Minister Do Duc Duy: "Sowing" technology to bear fruit for a green future

Believing that there cannot be a prosperous agriculture if natural resources continue to be threatened, soil degraded, and the climate continues to warm, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy emphasized that “Green Revolution 4.0” is not simply an option, but an inevitable requirement, an order of action towards a greener future.

Therefore, at the Ministerial Discussion Session with the theme “Catching up with Green Revolution 4.0: The journey to transform the food system for a sustainable era” taking place today, April 17, Mr. Duy quoted the famous Vietnamese song about rice “Tomorrow is starting from today” and called for: “Let’s sow the seeds of technology right now, cultivate cooperation to blossom and bear fruit for the green future of all humanity.”

“Green Revolution 4.0” is an imperative

Minister Do Duc Duy said that humanity is facing unprecedented challenges such as: increasingly severe climate change; rapid decline in biodiversity; global food supply chains broken due to geopolitical fluctuations and the rise of protectionism, food security threatened; and the development gap between countries is increasing.

In that context, vulnerable groups (poor farmers and low-income consumers) are suffering the most severe consequences.

“We cannot solve the climate crisis by creating a food crisis. We cannot protect the environment if we neglect small-scale farmers. And we cannot ask low-income countries to sustain their environmental resources if the world does not share the responsibilities and benefits fairly,” said Duy.

Mr. Duy commented that in the above context, “Green Revolution 4.0” not only helps increase productivity and product quality, but also reduces resource consumption, cuts emissions and increases resilience to climate change, thereby creating the premise to improve farmers’ livelihoods.

In Vietnam, Mr. Duy said that agriculture plays a particularly important role in ensuring food security, social stability and livelihoods for over 60% of the population. Notably, from a country with a low starting point, once facing poverty and food crisis, Vietnam has now risen to become one of the world's leading agricultural exporters, bringing agricultural products to nearly 200 countries and territories.

However, Mr. Duy also noted that with limited resources, an estimated 10.3 million hectares of land available for agriculture, Vietnam’s agricultural sector is facing many major challenges. Therefore, the head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment emphasized: “There cannot be a prosperous agriculture if natural resources continue to be threatened, if soil continues to degrade, if the climate continues to warm.”

Faced with these challenges, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is gradually implementing the process of transforming agriculture towards green, smart and sustainable. “We identify innovation, focusing on research, application of modern science and technology, and digital transformation as the core to create breakthroughs for the agricultural sector,” Mr. Duy shared.

In recent times, the Vietnamese Government has also issued the Strategy for Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050; the National Action Plan for Transforming a Transparent, Responsible, and Sustainable Food System in Vietnam by 2030; the Project for Science Development and Application, Technology Transfer to Promote Circular Economy in Agriculture by 2030...

In particular, the Project on sustainable development of 1 million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030 is considered a bright spot in green transformation.

According to the commander of the agriculture and environment sector, all of the above efforts and results have demonstrated Vietnam's determination to develop a modern, sustainable agriculture that is responsible to nature and people and in line with the general development trend of the world.

Shaping sustainable food systems

However, Minister Do Duc Duy said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is also deeply aware that no country can succeed alone in the journey of transforming the food system. The reason is that this is an effort that requires joint action among countries, international organizations, businesses, scientists and farmers; especially in the context of the global trade order being at risk of fragmentation, when tariff barriers and protectionism are emerging.

“Only substantive multilateral cooperation, based on fairness and mutual respect, can help us overcome the enormous challenges of food security, biodiversity, climate change, equitable and sustainable development for each country and on a global scale,” Mr. Duy emphasized.

Applying the above innovations is an inevitable direction for the agricultural sector to adapt to climate change. (Photo: VNA)

In that spirit, through the P4G Forum, Minister Do Duc Duy asked partners to share the following practical topics: Applying technology and innovation in agricultural production to effectively use resources, improve productivity, quality and especially reduce emissions.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, applying the above innovation is an inevitable direction for the agricultural sector to adapt to climate change and at the same time contribute to the net zero emission target that many countries are aiming for.

Second, partners need to share the roles of regulatory agencies, international organizations and the private sector in technology transfer, financial and technical support and capacity building for farmers, especially small-scale farmers. Close and comprehensive coordination among all parties is a prerequisite to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of transformation programs.

This will be followed by sharing experiences, models and good practices from countries in developing green, circular agriculture, while ensuring food security and livelihoods for people.

“These valuable experiences will contribute to enriching our common thinking and actions,” Mr. Duy acknowledged.

Minister Do Duc Duy also expressed his belief that with the participation of leading leaders and experts in the fields of agriculture and environment, the discussion session will create important steps forward, contributing to shaping a sustainable global food system, meeting the requirements of the "Green Revolution 4.0" and ensuring food security, protecting the only ever-green planet for future generations.

In that spirit, the Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Environment called on countries to “Turn today’s commitments into concrete actions tomorrow, for a future where everyone – from the highlands of Ethiopia to the plains of South Africa, from the rice fields of Can Tho (Vietnam) to the organic farms of Ireland – benefits from a transparent, responsible, fair, smart and green food system.”

Before concluding his speech, Minister Do Duc Duy concluded with a familiar but meaningful image of Vietnamese farmers: “A grain of rice is not only food - it is also the heart of the farmer, the crystallization of technology, nature and humanity's desire for a green life.”./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/bo-truong-do-duc-duy-geo-mam-cong-nghe-de-ket-trai-cho-tuong-lai-xanh-post1033345.vnp