Born from a shared concern across the Mekong Delta

ECOKA JSC was founded in 2022 in Vinh Thuan Dong, Can Tho City — in the heart of a traditional water hyacinth craft village, where women's hands have woven across generations and where the finest water hyacinth in Southeast Asia grows.

We began with the shared concerns of the Mekong Delta's handicraft sector. Women create more than 90% of the value in handcrafted products, yet their average income was only around 800,000 VND per month. No contracts. No insurance. Nothing to protect them through pregnancy or illness. Meanwhile, climate change and waves of labour migration were steadily eroding these traditional craft villages.

ECOKA did not set out to establish another handicraft export company. We set out to build a value chain in which women are economic principals — not its lowest-value link.

A steady journey connecting artisans to the world

In our first year, ECOKA established linkages with 52 farming households, predominantly women artisans. One year later, that figure reached 1,450 households, with 1,350 people trained in vocational skills. Revenue surpassed one million US dollars.

2024 was a year of testing. Export orders fluctuated, revenue declined, and linked households fell to 860. We chose not to expand at any cost. Instead, we returned to strengthening our internal capabilities and building a business model grounded in sustainability, inclusion and social impact:

• Issued a chain-wide Code of Conduct and Labour Regulations aligned with international standards
• Achieved BSCI Level B social compliance certification, independently audited by TÜV SÜD (Germany)
• Obtained FDA clearance, meeting U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements for kitchenware products exported to the United States
• Applied KAIZEN and 5S to production and expanded our catalogue beyond 300 product designs
• In late 2024, published our first ESG Report, earned the Orange Seal, and were recognised by USAID as a Top 3 ESG Initiative in Vietnam 2024

By 2025, the model had recovered and grown: 1,045 households in stable production linkage, with average monthly income reaching 3.68 million VND — 4.6 times where we began. ECOKA was also ranked among the Top 200 Leading Vietnamese Enterprises on Alibaba.com.

Walking alongside trusted partners

International development partners have left a clear mark on this journey. In 2024, ECOKA was selected among the Top 6 enterprises in the Deltaccelerate program, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). We received the Top 3 ESG Initiative Vietnam 2024 award, organised by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Vietnam's Ministry of Planning and Investment. We are currently participating in the WE RISE Together 2.0 program by UN Women and DFAT across both components: Inclusive Business under a Gender Equality Lens, and Gender-Responsive Community-Based Agri-Tourism.

These programs delivered more than resources. They delivered a standard — and it is that standard which is now opening doors for ECOKA in the world's most demanding markets.

Vision

To become the leading sustainable green handicraft brand of the Mekong Delta — where every product leaving our workshop carries proof that economic growth and social equity are not two roads requiring a choice.

Mission

We pursue our missions in parallel, never in isolation:

Create sustainable livelihoods for craft village women and vulnerable workers. Ensure that every woman in ECOKA's value chain earns a fair income, works in safe conditions, and has equal access to career development.

Reduce plastic waste. Develop plastic-alternative products from natural, carbon-absorbing materials, contributing to the green transition of the global consumer goods sector.

Elevate the value of Vietnamese handicraft. Raise quality, refine craftsmanship, and complete production through to the final finishing stage — so that value is never lost along the chain.

Scale inclusive business. Demonstrate that inclusive business is not a social cost but a competitive advantage, so that other enterprises in the region can learn from and replicate the model.

Transparency

Transparent governance across the entire chain. Every ECOKA commitment and claim is measured through data and disclosed publicly each year. We believe a claim that cannot be verified is not a commitment.

Sustainability

We pursue sustainability across the whole business model, beginning with the material itself. Water hyacinth, seagrass, sedge and bulrush — every material we use grows naturally in wetland ecosystems, absorbs carbon as it grows, and fully biodegrades at the end of its life. Sustainability also governs how we operate: through an inclusive and responsible business model. No growth at any cost. ECOKA's growth must be the growth of the entire local community.

Understanding and Partnership

Women are principals, not beneficiaries. Four of ECOKA's five founders are women. Ninety-one percent of our linked artisans are women. We do not design policies for women — we understand and walk alongside them, placing women and vulnerable workers at the centre of ECOKA's entire development process.

Quality is Dignity

We continually raise the quality of every product. International-standard products are not only about better prices — they are about fair pay for the people who make them. BSCI Level B, FDA, KAIZEN, 5S: these are commitments to ECOKA's own dignity before they are commitments to our customers.

Responsibility

Responsible production and consumption. Development must go hand in hand with responsibility to society and the environment. ECOKA follows a design philosophy in which every product we create aims to be 100% biodegradable and carbon-absorbing, reducing the environmental burden of human consumption. Economic development must advance alongside local community development and the preservation of indigenous cultural identity.

Total area: 6,500 m², comprising production workshops, offices, drying facilities, a showroom, warehousing and a packing area.

Our people: More than 1,000 artisans and craftspeople with over 20 years of experience in traditional handicraft, formally trained to meet international product quality requirements.

Certifications: BSCI Level B, FDA, ESG Report, Orange Seal.

Capacity: 40 TEUs per month.

Key markets: United States, United Kingdom, France, Finland, Australia, Italy, Germany and others. We also supply raw materials to domestic manufacturers. Full customisation available to customer specification.