Vietnam and the Netherlands working together on sustainable food systems
Preservation and responsible management of ecosystems are central to the mutual understanding and shared interests between Vietnam and the Netherlands, said Ms Christianne van der Wal-Zeggelink, Dutch Minister for Nature and Nitrogen Policy from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, as experts from the two countries came together to discuss agricultural initiatives for sustainable development. Government officials and business representatives from Vietnam and the Netherlands gathered at the event “Working together towards sustainable food systems” in Hanoi on 19th of March, 2024 to deliberate on collaborative efforts towards developing sustainable food systems amid the prevailing challenges in the agricultural sector.
Vietnam and the Netherlands shared interest
Discussions focused around addressing the adverse effects of climate change and the declining interest in agriculture and farming among the youth, despite the increasing demand for innovation. “This demands from us, as civil servants, scholars, bankers, farmers and all other professionals involved, to counteract climate change, stem biodiversity loss and apply more sustainable methods,” said the Dutch minister. Building on the country’s achievements in food production in terms of both volume and efficiency, the Netherlands is now shifting this sector to a more sustainable approach and willing to share the knowledge with its trading partners, she added.
Promoting green and sustainable food systems
Meanwhile, Vietnam’s farm produce reached over US$53 billion in export value in 2023 and is present in multiple markets around the world. Addressing the event, Vietnamese Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said that while the Vietnamese model of agricultural production has yielded significant achievements, the sector now faces new challenges due to climate change, market fluctuations and shifts in global consumption patterns. Highlighting key areas for agricultural cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands, as well as other partners, minister Hoan emphasized the importance of promoting a green and sustainable transformation of the food system, as well as the development of agricultural infrastructure and a balance sheet for national food production and distribution. Innovation and international cooperation will also contribute to food security in the long term, he said, adding that Vietnam has been working with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to establish a food innovation hub, in addition to the country’s international commitments such as the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action.
Fruitful collaboration
Collaboration, knowledge exchange and supporting policies were also the central focus of the discussion during the event, which brought together representatives from the public and private sectors of both Vietnam and the Netherlands. One fruitful collaboration example is ShrimpTechVietnam, a consortium that allows Vietnamese and Dutch stakeholders to collaborate and drive the net-zero transition of Vietnam’s shrimp sector. Mr Wouter van Vliet, Larive International managing director and initiator of the project, recalled that in 2018, Vietnam had a thriving shrimp production industry worth US$7 billion in the Mekong Delta, but one of the major challenges for producers was diseases that affected the shrimp from the hatchery level. With the help of Dutch partners in the association, local hatcheries were able to secure a source of polychaetes, the disease-free worms that are fed to shrimp. This was a win-win collaboration for both sides of the partnership, Mr. Van Vliet said, as the Vietnamese shrimp hatcheries no longer have to deal with the disease that would have gone down the value chain, while Dutch partners doubled their production due to the rising demand from Vietnam.
From policies to implementation
However, not all cases were as successful due to the constraints of existing policies. Mr. Siebe van Wijk, founder of The Fruit Republic which works with hundreds of Vietnamese fruit smallholders, said his company was once unable to bring disease-resistant rootstocks from South Africa to Vietnam as there was no agreement for plant materials between the two countries. “Vietnam could be the supplier of fresh food for urban Asia,” Van Wijk said, as shipping to large markets such as China and Japan only takes three days to a week. However, there is currently no professional plant nursery in the country’s 1.3 million hectares of fruit orchards, he said. Fruit nurseries in Vietnam, most of which are in Ben Tre province, are small backyard facilities. Seedlings can also be contaminated with diseases, which means around 40 per cent of them die after two to three years, Van Wijk added. “As a Dutch-Vietnamese fruit company, we want to invest in a professional nursery, but we need to be able to bring genetic materials into Vietnam. That’s a very important requirement,” he said.
Long-term growth
In response to food security and sustainability challenges, the Vietnamese government approved a national action plan for a transparent, responsible and sustainable transformation of the country’s food system by 2030 with Decision 300/QĐ-TTg dated 28 March 2023. Accordingly, working groups have been established to facilitate collaboration between international and private-sector partners in various aspects, including policy and regulations, ecological approaches to agriculture, and diversification of food supply for local demand, according to Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, director general of the International Cooperation Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Empower Youth4Food Vietnam campaign
The event also marks the launch of the Empower Youth4Food Campaign in Vietnam which aims to address climate change risks and ageing populations of farmers by changing the youth’s view on farming and involving them in shaping sustainable food systems. Drawing inspiration from countries like the Netherlands where farming is a sophisticated, high-tech major industry, the campaign is expected to demonstrate that farming can be both modern and full of potential. Ms Chảo Yến, a young Vietnamese entrepreneur who serves as an ambassador for the campaign, recalled the criticism she faced upon returning from her Erasmus-funded education in Europe to open a small sustainable agricultural business in her home village in Lao Cai. In addition to climate change and the values of agricultural products, stereotypes were one of the main reasons for this reaction, she said. “I believe that this campaign will inspire young people to chase their dreams and work in the agricultural sector, while also giving them the opportunities to learn how to be resilient and resistant to climate change, as well as how to increase the value of agricultural products to help us have a more sustainable agriculture,” said Yến.
“It doesn’t matter if you work for the government, local or central, it doesn’t matter if you are an entrepreneur or an engineer, or your age,” said Dutch Vice Minister for International Agricultural Affairs Mr. Guido Landheer, who closed the event “Working together towards sustainable food systems” “we have to continue working together towards sustainable food systems, and be the change agents.”
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