Agriculture and Environment are "one of two", "two in one" - the path towards the future

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan shared his emotions by telling familiar stories about the agricultural sector that he was associated with during his time as Minister with leaders of departments, divisions, and units of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment before the Ministry officially came into operation on March 1.

On the afternoon of February 19, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment held a conference to deploy the Project to establish the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. The conference took place to ensure that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will soon come into operation as soon as the Project to establish the Ministry and the Decree stipulating the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure come into effect.

Speaking at the Conference, Mr. Le Minh Hoan - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development - who was recently elected by the National Assembly to hold the position of Vice Chairman of the National Assembly on February 18, shared with all leaders of the Departments, Divisions and units under the 2 Ministries before officially coming into operation on March 1.

Mr. Hoan said, today, we are here to share our thoughts and concerns about the future of Vietnamese agriculture in the context of increasingly volatile environments. This is not just the story of a crop, a year of production, but a long-term story about sustainable development - about how we treat land, water, natural resources, so that agriculture can continue to feed people without harming the planet itself.

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan shares his feelings and tells stories about the agricultural sector. Photo: Tung Dinh

We are entering a new era where the challenges are no longer simply pests or markets, but climate change, resource degradation, and the disruption of the ecosystems that once supported agriculture. This raises an urgent question: Will we continue farming the same way, or will we change and find a way to live in harmony with nature?

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan told a number of real-life stories – stories not simply about agriculture, but about people who are struggling with nature every day to find solutions to the problem of sustainability.

One of two – When agriculture depends on the environment

In the Mekong Delta, considered the country's largest rice granary, in recent years farmers have been facing unprecedented challenges: saltwater intrusion, barren land, prolonged drought, and crop failures.

Mr. Hoa, a farmer in Ca Mau, used to have bumper crops, but then one day, saltwater flooded in, burning all his rice fields dry. Looking at the cracked fields, he told me:

"In the past, just being diligent was enough to get rich. But now, the world is no longer the same, being diligent is not enough, you also have to know how to do things differently."

So what did he do? Instead of trying to keep the rice fields, he switched to a rice-shrimp model. When the water was salty, he raised shrimp. When the water was fresh, he grew rice. Thanks to that, he not only avoided risks, but also had a higher income.

Mr. Hoa’s story is not unique. In An Giang and Dong Thap, many farmers are also switching to a natural livelihood model – meaning that instead of forcing nature to serve humans, they learn to adapt, live with and take advantage of what nature has to offer.

Conservationist John Muir once said, "When you uproot something in nature, you find it connected to everything else in the universe."

The same is true for agriculture. If we do not protect the environment and conserve resources, our agriculture will be the first to suffer.

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan presented a Bat Trang ceramic vase to Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy. Photo: Tung Dinh

Two in One – When Agriculture Becomes the Solution for the Environment

But agriculture is not only an industry that depends on the environment, but if done properly, agriculture itself can become a solution to protect the environment.

I remember visiting a farm in Da Lat. The farm owner was Mr. Tuan, a young man who left the city to pursue organic farming.

Mr. Tuan does not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides, but instead grows a variety of plants to create ecological balance. On his land, pests are not destroyed by chemicals, but by planting plants that naturally repel insects. Organic waste from the farm is not thrown away, but is composted into fertilizer.

He told me: "Many people think that clean farming has low profits, but in fact, when we live in harmony with nature, nature will also help us with farming."

Not only in Da Lat, but also in many other places, the idea of ​​circular agriculture and ecological agriculture is becoming more and more popular. In Dong Thap, people use straw as fertilizer, instead of burning it, causing pollution. In the West, many households raise fish in combination with growing vegetables on the water surface, using fish manure as nutrients for plants.

Mahatma Gandhi's quote that I really like: "The earth can satisfy all human needs, but not all human greed."

If we know our limits and respect nature, agriculture will not only not destroy the environment but also help restore what has been lost.

One of two and two in one – The road to the future

According to Mr. Hoan, we cannot choose between agricultural development and environmental protection, because they are not two separate choices. We need to find a way for both to coexist and complement each other.

Because, as the late US President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: "A nation that destroys its soil is like a man that destroys himself. The soil is the foundation of life, and if we do not protect it, we cannot survive."

Therefore, the agricultural sector needs to change from the mindset of "taking advantage of resources" to the mindset of "harmony with nature". We need to: Switch to smart agriculture, adapt to climate change; Apply biotechnology, organic farming, minimize negative impacts on the environment; Change the mindset from agricultural production to agricultural economics, where value lies not only in products but also in sustainable ecosystems.

This is not only the task of the agricultural or environmental sectors, but also the responsibility of the whole society. Of every farmer, every business, every scientist, every manager.

One of two – Two in one. It's not just a story, but a mission that we all need to do together.

Source: https://danviet.vn/pho-chu-tich-quoc-hoi-le-minh-hoan-nong-nghiep-va-moi-truong-la-mot-cua-hai-hai-trong-mot-con-duong-huong-toi-tuong-lai-20250219220536359.htm