FAO always accompanies Vietnam to develop agricultural goals

On April 12, Mr. Rémi Nono Womdim had a meeting with Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh on cooperation issues between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and FAO in the coming time.

According to Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh, with a long history of cooperation, up to now, the programs between FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are becoming more and more open and comprehensive. In the coming time, the Deputy Minister said that there would be many problems and challenges in new aspects of the agricultural sector and need the cooperation of international organizations, including FAO.

Sharing with Mr. Rémi, Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh said that on January 28, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh approved the Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development for the 2021-2030 period with a vision for 2020-2050, an essential regulatory framework for the agricultural sector in Vietnam.

In this strategy, farmers will be the center. In addition to the growth goals, food security, and export, Vietnam also aims for green agriculture towards reducing emissions as committed at COP 26. Besides, it is to build a modern Vietnamese countryside, becoming a liveable countryside.

“In 2021, to prepare for strategy development, in addition to domestic consultations, Minister Le Minh Hoan has organized many meetings, exchanges, and consultations of international organizations such as FAO, WB, ADB… In the coming time, the cooperation of FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will develop to contribute to supporting Vietnam to implement this agricultural strategy successfully”, said Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh.

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development leader also said that in the past years, every five years, the Ministry and FAO have signed a cooperation framework to raise issues of cooperation between the two sides according to practice in each period.

“In 2021, we signed a memorandum of cooperation between 2022-2026, along with your term in Vietnam,” added the Deputy Minister.

Regarding this issue, Mr. Rémi expressed his thanks to the leaders and professional personnel of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, who, together with FAO, developed and approved the cooperation framework he considers very important.

Through the long-term cooperation between Vietnam and FAO from 1978 to now, FAO is proud of its contribution to Vietnam's food development, nutrition security, and rural development.

“As the Deputy Minister mentioned, there are many challenges for both the world and Vietnam such as population pressure, urbanization, resource degradation including water resources and climate change... Besides, many health and social challenges make us change, including the way of production", shared Mr. Rémi Nono Womdim and added the challenge of natural disasters to agricultural production in Vietnam.

Facing these challenges, the FAO representative said that the organization has developed 20 priority strategies to apply and fully exploit FAO's knowledge, experience and expertise to support countries, including Vietnam.

Mr. Rémi Nono Womdim also affirmed that FAO will always accompany Vietnam in setting agricultural development goals in the coming time.

At the meeting on April 12, FAO Representative in Vietnam informed Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh that the cooperation framework between FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for 2022-2026 had mobilized 65% of needed financial resources, including international and domestic sources.

It will be the foundation for the two sides to implement cooperation programs around the four main pillars that FAO aims for: plant health, adaptation to climate change and the environment ensuring food security, and other cross-cutting governance issues; Building a green, clean, sustainable, and low-emission agriculture.

Regarding this issue, Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh affirmed that he would accelerate the construction of joint projects between the two sides. "The mobilization of 65% of financial resources is a very positive signal. We will continue to mobilize as much as possible to implement the cooperation framework best," the Deputy Minister affirmed.

In addition, Mr. Rémi also suggested that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam strengthen South-South cooperation activities, call for investment sources, and share development experiences with African countries, which are still facing difficulties in food security.

Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh ultimately agreed with this proposal. He said that Vietnam had attended many seminars and conferences on South-South cooperation in the past time, which is a strength with a lot of experience that can be shared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.