FAO in Viet Nam

Our office

Green One UN House, Viet Nam

FAO started working in Viet Nam in 1978. Since then, FAO Viet Nam has emerged as a trusted partner for sustainable development to build on more than 40 years of cooperation and achievements. So far, more than 400 projects have been implemented to generate significant advancements in the areas of sustainable agricultural development, food security and nutrition, forestry, fisheries and prevention of animal diseases that threaten global public health. 

While these steps forward have benefited countless rural and agricultural communities, Viet Nam today is facing new and intensifying challenges. These are headlined by the increasingly severe impacts of climate change on natural resources, the need to enhance the country’s ability to deal with a volatile trade environment, the necessity to substantially improve and diversify the livelihoods and income base of smallholder farming families. 

In response, FAO works to create and share essential information and technical expertise on food, agriculture and natural resources. Importantly, we also play a connector role through identifying and working with different partners with established expertise, and facilitating dialogue between knowledge-holders and those who need it.

Addressing these challenges head-on is primarily underpinned by the Country Programming Framework (CPF), FAO’s contribution to country-led national planning processes in partnership with the Government and stakeholders. 

This overarching framework was formulated based on FAO’s Strategic Framework for 2022-2031, as endorsed by the 42nd session of the FAO Conference on 18 June 2021. FAO’s contributions span across all Sustainable Development Goals and are articulated around four key aspirations, also known as The 4 Betters: Better production, Better nutrition, a Better environment and a Better life. Each of these aspirations contains concrete programme priority areas which inform the actions taken by FAO at the global, regional and national levels.

With the scope and severity of these challenges set to intensify this decade, FAO is embarking on four dynamic areas of work to reflect Viet Nam’s changing development needs and help turn challenges into opportunities.

With Viet Nam being one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change, FAO is working closely with the Government of Viet Nam and local communities to mitigate these intensifying impacts through improved water, soil and forest management, climate-smart agriculture, low-carbon farming practices, and disaster risk reduction and management. This work is critical in order to mitigate the impact of natural disasters – primarily flooding, drought and saltwater intrusion – that disproportionately affect the most vulnerable communities. Viet Nam Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment estimates that the total economic loss due to natural disasters is approximately 1.5 per cent of GDP annually.  

Despite rapid development gains over the past two decades, the goal of ending hunger has yet to be achieved as pockets of poverty and malnutrition remain in certain localized areas. In response, FAO is working to empower communities, particularly ethnic minority women, to promote resilient and sustainable livelihoods and agri-food systems to ensure no one is left behind.

To mitigate risk and manage human health threats along different animal value chains, FAO’s Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) is supporting Viet Nam to strengthen its capacity for timely and effective prevention and control of emerging zoonotic diseases as well as the early detection of new threats.

Facing social challenges that risk leaving people behind, FAO Viet Nam works to improve institutions and mainstream responsible and inclusive governance across all activities in Viet Nam. This work places a high priority on integrating activities that empower women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. 

In this context, FAO is fully responsive to country changes to pursue greater alignment with national development priorities, and take into account the broader regional and global aspirations of the country.