The WAW secretariat organized a mission in Vietnam so as to define with national stakeholders possible activities to be funded under the IFAD grant. Meetings were organized with Key stakeholders, including IPSARD, RUDEC, CIRAD, Ministry of agriculture, government statistics office, IFAD. WAW participated to some key meetings related to the inception of the TCP on livestock monitoring system, including the inception workshop where a presentation was made highlighting key issues and possible action plan for WAW activities. WAW also participated to the Revalter workshop organized by CIRAD on transformations of the livestock sector.   The mission contributed to highlight specific issues around the actual diversity of production systems (beyond livestock) and importance of off farm activities, notably for household small farms. Indeed, some policies and targeting tools linked to categorization of farm may exclude majority of diversified and multi-activities  small holder family farms. Local workshops carried out by Revalter highlighted important challenges related to ongoing transformations and confirmed interest of stakeholders to discuss transformations, possible scenarios of development and required policy while taking into account typology of holdings.

Convergent views emerged on the lack of data, its limited availability and insufficient analytical capacity and tools at the farm level to inform such policy topics. The participation of Vietnam to the Global strategy for improved rural and agricultural statistics (GSARS), agricultural census planned in 2016, discussions on development of inter-census surveys and the TCP offers good timing to reflect further on strengthening information system at farm level.

Based on the mission,  the WAW initial typology work could be deepened to better assess typology of holdings and forms and determinants of their transformations to: i) inform policy concerns regarding targeting of policy and registered statutory categories of farms, and ii) contribute to the strengthening of monitoring system at agricultural holding level.

Specific international technical assistance and methodological development were requested on  i) International overview of different types of agricultural monitoring systems, ii) typology methods and sustainability assessment/performance of farm level for policy, taking into account diversity and combination of agricultural and non-agricultural activities; iii)  International assessment of experience regarding “categorization”, typology and policy.