Seeing layers of leaves gradually burning away, Vu Thi Lieu, a lecturer at Hanoi University of Business and Technology’s Faculty of Environment, questioned whether lesson plans and scientific research are becoming meaningless.

That moment sparked the idea for the establishment of Eco Fiber Research and Development JSC (Ecosoi), said Vu Thi Lieu, Founder and CEO of Ecosoi, in an interview with VietNamNet.

How did the image of a burning pineapple field lead you to a new career path?

I participated in several projects related to hazardous chemicals under the former Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. After many field trips, I gained a deep understanding of their impact on ecosystems and human health.

In 2020, during a work trip to Thach Thanh (formerly a district) in Thanh Hoa Province, I saw farmers burning pineapple fields, with smoke rising everywhere. I asked why they burned pineapple leaves like straw. They answered that they didn’t know what else to do with this agricultural byproduct.

For many farming households with 20-30 hectares of pineapple fields, this task is not simple. There are too many leaves to burn. To reduce manual labor costs, farmers spray herbicides. A week after spraying, the weeds dry out, and farmers only need to light a fire.

I shuddered. 

Farmers may only see air pollution caused by burning pineapple leaves. But I can see the microorganisms in the soil dying under the layer of herbicides. The consequence is increasingly barren land, yielding lower agricultural productivity.

When rain falls, all the chemicals from the herbicides in the soil seep into groundwater or flow into surface water (rivers, lakes, etc.). From there, these substances affect the health of local residents and even those in neighboring areas.

I picked up a fresh pineapple leaf from the ground and broke it in half. Then, I saw the fibers inside. That was the moment I knew I needed to start a business. Ecosoi was established in March 2021.

What has your entrepreneurial journey as a lecturer been like?

I estimate that Vietnam discards about 2-3 million tons of pineapple leaves per year, or more.

The textile and garment industry is one of Vietnam’s economic backbones, yet a significant portion of raw fiber materials must be imported. Why aren’t we producing our own fiber from natural resources to support the domestic textile market?

But difficulties exist. I want to sell more products domestically, yet all current customers of Ecosoi are international partners. They seem more concerned about climate change and sustainability. Domestic consumers still need more time to change their consumption behavior.

We currently supply about 60 tons of pineapple fiber per year, equivalent to 4,000 tons of processed leaves. Ecosoi’s pineapple fiber and yarn have been exported to eight countries, with Japan, South Korea, and China being the main markets.

The output remains modest. Do you ever feel discouraged about your decision to start this business?

The company faces two main challenges. One of them is financial difficulties. Fiber businesses require significant investment.

In particular, new fibers require extensive research, which is costly in both time and money. If research fails, the business must start over or give up. With limited startup capital, we are fortunate to have investors interested in the project.

To make natural fibers more widespread, there should be pioneering businesses that lead and educate the market.

Additionally, pineapple fiber products can cost twice as much as traditional ones, while their properties are not significantly different. This is a major barrier.

What makes you think consumers are willing to pay more for pineapple fiber products?

For example, a pair of shoes costs $80. When they wear out, you don’t want to throw them away because you feel guilty about the environmental impact. You take them to a recycling company to redesign a new pair from the old materials. At this point, even if the new pair costs $320 (four times more), consumers in developed countries are still willing to pay. That’s their lifestyle.

This shows that when awareness of sustainable development is deeply ingrained, consumers are ready to pay more for eco-friendly products.

However, if Ecosoi followed that approach, it wouldn’t solve the environmental issue, as consumption volumes wouldn’t be high. Instead, we aim to make pineapple fiber materials accessible to a wider public. We make use of existing pineapple fields and work together to solve the issue of agricultural byproducts.

Tran Chung