Vietnam – Ireland cooperate to transform sustainable agriculture – food systems

(Chinhphu.vn) - The agriculture and food sector is a complex system, with close links between many sectors and stakeholders. Ireland is a country with valuable experience that Vietnam can learn from in this process.

Vietnam – Ireland Bilateral Cooperation Conference on Transforming the Agriculture – Food System - Photo: VGP/Do Huong

Today (November 4), the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in collaboration with the Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam and the Sustainable Food Systems Ireland (SFSI) organized the "Vietnam - Ireland Bilateral Cooperation Conference on Transforming the Agriculture - Food System".

Irish Ambassador to Vietnam Deirdre Ní Fhallúin affirmed: "Ireland is proud to cooperate with Vietnam in responding to global challenges, especially in the agriculture and food sector. Through joint efforts, we can bring consumers safer, healthier and more sustainable food sources. The success of IVAP is a clear demonstration that there is no limit to what countries can achieve when they work together for a more sustainable global food system."

She added that IVAP is a model of effective North-South cooperation, coordinated by Sustainable Food Systems Ireland (SFSI) – a consortium of five Irish Government agencies, led by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

At the conference, Dr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) affirmed that Vietnam wishes to continue to expand substantive cooperation with Ireland in the process of transforming the agricultural and food system.

"The agri-food sector is a complex system, with close links between many sectors and stakeholders. Ireland is a country with valuable experience that Vietnam can learn from in this process," he said.

According to Dr. Tuan, three outstanding features in Ireland's development model are of great significance to Vietnam: Systemic approach - all policies and value chains are linked between production - processing - distribution - consumption - resource regeneration.

Multi-actor linkage – coordination between the State, enterprises, farmers and research institutes in policy planning and implementation.

Transparent, evidence-based measurement, exemplified by the national sustainability certification scheme Origin Green managed by the Irish Food Council (Bord Bia).

These are practical experiences that can help Vietnam improve the value, quality and competitiveness of the agriculture and food sector, in line with the orientation of developing green, low-emission and sustainable agriculture.

Irish Ambassador to Vietnam Deirdre Ní Fhallúin - Photo: VGP/Do Huong

Vietnam – Ireland Cooperation: From Agreement to Action

Following the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam and the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in 2023, the IVAP program was officially launched, becoming a key initiative to promote cooperation in transforming the food system to be transparent, responsible and sustainable.

Notably, during General Secretary To Lam's visit to Ireland in October 2024, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing to implementing activities within the framework of the Vietnam-Ireland Partnership for the period 2024-2028, aiming to strengthen Vietnam's food system, clearly demonstrating the commitment of the two Governments to making agricultural-food cooperation an important pillar in bilateral relations.

The Ireland-Vietnam Agriculture-Food Partnership (IVAP) was established with the aim of unlocking the potential for cooperation between the two countries, promoting sustainable, inclusive and resilient agri-food production, market and governance systems.

The program mobilizes the participation of leading organizations, research institutes, private enterprises and state management agencies of both countries, focusing on three main pillars: Governance and policy for food system transformation; Food safety and sustainable development; Innovation and cooperative development.

Since its launch in 2023, IVAP has achieved many outstanding results, including: Building a monitoring and evaluation framework for the National Action Plan for Transforming a Transparent, Responsible and Sustainable Food System by 2030; Researching and improving national biosafety and food safety management capacity; Training high-quality human resources through postgraduate scholarship programs and short-term training courses.

The organization of the Vietnam-Ireland Bilateral Cooperation Conference on Transforming the Agriculture-Food System affirms the determination of the two countries in promoting the green growth model, reducing emissions and sustainable development.

This cooperation not only contributes to realizing global sustainable development goals, but also creates new momentum for the transformation process of Vietnamese agriculture – from traditional production to modern agriculture, responsible for the environment and society.

Do Huong

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/viet-nam-ireland-hop-tac-chuyen-doi-he-thong-nong-nghiep-thuc-pham-ben-vung-102251104113113213.htm