Vietnam towards healthy and sustainable food system

Vietnam will do better and carry out more effectively its National Sustainable Development Goals Action Plan (SDG-NAP) in response to the UN Secretary-General's call for convening a Food Systems Summit 2021, as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the SDGs by 2030.​ 

An overview of the first National Dialogue on the Vietnam Food System is held on June 15. Photo: nongnghiep.vn

The information was made by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh at the first National Dialogue on Vietnam Food System: Transparency, Responsibility and Sustainability held in Hanoi on June 15.

This dialogue was an important event for Vietnam to participate in the UN Food Systems Summit 2021, which will take place in September. On the eve of the Summit, the member countries held independent national and regional dialogues to orient actions and build a roadmap of the food system towards sustainability in the context of the “new normal”.

The first National Dialogue focused on discussing two main contents, including status and issues to be resolved for Vietnam's food system, as well as opportunities, solutions, and actions to transform the food system towards transparency-responsibility-sustainability by 2030.

Speaking at the opening of the dialogue, Deputy Minister Doanh said Vietnam's agriculture plays a particularly important role in ensuring food security and socio-economic stability for more than 60% of the population living in rural areas and contributing 14.85% to the country's GDP.

“Vietnam highly welcomes and appreciates the call of the UN Secretary-General to organize the Summit. This will help the country orient the food system and work together to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030,” he said.

The country will launch bold new actions to deliver progress on hunger eradication, poverty reduction, food security, and nutrition care in rural areas, especially in remote and isolated areas, areas of ethnic minorities, and vulnerable groups such as women and children.

The dialogues also put forth an initiative to jointly support and promote the smart food system to adapt to climate change, develop sustainably, ensure food security and nutrition not only for nearly 100 million Vietnamese people but also for Vietnam to become a transparent, responsible, and sustainable supplier to the world.

Rana Flower, UNICEF Country Representative and FAO Representative in Vietnam said: “Today's dialogue will empower us to create a more comprehensive and healthy food system, protect people's health and contribute to the development of the economy.”

Vietnam and more than 100 countries have signed up to participate in food system dialogues at the global level in September.