Vietnam - Ireland towards partnership in food transformation

Vietnam and Ireland will move from project cooperation to strategic policy partnership, aiming to jointly shape institutions and directions for sustainable food system transformation.

On the morning of November 4, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment coordinated with the Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam to organize the Vietnam - Ireland Bilateral Cooperation Conference on Transforming the Agriculture - Food System.

The conference marked a new development step in agricultural cooperation between the two countries, opening up a specific direction for the transformation of sustainable agriculture and food systems, linked to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About 100 domestic and international delegates attended the Vietnam - Ireland Bilateral Cooperation Conference on Transforming the Agriculture - Food System. Photo: Bao Thang.

In his opening speech, Director of the Department of International Cooperation Nguyen Do Anh Tuan emphasized that Vietnam is demonstrating its determination to build modern, responsible agriculture through programs such as the 1 million hectare low-emission high-quality rice project, circular agriculture and digital transformation.

Meanwhile, Ireland, a country with extensive experience in building transparent, evidence-based value chains. Three outstanding features of the Irish model that are of great significance to Vietnam are: i) System approach: all policies and value chains link production - processing - distribution - consumption - resource regeneration; ii) Multi-actor linkage: State, businesses, farmers and research institutes plan and implement together; iii) Transparent and evidence-based measurement: through tools such as Origin Green, the national sustainability certification program for the entire Irish food industry of the Irish Food Council (Bord Bia).

Director of the Department of International Cooperation Nguyen Do Anh Tuan speaks at the Conference. Photo: Bao Thang.

Over the past 10 years, the Vietnam-Ireland Agriculture-Food Partnership Programme (IVAP) has contributed to strengthening bilateral cooperation through training hundreds of technical staff, piloting new cooperative models, supporting biosafety monitoring systems, researching antibiotic reduction in livestock farming and developing an innovation ecosystem at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture.

According to Mr. Tuan, in the coming period, the two sides will shift from “project cooperation” to “strategic policy partnership”. Accordingly, cooperation focuses on four areas: perfecting the food system institution; promoting science , technology and digital transformation; training human resources and connecting businesses in the South-South cooperation model.

“From the rice fields of the Mekong Delta to the green dairy farms of County Cork, we are writing a common story of sustainability and responsibility,” he said.

Irish Ambassador to Vietnam Deirdre Ní Fhallúin affirmed Ireland's long-term commitment to supporting Vietnam in building a transparent, responsible and sustainable food system. Photo: Bao Thang.

Irish Ambassador to Vietnam Deirdre Ní Fhallúin introduced that Ireland is currently ranked second in the world in the Global Food Security Index 2023, with 90% of meat and dairy exports certified as sustainable through the Origin Green program. According to her, Vietnam is also emerging as a major food supply center in the world.

She affirmed that IVAP continues to demonstrate Ireland’s long-term commitment to supporting Vietnam in building a transparent, responsible and sustainable food system. The program is implemented by Sustainable Food Systems Ireland (SFSI), a coalition chaired by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, with the mission of sharing experiences and providing technical support to build green, safe and efficient value chains.

Vietnam and Ireland share a strong agricultural background and a vision for a sustainable, inclusive food system. 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 programme was launched as a key initiative to promote cooperation in transforming the food system to be transparent, responsible and sustainable.

In particular, the Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of activities within the framework of the Vietnam - Ireland Partnership to strengthen Vietnam's food system for the period 2024 - 2028 signed between the two Ministries of Agriculture during General Secretary To Lam's visit to Ireland in October 2024 clearly demonstrated the commitment and determination of the two Governments in promoting cooperation between the two countries in this key area.

At the Conference, experts will present information related to the current state of the agricultural sector, development strategies and trends, transformation roadmap, gaps, opportunities and potential for development cooperation; cooperation projects on Research & Development, training/academic cooperation, capacity building and development of innovation ecosystems for cooperatives, and cooperation prospects in the coming time; North-South models in transforming the food system and discuss the Vietnam-Ireland Agriculture-Food Partnership: A cooperation model for transforming the food system and implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030)...

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/viet-nam--ireland-huong-toi-doi-tac-trong-chuyen-doi-luong-thuc-pham-d782170.html