Africa and Asia Ministers Convene in Viet Nam to Accelerate Agrifood Systems Transformation through FAO OCOP Initiative

Hanoi - Ministers and senior agricultural officials from across Africa and Asia came together in Hanoi, Viet Nam this week for the High-Level Inter-regional Knowledge Exchange on One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Models, marking a milestone in intercontinental cooperation to transform agrifood systems and improve food security, rural livelihoods, and sustainable development. 

Co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Viet Nam, the two-day event held on 15–16 July 2025 convened high-level delegations from 14 African countries and 3 Asian countries to share experiences, innovations, and partnerships in implementing FAO’s flagship OCOP initiative. 

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, in a video message, praised the gathering as a pioneering effort: “I am confident that this knowledge-sharing will highlight how innovation and national product branding can boost productivity, improve profitability, open new markets, and promote a better life for rural communities, as well as show how Asia’s successes can inspire and support Africa’s efforts, and vice versa”. 

The event aims to share Viet Nam’s experience on its transformative One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program, which has developed over 16,800 certified local products since 2018, generating millions of jobs and significantly improving rural incomes. Speaking at the opening, Do Duc Duy, Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Viet Nam, emphasized how Viet Nam’s OCOP programme reflects the values of cultural preservation, economic empowerment, and inclusive growth. 

“Vietnam’s OCOP programme has proven to be an effective tool for empowering rural communities and promoting ownership, accountability, and local cultural values for economic development and quality of life,” he said. 

The Vietnamese model aligns closely with FAO’s global OCOP initiative, launched in 2021 to promote special agricultural products (SAPs) with unique cultural and geographical value. Since its inception, the initiative has grown to include over 80 countries globally, with participating countries selecting their own SAPs to boost through value chain strengthening, innovation, traceability, and market access. 

During the exchange, ministers from African and Asian countries shared their experiences implementing OCOP. Malawi’s Minister of Agriculture, Samuel Dalitso Kawale, recounted how OCOP helped revitalize the country’s banana industry following a devastating viral outbreak, while Egypt emphasized its strategic choice of date palm as a driver of agricultural and export development.

The event also spotlighted FAO’s cooperative efforts in leveraging science and innovation to accelerate agrifood systems transformation in Asia and the Pacific through the OCOP, in support of the FAO Four Betters vision – better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life, leaving no one behind. 

A key feature of the event was the role of science and innovation partnerships. Delegates learned how technical institutions across the Asia-Pacific region are providing critical support to OCOP implementation.

FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, Dr Alue Dohong, launched during the event examples of Regional OCOP Knowledge Products on Four Betters, which include: 

Technical support to quinoa cultivation in Bhutan conducted with Shandong Normal University (SDNU) was also highlighted; 

FAO Deputy Director-Director, Ms Beth Bechdol noted, “the strong collaboration with leading science and innovation centres in the Asia-Pacific region – which are helping us embed nutrition, traceability and market intelligence into the OCOP framework.” 

On the second day of the programme, participants traveled to Ninh Binh Province to witness firsthand the implementation of OCOP at the local level.

Delegates attended a briefing by the Ninh Binh Provincial People’s Committee on the province’s OCOP strategy, and visited certified OCOP producers. The events highlighted how local governments and enterprises in Viet Nam are promoting agro-ecotourism, organic farming, and product innovation under the OCOP framework. 

As the event concluded, the delegations reaffirmed their commitment to South-South and Triangular Cooperation and to advancing the OCOP initiative as a shared pathway for rural transformation and inclusive development.

The inter-regional exchange further reinforced the strong and evolving partnership between FAO and the Government of Viet Nam, which continues to champion global collaboration for sustainable agrifood systems.