Viet Nam calls for FAO support in building transparent agrifood systems

Speaking on April 23 at the ministerial roundtable titled “Fostering Innovation for Food Security" during the 38th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC 38), Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung said Viet Nam views innovation and the “dual transition” as strategic pillars for ensuring food security and advancing sustainable agricultural development.

Working together to improve agrifood systems

According to Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung, Viet Nam fully supports the vision of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which considers innovation the “key” to transforming agrifood systems toward greater efficiency, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability.

Vo Van Hung speaks at the ministerial roundtable on the special ministerial event themed “Driving Innovation for Food Security.” Photo: ICD.

Viet Nam also expressed its hope that the FAO would support cooperation in developing land databases, digital agricultural extension systems, measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) tools for emissions, cross-border pest surveillance systems, and training programs for agricultural data science personnel, as well as the development of digital data systems for the agricultural sector.

“Viet Nam calls on the FAO and international partners to continue supporting high technology, green finance, and the improvement of MRV tools in order to jointly build agrifood systems that are transparent, accountable, and sustainable,” Vo Van Hung said.

He noted that the Vietnamese government regards innovation as a key driver for shifting from a traditional agricultural production mindset toward a green, circular, and low-emission agricultural economy. In this context, the “dual transition”, digital transformation and green transformation, has become a central strategy.

“In Viet Nam, the application of digital technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and remote sensing to strengthen disease surveillance, farm management, traceability, and food safety compliance is becoming increasingly widespread,” the deputy minister said.

The Vietnamese representative also emphasized the country’s priority of transforming agriculture toward low-emission, climate-resilient development and circular value chains.

During the discussion session, Viet Nam proposed strengthening South-South cooperation and expanding strategic partnerships to build autonomous, transparent, and resilient supply chains across the Asia-Pacific region.

Viet Nam also urged the FAO and development partners to cooperate in scaling up national traceability platforms, particularly planting area code systems.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung (top row, far left) joins FAO leadership and senior officials from participating countries for a group photo on the sidelines of the conference. Photo: X/FAO Papua New Guinea.

FAO's initiatives lead regional transformation

The APRC38’s agenda includes bolstering access to affordable and nutritious diets, which are relatively expensive compared to global averages – speeding up low-emission and sustainable agricultural practices, facilitating trade and market integration and mobilizing domestic and international finance and investment and directing it to smallholders, who constitute 80 percent of all agricultural producers in the region.

Among the ministerial roundtables are sessions focusing on bolstering resilient and inclusive aquatic food systems, accelerating sustainable bioeconomy approaches, and accelerating agrifood investment pathways through FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative.

Those subjects align with FAO’s regional priority areas of work, which comprise Blue transformation, One Health, small-scale producers’ equitable access to resources, digital agriculture; healthy diets for all, safe food for everyone; Climate change- mitigating and adapted agrifood systems; biodiversity and ecosystem services for foodand agriculture; and resilient agrifood systems.

FAO Members in Asia and the Pacific have been particularly active in various FAO  initiatives that support country-owned and country-led solutions, such as the Digital Village Initiative, the One Country One Priority Product Initiative and the Green Cities Initiative.

While Asia and the Pacific produce 54 percent of global agricultural and fishery output, the region is also characterized by a vast number of smallholders, who can be vulnerable to shocks in global food, fuel, and fertilizer markets and, even more so, to the impacts of climate change.