Viet Nam advances its agroecology agenda with global support

On the occasion of the event, 'Enhancing Organic Agriculture and Agroecology in Viet Nam', government officials, international and national experts, farmers and private sector stakeholders gathered in Ha Noi on 3-6 December to advance the UN Secretary-General’s Call to Action for accelerated food systems transformation, addressing pressing challenges in food security and nutrition, climate change, environment and biodiversity. 

The events were timely, given the Partnership Agreement for Transparent, Responsible and Sustainable Food Systems Transformation in Viet Nam, which was recently signed by the Government of Viet Nam and over 40 local and international stakeholders. 

“FAO is harnessing the benefits of agroecological approaches as one of the key responses to these multiple challenges facing humanity and the planet and provides a holistic, integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological, economic and social concepts and principles to the design and management of agrifood systems,” said Rémi Nono Womdim, FAO Representative in Viet Nam, in his opening remarks.

Some key takeaways from the week:

•  Growth of the food systems transformation partnership: Welcoming three new partners, including the Government of Italy and ActionAid, the group now has 43 local and international stakeholders (including FAO).
• Empowering farmers: 15 farmers’ representatives (from Hoa Binh, Ha Nam and Ha Noi) shared grassroots insights to strengthen agroecology and participatory guarantee systems (peer-to-peer quality assurance certification system), at provincial level.
• Policy impact: Reaffirmed commitments from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development towards agroecology as a key approach to implement Viet Nam’s National Action Plan for a transparent, responsible and sustainable food system by 2030.
• Global collaboration: Knowledge-learning and sharing from international partners such as the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), FAO, the International Potato Center (CIP), the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD),the Government of Italy, and the University of Bern.
• Hands-on learning: Field visit to an organic cooperative in Thanh Xuan commune, Soc Son District, Ha Noi, a beacon of locally supported participatory guarantee system that certifies organic initiatives.

The event Enhancing Organic Agriculture and Agroecology in Viet Nam gathered different stakeholders from Viet Nam and beyond. © FAO

“The energy, collaboration and shared vision for a sustainable future in Viet Nam were truly inspiring”, said Pierre Ferrand, FAO Agricultural Officer. “It highlights the current momentum in advancing agrifood system transformation, following the approval of the national action plan to have a transparent, responsible and sustainable agrifood system in Viet Nam by 2030", Ferrand added.

The events were conducted under the AgroEconvert project, implemented by the Center for Agricultural Research and Ecological Studies (CARES) of the Viet Nam National University of Agriculture and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in close collaboration with FAO. This project offered an opportunity for scientific collaboration between Viet Nam and Switzerland, through the joint funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Vietnamese National Foundation for Science and Technology Development.

As an immediate follow up to these workshops, a National Policy Forum on Agroecology: Insights from Partners and Implementation in Viet Nam was organized by MARD and chaired by the Vice Minister of MARD on 10 December. FAO delivered a keynote address, providing a global perspective on agroecology, alongside other actors promoting agroecology in the country.

Lastly, a policy brief consolidating all the Agroeconvert key findings and the recommendations and insights shared during the workshops will be published in early 2025.

Viet Nam’s embrace of agroecology reflects a global movement for greener, cleaner and more sustainable food systems – one farm, one community and one partnership at a time.

Group photo of the workshop participants. ©FAO