Messages on the food system profoundly conveyed by the press

Following the wrap-up of the fourth Global Conference of the One Planet Network's Sustainable Food System Program (SFS Program), Vietnam Agriculture News organized a press conference with other associates to summarize the conference's outcomes and respond to questions from news agencies.

Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director of the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Nguyen Ngoc Thach, Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Agriculture News; Joao Campari, Global Leader of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)'s Food Practice; Alwin Kopse, Head of the International Affairs and Food Systems Unit at the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture presided over the press conference.

Bich Hong, Vietnam News Agency: How do international organizations view Vietnam's plans to develop a food innovation hub, and what assistance will be provided in the future?

WWF's Global Leader Joao Campari said, "As a co-organizer of the conference, Vietnam has demonstrated its leading role to ensure the sustainability of global and regional food systems". Approximately 10% of households may still suffer from hunger at the moment. The global food system not only poses several hazards but also devastates 60-70% of biodiversity. Humanity has excessively exploited natural resources to obtain food but has still allowed problems such as food waste to occur. Right now, there is an urgent need for integrated solutions to this challenge worldwide. We are happy that Vietnam intends to develop Southeast Asia's first innovation hub.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep said this in his closing speech: "If you want to go far, go together". The formation of an innovation hub is one of the ways we may move quickly and collaboratively while assuring long-term viability.

Alwin Kopse added, "We pay keen attention to innovation. Our corporate sector and universities are looking for investment opportunities. I will share the lessons learned from this conference so that Switzerland can engage deeper in this subject in Vietnam".

Kien Trung, Vietnam Agriculture News: In the midst of global uncertainty such as epidemics, natural disasters, and political crises. After this Conference, how will WWF pursue a ground-breaking strategy to promote global citizens' access to sustainable food consumption?

WWF's Global Leader Joao Campari responded: WWF has always committed to assisting Vietnam in developing a sustainable food system. We can see that the food system is in a dangerous phase, which some attribute to the new crises. Obviously, decisions about the food system are political in nature. In the context of climate change, we must be patient and cautious in our actions.

WWF regards a wide range of concerns, such as food security and climate change, as interconnected rather than isolated. Through its representative office in Vietnam, WWF will fulfill its pledges, create space, provide support, and collaborate with Vietnam to construct a sustainable food system.

Doan Huong, Ho Chi Minh City TV: How do the conference's communication effects contribute to the long-term reform of the global food system?

Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Agriculture News Nguyen Ngoc Thach said: The participation of press agencies is critical in conveying the conference's messages. During the four days of the conference, the organizers put up two multilingual transmission lines to ensure that local and international media agencies have the most up-to-date information about the meetings and events within the conference's framework. According to our statistics, hundreds of publications about the conference have been released, assisting in the transmission of messages in the most authentic way possible.

This is our way to jointly promote the image of Vietnam and people of Vietnam while also ethically committing to the development of a sustainable global food system. We hope that our efforts will not stop here but will be realized in countries all over the world.

Nguyen Kiem, People's Army Newspaper: What outcomes and commitments has the conference achieved? How will Vietnam carry out its pledges in the next years? Furthermore, Vietnam is currently working on a project including 1 million hectares of high-quality and low emissions rice. What support will foreign organizations have to boost Vietnam's effort based on the conference's results?

ICD Director Nguyen Do Anh Tuan replied: For participants and international organizations, the conference had achieved two major outcomes. First of all, the conference inspired countries and stakeholders to change sustainable food systems in the new context.

Secondly, the conference's discussion sessions focused on delivering ideas that were near to reality. These solutions will be shared with countries and stakeholders, and resources will be mobilized to act collaboratively. The meeting also generated agreement and strong determination among countries to construct a sustainable food system, with the program projected to be enhanced to a national level in the future.

For Vietnam, the conference is an opportunity to learn from the valuable experiences of foreign friends in developing a sustainable food system through meetings and program materials. In the next months, the Organizing Committee will work with Vietnam Agriculture News to publish articles on the conference's solutions, models, and best practices.