Vietnam and other Asian nations work towards sustainability of food and agriculture systems

ABO/NDO – Leaders of the agriculture sector in Vietnam, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Laos and Cambodia adopted a joint statement on sustainable food and agricultural production systems during their virtual meeting on July 19.

The event aimed to prepare for a preparatory session for the forthcoming United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021.

Representing Vietnam at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh noted that the world is facing multiple difficulties and challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic has been causing severe losses in terms of health, economy and social security on a global scale.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh.

Resources for agricultural production have been increasingly scarce, while the negative impacts of climate change have become more and more severe, thus posing tough challenges to ensuring food and nutrition security for a global population of about 7.9 billion, he said.

“Vietnam welcomes and highly appreciates the initiative to adopt a joint statement on sustainable food and agricultural production systems between Japan and ASEAN countries to guide and coordinate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” Doanh affirmed.

The official added that Vietnam is deeply aware of the need for close collaboration among the parties concerned, both bilaterally and multilaterally, in sustainable food and agriculture systems through cooperation in science and technology innovation, digital transformation, development of farmer organisations, improvement of agricultural infrastructure, adaptation to climate change, and environmental protection to trigger extensive changes for the whole systems.

“The initiative will help to better implement the work of reducing poverty and ensuring food and nutrition security for rural areas, ethnic minorities and vulnerable groups. This is also an opportunity to connect and develop Vietnam's agricultural value chain towards transparency, responsibility and sustainability,” he continued.

“With its roles and responsibilities, the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development agrees to adopt the joint statement on sustainable food and agriculture systems, as proposed by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,” Doanh affirmed.

According to the official, the joint statement embraces the similar geographical features of the participating countries such as high humidity and temperature, along with abundant rice fields and high proportion of small and medium farmers.

Therefore, countries will do their best to achieve sustainable food and agricultural production systems, he said, expressing his belief that innovation in agriculture and related industries is the key to this goal.

(Source: NDO)