Viet Nam’s agricultural transformation has been shaped by changing production systems, public policies and a growing range of organizations working on more sustainable approaches to farming. Against this background, the policy brief examines how agroecology is positioned within the country’s agrarian transition and institutional landscape. It reviews agricultural policies alongside the actors and organizations supporting agroecological approaches, providing a basis for considering how these initiatives could be better integrated into national frameworks.

The resource focuses on the institutional conditions needed to strengthen agroecology in Viet Nam. By bringing together an analysis of agrarian change, policy instruments and the organizations involved, it highlights the importance of coordination between public authorities, research and development organizations, farmers and other stakeholders. The brief presents a rationale for further institutionalizing agroecology so that existing initiatives can be supported through more coherent policy and organizational arrangements.

Prepared within the context of work involving CIRAD and the ALiSEA knowledge network, the brief is intended to inform policy discussions on the place of agroecology in Viet Nam’s agricultural development. Rather than addressing individual farming practices alone, it considers agroecological transition at the broader institutional and food-system level, emphasizing the role of enabling policies, stakeholder coordination and governance in supporting longer-term change.