‘It’s time for Vietnam to share its success story with the world’

Success built on strong collaboration between FAO and Viet Nam

On the afternoon of May 9, Minister Do Duc Duy welcomed Dr. Rémi Nono Womdim, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Viet Nam.

At the meeting, Minister Duy thanked FAO Viet Nam for supporting agriculture and rural development, managing natural resources, and ensuring food security. Since its establishment in 1978, FAO Viet Nam has helped the government and millions of farmers through projects that promote sustainable farming, forestry, and fisheries. It has also provided technical support, funding, and training.

Building on this strong foundation, Viet Nam now prioritizes sustainable development, climate action, and active implementation of its international commitments.

Minister Duy highlighted FAO’s Program Framework and Priority Programs, which focus on innovation in sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems, digital farming, One Health, food safety for all, and inclusive rural transformation.

“These are crucial to help smallholder farmers take part in and benefit more from the agricultural value chain, enhance food and nutrition security, and protect the environment,” the Minister said.

In response, Dr. Nono Womdim expressed his delight that the UN has approved the Country Program Framework budget for 2022–2026, totaling USD 39.2 million.

"This is an outstanding achievement. In comparison, for the Country Program Framework 2017 – 2021, the resource mobilization target was USD 30 million. However, only USD 14.5 million were mobilized during that period. This impressive result came from strong coordination between the MAE and other stakeholders, which unlocked new resources for Viet Nam’s sustainable agriculture priorities,” said the FAO Representative.

He also highlighted one of the latest milestones between FAO and Viet Nam – the launch of the Food System Transformation Partnership. This solid platform brings together the Vietnamese government, international partners, embassies, and agricultural business associations.

Other major initiatives underway include the One Health Program, which focuses on controlling and reducing antimicrobial resistance.

Expand cooperation in sustainable agriculture

During the FAO Director-General’s visit to Viet Nam from February 5 to 8 earlier this year, the MAE and FAO Viet Nam signed a memorandum of understanding to boost South–South and Tripartite cooperation.

Minister Do Duc Duy affirmed: “Viet Nam stands ready to share its experiences and work with African and Latin American countries on agriculture and rural development through South–South and Trilateral cooperation, with support from bilateral and multilateral partners.”

He proposed that the FAO Office in Viet Nam coordinate closely with MAE to bring delegations of African ministers to Viet Nam for high-level policy dialogues and to exchange experiences, especially on the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program.

Dr. Womdim welcomed the proposal and thanked the Ministry for its strong spirit of cooperation, which aims to promote the shared prosperity of developing nations.

“This will be a key moment for African countries to witness the impact of Viet Nam’s agricultural transformation. It’s time for you to introduce your story to the world,” said Dr. Womdim, expressing heartfelt emotion as he prepared to end his term in Viet Nam. He felt honored to contribute to the country and hoped to return as a friend of Viet Nam.

On behalf of the MAE, Minister Do Duc Duy sent his warmest wishes to Dr. Womdim and expressed hope that he would continue to serve as a bridge connecting Viet Nam, FAO, and the global community. The Minister also hoped Dr. Womdim would keep supporting Viet Nam’s agriculture and environment sector.

On this occasion, the MAE awarded Dr. Rémi Nono Womdim the Medal “For the Cause of Agriculture and Rural Development” – the highest honor in the sector, given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the growth of agriculture and rural areas in Viet Nam.

FAO supports the implementation of Resolution 120/NQ-CP on the sustainable development of the Mekong River Delta and low-emission rice production through various projects.

In partnership with the MAE, FAO helps Viet Nam scale up innovations that promote sustainable and inclusive rice-based production landscapes in the Mekong Delta under the GEF project.

FAO also works with a wide range of stakeholders – including international financial institutions, research institutions, farmers, and the private sector – to improve rice Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) tools. At the same time, it promotes the adoption of Sustainable Rice Platform standards to help Viet Nam meet its net-zero target by 2050 and increase farmers’ incomes.