, and climate patterns grow more extreme, the demand for clean, safe, and transparent food production has never been greater. It’s a paradox unfolding in what was once Vietnam’s most fertile region.
Some businesses believe it’s time to fundamentally rethink agriculture. Among them is Orlar Vietnam, a model that chose to begin where the challenges are greatest.
When The Land Stops Giving, What Else Can Grow?
In theory, climate-smart agriculture offers a solution. But in practice, especially in a region like the Mekong, both vulnerable and full of potential, agriculture must be small-scale, water-efficient, low-energy, and cost-effective to make sense.
Many models have failed by forcing high-tech urban systems onto rural landscapes. Orlar Vietnam took a different path, swimming against the current. As one of the pioneering names in sustainable agri-partnerships between Vietnam and Australia, Orlar is redefining how we grow food: cleaner, greener, and more efficient.
“Growing vegetables from rock” isn’t just a metaphor; it’s at the heart of Orlar’s approach. The company uses Orlarock, a specially treated rock that retains water, moderates temperature, and fosters beneficial microbes essential for plant health.
By replacing soil with Orlarock, Orlar has created a cultivation system with clear environmental advantages. It eliminates the need for pesticides and chemical fertilizers, produces no environmental discharge, and even absorbs greenhouse gases. Most impressively, the system achieves 100% water-use efficiency, a critical feature in a water-stressed region.
Since launching in 2017 in Long An, Orlar has supplied clean vegetables to over 200 restaurants and supermarkets across Vietnam. But the real innovation lies not only in the materials; it’s in the holistic rethinking of sustainable agriculture.
A new definition of sustainable agriculture
Orlar’s growing method might seem unconventional at first, but it’s grounded in a simple idea: sustainability should work in real life. At Orlar, farming is viewed as an ecosystem where people, the environment, and clear, measurable data all play a part and grow together.
No one left behind
Orlar’s workforce is over 80% women, and about 20% are from ethnic minority backgrounds, people rarely seen in climate-tech case studies.
At their greenhouses in Long An, these women aren’t doing manual labor; they’re monitoring sensors, managing water systems via smartphone, and operating within a closed-loop growing system. Orlar is providing jobs, but more importantly, training, dignity, and long-term stability.
Sustainability by the numbers
Orlar doesn’t just claim to be sustainable, they back it up with numbers.
Through a real-time ESG dashboard (Environmental – Social – Governance), they track:
- Water used per kilogram of vegetables
- Greenhouse gases absorbed
- Workforce demographics (women, ethnic minorities, local hires)
- Residue-free chemical test results
At Orlar, sustainability is not a slogan; it’s measurable, verifiable, and constantly improving.
Bridging Vietnam and Australia with a green solution for the Mekong
Orlar’s story began with an Australian scientist, but it’s taken root in Vietnam. The company is now scaling through support from the Australian Government’s Business Partnerships Platform (BPP), in collaboration with SNV and Raise Partners.
Together, they’re expanding Orlar’s climate-resilient farming model to other provinces in the Mekong Delta - regions where saline soil and drought are turning once-productive farmland into abandoned plots.
If vegetables can grow on saline soil, the real question is: are we ready to change?
Orlar will be one of the featured models at the upcoming Mekong Delta Investment & Trade Discovery Tour (MIDT) - an investment connectivity tour organized by AusCham Vietnam and the Australian Government from June 23–27, 2025.
The tour will pass through Long An, Đồng Tháp, Cần Thơ, and Bến Tre, places where the future of agriculture is being questioned daily. And if Orlar is part of the solution, the next question for us is, who will scale this model?
This event opens up space for pioneers like Orlar to connect with investors, local leaders, and experts across sectors: agriculture, green manufacturing, and renewable energy.
Vietnam Innovators Digest (VNID) is proud to be the media partner of AusCham Vietnam for the MIDT 2025 series, connecting green solutions with regions most in need of renewal.
About the Mekong Delta Investment & Trade Discovery Tour (MIDT)
Dates: June 23–27, 2025
Locations: Long An, Đồng Tháp, Cần Thơ, Bến Tre
Register here