Advancing towards a green food system

Addressing the meeting, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan underscored the crucial role of Vietnam's agricultural sector in ensuring food security and social stability. In 2023, Vietnam's agricultural export value exceeded 53 billion USD. To address challenges, Vietnam has undergone agricultural sector restructuring aimed at enhancing added value, fostering sustainable development, and embracing new factors such as trade liberalization, climate change, and innovation. It aims to tackle food loss and waste creatively.

Simultaneously, Vietnam aims to fulfill international commitments, including achieving net emissions neutrality by 2050, participating in global initiatives like methane emissions reduction, endorsing agreements such as the Glasgow declaration on forests and land use, and the Emirates declaration on sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems, and climate action.

The Vietnamese government consistently prioritizes fostering close relationships between countries and stakeholders in the food processing system to bring about significant changes. This endeavor will facilitate Vietnam in effectively combating hunger, reducing poverty, and ensuring food security and nutrition in rural areas, ethnic minority communities, and among the most vulnerable groups including women and children. Moreover, it presents an opportunity for Vietnam to deliberate on and shape policies, optimize investment resources, and garner public support for the agricultural sector, fostering the development of agricultural value chains. Vietnam is a leading force in promoting transparency, accountability, and sustainability.

The Minister further proposed that Vietnam's agricultural sector is presently executing a national action plan aimed at transforming the food production system to be transparent, responsible, and sustainable until 2030. Additionally, Vietnam is deploying a sustainable development project covering 1 million hectares, specializing in high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation linked with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030. Furthermore, Vietnam is committed to initiatives like the One Health initiative and numerous other significant programs and projects.

After 50 years of partnership, Vietnam and the Netherlands continue strengthening their ties across various sectors, notably in investment, trade, and sustainable agriculture to combat climate change. Despite limited land resources, the Netherlands has excelled in applying advanced, highly intensive farming methods, achieving productivity levels far surpassing the global average. The pace of scientific and technological advancement in Dutch agriculture ranks among the highest worldwide.

Henceforth, Vietnam seeks to collaborate with the Netherlands and other stakeholders on multiple fronts. Firstly, to promote transforming the food processing system towards a green, low-emission, and sustainable trajectory. This involves prioritizing ecological, natural, and circular agricultural production, fostering rural economic development, adopting a One Health approach, preserving the ecological environment, efficiently utilizing resources, and conserving biodiversity.

Secondly, Vietnam aims to invest in agricultural infrastructure development, not only to bolster production but also to drive rural economic growth. This includes developing agricultural and rural tourism, integrating gender equality considerations, reinforcing the role of agricultural households, expanding the reach of effective agricultural cooperatives, encouraging private sector involvement in investment, and replicating successful public-private partnership models in agriculture and rural development.

Thirdly, it is imperative to construct and maintain a balanced national food sector as a foundation for guiding production and distribution. This involves intensifying education and awareness campaigns to encourage physical activity, cultivate healthy eating habits, promote frugal consumption, reduce food loss and waste, and advocate for green and sustainable consumption practices.

Fourthly, there is a need to foster connections between domestic and international innovation networks.

Fifthly, collaboration and information sharing should be promoted to enhance trade and food security by ensuring a stable and long-term balance of supply and demand. This includes bolstering efforts in natural disaster risk reduction and prevention, cooperating on early warning systems for disasters and epidemics, and advancing South-South and trilateral cooperation initiatives.

Ms. Christianne van der Wal emphasized that the Netherlands is actively engaged in various activities related to the production, distribution, and export of agricultural products. Millions of farming households and businesses are adjusting and collaborating to construct a more responsive and resilient food system.

Over decades, the Netherlands and Vietnam have maintained close and effective collaboration in the agricultural sector. However, in the current context, both countries must deepen cooperation across all areas further and empower the younger generation to spearhead the establishment of a sustainable food exchange system. The involvement of young individuals signifies the bridge between the past, present, and future. Additionally, written commitments must be translated into concrete, practical actions. Specifically, there should be increased investment in research activities focusing on varieties with improved quality and resilience to withstand extreme conditions.