Vietnam needs major efforts not only from the government but also from enterprises and farmers to successfully develop sustainable agriculture, a conference has heard.

This was the message from the Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture in Vietnam (PSAV) Plenary 2022 - Adding Green and Value to Agreement conference co-chaired by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan and General Director of Nestlé Vietnam Binu Jacob on December 5.

The PSAV was initiated in 2010 within the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Framework for the New Vision for Agriculture, which set the goals of increasing agricultural production by 20 per cent while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent and reducing the prevalence of rural poverty by 20 per cent.

According to Minister Hoan, the ministry will utilize all resources for green agricultural development.

The implementation of the Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development to 2030 and Vision to 2050 should promote multilateral cooperation, involving the public-private sector and partners in the supply chain in order to unlock investment resources from society.

“With the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to bringing net emissions down to zero by 2050, the agricultural sector is making efforts to transform towards agroecology and carbon-neutral agriculture besides reaching food security goals,” Minister Hoan said.

The domestic agriculture sector not only serves 100 million people at home but also reaches the markets of more than 190 countries and territories worldwide, he went on. Vietnam ranks among the world’s top 15 exporting countries for agro, forestry, and fisheries products.

“The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is working with the WEF to form Food Innovation Hubs (FIH) in Vietnam, associated with developing green and low-emissions agriculture,” he said, calling on enterprises and organizations, local and foreign alike, to take part in the establishment and operations of these FIH.