Promoting bilateral cooperation on agriculture to enhance food security

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development delegation led by Minister Le Minh Hoan held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines G20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting in Hyderabad with corresponding ministries from Germany, Japan, Canada and Bangladesh.

Participants of these meetings included Ms. Claudia Heike Müller, German Secretary of State for Agriculture and Food; Mr. Januez Wojciechowski, European Commissioner for Agriculture; Mr. Tetsuro Nomura, the Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Ms. Marie-Claude Bibeau, the Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food; Mr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, the Bangladesh's Minister of Agriculture. The participants emphasized the value of collaboration with Vietnam and considered Vietnam as a key partner in agricultural cooperation.

At the meetings, Minister Le Minh Hoan proposed stakeholders to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, and agricultural training to promote mutually beneficial solutions that focus on food security, nutrition security and global sustainable development. Minister Le Minh Hoan also reported that Vietnam is actively implementing the Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development as well as the Action Plan to transform the food system towards transparency, accountability and sustainability under the guidance of the Government.

Ms. Claudia Heike Müller pledged to support Vietnam in green growth, biodiversity, agricultural mechanization, food system management, and prevention of forest degradation in combination with agricultural production.

Most notably, Germany is interested in supporting small and medium enterprises, cooperatives and smallholder farmers in green transformation and employment. Additionally, the German representative proposed that both countries to jointly facilitate trade in agriculture, forestry and fishery. She also suggested Vietnam to facilitate the entry of livestock products into Vietnam. Minister Le Minh Hoan highly regarded Germany's support for Vietnam's priority agricultural fields.

On the other hand, Vietnam asked for Germany's support in complying with the new EU regulations on prevention of forest encroachment and degradation, and development of multi-use forests. Furthermore, Vietnam and Germany will jointly deploy the project for one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice and vocational training in the Mekong Delta based on the co-management framework. The ministers agreed on prioritizing the development of small, medium enterprises and smallholder farmers in green growth. Both countries agreed to appoint specialized agencies to actively implement measures to promote trade in agriculture, forestry and fishery between Vietnam and Germany.

At the meeting with the EU High Commissioner for Agriculture, Minister Le Minh Hoan acknowledged the effective support from the EU within the last few years. Their continuous support has greatly contributed to the transformation of Vietnam's agricultural sector towards transparency, accountability, sustainability and green growth.

The EU's pioneering policies such as Green Deal, From Farm to Fork, Circular economy, etc. has inspired the Ministry Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam to formulate the Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development as well as strategies for several sub-sectors. High Commissioner Januez Wojciechowski praised Vietnam's achievements in ensuring food security and developing livelihoods for smallholder farmers. Regarding the new EU Regulation on the prevention of forest encroachment and degradation, the High Commissioner agreed to focus on providing Vietnam technical assistance in its efforts to develop green agriculture, reduce emissions, and conserve biodiversity. Both parties agreed on the future plans to promote trade and agricultural investment between the EU and Vietnam.

At the meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Minister Tetsuro Nomura commended Vietnam's efforts in reinforcing the Vietnam - Japan Agricultural Strategic Cooperation Vision from 2021 to 2024. Most notably, Japan has supported Vietnam in building sustainable agricultural value chains, animal and plant quarantine, irrigation development, disaster prevention and human resource capacity building.

Minister Le Minh Hoan commended Japan for its practical support in the form of ODA agricultural projects. The Ministers agreed to assign specialized agencies to review the implementation of the Vietnam - Japan Agricultural Strategic Cooperation Vision, and establish a detailed action plan for the years between 2025 and 2028. Accordingly, Vietnam and Japan will focus on vocational training for farmers and the development of the Japanese Agricultural High School model in Vietnam. 

With an extensive expertise in managing development cooperation projects with Vietnam, Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau expressed great interest in the development of the country. Canada wishes to further promote cooperation in order to achieve the global goals of strengthening food security, reducing emissions, and ensuring biosecurity.

Canada will utilize its strength to support Vietnam in building disease-free areas for livestock production. In addition, Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau proposed both parties to closely coordinate in opening the market and promoting trade in agriculture, forestry and fishery between Canada and Vietnam.

Minister Le Minh Hoan commended Canada's support and goodwill cooperation with Vietnam's agricultural sector within the last few years. Moreover, he advised Canada to focus on fostering cooperation, supporting agricultural innovation for the environment, and applying a model that combines vocational training, applied research and technology transfer from Canada to Vietnam. Both countries also agreed to appoint specialized agencies to actively implement measures to promote trade in agriculture, forestry and fishery between Vietnam and Canada.

At the meeting with the Bangladesh's Ministry of Agriculture, Minister Le Minh Hoan congratulated Bangladesh on achieving significant economic growth for ten consecutive years. With a consistent average growth of 6.5% over a ten-year period, Bangladesh has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Bangladesh's GDP per capita nearly tripled from 833 USD in 2012 to nearly 2,700 USD in 2022.

Vietnam and Bangladesh have established a long-standing and fruitful traditional friendship beginning on February 11, 1973. The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Bangladesh. Minister Le Minh Hoan expressed his wish to strengthen relations with Bangladesh, with a focus on trade, investment, and agricultural science and technology.

Some of Vietnam's strongest industries include rice, industrial crops, aquatic products, timber and wood products, and tropical fruits. On the other hand, Bangladesh excels in potatoes, sesame seeds, oilseeds, jute, and cotton. Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque praised Vietnam's agricultural achievements and wished to learn from the development experience of Vietnam's agriculture. Both countries agreed to create a regular exchange framework to promote mutually beneficial agricultural cooperation, promote the strengths of both countries' agriculture, and reinforce their traditional diplomatic relations.