Moving away from chemical inputs marked a turning point for Doan Thi Phuong, a farmer in Hai Hau district, Nam Dinh province, Viet Nam. Her experience, documented by the Research Center for Gender, Family and Environment in Development (CGFED), shows how a farmer-led transition towards agroecological practices can begin with changes on an individual farm and gradually contribute to wider knowledge-sharing within the community.

The 2025 story follows Ms Phuong’s efforts to replace harmful chemicals with more sustainable farming methods based on closer attention to natural processes. Her experience highlights the role of persistence, experimentation and local knowledge in changing established agricultural practices. Beyond her own farm, she shares what she has learned with other farmers, helping to build confidence in approaches intended to produce safer food while reducing negative impacts on the surrounding environment.

Available in English and Vietnamese, the resource places particular emphasis on the contribution of women farmers to agroecological transitions. Ms Phuong’s experience illustrates how women can act not only as practitioners but also as local knowledge holders and facilitators of change. Rather than presenting a technical model for replication, the story documents an individual pathway towards more sustainable agriculture and the value of farmer-to-farmer exchange in encouraging the adoption of agroecological