Vietnam’s Enfarm, an AI-driven agritech start-up, has been recognized as one of four Asian projects among the 50 most innovative initiatives showcased at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit held in Paris, France, from Monday to Tuesday.

Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper conducted an exclusive interview with Nguyen Do Dung, co-founder and CEO of Enfarm, following his return from the prestigious AI event, which gathered leading scientists, technology experts, industry giants, and world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dung expressed pride in the company’s selection, calling it a rare opportunity for a young Vietnamese start-up to be showcased at a global AI event. 

Enfarm was recognized for its mission to bring AI technology to farmers, a group that traditionally has limited access to cutting-edge innovations. 

The company integrates AI and IoT (Internet of Things) technology to develop high-precision soil analysis tools, providing laboratory-level accuracy to farmers.

By offering real-time insights into soil conditions and crop needs, Enfarm helps farmers optimize fertilizer use, boost yields, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Enfarm's solution helps address three major challenges in agriculture, including improving farmers’ income, minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers, and enhancing food security.

By leveraging this AI-powered platform, Enfarm aims to expand beyond Vietnam and Southeast Asia, setting its sights on becoming a global leader in AI for agriculture.

Enfarm was among 50 projects selected from over 800 applications, making the selection process highly competitive.

Dung elaborated that Enfarm stood out for its effective AI application in precision farming, environmental sustainability and scientific innovation, and high social impact, particularly in supporting smallholder farmers.

For coffee farms in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, Enfarm’s technology has increased yields by 30 percent while reducing fertilizer use by the same percentage, effectively boosting farmers’ income by 1.5 times.

Enfarm’s AI-driven technology is not only scientifically advanced, but it also delivers tangible benefits to farmers and the environment – an aspect that resonated deeply with the summit’s theme: ethical AI for solving global challenges, particularly climate change and poverty reduction.

Dung’s inspiration for Enfarm stemmed from his work in urban planning, where he saw the high risks faced by Vietnamese farmers, such as market volatility, climate change, global trade disruptions due to geopolitical conflicts, and small farm sizes with unstable incomes.

Together with Dr. Ho Phi Long, a renowned Vietnamese scientist, Dung developed a scientific foundation for Enfarm.

"We found that 80 percent of surveyed farmers acknowledged the negative impact of chemical fertilizers on soil and crops, yet they lacked the tools to measure and optimize usage," Dung explained.

A major challenge for Enfarm was building trust among farmers, who have previously faced issues such as fake fertilizers and long waiting times for soil analysis results.

"Farmers used to wait six months to see if a new technology actually worked. 

With Enfarm, the land and crops can now 'speak' for themselves," he said.

Even global agriculture experts and corporate leaders have been surprised by Enfarm’s approach. 

Convincing investors and partners required 5-7 rounds of interviews before gaining acceptance.

Dung expressed his confidence that Vietnam has the potential to become a major player in AI by taking three key actions: encouraging local AI adoption, government support for AI start-ups, and AI literacy for all citizens.

Vietnamese consumers should support domestic AI products to enhance technological self-sufficiency and protect data sovereignty.

Besides, the Vietnamese government should provide funding, tax incentives, and business networks to help start-ups overcome high-risk barriers.

Dung added that many developed countries actively back AI enterprises, with governments absorbing some of the risk and certifying new AI solutions.

He also emphasized the need to integrate AI into daily life, from document processing to investment decisions.

Vietnam has a young, tech-savvy population with strong learning abilities and adaptability, making it well-positioned to lead AI adoption in the region, the Enfarm CEO said.

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